Today, in our “Super Mother Entrepreneur” articles we introduce you Claudia Caracioni from Arad, Romania.
Mother of 1 boy – Victor, 12 years old.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. In what stage of your life did you decide to start your own business?

My name is Claudia Caracioni, I am primary education teacher. Although I have worked in other fields, this profession has always given me the chance to discover new qualities in myself, it has constantly challenged me to search, to research, to adopt new visions. It is a profession that keeps your mind and spirit awake, all the time. The moment I started looking for a new form of education for children coincided with this pandemic time, when everyone thought that our life would not have the same meaning, but I think everything is compensated.

2. From whom did you receive the greatest support in making the decision to be a mother entrepreneur? What was your strongest motivation?

I am an independent person and I have this habit of choosing myself through my own filter, so I can’t say that I needed any help. The SmartyKids team was absolutely supportive in everything I did, and the professionalism that offer me this team is a real support. I have always wanted to have my own educational centre, where children can benefit from an education that develops skills, in the true sense of the word. And the education received to be an additional value for their lives. So I launched a SmartyKids education centre in Arad.

3. How long (since signing of the contract) did it take for the business to start operating and generate revenue?

I could say that the investment has returned to me 7 months after the opening. There were costs related to the acquisition of the franchise, the arrangement of the space and everything for the interior, but it is a bearable cost for a successful business. In the first month we already had 37 children signed up, later the number increased to 42 kids, and currently 55 children are studying in my centre.

4. What do you think is the success of a mother entrepreneur?

I could not say that there is a certain rule for success. Instead, I could say that everything you do with passion, dedication and is supported by skills – leads to success. I strongly believe that trusting your visions gives you the courage to achieve more than you set to do. There is no particular success, it is the success based on personal expectations and beliefs. It is important how you choose to live: you choose to make a „difference” or you can live without expectation to your mission, as a human being. As Henry Ford said, „If you think you can or you can’t, you’re right in both cases.”

5. What were the most difficult moments for you and how did you deal with them?

I like challenges, I have decision-making power. The biggest difficulty I encountered was choosing an employee to share the same enthusiasm, to take responsibility for working with students at the centre. But the patience and perseverance in maintaining my standard eventually came with the reward.

6. What are your next goals as entrepreneur?

Currently, abacus classes courses are held in our centre, but recently we purchased two more courses from the franchisor: Speed Reading and Financial Awareness, which we want to implement soon. Of course, the big plan is to expand the centre to other areas of the city. We have been operating a centre since its opening on 15th September 2020, which will soon become too small for the number of students we estimate for the next period.

7. What is your advice to anyone who is hesitant to start their own business in the current situation?

As entrepreneur, I know from my own experience that there is no right moment to begin something, but rather you choose a moment and make it right for what you do. If you can distinguish yourself from „I’m not everyone” and „The rest is not me”, do not change your vision of success. Organizing, planning, managing time and budget are extremely important actions for the direction you want to go and stick to the original idea. Sometimes you need to accept a way out of your comfort zone. It’s very important how you build yourself, as a human being. At times when everything seemed like falling apart around us, I succeeded.

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