Originally published in salisburypost.com on 3/78/10
The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Beatrice Hair, founder of Salisbury Tutoring Academy, the North Carolina Small Business Person of the Year for 2010.Hair was nominated by Jenifer Flatley of the University of Phoenix Alumni Association.
Salisbury Tutoring Academy tutors students in all subjects, adult literacy and standardized test preparation. It specializes in working with students with Attention Deficit Disorder and dyslexia.
Winners from 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam will travel to Washington, D.C., in May to mark the annual celebration of National Small Business Week. One person will be selected as National Small Business Person of the Year.
To be honored, the person must have a substantiated history as an established business, growth in number of employees, innovativeness of product/service offered, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects.
Hair spent eight years teaching elementary school. Her turning point occurred when a boy in her elementary school class had heart surgery and fell behind in his studies. She tried to tutor him, but her teaching and school duties consumed all her time. She knew there were many more students like him who could benefit from “one-on-one” tutoring.
In 1996, she opened Salisbury Tutoring Academy, operating out of her home and using classroom space at a church. She had a few teachers signed on as tutors. She outgrew that space and moved into the current location at 818 Corporate Circle, where she now oversees 25 teachers.
The company’s income has grown steadily as it streamlined business systems to create an efficient scheduling and automatic billing system. In 2007, Hair founded a sister company, Salisbury Tutoring Academy Franchise Group and has sold two franchises, with a goal of selling 1,000 nationwide.
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