Going Against the Big Dogs
Richmond BizSense – March 5, 2008
It’s March again, which can only mean one thing: rooting for the underdogs in the NCAA tournament. If movies are any judge, then Americans also love the underdog in business.
The truth of the matter; big businesses are big for a reason. But even in industries dominated by a few big players, there’s still opportunity lurking in the shadows.
Operators in the test preparation industry must contend with Kaplan and Princeton Review.
Jefferson Prep, a tutoring company based in Charlottesville with operations in Richmond, found a niche by offering more qualified tutors to students.
“Some people don’t want some anonymous course with a tutor one year older than the students,” [Richard] Bahar says.
And Jefferson Prep is looking for markets overlooked by the bigger companies – such as language tutoring and services in retirement homes. But competing with Kaplan and Princeton Review for name recognition remains a challenge.
Instead, the company turned satisfied customers into spokespeople.
