How To Start A Preschool – A Step By Step Guide
If you aspire to open a preschool with a vision to nurture young minds and want to know how to open a preschool, then congratulations on your noble thought. Little Red Bus Global Preschool has laid down a startup guide on how to open a preschool for you. But let us be the first warn you that starting a preschool and making sure of its success is no child’s play. There are many things that you will have to keep in mind and stay ahead. These include clear business plans, correct site selection, and careful management. If you are overwhelmed with all the things you need to do and don’t know where to start then this guide may help you. We have compiled a comprehensive guide to how to open a preschool that tells you all the things that you need to plan for when starting a preschool.
1. Determining Your Readiness:
Before you read more of this guide on how to open a preschool, you need to determine if you are ready. Make sure identify with these things:
- Passion: you have to have a real passion for helping nurture young minds and doing good by your community.
- Leadership: you have to be comfortable taking charge and have to make sure that you have the skill set to do so.
2. Assessment Of The Needs In Your Area And A Clear Business Plan:
Once you are sure that you are ready to start a preschool, you can set the ball rolling. The first step is to make a needs assessment report. By answering the following questions, you will be able to determine the needs of your area aid you in coming up with a business plan.
- How many young children live in the are, and how many of them would require a preschool?
- Who are your competitors, i.e., which are the other preschools serving the area?
- What is the prevalent fee range of preschools in your area?
- What are your costs going to be to operate the program?
- What should your fees to be to ensure that the preschool turns a profit?
- How will you market the preschool?
- What would be the USP or unique selling point of your preschool?
You can find out the answers about your demographics by conducting a survey. The next step is to draft out a detailed business plan. This plan must include your mission statement, the budget, plan for marketing, staffing, operations, and organizational plan
3. Research Preschool Legal And Licensing Requirements:
The local government might have regulations that you must adhere to a preschool owner. You can run your preschool as a proprietorship, company, partnership firm, or an LLP. While there are no specific legal requirements for preschool in India, the Private School Education Act by the State Government must be considered. Formalities related to the Municipal Corporation and the education department of the city should be completed.
4. Determining The Location And Developing And Preparing The Facility:
Identify probable locations. You need a safe, comfortable property that is easy to reach by residents around. A place with better visibility helps market your school but is also more expensive in general. Whatever option you choose, you do need to keep in mind the rules and regulations of the state and the city. For example, zoning laws, compliance of location, state standards for space to the number of children are a few things that you would need to consider. Your facility should make parents, and the child feels at home because, for the child, it is a second home. Some furniture and materials that you will require are chairs, tables, mats, art supplies, toys, games books, education supplies, other furniture, and outdoor play equipment. Your facility must include safety equipment like fire extinguishers and medical supplies. The facility should be safe and comfortable besides being invited to the child.
5. Developing A Curriculum, Policies, And Procedures:
The mission statement in your business plan will help you guide the curriculum and the philosophy of the program. An essential part of this philosophy should be providing kind with a learning environment that encourages them to take the road towards academic success and enhances their motivation to learn and seek knowledge. You can either follow the philosophy of the end goal of preschool being readiness for future academics or the philosophy that the end goal should be learning dispositions. Asking the parents for their choice between the two can help you narrow down your choices. It would be best if you also determined policies and procedures that would go into the handbooks for staff and families. You must also develop and disaster or crisis management plan that accounts for health, safety, nutrition, and privacy protocols that are following with preschool licensing requirements.
6. Hire Competent Staff:
Your preschool will only be as good as your teachers. Hence, hiring a skilled team is necessary. It would help if you considered how many teachers you will need and what will be your teacher to student ratio. Another thing you can consider while hiring is that if the staff also believes in your philosophy and goals. Your team should meet the minimum qualifications, and if they don’t know it already, they should be ready to learn the first aid and basic safety and health training. It is also vital that you do a thorough background check on your staff.
7. Selecting The Right Tools And Resources, Including Preschool Software:
Many resources available can ensure the smooth sailing of your preschool business. Thins you may need are an electronic billing system, learning documentation system, and parent engagement software. Preschool software can streamline your administrative process, tracking daily events and activities in the classroom, etc.
8. Market Your Preschool:
In this digital age, you will need a robust online presence. You can build your online presence by using the same tricks used by other small business owners like having an Instagram and Facebook page, an interactive website, running a social media campaign, etc. You can increase your community presence by listing your preschool in the local directories, participating in preschool fairs, etc. For advertising your playschool, you can use word of mouth through parent groups, local businesses, and popular blogs frequented by parents. You can prepare your marketing material based on your mission statement, philosophy, and curriculum. You can even have a grand opening event for parents.
9. You Can Also Consider Taking A Preschool Franchise:
A Preschool franchise that has the right branch and can provide you with marketing expertise, creatives, well develop child kit, curriculum program, zero royalty cost, and guide you with everything. Opening a franchise can also be an excellent alternative to start a preschool.
These things might seem daunting at the beginning, but with passion and hard work, your preschool can become a success. Not only that, but you will also be giving back to the community. Essential things to keep in mind are to adhere to licensing and legal requirements, hiring competent staff with a good knowledge of basic safety and health training, and always provide a stimulating environment for young minds where they can learn and grow.
Fredrick Douglas famously quoted, “it is easier to build strong children than fix broken men.” With your preschool, you may build generations of healthy children and active communities.
Wishing you the best of luck on the journey to How to open your preschool Franchise.