Happy Canada Day From HEG

Hello:

Happy Canada Day to those of you back home in Canada. My own family will be enjoying the day at our cabin in Point Roberts; setting up the BBQ and heading down to the beach with their beverages and taking out the kayak and wind surfer.

I’m over in Songdo, Korea until July 4 working with our HEG team and the administration of the International School Songdo to open their new $150 million / 500,000 sq. ft state-of-the art school for this fall. It’s a fantastic administration that’s going full out to prepare their school for operation, offering a K-12 International Baccalaureate program. What makes this school even more unique is that it’s the very first private school in Korea to allow domestic Korean students to attend. Hence, we’re also developing the school’s admissions and marketing package to manage the avalanche of applications for this fantastic school.

If you want to see a series of pictures on the school, you can go to following link at their old web site:

http://www.songdois.org/middhigh.html

On July 11 I will be heading to New Hampshire to work with an independent school district that will be splitting into two separate school districts. We will be developing two sets of strategic plans with their district staff for each new district, including mission, vision, core values, educational philosophy, and goals for their coming years. I find it embracing to help educational institutions to define their vision and help bring it to reality.

So many educational organizations, be it new or established, trundle along without any vision and plan of action to lead their organization. Many put it off or diminish its value. But they’re mislead.

For example, if you’re building your dream home, you wouldn’t bring a crew of workers to your job site without a blueprint and throw their tools and materials on the ground and just tell them to build your house.

You would have blueprint and a contractor to define your vision and have a set of goals for each sub-trait that defines what they do, when they do it, and how you know they’ve done it right. Why would you not do this for your own school?

Carrying on this thought, this is what I emphasize to groups that want to start a school. You need a plan in place before you commit to moving forward. You need a feasibility study and business plan, your “Blue Print”, to define what needs to be done before you move forward.

HEG always advises clients to avoid the “field of dreams” syndrome…building a school and hoping students show up. I think it’s wiser to make the investment at the beginning, determining what market demand is and statistically calculating enrollment against demographics, and then developing the start-up and operation business plan and budget based on hard numbers. This approach provides a crystal clear picture of what your vision will cost and what your donors or investors need to contribute to ensure success.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President

Halladay Education Group Inc.

http://www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

>> TWITTER: Receive our updates by signing in @ http://www.twitter.com/halladay

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school. Here is the link: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/products.php

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IN THIS ISSUE

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1. In The News

2. Useful Services

3. Feasibility Study and Business Plan

4. Products At Our Online Store

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1. IN THE NEWS

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>> FIRST US BOARDING SCHOOL FOR CHINESE STUDENTS TO OPEN IN MASS.

WBUR - Boston, MA, USA - By DEBORAH BECKER BOSTON — A new school opening in Massachusetts this fall will be the first boarding school for Chinese students in the United States...Click on the following link for the full story: http://bit.ly/iHypm

>> NEW PRIVATE SCHOOL SET FOR EAST SIDE

Montgomery Advertiser - Montgomery, AL, USA - Organizers of the new private school, Three Rivers Academy, plan to lease the former campus of Calvary Christian Academy, which closed its doors earlier...Click on the following link for the full story: http://bit.ly/2W9Zri

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2. USEFUL SERVICES

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(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally. Please click on the following link for more information: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/school_ser_form.php

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of your school’s comprehensive Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for continued school improvement. Please click on the following link for more information: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/strategic.php

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our interactive online survey) will fine-tune your board’s performance and focus priorities. Please click on the following link for more information: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/board_workshops.php

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATION

A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member are you confident that you’re making the right decisions? Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with our In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan for immediate improvement. Please click on the following link for more information: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/institution_assessments.php

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3. FEASIBILITY STUDY + BUSINESS PLAN

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I’m a strong believer in performing due diligence when starting a school. I believe that you should develop a school based on facts rather than gut instincts. Don’t get me wrong, most schools start over a conversation between parents or investors who are either dissatisfied with the present educational options or have an entrepreneurial drive to start a school in their community that is not yet available, or would be a magnet to their land development. That being said, there are a number of qualitative and quantitative survey tools (e.g., phone, mail, online, focus groups) that need to be utilized to determine the level of demand for the school you envision.

The purpose of the Feasibility Study which HEG utilizes is to provide reliable data that will help answer the following questions:

- What is the level of demand for the school you envision?

- Who is the target market?

- What is the likelihood of parents enrolling their children at your school?

- How many students will enrol (grade, gender, origin, present school-type)?

- What will prevent families from enrolling?

- What level of tuition would they pay?

- Would they need financial aid?

- What is the impact of pricing on enrollment and features or benefits to reduce price sensitivity?

- What is the response to the educational programs?

- What are the critical milestones?

- Does the founding group have the capacity to start and/or operate the school?

- What types of facilities are available and/or needed for the school?

- What are the financial assumptions and costs to start and/or operate the school?

- What are the obstacles that need to be overcome to achieve success?

- What will generate confidence in a brand new, premium priced private school?

- What are the most effective strategies to promote enrollment?

The process allows HEG to evaluate your project’s capacity for success, market for enrollment, and ensure clarity in the development of your business plan and start-up preparation. We view the feasibility study like building the foundation of a house; you need to establish the foundation before you commit to putting resources and capital into building the school. We understand that the study and business plan will be the backbone of discussions with your partners and/or investment group and needs to be comprehensive and compelling.

Once you’ve the hard data for projected enrollment, we then develop your business plan, which includes Proformas for start-up budget and five year operational budget. The plan illustrates the opportunity, program requirements, timelines, facility needs, leadership structure, and investment structure. We focus on:

- Projected resource/facility needs and costs

- Timelines for each stage of school formation

- Competitive market analysis to determine demand and niche segment

- Economic analysis to determine tuition price point

- Marketing/admissions strategies and positioning

- Facilities and location for the school

- Financial and investment framework

- Initial start-up and five-year operational budget

- Construction and Renovation Budget

HEG and our experienced team are well suited and experienced to help assess and lead the development of your school or multiple schools in a major land development or new city. By utilizing our detailed quality controls, it ensures proper planning, development, and operation of your institution, delivery of a world-class curriculum, and assurance that your school will provide sustainable returns.

To find out more about our firm’s school development services, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link: http://bit.ly/Geo2l

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4. PRODUCTS AT OUR ONLINE STORE

=====================================

here are 2 popular Toolkits that will help you to start and/or lead your school more effectively.

(A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all there to help you develop your own plan. Click here to get more details: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/strategic_planning_toolkit.php

(B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share with you how to start a school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your own strategic plan. Click here to get more the details: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/start_a_school_toolkit.php

To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc

.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com

http://www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit. Here is the link:

--> http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/products.php

This Marketing Mistake Is Losing You Students

Hi Inner Circle member,

It is a busy time of year for most schools. You’re simultaneously getting ready to wind up the year yet you’re also rushing to complete all of your year-end exams and closing ceremonies.

I’ve noted a rise in demand for our firm’s school performance evaluation services. Many boards recognize that their school is not functioning at optimal levels and need an improvement plan for the coming school. At present, we’re booked until the end of June, but I would recommend that if you’re interested, you contact our firm ASAP to make arrangements for next fall; our dates book quickly. Why not allow our firm to complete an in-depth review of your school strengths and weaknesses, key issues that need to be resolved, and our action plan for improvement. If it’s completed prior to your AGM and your new board joining, your school’s executive committee will be able to prioritize your schools goals for 2009-10, determine what board committees you need, and separate the goals within the committee’s responsibilities.

Our firm spends a considerable amount of time working for groups that want to start new K-12 private schools as well as improving existing private schools. One area that we’re approached on constantly is private school marketing and admissions. When I work with corporations that want to start a school in a new city or land development, they tell our firm that they don’t need help in this area because they do marketing every day in their corporation. I chuckle at this remark and ask them if they’ve any experience with marketing and admissions for private schools – NO. Then I ask if they’ve ever attended a private school – NO. Finally, I ask them if they’re own children attend a private school – NO. When I ask them what qualifies them to develop the highly unique marketing strategies, documentation, systems, and work plan for a K-12 private school, they’re response is simple, we’re good at branding.

YIKES!!! This is the most important element of the school aside from good teachers; attracting and retaining students, yet they want to risk it all over the cost of one student tuition. I shake my head at this naivety and overconfidence.

Today I’m going to talk about a common private school marketing mistake and how to avoid it.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President
Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

>> TWITTER: Get my updates by signing in @ www.twitter.com/halladay

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school. Here is the link: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/products.php

================================
IN THIS ISSUE
================================

1. In The News

2. Useful Services

3. This Marketing Mistake Is Losing You Students

4. Products At Our Online Store

==================================
1. IN THE NEWS
==================================

>> PRIVATE SCHOOLS TAKE DIFFERENT APPROACHES
Indianapolis Star - United States: Here is a look at how a cross-section of metro-area private schools is dealing with a weak economy. According to the state's Department of Education.

>> PRIVATE SCHOOLS GET CREATIVE ON PAYMENTS
Indianapolis Star - United States: Families such as the Schafers are finding it harder to cover the costs of private school in the face of a sagging economy, so every little bit helps.

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2. USEFUL SERVICES
==================================

(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of your school’s comprehensive Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for continued school improvement.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our interactive online survey) will fine-tune your board’s performance and focus priorities.

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATION

A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member are you confident that you’re making the right decisions? Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with our In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan for immediate improvement.

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3. THIS MARKETING MISTAKE IS LOSING YOU STUDENTS
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Today I'm going to talk about something that could be costing you revenues in your enrollment. It’s one the biggest marketing mistakes I see made, which has caused schools to lose the most revenue in tuition and lost students.

Why a school would spend thousands of dollars to get a parents to their web site or in the door and then let them walk out without getting their name and address and other vital information from them is beyond me.

I can't understand it, but 90% of the schools in America don't ever bother to keep track of their any prospects when they visit their web site or call their school.

Your parent database is your biggest source of lifetime profits. Here's why you should keep track of every parent and every prospect:

1. According to Fortune Magazine, it costs five times as much to generate a new customer than to resell to an existing customer. Existing customers are almost as good as money in the bank!

2. Your existing customers already know and trust you. They enrol their child at your school and (hopefully) had a positive experience with you.

3. They know you'll deliver on your promises, because you've done it before with energy and quality (haven't you?).

SOLUTION:

What you need to do is develop a systematic way of moving those web site and phone inquiries into your database (you do have one?) and keep track of them, and then reach out to them often using your online email newsletter (you do this also I hope). By establishing a long term relationship with your customers and prospects, you can maximize your admissions success.

Do you see how valuable this list can be? When I consult with a school on how to increase their enrollment, one of the first things I ask is if they have a customer list of inquiries. If they do, then I can practically guarantee that they can build their school’s enrollment successfully if they stay in contact via email newsletters. The quickest way to do this is to have an opt-in box on your web site to get them into your database while they’re interested. Do you do this? Why not?

To make this list beneficial, recent studies show that you should contact them once every 21 days. Here are some ideas for staying in touch:

1. Sponsor some kind of information-based event. A workshop, open house, seminar, luncheon with a guest speaker, etc. Anything that would be of interest to your parents and prospects.

2. Send out weekly eNewsletters celebrating past and future school events. This tool has viral power as it can be forwarded to other interested parents.

4. Send an email with problem-solving parenting tips in it for easy, quick reference.

By collecting the names, addresses, and phone numbers of your customers and prospects, you will be in a position to increase the revenues from each customer anywhere from
35 - 200%.

To find out more about our firm’s school marketing services, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link: http://bit.ly/lG92p

=====================================
4. PRODUCTS AT OUR ONLINE STORE
=====================================

Here are 2 popular Toolkits that will help you to start and/or lead your school more effectively.

(A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all there to help you develop your own plan.

(B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share with you how to start a school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your own strategic plan.

=======================================================

To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit. Here is the link:

How To Start A School

Hello,

I’m in Seoul Korea at this moment working with a new private school client. The weather here is much like my home town of Vancouver with cherry trees and their pink blossoms everywhere. I try to get into the local time zone right away, but it never quite works. I’m writing this at 5 am in the morning their time.

I’m in a great mood though as I checked the ‘net and noted that my Vancouver Canucks Hockey team won their first playoff game…go Canucks go!

Our team at HEG have the opportunity to meet with many founders and help them with their interest in starting a K-12 private school or post secondary institution, many of which are in new land development projects and new cities. We are connecting with clients in Libya, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, India, Vietnam, Korea, Africa, Canada, and the US.

Today I want to share with you the fundamental steps you need to consider when starting a school. Starting a school is like building a house, you need to establish a sound foundation to build your school's vision on. Without these fundamental building blocks, and school not have the stable vision to move forward with confidence...creating financially and educational sustainable model...for today's and the next generation of learners. Many founders get lost in creating beautiful building, and leave the other critical elements to establishing a school until the last moment. This is wrong; you need to develop the vision, mission, values, and educational philosophy of your school first, and then everything else follows from there.

Please don't hesitate to contact me or other senior associates at HEG to bounce your project's needs off experienced educational leaders.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President

Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

>> TWITTER: Get my updates by signing in @ www.twitter.com/halladay

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school.

================================

IN THIS ISSUE

================================

1. In The News

2. Useful Services

3. How To Start A School

4. Products At Our Online Store

==================================

1. IN THE NEWS

==================================

>> NOT ALL PRIVATE SCHOOLS FULLY ACCREDITED

Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada - This article provided disturbing information about some private schools in Ontario and is a service to parents and their children.

>> PRIVATE SCHOOLS NOT IMMUNE TO BAD ECONOMY

Kansas City Star - MO, USA -It’s been worse for some schools than others, said Myra mcgovern, spokeswoman for the National Association of Independent Schools.

>> SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS PREVAIL OVER ECONOMY

St. Charles Sun - Chicago, IL, USA - By ROWENA VERGARA AND ERIKA WURST Staff Writers While enrollment is steady at many private schools in the Fox Valley, others are starting to feel the heat.

==================================

2. USEFUL SERVICES

==================================

(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of your school’s comprehensive Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for continued school improvement.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our interactive online survey) will fine-tune your board’s performance and focus priorities.

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATION

A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member are you confident that you’re making the right decisions? Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with our In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan for immediate improvement.

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3. How to Start a School

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Starting a school is like nothing else you’ll every do. Everything you have in your established school you take for granted, but it had to be developed by someone. However, very few of us have had to develop a school’s systems, plans, programs, and facilities at the same time. However, the fruits of your labour are incredibly rewarding. From the perspective of actually putting together a school and by providing a program to students that was needed in your community. It’s really about serving students and helping them reach their potential.

Step 1: Develop Vision for your School

Determine the type of school your community needs and will support, as well as what you want as parents (e.g., K-7, 8-12, day, boarding, single gender, IB, Montessori, University Preparatory). Ask parents and community leaders for their opinions.

Step 2: Form Steering Committee

Form a small working committee of capable, dedicated cohorts to set in motion the foundational work. Include parents and highly respected community stakeholders with financial, legal, management and building experience to sustain the process. Ask for and get a commitment from each member as this is important work that will demand much of each member's time and energy.

Step 3: Incorporation & Tax Exemption

File incorporation papers with the appropriate Province or State agency. The lawyer on your Steering Committee should be deal with this. By establishing incorporation, it will limit liability in the case of lawsuits, present a stable image, extend the life of the school beyond the founders, and provide an insurable entity for the school. A 3rd party lawyer should always be consulted.

Step 4: Develop Strategic Plan and Feasibility Study

Develop the strategic plan. This of course will culminate in the subsequent development of the business, financial, and marketing plans. This will be your blue print of how the school is going to operate over its first five years. This is your chance to lay out, step-by-step, the process for the sequential development of the school. You will determine the enrollment and financial projections, and prioritize the staffing, programs, facilities, in a methodical, measurable fashion.

Step 5: Develop Budget

Develop a five year budget based on the goals of the Strategic Plan. This is a comprehensive review of the projected revenues (AR) and expenses (AP). The financial person(s) on your Steering Committee should take responsibility for developing this important plan. As always project your assumptions conservatively and factor in a contingency should the financial reality change from the projections. You should also map out the school’s bookkeeping procedures (e.g., record keeping, check signing, disbursements, petty cash, bank accounts, record keeping, reconciling bank accounts, audit committee) and accounting cycles.

Step 6: Fundraise

You need to plan your development campaign carefully so that you build momentum yet are able to keep pace with actual funding needs. Your strategic plan is important at this stage as it provides potential donors concrete evidence of your vision and where the donor can fit it. Of course, it will also drive your enrollment as parent’s see how their child fits in.

Step 7: Select School Location & Resources

Locate a facility to accommodate the school (purchase or rent) or develop building plans if you will be creating your own facility from the ground up. The Building Committee member(s) should spearhead this assignment. Check requirements of local social and health services, building and zoning, health record-keeping, class size, food service, fire code, building code, and teacher-student ratios, etc. You should also take into consideration the learning resources, furniture, computers, etc. needed for start-up. In addition, you will need to begin thinking about the outdoor environment and natural habitat. Rental space for the classroom is frequently obtained from schools, churches, park buildings, community centers, apartment complexes, private school buildings, nursery schools, and estate mansions.

Step 8: Select Key Staff Members

Through a search process select your Head of School and your Business Manager (or sub-contract a local accountant to deal with AP and AR). Conduct your search as widely as possible. Write job descriptions, benefits, and pay scales for your staff and subsequent faculty and administrative positions. You will be looking for self-starters who enjoy building something from scratch. Your Head will drive the enrollment campaign, marketing and promotions, and the initial decisions of classroom-based resources and staffing.

Step 9: Marketing

At this step you need to begin to aggressively market for students. Members of the Steering Committee and Head need to devise a Marketing Plan to promote the new school. This could include: public meetings, newspaper ads and inserts, mail drops, radio, community TV, and coffee sessions. You will also need to design your brochure, communication materials (e.g., business cards, letterhead), web site, and set up a mailing list to keep interested parents and donors in touch with your progress.

Step 10: Open Your Doors

Open the school office and phones, and have the Head of School begin admissions interviews and tours of your facilities. Acquire insurance protection against business interruption, liability, boiler malfunction, building casualties, etc.

Step 11: Select Faculty & Administrative Staff

It is critical to attract capable faculty; in the end it is staff that will make or break the school – reputations can be formed so quickly in a school environment. To attract great staff you need to ensure that they buy into the vision and have a competitive compensation package. Also, you need to develop the Staff Handbook, contracts, and structure for personnel files. While it is still a year from the school opening, line up as many faculty and senior leadership positions as you can.

Step 12: Orient & Train Faculty

Have faculty in place to get school ready for opening. The first year at a new school requires endless meetings and planning sessions for the academic staff. Get your teachers on the job no later than August 1 in order to be prepared for opening day.

Step 13: Opening Day

Welcome your students! Begin your traditions. Explore membership in national, provincial, and state private school associations! Start off with a bang. Have dignitaries there to cut the ribbon, have a family BBQ; make it special.

To find out more about our firm’s helping you to start a school, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link: http://bit.ly/Geo2l

=====================================

4. PRODUCTS AT OUR ONLINE STORE

=====================================

Here are 2 popular Toolkits that will help you to start and/or lead your school more effectively.

(A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all there to help you develop your own plan.

(B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share with you how to start a school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your own strategic plan.

=======================================================

To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit.

School Feasibility Study and Business Plan

Hi Inner Circle member:

Yahoo, we’re finally getting spring weather here in Vancouver. Today, temperatures will reach +70 F. And of course being Canadian, we’re getting ready for a huge hockey game tonight with our Vancouver Canucks hockey team. They’re playing Calgary for first place in their division (with only a handful of games left before the playoffs and first place on the line).

I want to thank all of our HEG Inner Circle members for their confidence in our firm’s services. We’re being retained to provide four different feasibility studies and business plans for new K-12 International Schools and Career Colleges in North America and the Middle East. Who says there’s a recession going on!! It is my believe that if you provide an educational program that is not being provided in a community, parents will find the money to send their children to a school that allow their kids to thrive and reach their potential. I’m living proof of that with both my children attending private schools.

Furthermore, the time is right to launch a career college or offshore accredited international US university. Research confirms that when the economy takes a hit and unemployment rises, they return to college to re-train. Additionally, high school graduates now can’t step right out school and land those $20 and hour jobs at construction sites, so they’re alternative is either McDonalds or finding a career via college training.

Today I want to provide you additional information on the value of allows HEG to perform a feasibility study and business plan before you jump in with both feet and start your school. I always advise clients to avoid the “field of dreams” syndrome…building the school and hoping students show up (although I did like the movie). I think it’s better to make the investment at the beginning and know what market demand is and statistically calculate enrollment against demographics, and then develop the start-up and operation business plan and budget based on hard numbers. This way you have a crystal clear picture of what your vision will cost and what your donors or investors need to contribute to ensure success.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President
Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

>> TWITTER: Get my updates by signing in @ www.twitter.com/halladay

>> P.S. Don’t forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school.

================================
IN THIS ISSUE
================================

1. In The News

2. Useful Services

3. Feasibility Study and Business Plan

4. Products At Our Online Store

==================================
1. IN THE NEWS
==================================

>> INTERNATIONAL APPLICATIONS UP 4 %
Graduate school applications from foreign students grew 4 percent between 2008 and 2009, with the increase "driven almost entirely" by growth at institutions with the largest numbers of international students enrolled already, according to...

>> PRIVATE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT HOLDS STEADY DESPITE ECONOMY
Bethany Beach Wave - Bethany Beach, DE, USA - While some private schools are busy devising innovative ways to keep enrollment numbers up and funds coming in, private schools on the Lower Shore aren't noticing a decrease in attendance. Part of the reason why, according to Merle Marsh, director of special projects at Worcester Preparatory School in Berlin, is because many schools are trying to ease the financial burden.

>> STUDENTS FLOCKING TO UTAH COMPUTER SCHOOL
Forbes - NY, USA - Enrollment applications have tripled at a school that turns out software developers while traditional liberal-arts colleges are worrying about losing students.
Neumont University of South Jordan offers an intensive 28-month computer-science degree and works closely with major tech companies that hire almost all of its graduates. Tuition isn't cheap - $72,000 for the degree. But the school says it can place graduates almost immediately in jobs at such companies as IBM Corp. and eBay Inc. at salaries averaging $63,000 a year.

==================================
2. USEFUL SERVICES
==================================

(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of your school’s comprehensive Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for continued school improvement.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our interactive online survey) will fine-tune your board’s performance and focus priorities.

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATION

A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member are you confident that you’re making the right decisions? Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with our In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan for immediate improvement.

=====================================
3. FEASIBILITY STUDY + BUSINESS PLAN
=====================================

I’m a strong believer in performing your due diligence when starting a school. I believe that you should develop a school based on facts rather than on gut instincts. Don’t get me wrong, most schools start over a conversation between parents who are either dissatisfied with the present educational options or have an entrepreneurial drive to start a school in their community that is not yet available. That being said, there are a number of qualitative and quantitative survey tools (e.g., phone, mail, online, focus groups) should be utilized to determine the level of demand for the school you envision.

The purpose of the Feasibility Study that we utilize is to provide reliable information that will help answer the following questions:

• What is the level of demand for the school you envision?
• Who is the target market?
• What is the likelihood of parents enrolling their children at your school?
• How many students will enroll (grade, gender, origin, present school-type)?
• What will prevent families from enrolling?
• What level of tuition would they pay?
• Would they need financial aid?
• What is the impact of pricing on enrollment and features or benefits to reduce price sensitivity?
• What is the response to the educational programs?
• What are the critical milestones?
• Does the founding group have the capacity to start and/or operate the school?
• What types of facilities are available and/or needed for the school?
• What are the financial assumptions and costs to start and/or operate the school?
• What are the obstacles that need to be overcome to achieve success?
• What will generate confidence in a brand new, premium priced private school?
• What are the most effective strategies to promote enrollment?
  

This process allows HEG to evaluate your project’s capacity for success, markets for enrollment, and ensure clarity in the development of your business plan and start-up preparation. We view the feasibility study like building the foundation of a house; you need to establish all the fundamental pillars before you can commit to putting resources and capital into building the school. We understand that the study and business plan will be the backbone of discussions with your partners and/or investment group and needs to be comprehensive and compelling.

Once you’ve the hard data for projected enrollment, we then develop your business plan, which includes Proformas for start-up budget and five year operational budget. The plan illustrates the opportunity, program requirements, timelines, facility needs, leadership structure, and investment structure. We focus on:

• Projected resource/facility needs and costs
• Timelines for each stage of school formation
• Competitive market analysis to determine demand and niche segment
• Economic analysis to determine tuition price point
• Marketing/admissions strategies and positioning
• Facilities and location for the school
• Financial and investment framework
• Initial start-up and five-year operational budget
• Construction and Renovation Budget
  

HEG and our experienced team are well suited and experienced to help assess and lead the development of your school. By utilizing our detailed quality controls, it ensures proper planning, development, and operation of your institution, delivery of a world-class curriculum, and assurance that your school will provide sustainable returns.

To find out more about our firm’s school development services, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link: http://bit.ly/Geo2l

=====================================
4. PRODUCTS AT OUR ONLINE STORE
=====================================

[!FIRST], here are 2 popular Toolkits that will help you to start and/or lead your school more effectively.

(A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all there to help you develop your own plan.

(B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share with you how to start a school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your own strategic plan.

=======================================================

To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

Five Qualities Of Leadership To Build On

Hello,

I hope you had a great weekend with your family. We had to drive our daughter into Vancouver on Sunday to practice with her school’s choir. While there we decided to take our son down to our favourite beach in Vancouver, Spanish Banks, which provided incredible views of English Bay, the north shore mountains (where there’s still plenty of skiing), and dozens of kite surfers sailing between the freighters anchored in the bay. Oh yeah, it was also an incredibly sunny day!!!

I’m also in a great mood since my Vancouver Canucks hockey team beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 to 0 last night, and are now in 4th place, with only 8 games to go before the playoffs.

Today I’m going to talk about the concept of cultivating leadership at your school; be it at the board level or within your staff (with for- or non-profit schools). I’m a big supporter of building leadership within an organization. I feel that the more you encourage your trustees and staff to participate in the leadership of the school, the more ownership and moral you build on. I’m not saying you become a cooperative, but rather you delegate and build a culture of empowerment. I’ll share with you in today’s article five qualities of board leadership you need to build on.

Quote of the Day:

"I believe the best leaders are the ones that are focused on bringing out the best in their people - transforming lives. When someone has that as their purpose, the profits just naturally follow." - Susan Bagyura

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President

Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

Sign in and receive updates @ www.twitter.com/halladay

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit.

================================

IN THIS ISSUE

================================

1. In The News

2. Useful Services

3. Five Qualities Of Leadership To Build On

4. Products At Our Online Store

==================================

1. IN THE NEWS

==================================

ECONOMY IS DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Contra Costa Times - Walnut Creek, CA, USA

She's one of many parents who are living more simply to keep their children in private schools despite — or arguably because of — an economy that's on life...

PRIVATE SCHOOLS FEEL ECONOMIC STRAIN

State-Journal.com - Frankfort, KY, USA

At CDS, families apply for aid through the National Association of Independent Schools. McDonough said school administrators don't know yet how many...

ETON FREEZES FEES AS SLUMP HURTS PARENTS

Times Online – UK

Leading independent schools including Eton and Manchester Grammar have in effect frozen their fees under pressure from parents worried about the recession…

==================================

2. USEFUL SERVICES

==================================

(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of your school’s comprehensive Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for continued school improvement.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our interactive online survey) will fine-tune your board’s performance and focus priorities.

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATION

A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member are you confident that you’re making the right decisions? Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with our In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan for immediate improvement.

=================================================

3. 5 Qualities Of Leadership To Build On

=================================================

Great leadership equals great schools, and it starts right at the top. Is your school board demonstrating great leadership or are they micro-managing? Is your board developing the priorities within your strategic plan and allowing administration to operationalize the vision and manage the school? Is your staff empowered to participate in the management of the school or is your school top down model?

Here are five qualities of leadership you may want to build your school on:

1. Values: what are the core values that drive your school’s decision making around staffing, education, the community, and how you interact with each other?
2. Culture: You should recruit board members and staff who match your values of who you are and then make sure they fit through training and workshops.
3. Communication: Talk to your community about your values and make sure you not only talk-the-talk, but also walk-the-walk. And for goodness sake, avoid gossip.
4. Vision/Mission: Make sure that your leaders and staff know and believe in your school’s vision and mission statements and that it is posted everywhere.
5. Accountability: You leadership needs to demonstrate the school’s values and ensure that a strategic plan is in place to implement the values, vision, and mission of the school, with a measurable implementation plan that ensures you’re headed in the right direction.

To find out more about our firm’s board governance workshop and how we can help improve your school’s leadership, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs.

============================================

4. PRODUCTS AT OUR ONLINE STORE

============================================

Here are 2 popular Toolkits that will help you to start and/or lead your school more effectively.

(A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all there to help you develop your own plan.

(B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share with you how to start a school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your own strategic plan.

=======================================================

To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit.

Foreign Student Enrollment Will Drop 25%

Hello,

My son and I have almost recovered from this year’s version of the flu that we contracted a week ago. Arghh. That was a lost spring break though I guess that’s one less virus we’ll have to deal with for next flu season.

Please don’t ask about the Vancouver Canucks hockey team and their loss the other night to Phoenix. It was so bad, the Canucks scored on themselves!

I had an interesting response to my blog from an Inner Circle Reader who cautioned me on the use of Web 2.0 Social Marketing. My previous eNewsletter wasn’t about the students using; it was about how school’s can leverage the technology to maximize their exposure to past, current, and future stakeholders. This is about validating to your current parents and students why they should stay enrolled at your school; compelling reasons why future parents should enrol their child at your school, and why past parents and alumni should recommend friends to send their child (or donation) to your school. You don’t want to leave any stone left unturned with the media you use in your public relations machine. And of course, I know that you’ll also apply mechanisms to measure how you reach your community (don’t you?).

Today I’m going to look at a recent article in our local newspaper that talks about the drop in high school foreign enrollment and the increase in post secondary foreign enrollment. Yes, that’s right, one goes down by 25% while the other goes up. I’ll explain more in my article below in Section 4.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President and Founder
Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

Get our updates @ www.twitter.com/halladay

================================
IN THIS ISSUE
================================

1. In The News

2. Popular Services

3. Foreign Student Enrollment Will Drop 25%

4. Online Store Products

==================================
1. IN THE NEWS
==================================

DON’T LET DOUR FINANCES DETER YOUR KID’S PRIVATE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
KOMO News - Seattle, WA, USA
Despite the economic downturn, applications to pricey private schools in King County are up. And so is the number of financial aid…


CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN TROUBLE
ABC2 News - Baltimore, MD, USA
This school is located in a part of North Baltimore with lots of very expensive private schools nearby. Here they believe that their $7000 tuition actually...


==================================
2. POPULAR SERVICES
==================================

(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of a comprehensive Strategic Plan for your private or public school, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration to improve your school.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have the best leadership possible? Our full-day governance workshops in combination with our interactive online surveys can fine-tune your board’s performance and refocus priorities.

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATION

A school evaluation and review is critical to knowing if your school is heading in the right direction. As a board member are you confident that your leadership is making the right decisions? Is your school "firing on all its cylinders?" Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with HEG's In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan for immediate improvement.

=================================================
3. FOREIGN STUDENT ENROLLMENT WILL DROP 25%
=================================================

As a former Head of an International Boarding School in Western Canada, I know how important recruiting international students is to the culture and financial sustainability of a school. At one time I was on the road for up to 50 days or more a year recruiting and fundraising in Asia, North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. I was establishing new markets, building on current markets, and friend-raising with current and past parents and students. This was during challenging times that included 9/11, SARS, mad-cow disease, the crash in the Korean and Japanese economy, and more. Yet, we always were able to continue to build our international boarding numbers and improve retention. However, that’s another story. Today, I wanted to share with you some serious foreign enrollment numbers that you should be aware of:

• Vancouver-based schools are bracing for possible drops of up to 25% in international student enrollment that will cut into revenues for public and private schools and universities
• There is a 15-20% drop in study-permit applications compared to the same time last year
• Educators are worried that changes in the world’s financial order will make going abroad to learn a language, attend a post secondary school, or enrol in a K-12 school a luxury rather than a necessity.
  

However, UBC has noted a 13% increase in their international student applications. Of course, they will still have to wait till this fall to see if this translates into cheques. However, this does not include US students, where there’s been a drop of 4%.

However, during poor economies, domestic enrollment normally rises at post secondary schools, and this is holding true again, where applications from local students is providing good news during the grim economy. People are heading back to school when they can’t get a job or need to upgrade.

How is your school dealing with how today’s economy is impacting your school’s marketing for international student enrollment? Do you have an international and domestic marketing plan in place to grow enrollment? Remember, when other’s are reducing their budget you should increase yours!! Are you diversifying the markets you’re drawing students from? Are you increasing your marketing strategies to leverage more media and technology, new markets, going back to old markets that may create new leads? Do you even have a plan in place? Remember there are also international students living in your own domestic market that may looking for a new choice; have you a plan to reach out to them?

To find out more about our firm’s international student marketing services and how we can help improve your school’s social media presence, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link for more information:

============================================
4. PRODUCTS AT OUR ONLINE STORE
============================================

Here are 2 popular Tool Kits that will help you to start and/or lead your school more effectively.

>> (A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan effectively with my step-by-step instructions contained in my detailed Workbook and Manual. It’s all there to help you develop your own plan.

>> (B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your School? Four experienced school leaders share with you how to start a school from the ground up.

=======================================================

To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit.

Is Your School Using Social Media?

Hello,

My flu is getting a little better, but the best medicine is my Vancouver Canucks Hockey team winning last night. By beating the St. Louis Blues, the Canucks are now in 4th place.

As you know, one of the strategies HEG utilizes to stay connected with our current and future clients is to send out weekly eNewsletters to share tips, news, and advice on starting and leading private and public schools more effectively. From the strong retention rates, we must be doing a good job.

HEG utilizes as many technology-based strategies as possible to stay connected with our Inner Circle Members and access to new members. We do this through “Social Media 2.0” technology.

You can find HEG on the following Social Media Sites: LinkedIn, Twitter, Face Book, Plaxo, Blob, PPC’s on Yahoo and Google, Article Submissions, Reciprocal Links, and more.

If your school uses only traditional advertising and has limited online presence, it's missing out. The Internet provides powerful networking opportunities that allow schools to effectively target their audience by logging on to social sites like LinkedIn, Digg and more. Take advantage of these tools by asserting your school’s presence online and reaching more potential customers, business partners and employees.

What does your school do?

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

Get our updates @ www.twitter.com/halladay

================================

In This Issue

================================

1. In The News

2. Popular Services

3. Is Your School Using Social Media?

4. Online Store Products

==================================

1. In The News

==================================

The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences has released the report "Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results from the 2007-08 Private School Universe Survey." This report presents data on private schools in the United States for grades kindergarten through twelve by selected characteristics such as school size, school level, religious orientation, geographic region, urbanicity type, and program emphasis. To view, download and print the report as a PDF file, please click here.

A NEW HIGH SCHOOL WITH A COLLEGE MIXED IN

New York Times - United States

Officials say the economic crisis may cause students to bypass more expensive private schools. Justin Simmons, a 2007 graduate of Brooklyn Technical High...

==================================

2. Popular Services

==================================

(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally. Please click here for more information.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of a comprehensive Strategic Plan for your private or public school, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration to improve your school. Please click here for more information.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have better leadership? Our full-day governance workshop in combination with our interactive online surveys will fine-tune your board’s performance and refocus their priorities. Please click here for more information.

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATIONS

A School assessment and review is critical to knowing if your school is heading in the right direction. You need to keep track of how your school is performing and how to stay competitive. As a board member are you confident that your Head of School and staff are making the right decisions? Is your school "firing on all its cylinders?" Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with HEG's In-Depth School Performance Review. Please click here for more information.

=========================================

3. Is Your School Using Social Media?

=========================================

If your school has limited online presence, it's missing out. The Internet provides powerful networking opportunities that allow school’s to effectively target their audience by logging on to social sites like LinkedIn, Digg and more to stay connected with your past, current, and future community.

Take advantage of these tools by asserting your school’s presence online and reaching more potential customers, business partners and employees. Here is a list of potential social sites your school should have a presence on:

Social-Media/Social-Bookmarking Sites

• Reddit: Upload stories and articles on reddit to drive traffic to your site or blog. Submit items often so that you'll gain a more loyal following and increase your presence on the site.
• Digg: Digg has a huge following online because of its optimum usability. Visitors can submit and browse articles in categories like technology, business, entertainment, sports and more.
• Del.icio.us: Social bookmark your way to better business with sites like del.icio.us, which invite users to organize and publicize interesting items through tagging and networking.
• StumbleUpon: You'll open your online presence up to a whole new audience just by adding the StumbleUpon toolbar to your browser and "channel surf[ing] the Web. You'll "connect with friends and share your discoveries," as well as "meet people that have similar interests."
• Technorati: If you want to increase your blog's readership, consider registering it with Technorati, a network of blogs and writers that lists top stories in categories like Business, Entertainment and Technology.
• Ning: After hanging around the same social networks for a while, you may feel inspired to create your own, where you can bring together clients, vendors, customers and co-workers in a confidential, secure corner of the Web. Ning lets users design free social networks that they can share with anyone.
• Squidoo: According to Squidoo, "everyone's an expert on something. Share your knowledge!" Share your industry's secrets by answering questions and designing a profile page to help other members.
• Furl: Make Furl "your personal Web file" by bookmarking great sites and sharing them with other users by recommending links, commenting on articles and utilizing other fantastic features.
• Tubearoo: This video network works like other social-bookmarking sites, except that it focuses on uploaded videos. Businesses can create and upload tutorials, commentaries and interviews with industry insiders to promote their own services.
• WikiHow: Create a how-to guide or tutorial on wikiHow to share your company's services with the public for free.
• YouTube: From the fashion industry to Capitol Hill, everyone has a video floating around on YouTube. Shoot a behind-the-scenes video from your company's latest commercial or event to give customers and clients an idea of what you do each day.
• Ma.gnolia: Share your favorite sites with friends, colleagues and clients by organizing your bookmarks with Ma.gnolia. Clients will appreciate both your Internet-savviness and your ability to stay current and organized.

Professional-Networking Sites

Sign up with these online networking communities as a company or as an individual to take advantage of recruiting opportunities, cross-promotional events and more.

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a popular networking site where alumni, business associates, recent graduates and other professionals connect online.
• Ecademy: Ecademy prides itself on "connecting business people" through its online network, blog and message-board chats, as well as its premier BlackStar membership program, which awards exclusive benefits.
• Ryze: Ryze lets members organize contacts and friends; upcoming events; and even job, real-estate and roommate classifieds.
• YorZ: This networking site doubles as a job site. Members can post openings for free to attract quality candidates.
• Xing: An account with networking site Xing can "open doors to thousands of companies." Use the professional contact manager to organize your new friends and colleagues, and take advantage of the Business Accelerator application to "find experts at the click of a button, market yourself in a professional context [and] open up new sales channels."
• Facebook: Facebook is no longer just for college kids who want to post their party pics. Businesses vie for advertising opportunities, event promotion and more on this social-networking site.
• Care2: Care2 isn't just a networking community for professionals: It's touted as "the global network for organizations and people who Care2 make a difference." If your business is making efforts to go green, let others know by becoming a presence on this site.
• Gather: This networking community is made up of members who think. Browse categories concerning books, health, money, news and more to ignite discussions on politics, business and entertainment. This will help your company tap into its target audience and find out what they want.
• MEETin.org: Once you've acquired a group of contacts in your city by networking on MEETin.org, organize an event so that you can meet face-to-face.
• Tribe: Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Chicago have unique online communities on tribe. Users can search for favorite restaurants, events, clubs and more.
• Ziggs: Ziggs is "organizing and connecting people in a professional way." Join groups and make contacts through your Ziggs account to increase your company's presence online and further your own personal career.
• Plaxo: Join Plaxo to organize your contacts and stay updated with feeds from Digg, Amazon.com, del.icio.us and more.
• NetParty: If you want to attract young professionals in cities like Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando Fla., create an account with the networking site NetParty. You'll be able to connect with qualified, up-and-coming professionals online, then meet them at a real-life happy-hour event where you can pass out business cards, pitch new job openings and more.
• Networking For Professionals: Networking For Professionals is another online community that combines the Internet with special events in the real world. Post photos, videos, résumés and clips on your online profile while you meet new business contacts.

How is your school dealing with today’s social marketing opportunities and growing enrollment, retention, fund raising, and public relations? Do you have a plan in place to implement this? Hey, are you even using pay per click on Google or Yahoo?

To find out more about our firm’s services and how we can help improve your school’s social media presence, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link for more information:

============================================

4. Products At Our Online Store

============================================

Here are two sets of popular Tool Kits to help you start and/or lead your school more effectively.

>> (A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan effectively with our step-by-step instructions that contains our Workbook and Manual. Click here to get more details.

>> (B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your School? We share with you how to start a school from the ground up. Click here to get more the details.

=======================================================

To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit.

Improve Your School's Performance With Our In-Depth Review

Hello:

A school evaluation is critical to knowing if your school is headed in the right direction.

You need to keep track of how your school is performing and how to stay competitive. As a board member are you confident that you’re making the right decisions? Is your school firing on all its cylinders? Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Is your board driven by crisis and your calendar, rather than the priorities of your missions?

You need to get the whole picture with HEG's In-Depth School Performance Review.

HEG’s School Performance Review is the keystone to building a solid foundation. We review your school's operations and leadership utilizing our in-depth background of leading and managing private schools around the world and comparison to industry benchmarks of successful schools. Our approach identifies what is working and areas in your operations and management that need immediate improvement. We follow our on-site visit with an action plan that identifies a range of solutions and strategies to improve your school’s performance now. You get immediate results that will help your bottom line.

PROCESS:

To establish a complete picture of your school performance against established benchmarks and to determine areas of priority that your school needs to focus on, we provide a two-pronged approach to assess your school’s current situation and gather measurable data:

1. On-site focus groups, and;
2. Multiple surveys of your school’s community (e.g., parents, staff, board).
   

Our thoughtful review process will provide clear feedback vital to successfully analyzing and developing a clear set of strategies to guide your board and administration with the ongoing development of your school. Our assessment process will help to revitalize your school, save you money, and focus your board on areas needing organizational improvement.

Institutional Assessment:

We will appraise your school's operations applying our in-depth background of starting, leading, and managing private schools. After our on-site session we will follow up with a summary report that identifies a range of recommendations and action plan strategies to improve your school.
Our focused assessment process will comprise a two-day onsite session. We will then develop a summary report that prioritizes the critical issues you need to improve upon, as well as the "indicators of success" you need to move towards to improve your new school. Our process focuses on a “SWOT” analysis approach identifying your:

• Strengths;
• Weaknesses;
• Opportunities;
• Threats or Trends.
  

SUMMATIVE REPORT & ACTION PLAN

We then develop a final report that summarizes areas that need to be addressed for short- and long-term success, as well as areas to celebrate. This includes an action plan to mobilize your board. A final written and digital report is submitted to focus your path of organizational improvement. Based on the report HEG can prioritize with your board areas that you may wish to have HEG return to support. We will review your:

• School’s vision - mission - core values -educational philosophy;
• Strategic planning;
• Board Governance;
• Bylaws and constitution;
• Administrative leadership;
• Head of School evaluation and support;
• Physical plant and grounds;
• Financial planning;
• Development and fundraising;
• Curriculum and programming;
• Crisis management;
• Staff evaluation systems, contracts, compensation, and professional development;
• Tuition, bursaries, and financial aid;
• Infrastructure, handbooks, traditions, and reporting systems;
• Marketing and communications;
• Admissions, recruiting, and retention systems;
• School Climate.
  

EVALUATION PROCESS:

We will break our evaluation process into four parts:

1. Determine Scope and Direction: Meeting with the board’s executive committee to determine realistic goals, critical issues, timelines, situational scan, and deliverables;
2. Research Analysis (Internal/External Situation):
3. Collect/Review School Documents prior to the onsite visit to determine school’s present situation (e.g., staff contracts, compensation, bylaws/constitution, handbooks, timetable, staffing chart, admissions material).
4. Statistically-Driven Online Surveys prior to the onsite visit with staff/faculty, board, and parents, to gather data on school performance.
5. Focus Group Sessions (Two-Days Onsite) with key constituents of your community to determine the strengths of your school, weaknesses, and opportunities and trends to take advantage of, including: Board Executive Committee, board members, administration, parents, students, staff, former parents. I will also tour the school and hold several classroom observation sessions.
6. Summative Report: Develop a customized strategic report that will identify areas needing immediate focus and the ‘roll-out’ of a set of multiple recommendations, strategies and action plan to enhance your school’s development. This will include strategies, timelines, and designated staff.
7. Implementation and Monitoring (TBD): Once we identify and agree upon the areas that your school and board need to prioritize, we can also be actively involved with supporting your institution with the implementation of your plan as needed throughout the process. This will be included in a subsequent agreement
   

NEXT STEP:

A School assessment and review is critical to knowing if your school is headed in the right direction. You need to keep track of how your school is performing and how to stay competitive.

Get the whole picture with HEG's In-Depth School Performance Review.

If you’d like to take the initiative, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call us at +1.604.868.0002 to set up a time to talk about your needs.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President
Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

Get our updates @ www.twitter.com/halladay

Your Board’s Commitment To The Future

Hi

My wife, who is a subscriber to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, received a letter penned from their Board Chairman, James Houghton. It has some very important points that will be valuable to any group that works with directors, be it for- or non-profit.

Here is our quote for the day.

"My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories." - Bjorn Borg, Professional Tennis Player

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President and Founder
Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

--> Get my updates @ www.twitter.com/halladay

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In This Issue
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1. In The News

2. Popular Services

3. Your Board’s Commitment To The Future

4. Online Store Products

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1. In The News
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APPLICATIONS HOLDING STEADY AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Richmond private school officials will be holding their breath Tuesday, (March 17) when acceptance letters go out to high school students...

SMALLER COLLEGES MUST BE SAVVY IN A DOWN MARKET
Smaller private schools also should frankly assess their course offerings and faculty. Discontinuation of certain courses may be advisable in order to...

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2. Popular Services
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(A) STARTING A SCHOOL

Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a second chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA, Canada, and Internationally. Please click here for more information.

(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING

We can lead the development of a comprehensive Strategic Plan for your private or public school, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration to improve your school. Please click here for more information.

(C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school to have better leadership? Our full-day governance workshop in combination with our interactive online surveys will fine-tune your board’s performance and refocus their priorities. Please click here for more information:

(D) SCHOOL EVALUATIONS

A School assessment and review is critical to knowing if your school is heading in the right direction. You need to keep track of how your school is performing and how to stay competitive. As a board member are you confident that your Head of School and staff are making the right decisions? Is your school "firing on all its cylinders?" Are you sure that your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture with HEG's In-Depth School Performance Review. Please click here for more information:

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3. Your Board’s Commitment To The Future
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My wife received a letter from the Chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. No, it is not personalized, but it demonstrates that a little foresight and public relations can go a long way. What caught my attention is that Mr. Houghton recognized that his stakeholders need to be informed on the strategic direction that the Met is taking and the strategies they are putting into place to ensure that the many subscribers to the Met will continue to enjoy their.

Here is an excerpt from his opening paragraph:

"Over the last few months, we have all heard much about how the ongoing global financial crisis has afflicted so many of the nation’s leading cultural institutions, as well as the foundations and other funding sources that support them. The Metropolitan Museum is a robust institution, but despite its manifest strengths has not been immune to the consequences of this turbulent economy. I am writing to brief you on the circumstances in which the museum now finds itself – and to report on the steps it is taking to provide both short- and long-term remedies without jeopardizing its covenant with the public. Thus the Museum faces the unprecedented challenges of our time fully committed to fulfilling its mission."

Did you note the reference to achieving their mission? Yes, I spoke about that yesterday in my eNewsletter. Good boards need to know their mission and be committed to developing strategies to ensure that mission is achieved.

The Chairman then goes on to explain the strategies they will implement to respond to their situation. This approach demonstrates transparency as well as including their stakeholders in the solution. This will empower their community and trust-building. He then makes reference to the Museum’s principles and polices. Again using them as their sounding stone for their decisions.

How is your board dealing with today’s challenges and empowering your community to be part of the solution? Do you have a plan in place to manage our challenging times?

To find out more about our firm’s board governance services and how we can help improve your board’s effectiveness, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click here for more information.

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4. Products At Our Online Store
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Here are two sets of popular Tool Kits to help you start and/or lead your school more effectively.

>> (A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan effectively with our step-by-step instructions that contains our Workbook and Manual. Click here to get more details.

>> (B). START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your School? We share with you how to start a school from the ground up. Click here to get more the details.

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To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit.

Board Governance - The Key To School Success

Hello Inner Circle Member,

Welcome to our 33 new members to HEG Inner Circle eNewsletter.

If you are in Vancouver Canada right now, you will be basking in our clear blue skies and fantastic ski conditions at our local mountains. Yesterday my father in-law flew me over on his Cessna to Victoria for a meeting at Dunsmuir Lodge. This facility overlooks the Strait of Georgia with views all the way west to our snow covered coastal mountains, the Gulf Islands, and the Olympic Mountain Range in Washington.

Most importantly however is that we are basking in our Vancouver Canucks hockey team and their continued winning streak. If the playoffs start today, we would be in fifth place and taking on the Chicago Blackhawks. Special note: Vancouver not won the Stanley Cup in our 34 year history!

Our firm has been busy with new clients in the UAE, Vietnam, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and India. We thank all our happy clients and their trust in our services. Our projects span the development of new International K-12 International Baccalaureate Schools to pre-evaluation of public schools as part of a pre-reform exercise.

Here is the quote of the day.

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.

- Charles Kettering

Today I am going to talk about effective board governance. Research shows that effective schools have effective board leadership. Is your board leading or managing the school? The best way to maximize board effectiveness is to ensure that they fully understand it's governance responsibilities and parameters of its leadership role.

To your success,

Doug Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

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In This Issue

================================

1. In The News

2. Focused Boards the Key to School Success

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1. In The News

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TWO LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOLS MAY CONSIDER A MERGER

... there have been no formal talks about merging. The schools decided to send the letters home to put some rumours to rest and reassure parents and students.

ENROLLMENT TUMBLES AT Cape Coral SCHOOLS

The school plans to once again offer classes for sixth-grade students for the 2009-10 school year. The loss of students has been painful for private schools...

ENROLLMENT AS ISSUE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS? NO HERE, NOT YET

Area private school enrolments aren't feeling the sting of the slumping economy...

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2. Focused Boards the Key to School Success

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Your can not live with them, you cannot live without them. This is the feeling of many people who sit on boards or work with or for them. However, it does not have to always be that way; at least not if they are functioning properly.

As organizational leaders, trustees not only focus on compliance, legal requirements, hiring and firing the CEO, and fundraising, but also stewardship. This means ensuring that an effective strategic plan is developed, implemented, monitored, and operationalized with the administration of board committees. On top of this, boards need to set performance standards, measure efficacy, and build and develop the board itself.

Here are seven pillars to effective governance.

1). Understand Your Mission or Purpose:

A firm understanding of the school’s mission will aid trustees in helping to oversee policies, programs, and priorities that meet the school’s purpose.

2). Understand Your Values and Beliefs:

This guides how you behave towards your staff, students, parents, and community. This governs how you interact with the rest of your school and provides the means by which the mission is accomplished and how you serve your community. The board is charged with the execution of the mission is in keeping with the values.

3). Knowing What Success Is:

You must understand what represents success for your school and what the mission and values lead to by way of success. To realize the mission, how will the board go about this? The most effective approach is through a strategic plan.

4). Identify Your Priorities:

Your priorities are governed by your mission and describe what your school does. You need to clearly define these or you will have no focus and will cause burn out. Knowing your priorities will determine your school’s actions. These are conveyed through your plan’s goals and objectives.

5). Execute Your Strategies

Your school’s strategies refer to your strategic plan and are based on your mission and values. Your strategies (which are really your goals) inform your board, staff, and community how their interconnected activities combine to make the school successful. These will allow your board to confront difficult issues and make proactive choices. Good boards will oversee implementation stay aligned with their strategies.

6). Measure CEO Performance:

The board’s mandate is to evaluate the CEO’s effectiveness in carrying out the mission and priorities of the strategic plan. Board leadership requires an effective relationship with the CEO. This is accomplished through regular performance reviews based on the priorities of the plan and the degree to which the CEO carries them out.

7). Develop Leaders:

The board’s role is to cultivate and develop its trustees and CEO’s as effective leaders. Your school depends on a commitment to growth who serves your community. Ensuring that your board and CEO receive learning opportunities is key. Board leadership requires that governors understand their roles and keep focused on effective governance as the means to the end.

Achieving the mission.

To find out more about our firm’s board governance services and how we can help improve your board’s effectiveness, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or click on the following link for more information:

Click here: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/online_assessments.php

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To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com