How Prepdia is establishing itself as Cameroon leading tutoring marketplace
How Prepdia is establishing itself as Cameroon leading tutoring marketplace
Prepdia, a Cameroonian startup, assists learners in improving their outcomes by connecting them reliably with professional tutors for in-person and online lessons.
Prepdia was founded in 2019 and has been entirely self-funded to date. It was inspired by founder Malieh Maxime's own personal experiences following his graduation from high school in 2015.
“I desired a career as an engineer but was informed by my parents that they could not afford it. I explained to my parents that I would be able to support myself by tutoring others. I passed the engineering entrance exam and relocated to Douala, but I was unable to find a home class to teach during my first year,” he explained.
“The following year, a friend connected me with a parent in need of a tutor. I was astounded by the parent's joy and happiness at finding a tutor. That's when I realized that while many enthusiastic youth are looking for opportunities to teach home classes, parents are also having difficulty finding tutors.”
Yet there was no platform connecting these two groups of people.
“Learners and their parents do not look for tutors online. This is not the case in Cameroon yet,” Maxime explained.
“It can be difficult for students and parents to locate and connect with tutors. It becomes even more difficult if the learner or parent is concerned about quality. They've been pining for an easy way to connect with, learn from, and pay professional tutors. Tutors, on the other hand, are eager to share their knowledge and abilities while earning money.”
He set out to address the issue and founded Prepdia, a platform that connects users with vetted, reliable tutors in their local area. It has registered over 2,000 tutors in Douala and Yaounde so far and plans to expand to the rest of the country by September.
Prepdia aspires to be that "big fish"
“Our greatest adversary is word of mouth. We acknowledge the existence of other startups addressing the same issue, but there is currently no "big fish" in the market," Maxime explained.
Prepdia aspires to be that "big fish," and Maxime believes the company distinguishes itself from competitors through its tutor verification processes, automated payment platform, and willingness to follow-up to ensure the highest quality of instruction.
“We monitor students' progress monthly by encouraging tutors to conduct monthly assessments and also through parent feedback. The platform is simple enough for parents and tutors to use and takes care of everything from tutor booking to tutor payment via our mobile application. Additionally, parents and students can rate tutors, which assists other parents in selecting a tutor,” Maxime explained.
“And finally, our unmatched customer service and unwavering commitment to quality service help us stand out from the crowd.”
Prepdia charges tutors between 10% and 20% commission on any booking secured through its platform, and Maxime reported that monthly revenue is increasing by 25% as the startup works to overcome any obstacles.
“While we have encountered difficulties securing funding, our primary obstacle has been attracting both learners and tutors to the platform,” he explained. “Tutors rarely complete the onboarding process, and students prefer to contact tutors directly. With the data we gathered following launch, we were able to create an exceptional onboarding experience for learners, parents, and tutors.”
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