How to open a children's club and make it profitable. What is needed to open a children's development center? Toys and supplies

The ancient Chinese thinker Confucius once said: “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Two charming women, Sofia Timofeeva and Anastasia Shevchenko, decided to follow this aphorism and turned their life’s work into a very successful and profitable project. Being teachers not only by education, but also by vocation, they opened a wonderful children's eco-club “Umnichka”, which for the past 5 years has continuously delighted children with its exciting activities.

However, they decided not to stop there and last year they founded a new business project “Your Club”, the main objective which is to provide practical assistance to everyone who dreams of opening their own children's center. In their interview, they explained where to start your business, how to develop it, and what mistakes to avoid.

How and when did the idea come to open your own kids club? Why did you choose this type of business?

S.T. By profession I am a primary education teacher. After graduating from Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute named after. A.I. Herzen I worked at a school for several years, where I gained invaluable experience, since working with children allowed me to more deeply assimilate the knowledge that I received at the institute. After working at school for several years, I returned to my home university and became a teacher in the department of pedagogy and psychology.

I really liked my work, and I couldn’t even imagine that I would someday have to part with my department, where I held the position of deputy dean. But fate decreed otherwise. My husband is a military man. He was transferred to Moscow. His transfer and our move coincided with the birth of my daughter Yaroslava. At first I enjoyed my wonderful family life, fully experiencing the joys of motherhood. However, a year later, quiet, measured life no longer seemed so beautiful.

I wanted vigorous activity, activity, with results and achievements. And then I noticed that for a long time I had been seriously interested in the developmental features of very young children. I didn’t have enough knowledge of my own, I wanted to communicate with equally enthusiastic mothers, and I began to take my daughter to the children’s club. In total, we traveled there for about a year.

And from lesson to lesson I was struck by the unprofessionalism of the methods. Children were offered tasks that were not suitable for their age. That’s when I got the idea to open my own children’s club and do everything there in my own way, invest my wealth of knowledge and wealth of experience in my own business. I wanted to create something special, where the best teachers will work, and children will study according to the best programs and take the best classes.

A.Sh. I had the idea of ​​starting my own business when I was 13 years old. However, I had no exact idea of ​​what exactly to open. After graduating from school, I entered a pedagogical university at the defectology department, specializing in speech therapy and successfully completed it. During teaching practice I had the opportunity to see how all educational institutions work from the inside, and also to observe how children study in kindergarten and at school.

Most institutions had enormous requirements for record keeping, while teacher salaries were very low. It was in practice that I realized that I would definitely not work in budgetary organizations. Already in my last years of university, I began to look for a job where I could realize myself. So I came across an ad that determined my choice. This advertisement was about searching for teachers for a new children's club.

The club was located not far from my home and suited me in all respects - employment, salary, as well as creative work with kids. I actively participated in the life of the club, played the mouse for free for everyone New Year's performances, decorated the club with interest and created various activities for children. The work captivated me completely and gave me great pleasure.

At one point, I realized that my desire to create something of my own had not gone away and began to pop up in my head more and more often. Coincidentally or not, it was at that moment, after just a year of working at the club, that I received an offer that I, of course, could not refuse. So, at the age of 21, I co-founded a wonderful children's club.

Where should you start opening a children's club? What's the first step to take?

S.T. In order to open a children's club, you need to determine the initial investment in the business, and for this you should. This is a mandatory stage of business planning, since the profitability of your club will directly depend on how carefully you consider your place among competitors, indicate pricing policy, decide what range of activities to offer in your club.

Before drawing up a business plan, you should definitely decide on the mission, decide what exactly your club will be, what goals and objectives you will set for yourself. Will it be a theater studio where children's creative abilities will mainly be revealed? Or will it be a club with an English slant, where children will get their first acquaintance with magical world foreign words, songs and poems.

Then an analysis should be carried out target audience, monitor competitors and form at least an approximate image of your children's club: schedule a clear schedule of classes, determine the operating hours of your institution, think through advertising methods, choose the organizational and legal form of registration of your enterprise, etc. And after that, move on to clear calculations - the financial part your business plan.

Where to get initial capital? And approximately how much should it be?

S.T. Good question. I know that many people who are planning to open their own small business are very scared to take out loans. Of course, they can be understood, since the realization that you will owe the bank a decent amount, and the sword of Damocles will hang over you in the form of a loan, evokes fear and instills genuine anxiety. And in the minds of some people there is still an illusion that it is possible to get by own funds.

But, unfortunately, this is practically impossible, unless, of course, there are rich relatives. I didn’t have such an opportunity, so I opened my club with borrowed funds. My friend, owner successful business in another city, he offered an interest-bearing loan. This is how the first 300 thousand rubles were found for our “Umnichka”.

A.Sh. I completely agree with Sophia. Without borrowed money difficult to get by. I come from a very ordinary family, I don’t have wealthy parents or rich relatives either. At the time the club opened, I was only 21 years old, so I had no personal savings either. I had to take out a loan. This is how our children's club was opened.

Expenditure:

• Legal registration: LLC registration with legal address: 15,000 rubles
• Repair: (wallpaper, carpet, iron door, curtains): 160,000 rubles
• Furniture (tables, chairs, shelves, reception desk, sofa for parents, aquarium): 65,000 rubles
• Toys, educational materials: 65,000 rubles
• Cash register, photocopier: 16,000 rubles
• Payment for the last month of rent: 145,000 rubles
• Large colorful sign: 32,000 rubles
• Authorized capital: 10,000 rubles
• Tape recorders: 2 pcs. - 6,500 rubles

Total: approximately 660,000 rubles

What is approximate cost provision of services in this business segment?

A.Sh. Pricing is influenced by many factors: the region where the children's club is located, the social status of the area, the level of the club - premium class or economy class, the qualifications of teachers. Therefore, prices for classes are different everywhere. But thanks to such variability, parents have the right to choose. children's center depending on the size of the family budget, the ability to transport the child to classes, etc.

Does it exist bonus system payments, promotions, discounts?

S.T. Benefits and bonuses play a very important role in the development of a children's club. Because they help solve a number of serious issues: they help increase the number of clients in the children's club, help retain the client, stimulate the first purchase and timely payment for services.

Some bonuses help ensure that groups are full in summer time and during long public holidays. There are also social benefits, for example, for single mothers or parents with a disabled child. Therefore, benefits, discounts and promotions are a very important marketing tool that should never be forgotten.

Is your activity subject to licensing?

S.T. This is a rather slippery moment, since there are legislative subtleties here. In accordance with the Law “On Education”, the activities of preschool educational institutions are subject to mandatory licensing.

However, here it is necessary to understand the terms and give a definition of what children's preschool. In accordance with the same law, a preschool institution is an organization that, in addition to educational activities, also provides supervision and care for children. Thus, if you conduct classes with minor children in sections, clubs and studios, then in accordance with the Law “On Licensing individual species activities" such activities are not subject to licensing. Therefore, if you are opening a children's club, and not kindergarten, then you do not need to obtain a license.

A.Sh. At the first stage, all advertising company your club should be aimed at attracting target client. In this case, the means begin to actively work outdoor advertising: sign on the house, display windows of the children's club, pillars, banners, streamers, signs, etc..

In addition to outdoor advertising, you can distribute leaflets on the street, hang ads in elevators, etc. Placing advertisements in magazines and websites dedicated to children's leisure and development, publishing information about your club on relevant forums, blogs and online communities will be very effective. And, of course, we must not forget about word of mouth, since the best advertising is satisfied reviews from parents.

I personally have never treated my club only as a business. For me, our clients are, first of all, friends with whom it is always interesting to communicate, listen to their suggestions and improve your club accordingly. Personal and trusting relationships in our business are the key to success and best advertising.

What methods are taught in your club?

S.T. In our club, very close attention is paid to methods. As a teacher, I understand that the methodology must be effective and give a guaranteed result. So that any child with different levels of development can learn to read, distinguish a square from a circle, make a plate, etc. However, one of the main advantages of our club is our own teaching aids.

Anastasia and I are the authors of numerous methodological books for children's clubs, published by the famous pedagogical publishing house "Yuventa". These are “Development of color perception in children”, and “Outdoor games”, and “Modeling for children”, and “ Finger gymnastics" and much more. All these are unique teaching aids, which are the result of our many years of experience working with children.

In addition to leading your eco-club “Umnichka”, you are co-founders of the business project “Your Club”, within the framework of which you conduct training seminars and master classes for those who want to open their own children’s club. Tell us what prompted you to start this project?

S.T. We know from our own experience that opening your own business in our country is a very difficult matter. Before our eco-club “Umnichka” became a successful and profitable enterprise, we had to break a lot of wood. We collected all the information bit by bit. There were many questions to which I had to look for answers, studying numerous literature, delving into various sites.

And now we understand that if we had had a professional consultant back then who would have warned us at every step, then many problems and unnecessary expenses could have been avoided. Over the years of managing our eco-club, we have accumulated a lot of useful and necessary information about the opening, functioning and development of a children's club. We know how to find good teachers, how to advertise ourselves, how to avoid problems with tax authorities and fire authorities, etc.

Like any other commercial endeavor, opening a children's center cannot be done blindly. Therefore, all beginners will definitely need theoretical knowledge and practical advice. And our project is ready to help you with this, the website of which contains materials related to the opening, work and development of a children's center.

What topics do your seminars cover?

A.Sh. We try to devote our seminars to the most relevant topics that concern our clients. People come to our lectures from all over our country: from Syktyvkar, Nizhnevartovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, as well as from neighboring countries: from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, etc. Therefore, all our seminars are purely practical in nature.

A person who attends our class should receive all the answers to his questions on the stated topic. At seminars we talk about the motivation of teachers, and about the features of organizing and conducting complex classes for children different ages, and about accounting nuances. Moreover, all information comes to our visitors, as they say, first-hand.

How profitable is it now to open children's clubs in Russian regions?

A.Sh. Competition certainly exists. There is no escape from this. But I prefer to see in everything positive sides. Competition forces you to never sit still, to constantly move and develop: improve your club, come up with new directions, develop new methods. Of course, the rules for doing business are the same, but the success of the club largely depends on the personality of the leader, his values ​​and beliefs. In your club you need to implement the idea in which you believe. Only then will the club be real, alive, feeling the care and warmth of its owners. And this means that when large selection children's clubs and development centers, each has its own client, since the clubs still turn out to be different.

S.T. In our club everything is arranged for us. I love the smell of wooden furniture, I love the cleanliness of the club and the pleasant plasticity of expensive toys. This is all for me and for our clients. In addition, my club has everything my children need. My daughter wanted to sing - they found a great one music director and we have formed a wonderful vocal group that participates in festivals, competitions and wins well-deserved certificates.

How much for at this stage do you have any projects? How do you plan to grow your business? Are you planning to sell the franchise?

S.T. Now we run the children's eco-club “Umnichka”, we have opened dance studios that have their own names and participate in competitions and festivals, our children are invited to auditions for TV series and advertising. Now we are exploring a new direction - mini garden for children from 2.5 to 4 years and from 4 to 9 years.

More and more entrepreneurs are striving. Not surprising, because thanks state support, the birth rate in Russia for current years increased slightly.

Parents do everything possible to ensure that their child is well-rounded, so they send him to various developmental institutions. A children's development center is an excellent replacement for a regular kindergarten.

Is it profitable to open a children's development center?

The current study of this issue shows that residents of large settlements have more than once used or visited child development centers. The age of the children attending classes is from 8 months to 8 years.

Not so long ago, it was quite expensive to use services of this kind. Now they have become more affordable. All this makes the business idea of ​​a development center profitable and relevant.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that there are no similar centers on the market educational services quite a lot, but finding a good one that combines quality and cost is quite problematic. There are more and more children in the country, so investing in opening a development club for children is an excellent profitable option for business.

How much does it cost to open a children's development center from scratch?

When forming a business plan for a children's center, it is necessary to take into account the presence of systematic and one-time expenses. For example, in order to quickly prepare documents, entrepreneurs often resort to the help of special companies. Their services cost approximately 30,000 rubles. You will also spend more than 300,000 rubles on the purchase of equipment. But these are not fixed costs.

Systematically, it will be necessary to spend money on food for children (2,500 rubles every day), rented premises (65,000 rubles per month), wages employees (about 100,000 rubles) and security (10,000 rubles).

Additional expenses include the purchase of stationery, dishes and other necessary household items. Money is also needed for promotion.

Payback for such an institution takes 24 months. In an ideal situation - 1 year.

To organize a children's development club you will need:

1. Furniture. It is much more profitable to make it to order. It will be more economical this way. Ready-made furniture for children good quality and it is almost impossible to find inexpensive ones in stores.
2. Toys and consumables. On the contrary, it is not worth saving on this. By choosing more expensive toys, you can be sure that they will last longer.
3. Methodological materials, textbooks. Depending on the type of classes that will be conducted, it is necessary to purchase the appropriate number of notebooks and textbooks.
4. Technical equipment: photocopier, TV for broadcasting educational programs and programs (cartoons), printer.

Advice! The work of previous students can be hung on the wall. This will serve as a good motivation for parents planning to bring their children to the center.

Business plan

To open any type of activity, you must first think about a business plan. It takes everything into account organizational issues and business costs.

Let's consider a business plan for opening a children's development center from scratch:

1. The main idea or concept of a future educational institution.
2. Business registration.
3. Obtaining a license to operate.
4. Search and design of premises for classes.
5. Personnel search.
6. Selection of clients.

Step-by-step instruction

Step 1. Determine the direction of the future center. This educational institution, and not a kindergarten where fathers or mothers can bring a child for 1 hour. Adults must have a clear idea of ​​why a child needs these activities, to whom they entrust their child, and for what they give money.

At this stage it is worth determining:

• duration of classes;
• areas of study, for example, creative or physical, intellectual or comprehensive. Maybe these will be lessons with an emphasis on foreign languages;
• children's age;
• criteria for forming a group of children;
• educational methods and programs;
• additional services: psychological or correctional lessons, individual lessons.

It should be borne in mind that further actions will depend on which concept you choose. If the center is economy class, then you can use basic services, small room and not big amount personnel. “Premium class” centers are designed for well-off children, so the premises must be expensive, and the teachers must be the best.

The pedagogical stage ends with the choice of class schedule, work schedule, type and number of lessons, as well as the composition of professional teachers.

Step 2. You need to register an individual entrepreneur. Individual pedagogical activity allows you to provide tutoring, children's leisure and preparatory services without a license.

Individual entrepreneurs do not provide the opportunity to hire teachers to teach children. Without a license, an entrepreneur who has opened a development club can only hire technical staff and administrators.

Advice! There is another option - to hire teachers who are also individual entrepreneurs.

If you have decided to open your own club for children for the first time and are not particularly versed in the education system, the first option will be cheaper and easier for you. In the documents, your organization will be called as individual entrepreneur full name. In life, you can come up with any name for your company.

Your actions at stage 2:

• submit documents to the tax office to register as an individual entrepreneur;
• write a statement indicating the type of services provided according to OKVED;
• choose a tax system;

• Open a bank account.

Step 3. Obtaining a license is an integral part if you decide to form an LLC or hire professionals for your individual entrepreneur.

List of documents for obtaining a license:

• LLC charter;
• lease or ownership agreement for the premises, conclusion of the fire inspection and SES;
• education program;
• document confirming state registration firms;
• information about the composition of teachers;
• information about educational materials.

All these papers must be submitted to the education committee. Then wait for approval.

It is more expedient to open an individual entrepreneur first without the involvement of professional teachers. In this case, step 3 can be ignored.

Step 4. Finding and arranging a room is not so easy. It must meet some requirements:

• there must be an emergency exit;
• there must be a fire alarm;
• the premises should not be the basement or basement of a building;
• ceilings must be at least 3 meters;
• the building must be non-residential.

In case of repairs, SanPiN also established certain rules:

1. covering the walls only with paint or wallpaper that is resistant to moisture;
2. the room should be divided into zones: undressing, activities and games, bathroom;
3. the floor covering must be non-slip and smooth;
4. ceilings are whitewashed or torn with a water-based solution;
5. switches and sockets must be at a height of at least 1.8 meters from the floor.

A children's club does not have to be educational in nature. In this case, you can purchase the necessary equipment, toys, furniture and start working.

The use of the premises for the purpose of conducting educational classes with children requires approval from Rospotrebnadzor.

Important! Toys and lesson equipment must be certified and harmless.

How to choose the right location for a children's center?

In an area with a small population, it is enough to choose a room in an area with the highest traffic. Alternatively, you can rent a place in mall, approximately 50 sq. meters in area.

In big cities, remember about competition and do not organize a development club near such institutions. You should also keep in mind the target audience. For example, it is more convenient for a family living in a working-class area of ​​the city to take their child to classes near their home. And, conversely, an elite center should not be located in a residential area.

Important! The interior of the future institution should justify the concept of your children's club.

Step 5. In order to keep order and resolve business issues, you will need to ideally hire 2 administrators and a cleaning lady.

The selection of teaching staff is determined by the list of services provided by the children's club. A real development center should ideally have dance, drawing, English teachers, and a psychologist. The staff can be increased gradually by introducing new areas.

Finding teachers is not easy. When studying an applicant's profile, pay attention to the person's personal qualities, work experience and education.

Necessarily! Do not neglect the opinion of your parents, monitor the activities of your teachers, and go to classes from time to time.

Every developing Education Centre, unlike entertainment, should bring a positive result. In this regard, teachers must develop a system for assessing the activities of their students. Otherwise, how will parents know whether attending classes at your center is worthwhile?

And, most importantly! Children should enjoy attending developmental classes. Teachers can motivate them with their attitude, support and professional skills.

1. At the pre-opening stage, you can post information about your upcoming arrival.
2. Use a bright sign.
3. Distribute flyers by visiting playgrounds.
4. Create your website.
5. Create business cards and place them in nearby shopping centers.
6. Gather clients through forums and social networks.
7. The opening of your center should be memorable; organize a small celebration with balloons and music.

If you have money to spend on advertising, there will be many more ways.

conclusions

The profitability from a developmental children's center is quite good. And, most importantly, it will not lose its relevance. The only thing you need is to perform your duties efficiently. Working with children is a noble cause that can bring you material benefits along with mental satisfaction.

According to the forecast of the author of the book “Children’s Club: How to Open and Make it Profitable” Zarina Ivanter, over time there will be as many children’s clubs as there are beauty salons. So far this market is far from saturation. Clubs are distributed unevenly: sometimes there are only one or two clubs in a large residential area, while in a neighboring area three clubs are located on the same street.

The launch will cost 1-1.5 million rubles, and you will be able to start making a profit no earlier than six months to a year, since the first months will be spent recruiting and winning the trust of customers. A subscription for eight classes within a month will cost 4,000-6,000 rubles, of which about 30% will go to the teacher. As a rule, one child attends 1-2 clubs. One lesson lasts 30-50 minutes, so with eight hours of work and three rooms, theoretically you can conduct up to 48 lessons per day. In practice, there are about 5-15 of them per day, which, with a group size of three to five people, means revenue from 200,000 to a million rubles per month. Additional income for the club can be provided by the organization of a mini-kindergarten, holidays on weekends and a small store of toys and aids.

Network clubs sell franchises: for example, the “” franchise costs 800,000 rubles, “Syoma” - 80,000 rubles. The disadvantages of working as a franchise are not only that part of the profit will have to be given to the creators of the network. Parents are an audience that is largely guided by reviews, and if someone didn’t like it at “Syoma” in Mitino, a shadow falls on the reputation of the new “Syoma” in Butovo.

Room

For a children's club, a room with an area of ​​70 to 150 sq.m. is suitable. on the ground floor of a residential building or in a separate building. The best option, when there is a fairly spacious (20-30 sq.m.) waiting room for parents, from which two or three doors lead to study rooms. You should immediately discuss with the landlord who will pay communal payments(minimum 10,000 rubles per month), whether a fire alarm is installed, whether there is permission for a sign and whether a landline telephone is installed.

But the main thing here is a good location. The best option is the center of a residential area, preferably with a large number of new houses. It is there that, as a rule, the majority of the population consists of young families who already have or will soon have children. It would be good if the club opened next to a place where children and their parents often visit (for example, a clinic or a large playground). Opening a club in the city center or an old residential area is more risky: as a rule, there is already an established infrastructure there, and the population is too heterogeneous.

Renting space for a club in a residential area of ​​Moscow can cost from 1,500 rubles per 1 sq.m. per month, or 100,000-200,000 rubles for the entire premises per month.

Repair

Repairs depend on the condition of the premises. According to the experience of the Baby Club, in Moscow it will cost about 8,000 rubles per sq.m.; including materials, equipment cost - from 475,000 rubles.

Despite the fact that SanPinov and other requirements for children's clubs have not yet been developed, it makes sense to install a fire alarm (from 40,000 rubles), appoint those responsible for fire safety and post a fire extinguisher and an evacuation plan in each room.

To create a favorable impression on parents, it makes sense to invest in a cozy environment in the waiting room: sofas, tea and coffee, cookies, magazines. Equally important is a clean bathroom, convenient for both children and parents (it is better if there are both children’s and adult toilets). All these little things will allow visitors to feel the difference between your club and former home pioneers or recreation centers, where, unfortunately for the creators of private clubs, some classes for children are still provided free of charge.

Documentation

Most children's clubs call themselves leisure or family centers. This way they avoid having to obtain a license to educational activities and comply with the standards adopted, for example, for kindergartens (have at least two exits, be in a building no higher than four stories, etc.). If you decide to go this route, you should not use the words “education”, “lesson”, etc. in club documents, and it is better to register teachers as “instructors”.

Program

Children now most often go to developmental classes (including with their mothers), English language and preparation for school. By studying competitors' offers and asking parents, you can find what is missing in a particular area. For example, few offer classes related to physical activity - perhaps it makes sense to organize children's fitness classes.

The broader the club's program, the greater the chance of a quick return on investment, so there is no point in focusing on one group of clients or one area of ​​activity. Children up to three years old can come to the club in the morning, schoolchildren in the afternoon, and kindergarteners in the evening.

Children often get sick, and parents really don’t like paying for missed classes. Therefore, it makes sense to think over a system of incentives for those who hardly miss classes, and compensation for “truants.” For example, sell cheaper subscriptions with the possibility of “working off” missed classes in other groups and more expensive ones with the possibility of transferring classes to the next month.

A children's development center is a place where parents send their children for their further development. At the center, teachers and psychologists, speech therapists work with them, who help develop the child’s communication skills, physical and intellectual abilities. Children's development centers work with children from 1 to 8 years old. Considering the fact that there are few good institutions, even high competition does not make this business less profitable.

Business formats

There are several formats for opening and operating such establishments:

1. Mini garden– assumes hourly rental in municipal buildings. Requires minimum investment and opportunities for quick payback, but at the same time, the premises are provided only at certain hours, which significantly reduces the time for conducting classes.
2. Studio– a separate small room with an area of ​​about 50-60 square meters, in which classes are held for children.
3. Premium Club– a center acting as a separate institution with several classrooms. Opening such a center requires large financial investments.

It is preferable to open your own development studio.

Where to begin?

To begin with, it is worth carrying out marketing research– find out what centers there are in your area and how many there are, what services they provide. Then you need to survey parents at playgrounds, near clinics and kindergartens, asking them whether they would take their children to such an institution, where it is most convenient for them to get to, what program of classes they are interested in. Based on the information received, you can begin selecting premises and methods.

Selection of premises

First of all, the room in which the center will be located is selected. To begin with, it is better not to rent a large area, but about 50-70 sq. m. will be enough to start. This should be a non-residential premises located on the first or second floor so that children do not need to climb stairs or take the elevator.

Quite often such premises are rented in shopping or entertainment centers.

According to the standards, the following requirements are put forward for the premises:

• High ceilings, at least 3 meters.
• Availability of emergency exit and fire alarm.
• Compliance with standards according to SanPiN2.4.1.2440-10.
• The walls are painted or covered with waterproof wallpaper.
• The ceiling is whitewashed or treated with water-based emulsion.
• The floors are free of defects, smooth and non-slip.
• Sockets and switches are not lower than 1.8 meters from the floor.

Renting basement or semi-basement premises or areas on the ground floor is excluded.

The room itself should be divided into several zones:

1. A waiting place where parents will wait for their children. An administrator's desk can also be located here.
2. Bathroom.
3. Game room - at least 30 sq. m.
4. Staff office.
5. If it is planned that the children will spend the whole day in the center, there will be a bedroom and a kitchen.

Please note that if parents plan to leave their children for the whole day, additional requirements are imposed on the institution. Therefore, to begin with, you should not introduce into the services the opportunity to leave your child in kindergarten for the whole day.

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