Read our Q & A with Sarah Lester who founded Lingotot Sutton in 2016

Posted: Wed, Jun 9, 2021 1:02 PM

Sarah Lester has been running her business Lingotot Sutton since 2016. Lingotot Sutton offers a range of classes to children aged 0-11 in French and German across the Sutton and Cheam area. Lingotot Sutton has consistently grown since its foundation with Sarah’s incredible driving force behind it. Read on and get to know a little bit more about the face behind the business!  

Hi Sarah! Tell us a bit more about yourself and your background.

I started Lingotot after having been a secondary MFL teacher in a grammar school for 10 years (some of that time was also spent as Head Of Languages there). I studied French and German at university and taught EFL in France for a year so I always knew that languages were a huge part of who I am.

How did you come across Lingotot (and what appealed)?

My friend mentioned Lingotot to me and I started doing some research about it. It appealed to me because I wanted a career which could fit around my two children and I didn't want the endless hours planning and marking. When I launched my business, Thomas was 3 and Evie was just 9 months old!

When did you launch your business?

I launched my business in May 2016

What has happened since? 

Since then, my business has grown steadily. I teach community classes, nursery classes, lots of after school clubs and now work with three primary schools. I have found a real love of marketing and was very proud to win 'Master of Marketing' at our last Lingotot conference. I entered two local business awards in 2019 (Sutton Business Awards and Sutton Women Mean Business) and I was very proud to get 'highly commended' for marketing at both awards. I recently re-signed with Lingotot after 5 successful years.  I am currently in the process of taking on two new members of staff which is scary but exciting and a necessary step for me. 

When I first set up my business I created a vision board of all the things I was working towards. One of them was to be successful enough to build a garden office at home. Our garden office was completed last week and it is so lovely to have a designated space where I can really concentrate! I love my new ‘Lingotot Sutton HQ'!

How is your work life balance now?

Much better although I spend a lot of time working on my social media! I love that I get to take my children to school every day and that I am not spending all of my evenings marking! I work really hard and rarely take a day off but it is my business and I am pleased to be seeing the result of all my hard work.

What do you enjoy about running a Lingotot franchise

I love that I get to teach languages (which I adore) but also that I am my own boss and I get to be around for Thomas and Evie lots. I also love how much I have grown as a businesswoman, I am very proud of that!

 

You can find out more about Lingotot sutton here or email them at sutton@lingotot.com


Comments

  • Olivia Jenkins

    Mon, Jul 18, 2022 6:25 PM

    Hi I'm in 4S and you teach me french.
    reply

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