Probably, there is no such teacher who would not dream of opening a private school. Some parents dream of their own school, and of course, children. Their fantasies are not much like the real life of an educational institution. But even teachers who have worked in a regular school all their lives have a poor idea of how to open a private school, why this is necessary and what thorns they have to go through. Teachers are usually poor managers, so both institutions are needed for the successful functioning of such an institution.
Opening a private school: three reasons
Private school as a profitable business is not considered by all. Statistical studies show that in Russia there are three main reasons for their discovery.
- Some businessmen are trying to open a school not for profit, but to ensure that the children of the founders receive a decent education. Such parents independently finance the institution. It often happens that at the end of the studies of the children of the founders, the school slowly dies.
- Large companies often open closed schools, in which only children of employees study. These institutions also do not generate income, and most often they are fully subsidized by the founders. Similar establishments in Russia and abroad are contained by Gazprom and some other business giants. The purpose of the training: getting an education at a European level, preparing a reserve for your company.
- Only a third of private schools are opened so that children can receive a decent education, and founders and teachers - the same profit.
Where to begin?
If we consider the school as a profitable business project, you will have to start with a market analysis. First you’ll have to think not about how to create a private school, but about what kind of educational institution the city lacks and what it should be.
Common words and vague goals like “to give a quality education” are fundamentally wrong. The goal that must be set immediately after market analysis, as well as the entire business plan of the school, should be extremely specific. Here is a good example.
- Short-term goal: creating a recognizable own name, entering the market of private schools, return on investment (or making a profit).
- Long-term goals:
- creating a network of schools;
- service market expansion;
- creating a base for preparing for international exams;
- communication with universities;
- creation of a kindergarten as a link preceding school.
Goals may be different, but no less specific. There is such a pattern: before you understand how to open a private school, you need to learn how to set goals.
What distinguishes one school from another?
Many of those who wanted to open their own educational institution were mistaken at the very beginning, trying to open a private school as an end in itself. It should differ from those already opened not only by the level of education, but also by the original author's methods, additional courses, not similar to other educational process.
Thinking about how to open a private school in Russia, the founder should clearly understand: a good school skillfully combines adherence to established standards and all the wishes of parents. Not every manager or teacher can do this. That is why the staff of such an institution should not only be teachers, administrators and psychologists.
If the founder wants to open a school in order to make a profit, he must include managers, economists, analysts, marketers, entrepreneurs in the staff.Naturally, the institution’s budget, which is 80% parental money, will not withstand such a load. And then the director or founder will have to decide who will cope with the responsibilities of these specialists. All these thoughts should be formed in the business plan of the school and its charter.
How does the opening of a private school begin?
Once the goals are set, and worthy employees have appeared, you can move on to the basics: start opening a private school in real life, and not on paper. First, register a legal entity, open an IP.
Open an account, receive a seal and begin to obtain a License. And here is the first difficulty.
A license to open a private school is issued only when the Founder provides:
- Permission (duly executed) of all authorities.
- Staffing schedule.
- Schedule of lessons.
- Software (meaning school, not computer programs).
The process of collecting these documents takes a very long time, and this should be taken into account. At the same time, you can look for a building, remembering that it must not only meet the requirements of the authorities, but also have your own parking lot: most students bring their parents. If at this stage the businessman is still thinking about how to open a private school, he can deal with its equipment and the choice of training programs.
About programs, textbooks and chairs
The question is no less important than the thought of how to open a private school without outside help. Programs can be taken standard, but then such an institution will be of little demand. It is better to develop them yourself, taking into account existing standards and requirements.
Teachers know that any author’s program must be approved by the Ministry. Therefore, the Founder will have to take care of the methodologist who can check all the documents before submitting to the Ministry.
Then it will be necessary to acquire the necessary textbooks, manuals, manuals, etc. This means that already at this stage it will be necessary to decide on the issue of financing.
How to open a private school should be taken care not only by economists and methodologists, but also by business executives. It is they who buy furniture, provide repairs, form the technical base. It’s good if the staff is recruited by competition: the best school needs the best employees.
Where to find teachers and how to attract them?
When the question of how to open a private school comes up on the agenda, the project organizers begin to look for good teachers. They (but not only them) will become the basis of the new educational institution. Many recruit teachers by competition, but not many are able to choose the right incentive for the teacher.
Salary, which, of course, should be an order of magnitude higher than in ordinary schools, does not appeal to everyone. Some educators value the opportunity to work on their programs; others like to experiment. Therefore, before inviting teachers to the competition, the leader should learn as much as possible about him.
Teachers not only teach lessons. In their free time, they should teach children dance and music, computer science, economics, everything that children like and what will be included in the program of the educational institution. Opening a private school requires not only good teachers, but also responsible, child-loving technical staff. You should not forget about this either.
Sample business plan diagram
Opening a private school should begin with a business plan. You can compose it in different ways. Here is a brief outline of one of the most successful options.
The plan begins with a presentation of the essence of the project, for example, "the creation of a private full-cycle school for grades 1-11".
- In second place are the short-term and long-term goals set for the school.
- Indicate the time frame for which the project will be calculated and implemented.
- Marketing description. In this section, they specify in detail what kind of educational services will be provided, specify the sources of financing, the total cost of the project.
- The benefits of this institution.Usually, they indicate the ability to change the number of subject hours at the request of students, atypical subjects, authoring techniques, etc.
- Project risks. When amateur founders think about how to open a private school in Russia, these risks are not always taken into account. But it is they who are capable of not only making the future business unprofitable, but also leading to the closure of the school. The risks include: a decrease in the demand for education due to the crisis, the opening of competing institutions, etc.
We continue to create a business plan
The second section of the plan should be devoted to a description of the proposed services. It should not only explain in detail why exactly these subjects will be studied by children, but also indicate why this study will not be similar to the same work in other schools. Describing additional services, it is recommended to clearly motivate each of them. For example: “In-depth study of a foreign language for passing the IBA”.
It is imperative to indicate the educational orientation of the future school: "Organization of circles to identify and disclose the talent of students." In the same section, it is worth defining a pricing concept. Since not all schools can maintain stable prices for years, some leaders report that it is planned to “set the cost of training at the level of competitors, but lower than in elite schools”.
The third section should be a marketing plan. It starts with positioning the uniqueness of the school, and continues with pricing. Here you can specify the order of admission of students.
Project financial rationale
The following sections of a business plan can be:
- School occupancy plan.
- Legal status.
- Management policy and structure.
- Analysis of planned costs.
- Full financial plan.
- Organizational plan for the implementation of the planned project.
It is good if the business plan is accompanied by diagrams, tables and diagrams. It is quite appropriate, for example, to be:
- Charts showing the age of children, the number of additionally studied subjects, children's interests, etc.
- Financial and temporary tables indicating costs, terms, ratings, schedules.
- Schemes that clearly show the managerial structure.
What should a future businessman take into account?
How to open a private school in Russia for profit? If someone comes up with such a question, then the entrepreneur should know: no way.
There is only one way to legally collect money: tuition fees, strictly fixed by the contract. The school cannot be turned into a closed joint-stock company. She must spend all the money received on herself. Private schools can use preferential taxation, but it is worth opening their production (printing house, greenhouse, etc.), as it will be canceled.
The following nuance will be more interesting to parents. An educational institution may work without accreditation if documents for it are in production. However, in this case, graduates may have difficulty with final exams, which will have to be taken at a public school. A future entrepreneur should take into account the fact that in a private school there are more checks and commissions: in our country they are still distrustful of this kind of business.
Parents and money
The success of a private school also depends on its fullness. Studies show that today only 20% of parents are willing to pay for education. Therefore, in order to lure students to a new school, the director will have to convince their mothers and fathers that it is for the education received at this school that they should pay. It is difficult to do. Therefore, regardless of whether the manager or teacher will lead the school, he must be able to:
- Understand the requirements of parents and popular areas of study.
- To be an excellent speaker, to be able to convince (sponsors, management, parents).
- Create a positive image of the school, using word of mouth, the Internet, and any other popular types of advertising.
- Understand the psychology of children, parents, sponsors, etc.
- Build the right financial policy.
Private non-comprehensive schools
A comprehensive school is not the only type of private educational institution. Private music, sports, art, and dance schools are very popular. How to open an additional education school?
The scheme of this process is similar to that described above. You will also have to analyze the market, calculate how much the services are in demand, draw up a private school business plan and approve the programs. Narrowly targeted private institutions are not an alternative, but an addition to ordinary, public ones. Their task should be not only the development of children's talents (which goes without saying), but also their education, protection from the negative impact of the environment.
We choose, we are chosen
Private schools take exams every year. It's not about state exams, but about those that parents take. It is they who choose a school among competing institutions, so teachers have to constantly create an image. Victories in competitions, early admission to universities, land improvement, high-tech equipment - these are the tools with which you can influence your parents. But ... only adequate parents are interested in serious education, and not in obtaining grades for money. Therefore, when taking children to school, you should pay attention not only to the viability of the family, but also to its adequacy.
