How to start a playschool business

Playschool has become the new essential requirement in the first steps of education of the children/toddlers. Most of the kindergarten schools require a playschool certificate to give admission to children in their schools. Thus a playschool business is mushrooming and guarantee success if certain steps are followed diligently. In today’s time, as both the parents are working, the demand for day care facilities is growing and is expected to increase at a higher pace in near future.

A CRISIL research indicates that the playschool market would grow at a CAGR of 20.6% to reach Rs 133 billion by FY15 from Rs 43 billion in FY10. It also indicates the share of organised players to increase to 34% by FY16 from 11% in FY10 on the back of the rising awareness about quality playschool education, big expansion plans of existing players and the entry of more organised players in the playschool segment.

As more playschools will be seen paving their way in the education sector, here are a few points which ought to be considered to make your venture a huge success.

Location

Location can make or break a business. So, a thorough market survey should be conducted. The location should ensure ease of reach, availability of human resource, should favorably be on a ground floor and in a residential area to maximize its reach. A competition analysis should also be done before proceeding with the property agreement. NOC from society is also advisable.

Build your business plan

Plan a budget. The business plan includes what, when, where, why and how’s of your playschool. There are consultants available for assistance in drafting the business plan, but one should be selective in terms of hiring a right professional. One may need to find start-up money for items such as:

• Equipment/Toys
• Advertising
• Supplies
• Renovations to Make Your Home/Business Location Safe

Design & Décor

Many considerations, both indoor and outdoor, need to be addressed when designing the facility. There should be at least 1500 square feet (approx) of unencumbered space for play area. The premises should be child safe. Indoor space should be carefully planned as well with at least 25 square feet of space per child. Child-proof furniture, access to restrooms, fire & safety measures should be well taken care of.

Hiring staff

Success of a child care centre or a playschool is dependent on staff put in place, regardless of the money spent on equipment and materials. The staff will speak of quality. Human resource hired and deployed should be gentle, friendly and patient. Parents look forward to a safe, competent, facility with a well rounded curriculum. The centre and its staff, if properly hired, contribute in a positive word of mouth.

Curriculum & Lesson Plans

Lesson plan can be procured from content providers. Also the employment of competent teachers can design and implement age-appropriate curriculum. A lot of published periodicals, curriculum guides, and teacher handbooks are available for assistance, when designing curriculum. According to Amol Arora, Director, Shemrock and Shemford Group of schools, “Core and continuous research on children, their behaviors and the changing trends needs to be done to start and make a playschool a huge success.”

Procurement of teaching aids & equipment

When starting a playschool, furniture & fixtures, colourful tables and chairs as well as colours to maintain continuity and standardisation should be purchased / rented. Make sure to have child specific & appropriate storage for learning. Deciding on what stuff & materials to use to make classrooms look aesthetically peppy is the fun element of opening a playschool. Place learning/teaching aids in the activity room that promote literacy, problem solving and thinking. These teaching aids should contain areas for art, dramatic play, reading/library, science and discovery, music and movement, sand and water play, Montessori materials etc.

Fee charged

Conduct a research of the income of families staying in the particular location where you intend to open your playschool. Ideally, a competitive fee and good facilities would bring in more children and help spread the word-of-mouth.

Arrange for Insurance

If you are caring for little ones, you will need to ensure that you have sufficient liability insurance in place for your business location (whether it is your home or elsewhere). Your insurance agent or broker will be able to advise you about the appropriate level of coverage for your needs.

The challenge about playschool is to work out on the things that makes learning fun for children, keeps them happy and simultaneously maintain the quality. Looking into the points stated above would ensure the success of your playschool a long way. Wishing you all the very best!