Small Business Success Awards 2005

· Monmouth/Ocean SBDC
Danielle Humphreys
YES! Language School, LLC
Long Branch

Danielle Humphreys couldn’t ask for a better report card! Her company, YES! Language School’s income grew 320% over the past two years. Over the same period, her instructor staff increased over 300%, and she moved to a larger facility in Long Branch. Danielle continues to add classrooms to accommodate demand for the school’s services, and she is looking to expand to other markets, but recognizes that she would need more help in managing multiple locations.

Danielle’s success is inspired by a love of language. She started studying English in her native Brazil at age 11, and continued to do so through high school, college, and up until she immigrated to the United States five years ago. Her goal was to become a lawyer. While pursuing that dream, Danielle took a job with a language school in Long Branch. Luck would have it that the owner of the school wanted to sell the business. Danielle recognized the opportunity and bought the business in 2003, working four jobs to save enough money to make the purchase. She renamed the business, YES! Language School.

Not exactly sure what to do as a business owner, Humphreys took the Business Startup Workshop at Brookdale Community College in early 2004. The seminar, instructed by Bill Nunnally, the Monmouth/Ocean SBDC Regional Director, gave her the confidence and information she needed to pursue her dream of owning a business and doing something she loves. In addition, she received consulting on marketing and business planning at the center to help control the tremendous growth she is currently enjoying.

Sales growth has been nothing short of phenomenal. YES! Language School grew over 200 percent in the first year and is estimated to grow 125% in 2005. Instructor growth has been just as phenomenal. Starting with three instructors in 2003, YES! currently employs between 10 and 12 instructors depending on the student population, in addition to a staff of four running the day-to-day operations.

Her curriculum is also expanding. Starting by teaching English as a Second Language to Brazilian students, YES! currently teaches English to Spanish, Polish, Chinese and Russian students. The school has come full circle as current and former students are requesting that YES! teach Portuguese to their children in order to keep their culture alive.

Her love for language must stem from a love for learning, as evidenced in the business knowledge she has sought and gained, and the fact that she is also pursuing a degree in International Studies at Brookdale Community College.