Picking a business
partner can never be easy. How did both of you find each other? And how did you
know you could work on an idea/venture together?
[Frederik] Taofeeq and myself have been friends since Year 7 (About age 12/13). We attended the same church and coincidently always had the same pair of trainers (we both had a passion for trainers). Growing up we had a lot of other things in common although we are probably very different when it comes to our characteristics.
[Taff] We knew we could work together because we always worked on little projects and as we got older businesses, our skills complimented each other well. I have always been the designer, coder type geek and Frederik the “business” type person.
How long has Study Search been open?
Our official birthday is the 31st of May 2014, so we’ve been running for about a year.
[Frederik] Taofeeq and myself have been friends since Year 7 (About age 12/13). We attended the same church and coincidently always had the same pair of trainers (we both had a passion for trainers). Growing up we had a lot of other things in common although we are probably very different when it comes to our characteristics.
[Taff] We knew we could work together because we always worked on little projects and as we got older businesses, our skills complimented each other well. I have always been the designer, coder type geek and Frederik the “business” type person.
How long has Study Search been open?
Our official birthday is the 31st of May 2014, so we’ve been running for about a year.
What bought about the idea to setup a business in the
education industry? And why is it abroad?
[Frederik]
StudySearch was born out of my personal experience. Whilst living in London I
helped out family and friends in Nigeria with UK university applications, just
a helping out nothing too serious.
Taofeeq and I
relocated to Nigeria for another business but we found that just like friends
and family in our network, many other young Nigerians decide to further their
education abroad but were being underserved by traditional methods and didn't
have the information they needed to make the best decision. Many people we knew
were being ripped off and we got so passionate about it, knowing that the
problem could easily be solved so we decided to do it.
What is the sole purpose and aim of Study Search?
[Taff] Our mission
is to empower students with the information and tools needed to make the best
decision about their future.
With education so
closely linked to future opportunities we’re currently focused on students /
young people making the right decision about where and what to study. With so
many options out there it can be extremely difficult making the correct
decision. We believe that peer to peer advice provides students with accurate
advice from people they can understand and relate to.
What has been the best highlight since setting it up?
There have been
many highlights to be honest since setting up, from winning awards to raising
investment. The best highlights for us is each time a student/parent pays to
use our service and is able to achieve their goal of finding the perfect
university, successfully applying and gaining admission. We’re excited each time we receive an email
from a student thanking us and telling us how much they are enjoying their
university experience.
What obstacles have
you been able to overcome whilst building Study Search?
Running a business
from Nigeria is extremely difficult; we’ve had to overcome power outages, 6
hour daily commuting traffic to our office and a ton of other stuff that an
entrepreneur in London would probably not have to worry about. I think it’s
made us a whole lot smarter and considerably more efficient - Knowing that
anything can happen at any minute makes you focus on what is truly important,
not just on a macro level but on a day to day level. That's how we’ve been able
to overcome the obstacles.
Give student 5
reasons to come to your service for help?
- Firstly
we connect prospective students with current students and alumni who have
successfully been through the process they are embarking on. It makes sense to
learn from an expert!
- It
will cost you ¼ of what you’d pay for other forms of personalized help and
advice.
- Our
service is tailored but also efficient and easy to use - you don’t have to
spend hours on the phone or going into an office - you can get all the support
and advice you need from your laptop or mobile device
- Our community is growing really fast - we’re
thousands of students and graduates from 35+ different countries - the advice
and support doesn’t stop once you’re in university - the community is always
here for you.
- We
tell the truth - making a decision about where and what to study is an
important one - our advisors are unbiased - they are not marketing people so
there is no need to sell to you!
What can we expect from the Study Search in 2015?
We
are continuing to focus on the things that matter to our users. Growing our
network of advisors to cover more countries, courses and universities. And
ensuring students find the perfect course and university.
Do you feel that you are well supported, would you like to
see more support of your work? If so, how?
We
are well supported at our current stage however we always encourage current
students and alumni to join us
What is your top piece of advice to motivate or inspire
anyone reading this that is hoping to start an advisory business in the
education industry?
Our top piece of advice for
anyone hoping to start a business is always to “Go Do It” NOW! not tomorrow,
not on the weekend when you’ve finished your day job, just start now. You’ll
figure everything out on the journey
Where can we connect with you?
Thanks to Fred and Taff for featuring. Great service and would love to see this in a mobile app form, that would make it so easily accessible.
Be you and Be true to who you are.
Be you and Be true to who you are.
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