Language school a small business success story YES! Language School recognized with state 2005 Success Award BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer Danielle Humphreys, owner of Yes! Language School in Long Branch, has been honored with a 2005 Success Award by the New Jersey Small Business Development Center. LONG BRANCH — Danielle Humphreys knew she was taking a chance when she acquired a language school in Long Branch. But just two years later, her language school has been recognized as one of the state’s most successful small businesses. “This is a success story,” said Humphreys, 26, owner of YES! Language School at 329 Broadway, last week after receiving a 2005 Success Award from the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC). The language school is one of the state’s 15 small business recipients of the 2005 Success Awards. Humphreys, Ocean Township, opened YES! Language School in 2003 and according to the Monmouth/Ocean SBDC, the school’s income has grown by 320 percent over the past two years. Over the same period, her staff of instructors has increased by more than 300 percent. Ademar Martins and Paloma Aleixo are instructors at the language school where English classes include training in life skills and field trips. A native of Brazil, Humphreys began studying English at age 11 and continued through high school, college and up until she immigrated to the United Stated five years ago. While pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer, Humphreys took a job teaching English at a language school in Long Branch. “The owner wanted to leave and offered to sell me the business,” Humphreys said. “I took the chance and bought it.” But being a business owner was new territory to then 23-year-old Humphreys. “I was young and everything was new to me,” she said. So, Humphreys enrolled in a Business Startup Workshop at Brookdale Community College in early 2004. She said the seminar, which was designed by Monmouth/Ocean SBDC Regional Director Bill Nunnally, gave her the confidence and information she needed to pursue her dream of doing work she loved. PHOTOSBY CHRIS KELLY staff “I found that the workshop gave me support,” Humphreys said. “It helped me a lot. [Nunnally] took a look at my numbers and helped me manage the growth of my business. And it was all free.” When she took over operation of YES! Learning school, Humphreys said the school had about 70 students and three employees. Today more than 300 students attend English classes at the school and Humphreys has a 16-member staff. According to Paul Rinaldi, assistant director at Monmouth/Ocean SBDC, Humphreys was chosen for the award because of the tremendous growth of her business. “She is a very driven person,” Rinaldi said in an interview Monday. “She is very focused and knows what she wants to do.” Humphreys came to Monmouth/Ocean SBDC with one problem; her business was growing at a substantial rate, according to Rinaldi. “This is a great problem,” Rinaldi said. “She needed to get her arms around the business and gain control.” The speedy success and growth of Humphreys’ business is because she is marketing the right product in the right location, Rinaldi said. Spanish, Polish, Chinese and Russian students are currently enrolled in English classes at YES! Language School where they study for six hours a week over the course of 1 1/2 years for $100 a month. “[Humphreys] speaks Portuguese, and Long Branch has a huge Portuguese population,” Rinaldi said. Humphreys credits the success of her business to the dynamic teaching methods at her school. “Our students do not only learn English, but they learn life skills and simple stuff like going to the supermarket or talking to the principals of their kid’s school,” Humphreys said. “The classes are really good.” Humphreys said that the classes are not only lectures, but the staff also works with music and videos and field trips to ensure that the students are absorbing the material. “We will take them to the supermarket and show them how to shop or when we are teaching how to order food we will go to McDonald’s,” she said. “We try our best to incorporate what they learn in class with real life.” Rinaldi said that Humphreys’ business not only has had a tremendous sales growth, but her business also has had employment growth, which contributes to the success of her business. “In a year and a half, she has doubled her staff, which leads to employment,” Rinaldi said. “She is contributing to society.” The school is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Starting in January, the school will also offer Portuguese and Spanish classes. Humphreys said the success of her business is nothing short of a dream come true. “When you are working here day to day, you do not realize what you are doing,” Humphreys said. But the NJ SBDC has recognized Humphreys’ work and the success of YES! Language School and presented her with the award on Dec. 2. “This award really means a lot,” she said. “When people recognize your work, it feels rewarding.”