Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT Let's Talk College!
Three questions with Priyanka Shingala, founder of Let's Talk College.
Why did you start your business?
Let’s Talk College, LLC was born of a desire to share what I consider to be basic knowledge with families who desperately needed it and do so with integrity and honesty.
High school teens and their families around the country struggle to find answers to the most elementary college admissions process questions.
When should we start test prep? SAT or ACT?
How do we find the right university? When should we schedule college tours? How do we write a strong college essay? When should we hire someone?
And so on.
The lack of information has made way for the spread of misinformation by well-meaning friends & family and by not-so-well-meaning businesses & freelancers, and overall, the process turns into an anxiety and fear-filled stress fest for families.
After watching it happen too many times as a part-time tutor, I decided that it was almost unethical of me to simply “hoard” knowledge I’d acquired while working with clients.
Now, outside of posting on my website and social media, I partner with the Redding, Easton, and Wilton libraries to host free information sessions on almost every part of the college application process. Families should be able to walk out of the session with at least a 90- 95% understanding of what they need to do. The remaining 5-10% would vary case by case.
The most popular service has me working with students for their SAT prep while simultaneously conducting college searches, working on essays, and ultimately deciding the strategy for application submissions. Because SAT prep can be a 3-5 month process, sometimes even longer, topics have to overlap to ensure that students don't fall behind in the rest of their application process.
Have you "reimagined" your small business?
Let’s Talk College, LLC has always had a laid-back “grab-a-cup-of-coffee-and-let’s-talk” vibe and I plan to always keep that. It was designed to create a warm and open discussion atmosphere with my audience.
Visit Let's Talk College online here!
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!