This paper will be addressing various aspects of three separate business venture ideas that I have had over the years. These three ideas include a hands-on learning based daycare, an after school center, and a low-key beachside bed & breakfast. Each business idea will cover the type of venture it is, the target market, and location it would be found in. Additionally, the benefits to consumers and how it will be beneficial to them will be evaluated for each business idea.
The Hands-on Learning Based Daycare
The hands-on learning based daycare is a service based venture I have given much consideration to over the years. This daycare would not be focused on worksheets and typical curriculum based preschool styled teaching and would also shy away from the free-play style daycare that has little learning structure built into the daily routine. There will be many stations that children will work through each day that allow them to play or have hands-on activities that are also building and developing skills. Another major goal of this daycare is to have multiple field trips each month that can correlate to monthly themes and projects being worked on in the various stations. Early learning for children is very important as it is key to thriving later in their schooling and early stimulation can create a love of learning that can carry though a child’s years as well (Dougherty, 2015)
Middle-class families will be the target market for this daycare based on the need for tuition rates to be slightly higher to cover the extra charges incurred from field trips costs, materials needed for projects, and the retention of a highly quality staff. My intentions would be to open this daycare in a local area of Southeast Iowa. I have no intentions of turning this daycare into a chain that is open in multiple locations. As much as I think this idea will be a great service, operating one location will be enough responsibility for the level of involvement needed and desired on my part.
This type of daycare will not only be very beneficial to children but to parents looking for high quality childcare as well. Children will love the idea of feeling like they are “playing” every day and going on adventures. Parents will have the comfort of knowing their children are well taken care of and gaining more experience than if they were stuck in a classroom coloring all day. This venture would be desirable to those parents that wish they could take their children to all the fun museums around town, have fun magicians come to put on a show, and grow their child’s love of reading by incorporating excitement into projects.
The After-school Center
What child would not enjoy going to a center afterschool that is full of games, sports, and a social setting? The after-school center I have considered opening would offer a service to parents that need or want to send their children to a center afterschool for various reasons. This center would be geared toward school aged children, primarily from kindergarten through 8th grade. Staff would be on hand to offer help on homework assignments should parents or children prefer to have school work completed before play. Various arcade type games, interactive gaming systems, and a gated outdoor area that would have designated basketball and open field areas. Although the target market would be geared toward these school aged children, parents will be highly considered as it would be their choice to enroll their children in this service. This after-school center venture would be limited to one local location with the possibility for expansion should it be successful enough to consider. Should I consider expanding this business, it would only grow from a local market to a small regional market based on my abilities to oversee the expansion one additional branch at a time.
Parents will love the idea of having a safe and secure place for their children to go after school. Parents that must work later can enjoy the benefits of the center being open later than what a typical daycare. Children, especially the older youth will also like the idea of spending their time in a center focused on “hanging out” with friends without the stigma of going to a daycare. The center would also offer occasional weekend special events that allow parents to take advantage of the center for a date night, running child free errands, or just some weekend quite time. In a 2014 survey, it was noted that 19.4 million students nation-wide are in need of an after-school program but the service is unavailable or out of the parents budget (Education Week, 2014). With such a large amount of parents wanting some type of after-school service, offering one that their children will love attending should generate a great response.
Low-key Beachside Bed & Breakfast
The low-key beachside bed & breakfast will offer a great service to travelers and local people looking for a weekend getaway. Located in the St. Petersburg area of Florida, locals and out of state travelers alike will enjoy the opportunity to stay in an atmosphere that offers “at-home” comforts with some of the luxuries afforded to them when staying in a hotel. With it being a small bed & breakfast, guests will have a more personable experience and be treated like family all while in walking distance to the beach. This bed & breakfast will only be established in a single location, operating in the local market.
Travelers of all ages would enjoy staying at this bed & breakfast that offers studio styled accommodations, home cooked breakfasts that can be tailored to guest requests, and a helpful staff that is available around the clock to ensure guest comforts. Guest would be able to avoid the big name chain hotels that feel so removed from the local lifestyle and instead feel submerged in the surrounding culture and beach life. Many travelers in today’s economy are looking for drivable destinations that keep the budget in check, properties that have full kitchen options, all while not giving up the desire for beach front property (Hart, 2011). The added benefit of being a bed & breakfast is that guests will still have the convenience of an employee being able to assist them verses booking a typical vacation property that leaves all concerns up to the guests.
Conclusion
These three potential business ventures all have a special draw for me and my desired career goals. Although all three businesses would be operating in a local market with a specific target audience, they could all offer me a great deal of career satisfaction and overall sense of accomplishment. Choosing a venture that will not only fit the needs of the market but also be feasible enough to consider investing in will take a great deal of research and dedication. The foundation of these ideas are solid but there are several details and options that would need to be addressed and considered before any progress were made toward opening the hands-on learning based daycare, after-school center, or the low-key beachside bed & breakfast but they are all ventures I have enjoyed exploring.
References
Dougherty, C. (2015). Starting off strong: The importance of early learning. The Education Digest 80(6), 12-18. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1651361529?accountid=8289
Education Week. (2014). After-school programs: America after 3 P.M.. Education Week, 34(10), 5. Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1622075816?accountid=8289
Hart, K. (2011). For vacation rentals, it looks like another strong season. Orange County Register (California). Retrieved on March 4, 2015 from www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic
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