JANIELLE Todd and Denise McPherson have entered the education market, confident that they can make a difference with their very own brand of services — The A+ Generation.

That’s the name of their company, one, the duo says, is indicative of not only their objectives as educators, but also of the way in which they operate.

“We wanted a name that would reflect our vision; one that would spell success and achievement; one that would not only be motivation for students, but also be a reminder for us to constantly raise the bar for ourselves,” Todd, 24, told Career & Education of the business which opened its doors in 2010.

Fortunately, she and McPherson, 25, were able to keep costs down by operating out of their home in Kingston, from where they offer a variety of services.

Included in their offerings — for which class sizes are limited to 10 — are one-on-one classes for students in preschool straight through to those at the secondary level. Todd and McPherson — with their team of four active employees and a pool of teachers prepared to work with them if and when the need arises — tutor students sitting the Grade Six Achievement Test, the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Exams, and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency exams. They also teach English as a second language to those requiring lessons.

“Having experienced the school setting, both as students and teachers, we realised that not every student can function in a large classroom setting. We established The A+ Generation to try to fill that gap,” said Todd, who holds a first degree in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and who has taught at a private high school locally.

“We also wanted to create a setting that was not reflective of the regular school setting, one that allows (students) to feel relaxed and pressure-free, and make them willing to learn,” she told Career & Education.

As to their choice of offerings, Todd said that had been guided by the focus areas in the students’ curriculum.

“The pressures associated with exam preparation encourage the focus on assessment as opposed to mastery. We want to reinforce the information taught in the regular school setting and offer a practical approach to learning,” said the young woman whose role with The A+ Generation is not only that of head tutor, but also manager in charge of communications and accounting.

Their efforts to date have not been all smooth sailing. Not only have they had problems with trying to cater to people from all income brackets, but also with financing projects which could increase their clientele while generating more employment.

“Sourcing tutors who share our vision and financing the many programmes we are trying to make available in the short term (continue to be challenging),” Todd noted.

Still, she and McPherson — herself an educator, with a teaching diploma in history and geography from Shortwood Teachers’ College — are meeting those challenges head on.

“Seeking sponsorship for persons who find it difficult to afford our services, selecting staff who are interested in changing the way Jamaican children learn, providing support for all team members and engaging them in professional development exercises” are among the ways Todd said they are seeking to do so.

This is even as they continue to market the business through “customer referrals, Facebook, e-mail marketing, BlackBerry messenger, flyers and ads in the classifieds,” she added.

So far, they have had some success as their client base increases, but there is still no profit.

“Considering the fact that we officially began operations one year ago, our costs continue to exceed our income (with) advertising and transportation (absorbing the brunt of our earnings). Also, in an effort to accommodate students from all financial backgrounds, we sometimes offer prices that merely cover our expenses,” Todd said.

But whatever the challenges, they are committed to achieving success and know it will not come overnight.

“In operating a business, one has to be willing to learn. You have to realise that you won’t always have all the answers and you have to see your employees as members of your team, which is one of the reasons we refer to our tutors as team members,” McPherson, who also holds a bachelor of education degree in history from the UWI, said of their philosophy in running the business.

In addition to tutoring at A+, she also functions as the manager in charge of human resources and marketing.

“There is no room for complacency. Operating a business requires constant research, putting in hours that you wouldn’t fathom doing while working a “9 to 5″, creating new ideas and keeping every single customer and team member happy. The minute one area starts to suffer, it can be seen in the productivity of your institution,” Todd added.

The growth in their clientele aside, they feel hopeful of success in the near term, given the success of their partnership so far.

“It has been going good… We have our differences as we don’t always see ‘eye to eye’ on many issues, however, we manage to make the best decision for the business at the end of it all,” Todd said.