Diva: Kelly Evans
Business Name: Hire Learning Career Development Academy
Website Address: www.hirelearningonline.org
Year Business Was Founded: 2008
Tell us about your business:
Hire Learning is a 501(c)3 youth workforce development agency. We teach young people ages 14-24 21st century and entrepreneurship skills and assure that they are work ready. We inspire young people to create strategies that will lead them to their future goals.
What inspired you to start your business?
As a former director of economic development for a local municipality, I was discouraged by the low numbers of young people who were being hired by local businesses. Business owners often shared with me the
fact that young people lacked the soft skills necessary to get and keep jobs, and I decided to make sure that young people received those skills and became employable and ultimately business owners themselves.
What has been the biggest challenge in your business and how have you dealt with it?
Of course, being a non profit organization, my biggest challenge is always funding. It is our goal to be 100% privately funded and not rely on public funding streams. We are now moving toward a social enterprise model where our students will run and operate a business while our services generate revenue to fund our programs.
What would you say has contributed to your business success?
Hard work, perseverance and believing in my dream even when it didn’t make sense to do so.
What advice would you like to offer to other women/moms who are thinking about starting a business?
Just Do It! It’s not easy, but nothing worth having ever is.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Dreaming up my own ideas and seeing them come to fruition.
What is your favorite tool/resources you use for your business and why?
The internet. I read and research everything! There is no reason that anyone can’t learn what they need to know to be self actualizing with
the access to information that we have.
How do you manage your personal and business activities?
Most of my personal activities ARE business activities! I do make time for my husband and family and I don’t answer calls or emails so that I am totally present when I am having family time.
Looking back, is there anything you wish you’d done differently?
I wish I had pushed through the fear and started earlier.
Please share your social media connections:
Facebook: Hire Learning
Twitter: @hire_learning
