So, you’ve been thinking about starting a preschool business- but you’re not exactly sure what all you’re going to need. Following, you will find what you need to get started in planning for your new venture.

Learn About Licensing Requirements

If you are planning to start a preschool in your home or from another location, you need to first learn about the licensing requirements for your state. You must be licensed before you can start providing services- so it needs to be the very first thing you do when you’re getting your preschool business up and running. You can visit ChildCareAware.org to learn more about the requirements for each state.

Draft Your Business Plan

One of the most critical aspects of planning any business- including a preschool/childcare facility is drafting a business plan. If you are going to invest the time and effort in starting a preschool/childcare facility, it’s best to run it like a business, not like a hobby. If you need to arrange for financing for your business, you can present this business plan to potential lenders in support of your application.

Determine The Details Of Your Preschool/Childcare Facility

You must take the time and get a clear picture of what you want your preschool/childcare facility to look like. This means that you need to ask yourself the following questions:

• How many children do you plan to care for?
• Will you offer care on a full-time basis, part-time basis, or both?
• What will your hours be?
• What will your policy be on late pickups?
• Will you still charge for the day, even if the child is not present?

Figure Out A Location For Your Preschool/Childcare Facility

Another thing you must think about is whether you will be operating your preschool/childcare facility from your own home or if you will find another location. If you plan to get started in your home, you must ask the following questions:

• What areas of your home will you be using for your preschool/childcare?
• Will any of the areas of your home be completely off limits?
• Will you have enough space to accommodate all of the children you are planning to care for?

If you are planning to rent/buy a building to run your facility out of, you should ask the following:

• Do you plan to rent a space?
• Would it be better for you to buy a building?
• Do you have the option of buying an existing business?

Obtain Insurance Coverage

If you are planning to care for little ones, you need to make sure that you have enough liability insurance in place for your location- whether you are operating out of your home or a separate building. You can speak with your insurance agent/broker about what level of coverage will be best for what you need.

Think About Your Finances

Another aspect of starting a preschool/daycare is setting up your budget. You may need to find ways to get some start-up money for things like:

• Toys & equipment
• Advertising
• Supplies
• Renovations to make the location safe/secure

Determine How You Plan To Get Clients

Once you have worked out the details, your next step in starting a preschool/daycare is to find some clients. There are many ways that you can do this, including the following:

• Find out if you can post a sign on the bulletin board at a local school or shopping mall/center
• Place advertisements online and in your local newspaper
• Launch a website for your new preschool/daycare
• Create and print some flyers to distribute in your neighborhood

In addition, don’t ignore the power/value of advertising by word-of-mouth. Start telling everyone you know that you’re planning to open a preschool/daycare. Create business cards with your info to hand out. Drop by some local businesses that cater to preschool-aged children and their families and see if you can leave some of your business cards or flyers for parents to pick up.

As you can see, there’s quite a bit that must be done in order to start a preschool/daycare. When you make sure that you pay attention to the details, you can be sure to get your business off on the right foot- and increase your chance of success.