Very Short Interview, Part 2

So that the two interviews compare next to each other, I am including the link to my first interview:

http://nicoleslifeatuf.blogspot.com/2016/01/very-short-interview-no-1.html

I found my first interview to be spot on but a little simplistic.  Perhaps because I am obtaining a business degree I have a better understanding of business models and what is required to make your business truly successful, especially with the exercises from this class.  I realized that before you start moving forward in pursuing a business you need to listen first, you need to survey people, you need to query the demand.

My interview with my entrepreneur a second time took place via phone.  The questions I asked are as follows:

What efforts did you put in to determining the demand for a daycare before opening?

Honestly, my decision to open a daycare was purely for selfish reasons.  I had no job and the I needed to earn income sooner than later.  I started in my home and once I gained enough money, I expanded to full functioning daycare in a commercial area.  My thought has always been, people will always have children, more than half will go back to work, there will always be a demand.  My location for my business was decided by some friends who worked in the theme parks.  They were constantly complaining about the lack of availability of a daycare close to their job and the hours of operation.

Do you query your customers on changes in the business before actually putting them in place?

Sometimes.  When we decided to do an "after hours" babysitting service once a month for the parents to have date nights, we asked that parents.  Other decisions, like us recently going gluten free was a decision I made on my own.

What's next for you?

We are expanding.  I am actually in Puerto Rico right now looking at land that my family owns.  We are thinking of opening a daycare here and having my brothers wife run the operation.  It is a small step and more of a 3 year plan than immediately.

I do think that the entrepreneur that I interviewed was surprised in my level of confidence in this interview.  On question three, she actually commented "great question", that made me feel and made me realize the personal growth I have had in my knowledge as a potential business owner which in turns gives you more confidence.  I feel like I personally have grown as a person, with little steps, my experience in public speaking has improved slightly and I've learned something critical in becoming a business owner.  Seek first to understand, ask questions...then execute!