- I did not have to open my own kindergartenthe dream of my life. I never dreamed of my own business, nor that my life will be so tightly connected with children. In 2003, I graduated from the Higher School of Economics University in the direction of Economic Sociology, then worked in the marketing industry, in PR, and after I left on the decree and gave birth to the first child. I can say that it was this moment that dramatically changed me and my life. And I still consider my baby to be the most important teacher and mentor, and he, without knowing me, showed me the right way.
Photo: Personal archive of Zhanna Kazanskaya
How did the idea of opening a kindergarten
I chose a garden for a very long time and painfullyyour child. I was haunted by the feedback from adults, teachers, professionals that it would be hard for them with my son, that we needed to introduce the most severe limits, they convinced me that he was “uncomfortable” and “not like that”. Although, before going to kindergarten, I read a lot of literature on child psychology and education. And I went there with the confidence that all children are different, that the most important thing is love. It is important for a kid to be understood, recognized, respected, so that he feels needed, because he is in the garden most of the time, his self-esteem is formed there, and the conditions in which he will grow affects his future life. And since I have never found educators with the same outlook as mine, I decided to open a place myself where my child and all his peers would be comfortable. As a result, I came to my friends with an offer to become my partners, they almost immediately agreed. It was very scary, and at the same time with this fear there was a certainty that everything was correct. Now I have no doubt about it. For almost 10 years, we have launched four kindergartens, which can accommodate 600 children in total.
Starting capital and project development
Initial investments were about 600 thousand. rubles of own funds. In the opening of the first kindergarten was invested 1 million rubles. We found the playground for kindergarten very quickly. Near to our house the mansion handed over, we have simply come and have told, that we want to rent the first floor (it has managed to us in 150 thousand rubles). Later, with the development of the project, we occupied the whole mansion and paid for it 500 thousand rubles. For the development of the first garden, I honestly admit, did nothing. We just opened the building and cheered on the banner. The first clients were parents of children who lived in neighboring villages, later the word-of-mouth radio worked, and two months later our garden was full of children. The investments paid off in about eight months, when we became successful. It was then that the idea came that it would be good to take marketing steps with the second platform. In general, we used the Internet and social networks. Currently, we are growing very well, parents trust us, we are interested in the media. I am sure that this is primarily due to the fact that our graduates have very good results.
Business in crisis
I opened my first garden during the 2008 crisis, andthe active development of the network took place in 2015-2016, which was also a difficult time for entrepreneurs. It seems to me that during this period it is best to declare yourself if you do your job well. During the crisis, players are eliminated who are not able to give the consumer what he expects to receive in return for the money spent. We have been in the industry for eight years and have not experienced the crisis. Parents are ready to save on anything, but not on the education of their children. And we have a serious responsibility not to let you down, because preschool development lays the foundation for the rest of your life, a lot depends on it. For example, will the child love to read or how he will perceive the learning process - as a favorite and exciting journey through the world of knowledge, or as an annoying activity that is imposed by adults. And precisely because we are confident in the quality of the services provided, and our prices for visiting the garden are justified, we are not afraid of competition, in fact, as well as the economic situation in the country.
Why "Interesting kindergarten"?
When I look at my gardens, it seems to me that theythe best. First of all, we are always on the side of the child. Often parents compete, what their son or daughter should know and be able to do. Moreover, they often drive their own children into a corner and thereby give birth to a clear feeling in the kid that he is not what the most dear and dear people on the planet want to see him. Adults make him think that something is wrong with him, because he needs to read and learn English, and not play ... In my opinion, education and education should be soft and comfortable. A child does not owe anything to anyone. He should not be able to read at 5, he must be able to play with other children, draw, sculpt, cut.
1 / 4Photo: Zhanna Kazanskaya's personal archivePhoto: personal archive of Zhanna KazanskayaPhoto: personal archive of Zhanna KazanskayaPhoto: personal archive of Zhanna Kazanskaya Another difference of our kindergartens is the creation of such an environment of learning that the children themselves want to gain new knowledge. For this, the proper delivery of the material is important. If a boy or a girl is carried away, not intimidated, then he or she learn to read and count faster than you think. For years of work, I see a single need for children - love. If they feel it, they are not afraid of anything. We are trying to build a human relationship with the child. I am sure that before we educate, criticize or punish actions that we do not like, we need to learn how to unconditionally accept the child. No conditions, and no "if ... then." It is necessary to love a child SIMPLY SO, not "because he ..." and not "only if he ...", but simply because he is. Only on the background of unconditional acceptance is everything else possible: to educate, negotiate, establish discipline. I always teach my teachers to see in each child a person with her independent needs deserving attention and respect.
Family and Career
At first, to combine family and career wasincredibly hard. I realized that I do not have enough time to do everything, and I can not give so much to my children and home as I would like. When the project began to stand more confidently and a worthy team gathered around me, the question of time distribution became less acute. I no longer need to constantly be at work and solve every task myself, I can rely on my employees and confidently delegate them tasks that I myself had to do myself. But, despite this, I still come every day to different sites and personally check whether everything is in order there, and if necessary I help. In addition, in family and household matters, my mother, nurse and housekeeper help me. Without them, I could not handle it.
A photo: personal archive of Zhanna KazanskayaNo, probably the most important thing is to plan your time competently, to be able to distribute business and not forget to give time to yourself. A woman is a vessel that must always be filled, and in order to create, one must create and draw inspiration, filling out the wasted energy with pleasant procedures or ordinary walks.
Tips for those who want to open a startup
To be honest, I would recommend girlsDo not start building a business, but enjoy life! Dreams about one's own business are fine, but the real process, as a rule, has very little in common with them. For a serious startup, you need a certain mindset, strong character and willingness to dedicate 100% of yourself and your time to the cause, and in fact a woman first of all should personify beauty and coziness, not strength and success. But if there really is a conscious desire to create your own project , choose the direction that will not require unconditional return and without damage will leave time for yourself and your family. Also interesting:
