Got your eye on opening your own child-care center? Whether you’re joining an established franchise, creating an on-site center at your office, or hosting a program in your home, the first step you need to making your entrepreneurial dreams come true is a business plan.
Just as architects and engineers draw an architectural plan before building a house, entrepreneurs write business plans to lay the foundation and path for the company to open.
Early childhood entrepreneurial expert and author of The Basics of Starting a Child-Care Business, Marnie Forestieri, CDA, explains that business plans help new businesses navigate the start-up process and lay the groundwork for achieving goals and overcoming obstacles.
Follow Marnie Forestieri’s easy guide to creating your own business plan.
How to Create Your Own Child-Care Business Plan
A business plan should give the reader specific information about the proposed business. It should include the following:
- Executive summary and keys to success
o Company description
o Keys to success
o Company formation and information about the founders
o Owners and shareholders
o Location and geographical markets served
o Definition of the core products and services
o Pricing information
o Market analysis and market research
o SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis
o Brand and product positioning
- Operational plan: Strategy and implementation
o Organization and management team
o Founders and executive team
o Key team members
o Job descriptions
o Financial projections
o Profit and Loss (P and L) statements
o Start-up cost expenses
As you embark on your new adventure, early childhood entrepreneurial expert Marnie Forestieri, CDA, will guide you from start to finish. The Basics of Starting a Child-Care Business, the first book in The Business of Child Care series, walks readers through each step of planning, developing, and launching their own child-care business.
About the Author
Marnie Forestieri, CDA, is an entrepreneur at heart with a passion for introducing innovative approaches to education. As a successful operator of a child-care franchise, she has been recognized in the industry with awards such as the Center of the Year by FACCM and finalist for the Director of the Year. She has earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration, is a former vice president of marketing for a major telecommunications company, and holds both a CDA credential and a director’s credential.
Author(s)Marnie Forestieri, CDA
Amanda Lancaster
A graduate of Appalachian State University with a BS in Communications, Advertising, Amanda served as marketing and sales coordinator for Gryphon House from 2019-2022.
