In establishing JumpLearn, I’ve learned quite a few things. I know that I have a lot more to learn, but here are a couple things that I thought might be helpful to other entrepreneurs.

1. A business email address = credibility.  No one will take you seriously if you’re sending emails from your Gmail or Yahoo account.  Getting a domain name is relatively inexpensive (~$10/year) and adding on email capabilities adds on about $10/year.  But the credibility you get from sending out emails with a professional-sounding domain name is worth a lot more than 20 bucks.

I used DomainsInSeconds.com, but there are many other sites out there that do the same things.  The most popular is probably GoDaddy.com.

2. If you don’t have a website, you don’t have a business.  Well, at least that's as far as many potential customers and partners are concerned.  If you bought a domain name in order to get an email address for your company, then you’re all set. Now you just have to build a webpage.   Even if you have absolutely no background in HTML or web design, there are free services that will let you start with a template that already looks pretty good.  Then you can just drag and drop content to create your site.  WordPress.com is quite popular, especially for bloggers, but I found that it was difficult to create a professional-looking business website by myself.  I really liked Weebly.com.  It was simple to use and I had the first version of the site up in a couple hours.  I did get some input from a friend who’s a graphic designer and I spent several more hours making it look a little less like the generic templates.  But being able to just get a preliminary version up is a significant step in starting a business.   Down the road, you will probably want to invest in hiring a web designer, but when you’re just starting it’s nice to have some sort of web presence.

What suggestions do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

   JumpLearn is an educational company that offers fast, functional classes to help you start a business or help your existing business grow.  Our classes are taught in-person so you get a chance to meet other entrepreneurs and ask your teacher the specific questions you have.  Our teachers are experts in their fields and they offer a wealth of knowledge they’re eager to share. 

   Our class list is constantly expanding, but you can see some of the upcoming classes here. If you’re wondering what the use of a business plan is and if it’s even necessary, you may be interested in the 2-hour “Introduction to a Business Plan.”  Once you’re ready to really dig into the business plan, Carolina Miranda’s series of 4 classes called “Developing a Business Plan” will coach you through writing your business plan.  If you’re overwhelmed by the tax implications and keeping track of your business’s finances, then “Tax & Record Keeping for Sole Proprietors” may ease your mind and help you get organized.  And if you’re wondering how you can be an entrepreneur and not wreck you personal finances along the way, check out “Risk Management for Entrepreneurs”.

   We know you have a busy schedule and can’t waste time in traffic, so classes are offered throughout the Bay Area.  Plus classes are scheduled throughout the day in order to accommodate your needs.  If you have kids in day care, you might like our morning classes.  Or if you are working full time and starting a business on the side, you might enjoy the evening classes.  And for those of you who are weekend warriors, we’ll soon be extending our classes to Saturdays and Sundays too.

   So sign up for a class.  We can’t wait to meet you! 

JumpLearn & Get Going!
Kate & the JumpLearn team