TechCulture We sat down with Richard Erschik, founder of Tech Tutor USA, a company that aims to defy the stereotypes surrounding baby boomers and technology.
Tech Culture: So, Richard, what exactly is Tech Tutor USA?
Richard Erschik: In a soundbite… Tech Tutor USA is an introduction and learning resource for baby boomers and seniors who have been set in their ways and left behind in the personal communication technology revolution.
TC: Interesting, what made you decide to pursue this venture?
RE: People are never too old to learn. Baby Boomers and seniors are no exception, but they have been left behind in the areas of technology and personal communication. In 1983, because of my work, I necessarily had to learn and use personal computer technology. I was also a ‘sales guy’ who traveled the country with rolls of dimes and quarters to make phone calls while I was on-the-road. When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, I saw it not only as an alternative to those rolls of dimes and quarters but also as a portable computer and communication device. I began immediately to understand it, follow its evolution, and adapt its usefulness. In fact, I still have my (and the) first iPhone 3G. It’s in excellent condition. Moving on in my career, as an entrepreneur in the trade show industry, I became recognized as ‘the best exhibitor educator and trainer on the planet’ for my ability to simplify the complicated and teach best practices in trade show exhibiting. When I became a senior, I discovered that many of my peers were not as fortunate as I was and seemingly passed by in the personal communication technology revolution. While I was noticeably comfortable using my iPhone and iPad, they began asking me basic questions. I quickly realized that there was another teaching opportunity around which I founded Tech Tutor USA to provide an introduction and education resource to a niche’ demographic.
TC: Fascinating! What were your biggest challenges in the startup phases?
RE: I once heard this quote that resonated and stayed with me throughout my career. ‘Ideas are a dime a dozen, while those who can implement ideas are as rare as diamonds.’ I am in implementer, and therefore, I didn’t see challenges. Instead, I saw objectives in developing and communicating the message and identifying the target audience.
TC: That is a great point; do you feel there is a difference between boomers learning from a younger generation versus learning from their peers?
RE: Absolutely. Seniors teaching seniors is the ‘secret sauce’ in what we do and how we do it. While their kids and grandkids can show and tell their parents and grandparents how to use their iPhone and iPad devices, they don’t have the tolerance or patience to teach them. That’s our forte’. I have found that seniors are somewhat embarrassed because they don’t understand something that the younger generation takes for granted and makes it look so simple. We make this learning fun and deliver it from the standpoint of empathy.
TC: I can certainly imagine; I know my patience is not that high! Where can we learn more about Tech Tutor USA?
RE: The website www.TechTutorUSA.com was carefully designed to provide enough general information to either answer simple questions or make our phone ring.
TC: Thank you so much for your time, Richard, we think this is a great service, and certainly a unique business model. I know I’ll be sharing it next time my grandma asks me to “put the Netflix on her iPad”!
RE: Thank you for the opportunity to tell our story. I’d like to close by saying that “USA” is at the end of our company name for a strategic reason. I want to grow this concept across the USA. For an affordable entry fee, we will vet (senior) prospects who would like to learn how to do what we do, and do it in their community under the Tech Tutor USA umbrella. They will be listed on our website for reference and exposure, introduced to our methods of success, and provided with complete information to shortcut their upstart. Simply stated, we don’t do this to make a fortune. We do it to make a difference. So why reinvent the wheel when you can affordably become a spoke?”
For more information, contact:
Richard Erschik
Phone/Text +1.630.642.6500
You can also see our article featuring Tech Tutor USA here.
