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Nov 13, 2010
Conduct a Feasibility Study Before Starting a School: Avoid Failure and Experience Success

Many entrepreneurs, including education entrepreneurs who start schools, believe that feasibility studies are unnecessary. They are absolutely convinced that they have a fabulous idea that will be successful. In fact, highly sophisticated business plans support their perspectives. Yet between 50% and 80% of businesses fail within the first few years. The global landscape is littered with failed schools.

 

A feasibility study can help avoid failure. Done correctly, it will do more than avoid failure – it will establish the conditions essential for a successful school startup and operation for many years to come.

 

A market study is absolutely essential. It's not enough to know that there is a demand for education in the area. The study must analyze the many variables that parents consider in determining whether to enroll their children in a school. Selling education is not like selling widgets. For most parents, nothing is more important than the education of their children. Parents will look at their options and decide which one is best for them, affordable and worth the price. They will carefully consider variables like the kind of education, facilities, location, hours of operation, transportation services, extracurricular activities, etc. in their decision making process. Education entrepreneurs need an in-depth understanding of the marketplace and the complex considerations of prospective parents before launching a school. A good feasibility provides this information and informs the school formation and startup process.

Startup and operating requirements must also be laid out clearly in a feasibility study. Facilities acquisition, design and development, management structure, faculty and staff recruitment, supervision and compensation, marketing and admission, student management systems and more require careful consideration.


The financial analysis should include startup and annual operating budgets for five years. Ideally, the projections would include best, medium and worse case scenarios. The financial analysis should include startup and annual operating budgets for five years. The projections must include the assumptions that form the basis for the projections. It is important to consider industry benchmarks in developing the financial projections.


The main reasons schools fail include 1) underestimating the competition, 2) poor execution, 3) undercapitalization, and 4) lack of competitive advantages. An excellent feasibility study will help you avoid failure and experience success.  Learn it with a school consultant now!


Posted at 06:19 am by startaschool
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Oct 21, 2010
Why You Should Start a Charter School in Your Neighborhood

Independent public schools that are free to provide unconventional education programs and services are more commonly known as charter schools. While traditional public schools are bound to teach what’s indicated in the curriculum, charter schools have the freedom to design their own set of programs and services. Because charter schools have unique missions, they can focus on delivering high quality educational programs. That is one major advantage of having a charter school – being able to offer a different educational approach compared to traditional public schools.

One major problem in traditional public schools is its lack of innovation. However, charter schools on the other hand are frequently improving and enhancing their educational programs to make it more diverse and practical. And because charter schools have a unique kind of flexibility, they are able to transform education in various states in the country.

Another primary advantage of charter schools is the freedom that it has from the the bureaucracy of traditional schools. They are not bound to follow any regulations so they are able to operate with efficiency like a business and reduce the problems that come with being under the traditional school bureaucracies.

But even though charter schools enjoy a certain extent of freedom, they are still accountable. Every charter school still, must abide by the rules specified in their charter contract between the school and the chartering authority – the contract includes projected student achievement outcomes and penalties for failing. If the charter school fails to live up to these conditions, either the parents act on it or the school can lose its charter altogether.

Charter schools are not private schools, they do not have tuition and are not sectarian schools. A good charter school is likely to have a long waiting list. A lot of parents are not satisfied with the education provided by public schools, but without a charter school nearby they do not have a choice. So charter schools offering high quality and free education are highly in demand throughout the country.

Charter schools greatly help in improving education and achievement for millions of students in the US. In fact, you can many success stories of increased student achievement. As more and more charter schools become available to the public, improving education becomes more achievable.

Are you starting up this kind of service? visit an experienced school consultant first!

Posted at 10:09 am by startaschool
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Oct 13, 2010
School Team Building: Every Team Member is Important

Teamwork is absolutely critical for schools to thrive and achieve ambitious goals. High performing, collaborative leadership teams very important to ensure the success and growth of the school.

The leadership team sets the teamwork standard for the school community at all levels. If the leadership team is modeling and teaching high performance and collaborative teamwork, the entire community will likely get on board.

Teacher morale or faculty culture has greater impact on student learning than any other factor. Students learn little when the faculty is suffering from low morale. Students learn a lot when the faculty is enjoying high morale. One of the main determinants of faculty morale is teamwork.

When teachers are working together in teams and with the interests of every team member at stake, morale is high and students thrive. When teams are dysfunctional, morale is low and students suffer, students learn very little.

Critical to engaging students in learning to the best of their abilities, are highly effective faculty, staff and leadership teams. Team building through Appreciative Inquiry is probably the best way to build collaborative, high performing teams that will also increase faculty morale and student performance.

Appreciative Inquiry is reflection and research that groups use to create new understandings of themselves based on an affirmative approach to looking at the past. The four action research principles are to begin with appreciation, be applicable, be provocative and be collaborative.

The Appreciative Inquiry approach to team building creates powerful, collaborative and high performing teams based on the past, present and future. Teams learn from the past, identify and honor the strengths of their team members in the present and commit to working together to achieve the goals for the future.  Visit an experienced school consultant now and take advantage into this kind of business.


Posted at 10:46 am by startaschool
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Sep 14, 2010
3 Ingredients that Make a Successful School

Are you planning to start a school? In order for a school to be successful, there are three essential things that should be followed. These will determine if the school’s environment, goals, and management and conducive for learning. However, the best way to tell if a school is successful or otherwise is when it becomes a learning community that will help all students, regardless of their background or ability, to reach high levels of education.

Clear Vision

Successful schools have a clearly defined vision that is aimed at improving the way every student learns within the school. A good vision emphasizes achievement while working on a clear set of standards like academic knowledge, skills, and personal growth. Setting a vision is like setting a main goal, which is framed in a way that it can be considered as a school standard at the beginning of the school year, to be measured at its end.

Strong Leadership

One quality of a successful school is strong leadership. A strong leadership promotes equity and excellence in education. Through effective leadership, one can make sure that the school’s vision is properly expressed, promoted, and maintained. On top of that, it also facilitates the gathering and allocating of resources of the school.

A strong leadership is essential in ensuring the development of any organization. Leadership roles are played by different individuals who possess great knowledge, respect and responsiveness to face the challenges in the future.

High Academic Standards

High academic standards specify the expectations that students should live up to. Implementing high academic standards in all subjects and other academic tasks are the foundation of academic success. Academic standards set a clear expectation for all students; it serves as a common goal for students, staff, and parents to follow.

Schools with high academic standards make it possible for them to identify what the students should know and should do. It also provides evidence of progress as well as an opportunity for students to gain knowledge, skills, and processes based on the standards.

Avoid the pitfalls that come with starting a new school,speak with an experienced School Consultant now!


Posted at 11:33 am by startaschool
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