LearnTRU Elevator & Venture Pitch
Hello,
Here is my Elevator Pitch for A3!
For more detail, please read through my LearnTRU Venture Pitch.
Thanks!
(* Note: There was a audible click in my EP so I uploaded a new version.)
Reference
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ldac-acta.ca/
jenaca 2:07 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
What a great pitch! You caught my attention right away and I was engaged the entire time! I am shocked about the high number of dropouts and can’t seem to get 35% out of my head! I think this was a wonderful way to begin your pitch, as well as visually showing the comparisons!
I am definitely voting for your product!
Jenaca
ashleyross 4:49 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jenaca,
Thanks so much for the positive feedback, it’s much appreciated. đ
jarvise 10:17 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
learntru is a well positioned and developed idea. I like the structure of your presentation. You clearly establish the need and the market, although there was no hard data on cash flow. You have positioned your product as a whole solution, through offering not only help with academics, but also with lifestyle, which would translate to self efficacy. I also think that through providing extra services, such as helping parents negotiate through extra funding applications that are available to them benefits both you and them. I thought your minimum commitment time was a little high, but I get that in order to peruse an activity on the weekend, it would take time. Did you consider offering fragments of your service as well? For example, if someone just wanted help with one aspect, they could pay only for that? Great presentation and great idea. I like your coordinated services model and would invest in this.
Emily
ashleyross 4:50 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your feedback. I decided not to include any specific data on the financial aspect of the business mostly because it wasn’t a requirement for the assignment and I wanted to make sure that I gave as much attention as possible to the deliverables. In regards to offering fragments of LearnTRU, I feel as though it would go against the underlying concept behind the program, which is to help create an academic/non-academic balance in a child’s life. I realize that the minimum commitment could be considered high, but most sports or programs for young children are at least one day a week so it isn’t really any different as far as the time involved. Also, for families who have children with learning disabilities, they will help their child spend as much time as they need to become successful.
bcourey 5:42 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
You are addressing a very challenging problem – meeting the needs of a group of students who are traditionally overlooked and given minimum support – your stats are disturbing as we look at their drop out rate. When I first viewed your pitch, I wondered if the only difference between your service and any other tutoring program was the weekend activities, but then I noted that you provide a great deal of support for parents and a very individualized program for each student based on your assessments. I too wondered about the cost and what investors would get in return…but maybe you are a non-profit group? I also wonder if one evening per week for tutoring would give them enough support to upgrade their skills enough to be successful in their regular school day. Great presentation for sure!
Brenda
ashleyross 7:03 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Brenda,
Thank you for your comments. You’re right, one day a week would not be enough to help upgrade a student’s skills, that’s why LearnTRU spends equal amounts of time focusing on participants learning lifestyle and high-interest lifestyle. Although it could be split so that we focused on the learning lifestyle during the week and the high-interest lifestyle on the weekend, it is much more effective when the activities are done together each day. This gives the participant an outlet after working hard on their academic pursuits through the transition to the high-interest lifestyle, even if it is something as simple as going for a swim at the public pool during the week.
I do feel as though the business can be profitable, but I need to finish researching the financial requirements of launching LearnTRU before providing you with more detailed information. đ
Ashley
hall 6:19 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
ashleyross,
I think your elevator pitch is a good one. I definitely like your sequence of your ideas from the identification of problem to solution of problem through Learn TRU. I think it was innovative. Developing countries would definitely benefit from your venture.
Conroy
ashleyross 6:51 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Conroy,
Thanks so much for your comments. đ
schiong 11:44 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
Great product.
I’ve never dealt with anyone with learning disabilities… so it is hard for me to imagine the market potential.
just to clarify, would you be transferring the learner (diagnosed with learning disability) to your own “school”, or you send a consultant to shadow the student?
cheers,
Steve
ashleyross 6:51 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your question. The answer is neither, you could think of LearnTRU as an afterschool program that provides students with the tools they need to bring back to their classroom. The idea is for them to become self-sufficient and independent, while in the classroom.
Cheers,
Ashley
jenaca 6:33 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The Venture:
LearnTRU is in the business of helping particpants learn using technlology to reach their ultimate goal by providing them with a learning lifestyle strategy that will stay with them forever. LearnTRU has blended a learning lifestyle and a high-interest lifestyle that aims to create the perfect âafter-schoolâ and weekend learning environment for students with disabilities.
LearnTRU has 3 main aspects:
1) Assessment: To help clients discover their learning lifestyles through a series of questions that determine how they learn best and which tool(s) can help them in their academic pursuits
2) Learning Lifestyle: Participants are taught how to learn by transforming any subject material so that it suits the learning style that was outlined during their initial assessment
3) High-Interest Lifestyle: Involve students in activities outside of the normal lifestyles (horseback riding, playing musical instruments, snowboarding etcâŚ)
Additional Information:
⢠In Canada, about 1 in 10 Canadians have a learning disability; 35% of those individuals who are identified as having a learning disability
⢠LearnTRU is to help these young people find a hobby, sport or exercise that they enjoy, but more importantly one that will give them a sense of accomplishment.
⢠LearnTRU clients will spend equal amounts of time developing their Learning Lifestyle and their High-Interest Lifestyle to help them achieve success in all aspects of their lives.
⢠The minimum time commitment required to participate with LearnTRU is one evening during the school week and 4 hours on the weekend.
My Thoughts:
LearnTru is a well developed and structure idea. I like the vision of this venture and truly believe there is room in the market for this service. The elevator pitch intrigued me and motivated me to read your venture pitch where I found facts, statistics and information regarding the current market competetors and how your service differs from the once currently on the market. The feature I find most unique about yours is the last step in your pitch: high-interest lifestyle. Most of the other services do not currently include this and I believe this is the selling point of your service!
learnTRU is definitely something I would invest in!
ashleyross 6:52 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jenaca,
Thanks again for your positive comments. I too believe that the high-interest lifestyle is one of the main selling points.
Cheers,
Ashley
Keisha Edwards-Hamilton 8:02 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
LearnTru has a great pitch. The elevator pitch initially grabbed my attention and I love the value proposition. I was really surprised about school drop-out rates. However, right away I understood the problem . I could also relate to the problem and wanted to know more about how LearnTru could solve the problem which lead me to explore the venture pitch. A differentiation strategy is evident, but how feasible is this considering the target market. It is exciting, but can the market afford to pay for this service? The marketing plan seem terms of marketing, the plan seem attainable. Also the LearnTru team is solid and seems to be capable of turning the venture into a success. The idea of a niche is good as it caters to a specific group that need this type of service and the presentation clearly identified the market. Overall I love your preposition. It is unique and suits the target market you identified. This is definitely a venture that is worth pursuing.
Keisha
ashleyross 6:53 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Keisha,
Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback. ‘Can the market afford to pay for this service?’ Great question. To make it more affordable for the market it is important to help clients find and fill out the proper grants, there is a lot out there but most people (1) don’t know they exist and (2) have a hard time finding them and filling them out.
Cheers,
Ashley
andrea 10:06 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Ashley,
Well done on your clear and convincing pitches. Both look very professional, and are quite persuasive in establishing a need market for this service. After reading through everything I was left thinking that itâs amazing something like this isnât already established â itâs just so common sense. It also feels like youâve already started developing a brand. This was evident as well in your use of the âlearning lifestyleâ and the âhigh-interest lifestyleâ tags. (It would be cool if you could do this for the learning lifestyle assessment you mention as well.) Your quote âLearnTRU is in the business of helping participants learn using technology to reach their ultimate goal by providing them with a learning and lifestyle strategy that will stay with them foreverâ made me wish that I could access this product myself, because who doesnât want to reach their âultimate goalâ? đ
You very clearly identify the market, offering, and buyer. One area that I thought could be expanded is your discussion of the competition. As a potential investor, Iâd be interested to know what places like Sylvan Learning charge per hour to get a sense of what buyers are already comfortable with. Also, how many students in the Toronto area are attending tutoring programs? I would also like to know more about the types of technology LearnTRU will use. You give a few examples, but Iâd be interested to learn a little more about how those are integrated into the approach. What does the licensing for these systems look like?
My final question is around marketing. I think I understand that this product will be marketed to schools, who will refer students, and also to parents directly? Not knowing much about the Individual Education Program process, I would love to hear more details specifically about where LearnTRU fits in that process.
Great job Ashley, and Iâm curious to know, is this something youâve developed or are in the process of developing?
Andrea
ashleyross 6:59 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for your feedback Andrea, it`s really appreciated. You bring up some great questions.
I found it challenging (in a good way) to choose information to include in my VP that focused on maintaining the interest of an investor versus a potential client. It is also why I provided a few examples of the assistive technologies, but didn’t go into too much detail. That’s why it’s great to be able to read everyone’s comments and questions and reply. đ
When it comes to learning and technology, every student has different needs. Some students with LDs have dyslexia (trouble reading text) which is why applications like Kurzweil that transform text into speech, would be used for them. Others have dysgraphia (difficulty with writing) and applications like Dragon Naturally Speaking, that transforms spoken words into text, work well for them and others need a combination of both. I could write a novel about this but I’m sure you don’t want to read it. đ What is important is to find what works for each individual participant and teach them how to successfully implement the programs into their daily education schedule. It all seems so simple but no one takes the time or has the time to sit down with these students to figure out how they learn best. Licensing varies on the technology, most are around $100 but Kurzweil is around $1500 plus then you need a laptop for these programs. The initial setup can be very expensive, which is why it’s important to get proper funding.
I am planning on including all related costs and those of my competitors in my future VP. I decided not to include it the VP I submitted for this course because it wasn’t a requirement I wanted to focus my time on other aspects of the program. For a program like Sylvan it’s about $45-50 an hour after the enrollment fee of $50 and their initial assesment is about $150-200. But it varies depending on the client’s needs. Adding the percentage of students who attend tutoring programs in Toronto is a good point and one I’ll take into consideration.
For the marketing aspect, yes I would position myself to receive referrals from schools and parents but also from psychologists. For students to be diagnosed with an LD they need to have a psycho-educational assesment done (which in Toronto costs anywhere between $1800-2400+). Once diagnosed, students can get an IEP at school which they can get extra time on assignments, tests and exams. It also allows them to write exams on a computer, in a private room and gives them access to potential funding for tutoring and technology. As I mentioned above, the primary issue is that no one has time to actually sit down and teach these students how to use the technology or determine how they learn best.
The program isn’t completely developed yet, it is something that I am working on though and will hopefully be launching it in the near future. I hope I answered all of your questions, and sorry for the long post!
Cheers,
Ashley
andrea 12:11 pm on December 2, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for your thorough response. You obviously have a lot of expertise in this area. I can appreciate how difficult it can be to include everything you know and want your audience to know about your venture. You did a great job presenting the essentials in your pitches. Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions!
Reviewing people’s pitches and the subsequent discussions here I’ve learned a lot about new markets and technologies.
Best of luck in your continued development of LearnTRU!
Andrea
verenanz 11:57 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good job Ashley. It is great to see a product focused on a market that “needs” support and development. I thought your idea was creative and optimistic. There were a lot of steps and a lot of choices within your product, which confused me a little…..but I think that it has great potential.
Well done.
Verena:)
ashleyross 7:01 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Verena,
Thanks for taking the time to read my venture. I am sorry to hear that you found my VP a little confusing, perhaps I can clarify quickly how the program works. The initial three steps are designed to provide us with enough information to build a foundation for each client and it is from this foundation that we develop their learning and high-interest lifestyle. These are non-optional. We then allow our clients to choose how many days a week they wish to work with us to implement the aforementioned lifestyles. It could be one day during the week + four hours on the weekend, or it could be five days a week, it completely depends on their schedule, budget, and requirements.
The rest of the additional services are supplemental to the above, such as providing laptops and software, helping families inquire about funding, etc.
Hopefully this helps. đ
Thanks again,
Ashley
Deb Kim 10:41 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
This is a great venture idea. Your elevator pitch caught my attention, especially when you started with the number 35%. This made me think what it would represent. I also liked your venture pitch. You said that “In addition to the assessment fee and any associated equipment purchase or rental costs, the primary source of income for LearnTRU will be through annual contract agreements”. I think it’s a great idea. As I’m currently teaching students with special needs, I’ve been seeking for support in helping them learn in general. Your venture is a great idea to help both teachers and students. Great work!
Deb
Deb Giesbrecht 4:44 pm on December 3, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
⢠Pain Point: students with learning disabilities
⢠Solution: LearnTRU â loved your use of acronyms. I think that this is a great idea. I think your venture idea has a lot of merit â it combines real-life experiences that boost morale and self-esteem with techniques on how to develop excellent study habits and routines. I think you have really identified a gap in the market that can be filled with your solution. I like your business plan and I think you have a well thought out and researched venture/market capability. You have identified that the market is ready for this type of solution and you have a flexible sales plan. You have identified a great team to work with and appear to have a lot of credibility. I did not see in your venture pitch how much you were asking from investors or return on investment. I did however, really like your sales strategy and thought overall the venture concept was not only feasible, but very doable and worthwhile cause. Great concept!
khenry 6:06 pm on December 4, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
This was actually one of the first ones that I looked at but in my check throughs realised I actually did not post the response. Sorry. I really like the concept of Learntru. Your elevator pitch grabbed my attention and addressed pain points, solutions/product, and your target market. However, I did not get a sense of the team involved, how you will access your market or potential market share. I liked the use of the three step system presented, and how it was presented, and your inclusion of authentic learning activities. It is a great concept I hope you go forward with it.
Kerry-Ann