Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Finch And Dee Morgan.
Amy Finch and, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Amy Finch and my business partner is Dee Morgan. We were teaching middle school math together and decided there was a real need for a math center that was fun, interactive and impactful for students. We started Calculating Minds Math Learning Center for students in Preschool through ACT Prep. We engage the students using many visuals, hands on materials, activities and games. Our motto is “Count on us to make math fun!”
We opened in January of 2020 and we have consistently grown our student base to over 200 students per week. We now have 3 centers operating in West Knoxville and in Oak Ridge, TN. We were awarded the 2023 Small Business of the Year in Oak Ridge from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, as well as, the 2024 winner of “Quality Business Awards” which recognized our Google Review rating of over 95% along with our efforts and continuous trend of giving back to the local community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building a business from the ground up was difficult. We ended up leasing a space that was a brand new build. We had to hire and architect and create a design we wanted to have for our store front. We found that we were pretty good at creating a design that was aesthetically pleasing as well as suitable for a learning center. We try to model all of our centers similarly so our branding is apparent.
As teachers and not business women, we had to learn a lot about doing business in general and how to promote and market our business.We slowly developed our brand and asked a lot of favors from people who knew business better than we did. We enlisted help from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and SBDC (Small Business Development Center) as well as Professors from University of Tennessee who are experts with Entrepreneurship. We often have parents who think we are a franchise and we are not. We take that as a compliment and have actually considered becoming a franchise.
Opening in 2020 was a tremendous challenge. We had just starting rolling and we were shut down due to Covid. It was a struggle reopening with parents hesitant about exposure that entire year. We offered virtual sessions as much as possible. Fortunately we did not have teachers who we needed to layoff at that time. We had to inject money into the business during this time, thankfully we had the funds to contribute.
We strongly believed in hiring only experienced math teachers, so hiring good quality people who wanted part time and knew how to teach math well was a challenge and still is.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are especially proud of the reputation that we have developed in the Knoxville area. We are very different from other tutoring centers due to our student centered philosophy. We do not have a preset curriculum that we use with all students. We meet students where they are and tailor our math sessions specifically to each student’s needs. We meet with parents and students and develop a plan for success. We are also individualized, teaching only 1 – 2 students at a time. Our teachers get to know their students very well and develop a great relationship that fosters student confidence in math. Our student retention rate is amazing and a great source of pride. Many of our students have been with us since we first opened our doors.
What matters most to you?
The most important thing to us is helping students not only learn math well, but to gain confidence. We love watching our students blossom.
Pricing:
- $125/mo. Kit’s Club (Preschool)
- $175-$219/mo. Elementary
- $230/mo. Middle School
- $248-$318/mo. High School
- $495/mo ACT (1.5 hours/wk)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://calculatingminds.com
- Instagram: @calculatingminds
- Facebook: @calculatingminds
