Running a Preschool business/Early Child Development center/Nursery School is a very profitable venture in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a country with a very high literacy rate of about 96%. The people of Zimbabwe value education, and the children go to nursery schools whilst they are still toddlers. The demand for preschools places is very huge in Zimbabwe, with some parents even paying bribes to secure places at good ECD centers. 

Before you start a ECD business in Zimbabwe, you have to decide on the location of your business, the size of your business i.e. the number of children, and your target market.  You should always carry out a feasibility study, market research and write a business plan before you venture into any business. Do not make the mistake of starting a preschool business or any other business just because someone is doing it and he/she says it’s profitable.

What you need

Premises And Equipment

Your target market will determine the location of your preschool and the kind of premises which you will have. The preschool can be located in the high densities, low densities or at the outskirts of the CBD. When starting preschools, most people buy/rent a house, which they renovate to ensure that it meets the standards of an Early Child Development Center. When choosing the premises, you should make several considerations, such as  the impact of playground noise on the neighbourhood and the impact of vehicles and increased traffic especially with respect to drop off and pickup of children.

The ECD Center should be fenced/ have a durawall, to ensure the safety of the children. There should also be sufficient parking space for staff and visitors. You will also need space for a playground. If the preschool is to be sited on rented premises, the lease should be of a sufficiently long period (at least 3 years with an option to renew). You should obtain the support and approval of the landlord for the use of the premises as a nursery school. 
Furniture and equipment required for a preschools include tables, chairs, desks, whiteboards, cupboards, stoves, fridges, toys, playground equipment and mattresses. You will also need a lot of stationery for the kids. If the preschool is offering transportation, you should buy or hire a bus. 

Preschool business

Preschool

Staff Requirements

The number of the staff you need will depend on the size of your preschool. There is need for a principal/director, who is responsible for managing the center, supervising the teaching staff, and communicating with parents. In small preschools, the principal may also assume a teaching role for part of the day. In large centers, the director will usually have a secretary or assistant to help with the administrative workload. You will also need teachers to teach, and supervise the children. Teachers promote learning and developmental activities through a curriculum designed for stimulation and development. They also prepare curriculum materials and projects for the children and confer with the parents and administrators. Ideally, teachers should have a minimum of a diploma in Early Child Education from a recognized college/university. It’s better to hire teachers who have at least 2 years experience of teaching at a preschool.

Assistants are also needed at a preschool.  They assist the teachers in teaching and handling the children. They also assist children in the
toilets and ensuring that they are taught how to thoroughly wash their hands after use. Logistics staff are also required at a preschool. The logistics staff will act as cooks responsible for preparing, cooking and serving the food; caretakers responsible for cleaning the pre-school, classrooms, toilets and bathrooms. If the preschool is offering transportation, then there should be a driver who is responsible for picking and transporting children to their homes. You will also need accounting/finance staff who will be responsible for  handling the fees, preparing payment plans and handling all the financial operations of the preschool. If the preschool is still small, those duties can be done by the principal.

Preschool Playground

Preschool Playground

Capital And Licences for Preschool Business

The amount of capital required will depend on the size of your preschool business. You will need money for rentals, salaries, food, transport, and the equipment to be used at the preschool. There are also advertising, licenses and marketing costs.

To operate a preschool in Zimbabwe, you will need a licence from the Ministry of Education. The procedures of getting a licence for a preschool in Zimbabwe include getting permission from the local authority, a health certificate from the city council health department, and a copy of the town planning permit.

Industry And Market

The industry consists of government owned and private owned preschools.  The government of Zimbabwe has made it a prerequisite for children to have been enrolled for preschool (ECD-A and ECD-B) before they can be admitted to Grade 1. This move was in response to the recommendations of the 1999 Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Education and Training System in the Zimbabwe, popularly known as the Nziramasanga Commission. So preschool is now mandatory, and this increased the demand for the services of preschools.   The population of Zimbabwe is growing, with a 2.7 % annual growth rate. Zimbabwe has over 1 million children who are 5 years and younger. This is a very large customer base for the preschools. The demand for preschools will continue to be high in the foreseeable future.

Pre-written Business Plan for Preschool/Nursery School/ECD Center : Comprehensive Version, Short Bank Loan Version, Automated Excel Financial Statements

For an in-depth analysis of the Preschool/ECD Center/Daycare Center business in Zimbabwe, purchase our business plan. We decided to introduce the business plans after noting that many Zimbabweans were venturing into the preschool business without a full understanding of the industry, market, how to run the business, the risks involved, profitability of the business and the costs involved, leading to a high failure rate of their businesses.

Our business plan will make it easier for you to launch and run a preschool business successfully, fully knowing what you are going into, and what’s needed to succeed in the business. It will be easier to plan and budget as the preschool business plan will lay out all the costs involved in setting up and running the business. The preschool business plan is designed uniquely for the Zimbabwean market.

Very insightful and relevant homegrown solutions. Empowerment begins in the mind and this is it…
K Muzenda

Uses of the Preschool Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

The preschool business plan can be used for many purposes including:

  • Raising capital from investors/friends/relatives
  • Applying for a bank loan
  • Start-up guide to launch your preschool business
  • As a project proposal
  • Assessing profitability of the preschool business
  • Finding a business partner
  • Assessing the initial start-up costs so that you know how much to save
  • Manual for current business owners to help in business and strategy formulation

Contents of the Preschool/Nursery School Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

The business plan includes, but not limited to:

  • Market Analysis
  • Industry Analysis
  • Automated Financial Statements (monthly cash flow projections, income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, break even analysis, loan repayment calculations, start-up costs)
  • Marketing Strategy
  • Risk Analysis
  • SWOT & PEST Analysis
  • Operational Requirements
  • Government regulations, Licence requirements and Licence Fees
  • Operational Strategy
  • Why some Zimbabweans in preschool business fail, so that you can avoid their mistakes
  • Ways to raise capital to start your preschool business in Zimbabwe

The Preschool/ECD Center business plan package consist of 4 files

  1. Preschool Business Plan – PDF file (Comprehensive – 64 pages)
  2. Preschool/ECD Center Business Plan – Editable Word File (Comprehensive – 64 pages)
  3. Preschool Business Plan Bank Version – Editable Word File (Short version for applying for a loan – 36 pages)
  4. Preschool/ECD Center Business Plan Automated Financial Statements – (Editable Excel file)

The business plan financials are in USD currency. 

The financial statements are automated. This implies that you can change eg fees per student, number of students etc, and all the other financial statements will automatically adjust to reflect the change.

Get the Preschool/Nursery School Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel)

We decided to make them affordable for anyone who would want a preschool business plan, and the price for pre-written business plans is only ZWL$200 000 for soft copies. When you pay via PayPal, Mastercard or Visa Card, the soft copy costs US$25.

You can purchase via Paynow using Ecocash, One Money or Telecash. You just click Pay now (scroll down)  and you will then be taken to Pay now website where you make the payment. Just follow the instructions; you will be done with the payment process in 2 minutes. We will email the business plan (PDF format, Microsoft word format, and a Microsoft Excel file with the financial statements)  to you within 24 hours, using the email address you provided when you were paying.

If you have PayPal, MasterCard or Visa Card, you can purchase the business plan via PayPal or DPO Payment Gateway.  You just click Buy now (scroll down) and you will then be taken to the PayPal or DPO website where you make the payment. Just follow the instructions; you will be done with the payment process in 2 minutes. We will email the business plan (PDF format, Microsoft word format, and a Microsoft Excel file with the financial statements) to you within 24 hours, using the email address you provided when you were paying.

You can also purchase soft copies at our offices in Harare. Visit  StartupBiz Zimbabwe, Suite 201, 2nd Floor, Morgan House, George Silundika Avenue (between 1st Street & 2nd Street), Harare . The cost of the business plan is ZWL$200 000 (soft copies).

For any questions, other payment options, email us on shop@startupbiz.co.zw , call/whatsapp us on +263778798072 (Whatsapp us by clicking the link https://wa.me/263778798072.

Pre-school/Nursery school/Early Child Development (ECD) Centre Business Plan 

Click Buy now to purchase using Paypal, MasterCard or VisaCard (US$25)

Buy Business Plan Now

 

 

 

Click Pay Now to purchase using EcoCash, One Money or TeleCash (ZWL$200 000)  

 

Check out more business ideas and our collection of business plans. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to receive notifications of new posts in your email.

A note from StartupBiz Zimbabwe: Everyday we send business updates via Whatsapp. Click the link to join: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DPa61WKvMHN5PGVJERxd9T or send the word join via Whatsapp to  +263778798072 (Whatsapp us by clicking the link https://wa.me/263778798072).