You’ve played with the idea of starting a micro-business teaching a preschool language class, but it just seems so overwhelming. How would you even get started? Who would you teach? Where would you teach? How would you find student? (When it’s a business, they don’t come to you just because it is on their class schedule.)
A few years ago, I was asking myself those same questions. Because I use Comprehensible Input, I knew I could make language learning much more fun and effective than with traditional methods. As the parent of two preschoolers at the time, I also knew that a lot of parents wanted their kids to learn a second language but didn’t speak one themselves.
There was market for language learning. But how on earth would I get started? Almost 5 years later, I looked back fondly on what accomplished in building the first part of my business, World of Wonders Learning, into a profitable micro-business. If you’ve been toying with the idea of using your teaching and language skills to create a side job that you love, here are some of the most important lessons I learned in the process.
Know your stuff, but don’t obsess over your plan
When I was still dreaming of starting a preschool language class business, I wanted to know what the options were. Online, I found a ton of info about other language classes and how they operated. Even though my situation was very different from theirs, knowing how others were making things work was a huge help in practical areas, such as pricing and scheduling. If you want to look at some similar business models, check out websites for companies that offer science parties, STEM enrichment, language summer camps,Spanish clubs, and soccer.
However, what I had envisioned at first changed as I began to actually take action. I discovered that people in my area were dying for their kids to learn Spanish, but kind of “meh” about French. So I switched. (I speak both, but my French is definitely stronger.) I pitched an after school care location that I thought was WAY out of my league, and they accepted my proposal. Which led to a couple of gigs teaching their staff Spanish for $95/hour.
But none of those things would have happened if I had been hung up on knowing exactly how things would go. I had to get out there and do it in order to learn what I needed to know.
Bottom line: do your research. Know what your first steps are. But don’t stress over knowing the whole path.
Ask for help from experts, but not competitors
One of the most amazing pieces of luck I had was to sit down with the amazing Olivia Roney of Crouching Tigers, who teaches karate in preschools across several states. She was doing almost exactly what I was hoping to do, but not with Spanish. She was so generous with her time and gave me tips that literally kept me from throwing in the towel before I even got my first class off the ground.
So how did I make contact with her? Simple, I posted a message to FaceBook. We lived in the same city, and I thought we might have some friends in common, so I asked my friends if any of them knew her well enough to introduce us on FB. Turns out the wife of the best man at our wedding was on a community committee with her and introduced me.
How I did it
When I contacted her, I gave her some very genuine but effusive compliments. I made sure that I had already learned everything I could about her company so she would know that I really had spent time researching and that I respected the work she did.
However, I made sure to respect her time and generosity. First, even though we were both in the preschool enrichment class space, we weren’t direct competitors. Additionally, her business was already massive, so I was no threat. And even though I couldn’t reciprocate by giving her advice or help, I did drop off a bottle of wine at her office and make sure that I paid when we went out to lunch. Also, I tried to mention her business positively whenever I could, which was super easy to do because she really is a class act.
Bottom line: ask for help, but appreciate the help you are given. Most people who build a business are incredibly proud of what they have created and are willing to talk about it with someone who is genuinely interested.
Educate parents
OMG. This one is huge. Let me tell you a little story here.
When I started my first language class, I was stunned to have 22 kids sign up. I was thrilled beyond words. That month I made almost 50% of my teaching salary doing just a2 hours a week after school. I thought I had this thing figured out.
But the next class cycle, my enrollment dropped almost 50%. When I asked the parents why, there were some kids who had legitimate conflicts and such, but there were other parents who said things like, “I asked them to say something and they couldn’t even say one thing.”
The parents didn’t understand how language learning (especially comprehensible input) works. And it was my fault. I knew what they should expect, but I hadn’t told them.
How I fixed it
Soon, I started sending them e-mails to explain the advantages of the methods I used. I told them that while kids wouldn’t be able to speak right away, they were already starting to actually understand Spanish and they would retain it much better than if we focused on lists of vocabulary. Slowly, I helped them understand how language acquisition works and how to best support their kids as they acquired Spanish.
But wait, there’s more
But there were other perks, as well. First, because I was communicating with the parents regularly and also teaching THEM, the perceived value of my classes went through the roof. Second, I became someone they trusted. No longer was I just some anonymous business. I was Jill, and I was invested in their kids and in helping them to give their kids the best. And the proof was in the numbers. My retention rates went from horrible to stellar, and I very rarely had kids drop my program once they started it.
Bottom line: Don’t expect the parents to understand what you understand. Start from the basics, and explain what they should expect and why.
Hold yourself to high standards, but give yourself grace
My goal was always to leave parents with more value than they were expecting. If I had a parent complaint (and you will, because you are learning), I tried to figure out what I could do to fix the problem. And I always looked at dissatisfaction as a marketing opportunity. What could I do to fix the problem and turn the parent into a raving fan? Of course, it depended on what the complaint was, but my goal was to never leave a parent dissatisfied.
The Hand, Foot, and Mouth Debacle
For example, my daughter came down with hand, foot, and mouth disease. I had to reschedule 2 weeks of classes. Since it is contagious and symptoms don’t’ show up right away, I couldn’t possibly set foot in a daycare center until I knew I didn’t have it. So I rescheduled the classes that we would be missing AND offered parents a refund on those two classes if their child was for any reason unable to attend. I also explained that I wouldn’t normally cancel, but I was doing it in the best interest of their children. I had one parent e-mail me back thanking me profusely for cancelling since she had a newborn and didn’t want to take any chances on him getting sick.
Make like Elsa: Let it GO!
With that said, I also made a point of letting it go when I did make a mistake. I had to give myself the grace to make mistakes without shame. Sometimes I got overwhelmed and didn’t communicate as well as I should have. There were other minor mistakes. Since I’m a recovering perfectionist, I had to really struggle not to let those mistakes get in my head and bring me down. Beating myself up wasn’t going to make me a better teacher or business owner. But learning and changing was.
Bottom line: Do your best, and accept that your best will never be perfect. Talk to yourself like your best friend would. (Assuming your best friend ROCKS like mine does. And if not, I’ll be your surrogate best friend. Talk to yourself like I would. Note: I’m honest, but affirming.)
Well, I wasn’t actually expecting to write this blog about launching an online startup business. When I sold/transferred my preschool teaching business about a year ago, I thought I was done for a while. But that’s not the way it seems to be turning out.
Saying goodbye to Startup #1
So why did I sell it? A couple of reasons. First, I was once again teaching full time, and in a totally new subject area. I had never taught English Language Learners and although I had a strong base in understanding language acquisition, I was pretty much starting from scratch as far as materials and such and didn’t have any spare time.
Second, I had realized that my Spanish preschool startup business wasn’t going to serve the needs of my family long term. My husband and I had been talking about spending some time living overseas, and a preschool language business just wasn’t going to fit into that plan.
A New Startup
So I started exploring online options. I tried giving French classes online, and I loved it. But it was a pretty big stress on my family for me to be online and totally uninterrupted at a specific time each week. We’re a hot mess around here, and that just wasn’t working for us. Plus, a lot of my students had the same trouble. Their schedules changed from week to week, so they missed a lot of classes.
I kept thinking if I could only pre-record classes and set it up so they could do it on their own schedule, that would be ideal. I just didn’t know how to do it without making it deadly dull. I mean, it’s my sparkling personality that brings my classes to life, right? OK, well, maybe that’s an overstatement. But things just aren’t as interesting when the instructor can’t react to the student in real time. What to do?
Finally, I figured out a way to use video clips with my voice narrating them. Because a lot of the videos I use in my classroom have a twist or a surprise at the end, I felt like that would compensate for not having the personal interaction. But there was the issue of copyright infringement. I couldn’t use a lot of the videos without permission from the creator. I pondered that for a week or two, and finally found a solution (or a couple of work-arounds, actually) that will allow me to start on the class until I can get it 100% figured out.
So now, I’m working my way through a course I bought about 2 years ago. Here’s a shout out to Amy Porterfield, who is absolutely my hero in creating the course. So far, it’s been a breeze thanks to her amazing step-by-step system. Check out her page here. She’s also got a kick butt podcast, which I’ve mentioned before. It’s taking me step-by-step through the process of building my own course from the ground up.
The Startup Plan
At this point, my plan is to offer a free four-week class. This will allow people to see whether the format works for them, and also help me to see what folks like and what they don’t. The free class will remain available as a lead magnet. In other words, in order to get the free class, you have to submit your e-mail address. This serves two purposes, as I’m sure you know. First, it allows me to get subscribers the course information. Second, it allow me to start building my e-mail list.
Once we’ve gone through the free class, I’ll have another class ready for people who want to continue. Pricing and a lot of things are still in the air, but I’m unbelievably excited about this. I miss teaching French SO MUCH! And as I was sitting around planning the free course this morning, and working on content, I was just so incredibly psyched about how much my students are going to get out of this course. Even if they never pay me a cent, I want this course to be a huge value in their lives and allow them to learn things they wouldn’t otherwise.
Why I’m sharing it
So here’s why I’m sharing. When I read blogs, it really inspires me to see people who have shared their journey from the beginning – the good, the bad, and the ugly. One of my favorite blogs was The Simple Dollar,a blog in which the author shared his story of going from drowning in debt to being 100% debt-free. It really inspired me by showing how small, consistent steps can totally change a person’s situation. Plus, I just like seeing people succeed, so reading it always made me feel uplifted.
My plan is to let you all take this journey with me if you want. Every two months I’ll publish an income statement with real numbers to let you see what kind of progress (if any!?!) I’m making. If you know me at all, you know I’m pretty transparent. I’m not overly afraid to share my failures as well as my triumphs. So this is my chance to start at the beginning and allow any of you who want, to come along for the ride.
When I began offering Spanish preschool classes, I thought I’d never find one with enough parent interest to make my efforts worthwhile. After flying out of the gates with high hopes, I was quickly shot down. It seemed impossible to get more than 4 kids enrolled in my classes. I told myself that the numbers would grow, but they just stumbled along, not really increasing at all. I started to wonder if this business of mine was just a pipe dream or really the viable moneymaker that I had dreamed of.
Well, after several centers and some advice from a friend who has a huge and profitable enrichment class business in preschools, I was able to tweak the formula. Now, I have a set process and timeline that produces higher enrollment numbers and amazing retention. I’ll bet you’d like to skip that learning phase I had to go through, and head right for successful start-ups. If so, here are three tips that turned my start-up process around. You can also get the Countdown to Class timeline I’ve found most effective for opening classes at a new center.
Offer a free class
So you’re getting ready to start a class at a brand new location, and you don’t quite know how to get the word out. You’ve done fliers and parent notes in each cubby, but it just seems as if there should be something more. Have you thought about offering a free class?
A free class can reassure parents that their child will enjoy learning Spanish. It also gets kids super-enthusiastic. (We all know that kids are truly the best salespeople, right?) It is a concrete reminder that a new opportunity is opening up. And it demonstrates right up front that you are interested in providing value. Finally, it is a chance for you to see which kiddos are interested in Spanish and help guide parents so they get the best value for their money.
So what can you do to make this introductory class the most effective?
Require parents to fill out a registration form for these three reasons
At the first few centers I partnered with, I simply offered do a free class for the entire group. I felt like I was truly offering them something of value, and I didn’t want any of the kids to miss out. It was a nightmare. There are three main reasons you should require a registration form.
It will be more like your actual classes
First, the centers often wanted to combine classes to save time. At one center, I ended up with 24 kids in one class. That’s a teacher-student ratio I would NEVER allow in my paid classes, because they would be totally ineffective. Consequently, my free class was totally ineffective. The kids were wild. I had to cut some of my most fun (and most active) portions because I knew that they would dissolve into chaos. My classes came off as boring and I had VERY low enrollment. And by the way, they never grew because the kids had decided my classes were boring based on that one disastrous free class.
Make sure the center director is on board with your Spanish preschool classes
Secondly, requiring registration can save you time. Let the director know that there is a minimum enrollment for the free class. This will encourage the director to encourage parents to sign up. Who wants 6 parents to be disappointed because the group was short 2 enrollments? So, you are more likely to have a set number of enrollments, the director creates a habit of nudging parents to get their registration in, and you don’t have to offer the free class if only 2 students sign up. And here’s a news flash: if only 2 kids sign up for your free class, this isn’t the center that you’re looking for anyway. (It’s good to mention up-front that your free class has a minimum enrollment so parents don’t feel cheated if there is low interest.)
Be able to communicate directly with parents
Finally – and this is the big one – by having parents register, you can get their e-mail address. Having the parents’ e-mail address lets you communicate directly with them. You send an update on how the free class went (more on that later). You can send a quick e-mail reminder on the final day of registration for your paid class. You can send reminders for future classes and quick tips for helping a child learn language at home. Of course, you always want to give them a chance to opt out, but these parents have expressed an interest in having their child learn Spanish. They value education. They are your target market. By sending value-packed information, you can show your commitment to providing high-quality instruction. That allows you to build trust, and THAT is the key to a long-term relationship.
Follow-up with parents (individually, if possible) right after the free class
So you’ve presented a great free class. The kids were into it, you had rockin’ activities, and you can hardly wait for the full session to start. Let the parents know. Send a quick e-mail as soon after your class as possible detailing the songs you sang, the books you read, and how the games went. You might even want to include a link or two to YouTube videos of those songs, if they are available. Convince the parents (in 100 words or less!) that you are an amazing professional and they do NOT want their child to miss out. Keep it positive and low-key, but definitely let them know that you are providing tremendous value.
If possible, make the notes individualized. You probably won’t remember the names of each child, but to the extent that you can, let the parents know not just how “the kids” did, but how Emma or Aiden did specifically. Again, this shows that you are more interested in the kids than in the money. If a child asked a question, or seemed particularly engaged, try to make a note of that child’s name, so you can mention it specifically in your note.
Of course, sometimes a child is truly disruptive or doesn’t seem emotionally ready for the class. I always let parents know that (nicely and tactfully!), as well because I want them to get their money’s work AND I want the other kids who enroll to have a great class.
Parents are interested not as much in the group in general as they are in their very own little angel. The more you can give them specifics, the more they will see you as a resource and not just a salesperson.
After teaching high school for 17 years, I was pretty apprehensive about going cold turkey to preschoolers. I mean, high schoolers actually get jokes. And they have an attention span of more than 32 seconds (some days, although not always). I did have preschoolers of my own, and a sister and a best friend who were firmly in the early-ed end of things. But seriously, I could think of about 1,842 ways that I could totally screw this up.
So while this is certainly not the last work on the topic, I wanted to take a little time to share with you some of the most important lessons I learned when I left my adolescents behind an ventured in the much cuter, much more terrifiying (for me) world of preschool.
Be flexible.
This one is common to both ages, but possibly even more important in working with the littles. While older kids have more or less learned to function in a school setting, the littles aren’t necessarily there yet. A rainy day, a special activity, a sunny day, a friend being absent, a friend being present – all of these can send a student (or possibly your entire class) into a tail spin.
Honestly, I dreaded rainy days. It just seemed like the kids couldn’t concentrate as well. So if it turned out to be rainy, I almost always cut a storybook and added a song or two. Luckily, I didn’t have to cover a set curriculum, so I had the freedom to do that. And it really helped save my sanity.
And sometimes it worked the other way. After 15 minutes of trying to get them to chill and listen, we finished a book and were supposed to do a moving game. But they were sitting and listening SO well, I wasn’t about to lose that opportunity. So I’d get out another short book while they were in the mood, even if it mean breaking my “5 minute activity” rule. Occasionally I would regret it, but there’s no law that says you have to finish the book. If they lost interest half-way through, I’d say, “Hey. I think you are tired of reading. Let’s do something else.” And then it was time for the game.
So while you know rule #1 with older kids, it’s even more important with littles. Have a back-up plan. And a back up plan for your back-up plan. And a … well, you get the picture.
Give yourself time to get it right with preschoolers.
My first class was a nightmare. Really. I dreaded seeing those preschoolers. I tried everything, but it just didn’t seem to work. But I just kept reminding myself that it was, after all, my firstpreschool class. My second group went better. And my third was even better. Obviously, I never became the preschool whisperer, but it got to the place that I actually looked forward to seeing my cute little goofballs. And I think they looked forward to me, too.
So if you don’t get it right away, don’t be surprised. That’s part of the deal. Keep at it. Just keep learning every time you see the little darlings.
Movement, songs, and games are your friends.
This may go without saying, but it’s about the most important advice I can give, so I’m going to say it anyway. The less kids are concentrating on the language and the more they are concentrating on FUN, the better it is for everyone. So when you’re learning to count, count stuffed animals. Or count your jumps as you jump across the room. The less your classes feel like learning and the more they feel like play, the more engagement you’ll have. And – ironically – the more they will learn!
Short, short, short.
My rule when planning was to never count on any activity to last more than 5 minutes. So if we were going to read, I counted on a four-minute activity. (And that doesn’t mean sing one song for three minutes, then sing another song for three more minutes. It means completely change activities.) Then we’d sing. Then we’d do a movement game. Then we’d sing again. More reading. Then moving. Then another book. By that time, it was time for the good-bye song and stickers. As I mentioned above, sometimes I broke this rule if the kids were really engaged in a certain activity. However, I never plannedfor any one activity to keep their attention for longer.
Few words on the page, lots of discussion.
In an upcoming post, we’ll cover some of my all-time favorite books for preschool. But in the mean time, just let me tell you that they will all have something in common: very few words. “But Jill,” you might be thinking, “How are they going to learn if they don’t hear the words?” By responding to questions. For example, with on of my favorite booksEl Canguro tiene mama?there is only one short sentence on a page, but here is an example of the discussion we can have about it, all with very elementary vocabulary.
Teacher: Is the mom big or little?
Kids: Big.
T: Yes, the mom is big. Are the babies big?
K: No. Small.
T: Yes, the babies are small. Is YOUR mom big or small?
This exchange about big and small can be followed on the next page by questions about what the animals are doing, how many babies there are in the picture, how many mommies there are, is it the mommy or the daddy in the picture, where is the mommy (or the daddy), and do you like this animal?
You’ve still got to read your audience and make sure you are not boring them, but in my experience, kids respond a lot better when they are taking part in a conversation about the book than when they are just passively listening.
Praise, when possible.
It’s hard to remember, but kids often do better when you praise the ones who are behaving well instead of reminding the ones who aren’t. Our first instinct is often “Simon, sit down please,” or “Amari, please listen.” Instead, try calling attention to the kids who are sitting and listening already. “Maria, I love how you are using your listening ears,” or “Andy, you are sitting so well and keeping your hands to yourself. Nice job,” reminds the kids how to behave without calling anyone out for having trouble. It won’t work every time, but I found it to be particularly helpful with preschoolers.
Small groups – NO MATTER WHAT.
If you are starting your own business, please do yourself this favor. Keep your groups small no matter what. If that means splitting into two different classes or even starting a waiting list, do it. As you are getting your feet wet with preschoolers, you are going to make mistakes. That’s just a fact. But mistakes are multiplied in large classes. And they can make you really, really miserable! I didn’t let my classes get above eight, and that one thing helped me retain what little sanity I had left.
This applies even to one-offs. If you are doing a free class, don’t let the center persuade you to have a class that’s twice what your comfortable with. You won’t be able to do as much fun stuff, and it may actually hurt your enrollment since kids will think Spanish is boring. (Um, and they might get the idea that the Spanish teacher is grumpy for some strange reason, too.)
Cut your losses.
This doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes you’ve just got to cut your losses and close a class down. The very first class I started seemed promising at first, but the bottom line was that it just wasn’t working out. I had low enrollment, the management was a bit disorganized and completely unhelpful, and the kids didn’t behave well. I tried everything I could think of, but I finally decided that I was done. After thinking up a suitably diplomatic way to phrase it, I quit offering the class, and I was SO much happier. I found another center where the enrollment was higher, kids were amazing and fun, and the management actually had it together. Plus, my life got better just because I didn’t have to deal with that one group of kiddos.
Remember, part of the beauty of owning your own business is that you can make calls like that. So do it. If it just isn’t flying at a certain place, let it go. That location that isn’t working out might be keeping you from one that is amazing.
Preschool Enrichment Classes: Three Make or Break Steps
1. Selecting a location
In real estate investing, there is a saying that “You make your money when you buy.” While this might seem odd (“Hold on, don’t they write the the big ol’ check after I’ve sold the property?”), it is 100% true. Of course, what they mean is that if you don’t select a quality property that you can buy below market value, you’re not going to realize a profit when it’s time to sell. The same thing is true for your preschool enrichment classes. (Class that are taught by an outside group at a preschool location are often called “enrichment classes”.)
A big part of having a successful class happens long before you start enrolling students. You make your class successful by doing your research and finding a location where the parents already want what you are offering. If you are offering classes in the wrong location, you can do everything else right, but you still won’t have success. So how do you know what makes a great location?
Willing and Able to Pay
Well, first you need parents who are willing and able to pay and who value what you are offering. As you know, I offer language enrichment classes. I look for suburban centers with highly educated parents. These are parents who ALREADY WANT what I’m offering. I don’t have to convince them to enroll their child in Spanish class. They have been looking for a way to expose their kids to a world language, so when I show up, they are excited about enrolling their child.
Besides being willing to pay, they also need to be able to pay. Now, I am a lover of language and I want EVERY kid to be able to learn with me. But I also have to be able to turn a profit, especially until I get myself up and running.
So while you can certainly offer partial scholarships to students who want to take the class but can’t quite afford it, if every student is asking for a scholarship, you have probably chosen the wrong location. Also, I don’t offer any FULL scholarships for this simple reason: most parents can afford something toward the class if it is a true priority for them. Even if it’s $10 per month, I want them to be invested in their child’s success, and that’s a lot more likely if they are making a financial contribution every month.
So there you go.
Step one: Choose a location where parents are already interested in what you are offering and are able to pay for your enrichment classes.
2. Offering a Free class
At the beginning of each semester, I offer a free class at every location. This does several things.
First, it allows me to market my class. We try to keep the free class fun and upbeat, and at the end of class, each student gets a sticker with a reminder for their parents to enroll them in Spanish class. Students also go home with a sheet of frequently asked questions and a registration form.
Require a registration form for the free class
Here’s the real secret to a free class that leads to enrollment, though: require a registration form. When I started, I didn’t want to do this. I was convinced that if the kids experienced my engaging, fun, and all-around wonderful class, they’d sell it to their parents by begging to enroll. Yeah, whatever.
While that might happen in a few cases, it’s pretty rare that a parent who isn’t even interested enough to fill out a registration for a FREE class with absolutely no obligation is going to actually pay for the full enrichment class. Now sometimes it happens that they were just busy and I pick up a couple of registrations for the class even after the free class. But that is definitely the exception rather than the rule.
Because…
Here’s the other thing. If you offer the class to all of the students, your free class isn’t going to be an accurate reflection of how fun your class really is.
At the first preschool I went to, I agreed to offer the free class to all the students. They combined two preschool classes and had me offer a class to 25 preschoolers. It was NO fun. I had to cut all of my best activities to keep it from dissolving into chaos. My enrollment never recovered because none of the kids wanted to take my boring class – which had only been boring because there were too many students.
Step two: Start each semester with a free class, but ONLY for students whose parents fill out a registration form.
3. Educating parents
Whatever type of enrichment class you are offering, whether it’s ballet, karate, computers, language, or STEM, you are the expert. You know how much students will realistically learn and be able to do. You know the long-term benefits. You know why you do what you do and how it will produce learning.
But the parents aren’t experts. They don’t know any of these things. And if you don’t teach them, they never will.
My first location started out with 22 students – so many I had to break it into 2 different classes. I was thrilled. Then almost half of them dropped after the first month. Some of that was explainable. It wasn’t a good fit for some of the kids, and a couple of them had scheduling conflicts that popped up.
You’ve enrolled them, now you’ve got to KEEP them enrolled
However, the majority of it was my failure to educate the parents on language learning. I just assumed that they knew what I knew: how students learn to understand before they start to speak, that students will retain a ton more through Communicative methods (CI, for you language geeks), but it won’t show up as fast, and that learning a second language has very real long-term benefits to the developing brain.
But they didn’t. And so when I asked some of the parents why their kids dropped the class, I got a lot of responses like, “Well, they weren’t able to say anything.” Now, as a language educator, I know that after four 40-minute classes, that’s absolutely normal, but I hadn’t educated THE PARENTS! So they thought my classes were a flop.
So if you want to KEEP those students you worked so hard to get, you’ve got to educate parents, and communicate regularly. Ideally, these should be short, informative blurbs of 150 words or less. They can be sent through e-mail or handed out on paper. Each one should cover one TINY bit of information and use only terms that a newbie could totally understand. Don’t go all jargon on them; make it something that 6 year-old could understand.
Step three: Educate parents so they know how you teach, why you teach that way, and how it benefits their child.
Can I guarantee you’ll have successful classes? No. There are too many variables, too many moving parts to make guarantees. But I can tell you this: keeping these three steps in mind will put you light years ahead of those who neglect them!
