Strategic Planning Is Critical To Guiding Your School In Today's Challenging Times

Strategic planning when done right, does not have to be frustrating, unproductive, costly, or divert the energies of your school's leadership. If facilitated properly, the process will stimulate support in your community and focus resources for your school's continued development.   The purpose of your strategic plan is to lay out a road map to achieve your mission and vision; moving away from being "reactive" - solving today's problems - towards being "proactive" - eliminating problems in the future and taking advantage of opportunities. Your plan should provide the framework that enables your school to focus and coordinate your resources, work towards common goals, assess and adjust as you move forward, and focus your board's priorities and inspire your staff and community. A school is most effective when its resources are aligned by a common vision, mission, strategies, goals, and action plans. Simply operating your school by calendar or crisis is not acceptable. You want your organization to move from being reactive to being proactive; rather than responding to unexpected changes, you want to anticipate and plan for them. The best way to predict the future is to create it!!  HEG's planning approach provides a practical and proven model for mission-based management. Our step-by-step process provides concrete objectives and deliverables that can be implemented and measured to dramatically improve the performance of your school. It allows you to accurately gauge the progress of your plan and school performance, as well as linking it to your governance model and CEO's annual operational plan. Very simply, it is the process by which your board can envision your future, identify a picture of the future based on current data, and control the forces that affect you to reach that vision, making adjustments as you move forward. This will allow your school to: Identify areas of operation needing consideration using it as a springboard to strengthen performance; Identify and reach consensus on issues before they become a crisis (e.g., finance, funding, enrollment, marketing, HR, academic programs, student performance, facilities, educational program, governance); Articulate a uniform, shared vision, providing a clearer focus, producing efficiency, participation, and ownership by your stakeholders; Allocate resources to opportunities and improve finances and projections; Build trust, respect, team-work, and communication amongst all stakeholders; Create a framework to guide decision making and ensure that members are working towards the same goals, even if the environment around the school changes; Gain credibility and identify critical projects to focus your resources; Inspire your community to invest in your strategic goals through focused fundraising campaigns; Ensure that board members understand their roles, responsibilities, and board-wide priorities; and Monitor performance and provide benchmarks from which progress can be measured. We have considerable experience developing strategic plans for K-12 private and public schools and districts internationally and can bring that same expertise and results to your school. Our approach as a rule encompasses a series of steps, including our proprietary surveys and on-site retreats over a five to seven month period to develop a comprehensive strategic plan and action plan. The resulting plan will maximize your school's strengths, foresee threats, reduce weaknesses, and take advantage of future opportunities. This is achieved through the following steps, which are tailored to your requirements: Provided below is an overview of the methodology and steps we would use to develop your school's strategic plan. The following is a quick snapshot of our Strategic Planning process and approach: Click here to read comments by our clients on our services as well as our planning process. Click here to review our strategic planning options (customized to your organization). Click here to download HEG's Eight-Step Strategic Planning Process. Click here to invest in our Strategic Planning Toolkit. Provided below are links to strategic plans that Doug Halladay has engaged in the development of. Click on the school to open a downloadable copy of their strategic plan. Sacred Heart School  Queen Margaret's School  Harbert Hills Academy  International School of Ulaanbaatar Next Step If you would like to find out more about how we can help your board to develop your school's strategic plan or advise on the implementation of your current plan, please contact Doug Halladay directly to find out more by sending an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call directly at 1-604-868-0002. To your success,  Doug Halladay President Halladay Education Group P.S. Don't forget to go to our secure Online Store to invest in our Strategic Planning or Start-A-School Toolkits.They're affordable and practical.

Feasibility Study and Business Plan For a New School

If you plan on opening a new school, be it K-12 or post secondary, you need to ensure that you've done your homework before launching your school. There's so much at stake. As the title of the eNewsletter states, you never get a second chance to make a first impression when going public with your new school. Have you done your homework to ensure that your school model will be sustainable in your market? Is there a large enough market willing to pay for the program and services you're offering? Is the tuition fee you're charging reflective of operational costs and short-falls in your initial years of operation? And if you're a for-profit, will there be a reasonable pay-back period to your investors and realistic profits? Once you launch your school, there's no turning back. And in school marketing, word-of-mouth is still the number one marketing tool, so you don't want to stumble right out of the gates. If you're planning to start a new school, or even expand your established school, you need to complete the necessary research and due diligence to formalize your educational-operational-governance-finance model and determine whether there is demand in your market for the educational program you're envisioning. From there you need to quantify the costs associated with starting and operating your school to break-even point, and the value it will return to your founders and investors. If You Build It They Will Come I don't know if you remember the Kevin Costner movie, "Field of Dreams." Kevin had a vision that "If you build it, they will come", and envisions building a baseball diamond where his farm field was and the prophecy that people will come to play and watch baseball there. The point is that you don't want to be caught in the trap of building your school and hoping that the students and parents will show up. The risk is too high, and frankly, irresponsible to your stakeholders and investors. However, it happens. We've observed a number of private schools close because the founders didn't take the time to determine if there was demand for their educational model, or through a detailed Business Plan, determine whether their operational-financial model was feasible over the long-term. They just thought if they built it they would come! Objectives Of A Market-Feasibility Study And Business Plan   Our market~feasibility study and business planning approach formalizes your school's educational / operational / business / financial model, determines the feasibility for success in your designated market, start-up capital requirements, five-year operational budget, internal rate of return (profit), facility-site requirements, and conveyance of the proposition to your investment and/or founding group. The rationale behind the Study and Business Plan is to consolidate the scope of your formation project through an extensive business case analysis to formalize the educational, operational, and business framework, quantify HR needs, facility/land requirements, enrollment demand, start-up and capital requirements, break-even point, pay-down to investors, internal rate of return, and net income. Upon conclusion of the Study, HEG can assess the project's feasibility and optimal model for development, and pre-operation milestones as per the four-step model in the diagram below. The rationale behind the Study is to formalize the scope of the formation project through an extensive on-site business case analysis, market review, and identification of the critical elements and costs associated with developing your school. Upon conclusion of the Study, you will have a blueprint to guide you through the school formation process.This allows you to move forward fully informed and prepared. HEG's market~feasibility study and business planning process determines the optimal market for your school and financial projections within the Business Plan, focusing on: Formalization of the school model: Market demand; Educational program(s); Accreditation requirements and licensing; Potential combinations of grades for each stage of development; Human resource considerations; Infrastructure requirements; Funding requirements; Management team, governance model, and organizational chart. Determine target market(s), enrollment projections, and marketing and admissions plan; Review the business case for the establishment of a school in the Client's designated market; Financial costs/assumptions for start-up budget and five-year financial plan; Corporate and investment/funding structure; Project management timelines and milestones; Proposed facility and land requirements and suitable location(s) for the school; Address issues/strategies to ensure a successful start-up and operation of the school: Develop a Business Plan, providing an Executive Report, recommendations, and costing profile with an overview of demand for the proposed school, capital requirements, profits, investment pay-down, and the 'blueprint' to move forward. Recent Projects HEG is recognized as the leader in the development of market~feasibility studies and business plans. We've experience with projects over $150 million in new cities in Asia to smaller non-profit schools. We've worked with for-profit and non-profit clients in North America, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Provided below is a quick snap-shot of recent projects:  Market Study & Business Plan For A New Private International PreK-9 IB School in Malaysia Business Plan For An International K-12 IB School in Singapore Market Study For A British Columbia Certified Offshore Grade 10-12 School in Beijing, China Feasibility Study & Business Plan For A New Independent Grades 9-12 Prep School in Toronto, Ontario Market Study & Business Plan For A New Private International Branch School in Oman Feasibility Study & Business Plan For A Private Grades PreK-12 Anglican School in Vancouver, BC Business Plan For A New University Preparatory Day-Boarding Multi-Sport Elite High School In Toronto, Ontario Business Plan For A New K-12 B.C.-Certified Sports Academy In Vancouver, BC Business Plan For A K-12 Canadian International IB School in Saudi Arabia Feasibility Study & Business Plan For A New University Preparatory High School In Hawaii. Market Study & Business Plan For A New Private International High School In California Market Study & Business Plan For A New Private International High School In Dallas, Texas Business Plan For An All-Boys Grade 9-12 Independent Orthodox High School In Florida Feasibility Study & Business Plan For New Co-Ed K-12 Tribal Private School In Alabama,   Feasibility Study & Development Of K-12 Private School System For The New Planned City  In The UAE Market Study & Business Plan For A New For-Profit International Private K-12 IB School In Angola Feasibility Study & Business Plan For A New Private International K-12 IB School Formation Project in Panama Next Step If you would like to build a solid foundation to develop your sustainable school, and would like to find out more about HEG's market~feasibility study and business plan services, please contact Doug Halladay directly by sending an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or calling HEG at 1-604-868-0002. To your success,  Douglas Halladay President Halladay Education Group P.S. Don't forget to go to our secure Online Store to invest in our Strategic Planning or Start-A-School Toolkits.They're affordable and practical.

Nine Attributes Of An Effective School - How Does Your School Score?

IN THIS ISSUE Where's HEG Working? In The News Solutions For Your School Developing An Effective School Toolkits BUY & SELL SCHOOLS      HEG provides consulting services in connection with the sale of Private K-12 Schools, Language Schools, & Career Colleges, including:   1). Profitable Group Canadian Career Colleges offering health & technology programs. (Sch. No. 1075) 2). Growing Group of Canadian Language Schools. (Sch. No. 1037) 3). Solo Canadian-based Language School. (Sch. No. 1022) 4). Successful Western Canadian Career College specializing in business, healthcare, ESL, & IT.  (Sch. No. 1063) 5). Globally recognized Canadian Career College offering hospitality & culinary programs. (Sch. No. 1055) 6). Turn-key group of Western Canadian Career Colleges offering business-oriented diplomas & certificates. (Sch. No. 1019) 7). Successful K-12 Asian private international school. (Sch. No. 1034)    8). Unique Canadian Language School & Career College offering ESL, Work/Study, & Hospitality/Tourism Programs. (Sch. No. 1031)   Contact HEG by email or phone if you would like to find out more about these schools or would HEG to provide consulting services in connection with the sale of your school.   ONLINE STORE Visit Our Store For Helpful Toolkits TESTIMONIAL "HEG  is a very professional team that brings a myriad of talents to private schools and are quite focused and results driven. They work efficiently and are task-driven. As a start-up school we have so many items in our punch-list to complete and Doug and the HEG team came in and helped us with almost every aspect of the operations in a very short time frame. They are flexible and a joy to work with. I would recommend them to any group that wants to start a world-class international school or improve the performance of your established private school." -- Dr. Jorge Nelson, Head of Chadwick International School

Hi, Another hockey season has begun here in Vancouver; and we're hoping that we'll have better results than last year's second place finish in the Stanley Cup. Perhaps our 41st year for the Canucks will be the lucky one (eternal optimist).  The last few months have been busy at HEG, working with clients in Africa, MENA, North America, and China. I found time while working in Asia for a visit to the Great Wall. Our most recent school development project culminated in our clients opening their new K-12 private international school in Panama called Metropolitan School of Panama.  We're very proud of what the founders have accomplished in such a short time. They've done a tremendous job of using a variety of media to build their relationship with prospective parents. You'll note in their monthly newsletter, their kinds words about our firm.   With the passing of Steve Jobs I find it inspiring to read the articles coming out on his vision and drive as a leader. In fact, I just finished reading an enlightening blog on his leadership skills entitled "Steve Jobs and the Seven Rules of   Science of Motivation Success". I also came across this article "10 things only bad managers say", which provided a viewpoint on how not to lead. Finally, I watched a video on Youtube by Dan Pink that talked about motivating today's employees,which is very applicable to the school setting. You should take a few moments to watch it. My point is that leadership comes in many shapes and forms, but the elements of school-based leadership and effective board governance are critical to your school's success. Today, I want to share with you what is involved with developing an effective high-performing school and your role as a leader in making this happen. Be the Steve Jobs of your school community. To your success,    Doug Halladay President Halladay Education Group P.S. Don't forget to go to our secure Online Store to invest in our Strategic Planning or Start-A-School Toolkits.   Where's HEG Working Right Now? Here's an update of what HEG's working on:    Market Study and Business for a Private K-12 For-Profit International School in Angola  Board Governance Workshop for a Private K-7 International French School in British Columbia Board Governance Workshop for a Private PreK-11 Preparatory School in British Columbia School Evaluation for a PreK-11 Preparatory School in British Columbia Strategic Plan/Action For a Private K-10 Preparatory School in British Columbia  Market Study and Business Plan for Private Non-Profit International High School in Texas Formation of a new Private K-12 Canadian International K-12 School in Saudi Arabia    Providing consulting services to school owners in connection with the sale of their Canadian Career Colleges, Language Schools, and Private K-12 schools globally  If you're interested in our consulting services, and would like to discuss your needs further, please contact Doug Halladay by email  or call directly at 1-604-868-0002.   In The News Private Schools Spending in the GCC Expected to Reach $12 Billion in 2020  The private school market is growing rapidly in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), presenting a significant opportunity for investors and school operators. With K-12 combined public and private... Is private school education worth it? When you're up for $150000 in fees and extras for a child's private-school education, it'd be nice to know it's a good investment. After all, a year 7 student starting next year will cost $215000 by year 12 if school fees keep rising at an annual rate... For-Profit Education: A Vulnerable Industry?  Many have flocked to education as a means of empowerment in the economic slowdown, believing the ever-rising cost of tuition would be worth the well paid job opportunities awaiting them. Of course, this version of the American dream has not panned out... Online Educators Gaining Both Classes and Critics "Online education is still creating its own image right now," said Chuck Fattore, who taught both traditional and virtual courses with the Houston Independent School District. "It's not an institution yet in any sense. Educators aren't sure how to use... First international private school opened in Jeju North London Collegiate School Jeju, the first international private school in Jeju Global Education City, opened Friday. "NLCS Jeju is the country's first case where the 161-year-old prestigious private school in the UK will maintain its reputation... The 37 Most Expensive Boarding Schools In America  It can be just as tough to get into some of the nation's most elite boarding schools as some top colleges--and cost just as much money. Of course, the hefty price tags attached to a boarding school education include room and board, state-of-the-art... Solutions For Your School STARTING A SCHOOL Our experienced team can provide step-by-step 'turn-key' services to start your school in the USA, Canada, &  Internationally. Click here for more info.  STRATEGIC PLANNING  We're experienced developing Strategic Plans for schools globally. Our plan can focuses your school's mission, build consensus, donor confidence, & define priorities for your Board & Staff. No school should be without one. Click here for more info. BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS Great schools have great boards. Can you afford not to ? Our governance workshops & online board performance surveys fine-tunes your board's & focuses your priorities. Click here for more info. SCHOOL EVALUATION Are you sure your school is doing the best it can? Our In-Depth Performance Review assesses your school's performance against benchmarks & provides snap-shot right away. Click here for more info. BUYING AND SELLING SCHOOLS  HEG provides consulting services in connection with the sale of K-12 Schools, Language Schools, & Career Colleges in Canada, US, and Internationally. Click here for more info. Nine Attributes Of An Effective School - How Do You Score? In today's complicated education environment, the need to work smarter and be ready for the first day of operation for your new school is critical and can't be repeated. They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The mechanics of school formation can be challenging and rife with pitfalls, and without a solid foundation and groundwork, a new school can collapse. This is why establishing a school requires exceptional planning, preparation, an experienced team, and uncompromising commitment to a clear vision and sustainable model as an effective school. To shape your new or established school to become a high-performing school takes a sustained commitment. There is no single thing a school can do to ensure high performance. Researchers have found that high-performing schools have a number of characteristics in common. These schools have the following attributes: A clear and shared focus High standards and expectations for all students Effective school leadership and board governance   High levels of collaboration and communication Curriculum, instruction, and assessments aligned with measurable standards Frequent monitoring of learning and teaching Focused professional development A supportive learning environment High levels of family and community involvement   The nine attributes are not listed by priority, although logic would dictate that sudents and their learning is central to the practices of effective schools.  If your school is not there yet, don't despair. What you need to do is develop a strategic plan to formulate your short- and long-term priorities and an action plan to guide your board and administration in reaching your destination.   Next Step If you would find out more about how to improve your school's performance, please contact Doug Halladay directly to find out more about our services and how we can help. Send an email to info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call directly at 1-604-868-0002. HEG Recommends Here are  2 of our most popular toolkits that will help you either  start your own school or develop your own strategic plan.   STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT  Learn how to develop your own Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in a detailed Workbook & Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD's. It's all here to help you develop your own plan. Click here for more details. START-A-SCHOOL TOOLKIT Are you still struggling with starting a school? Experienced school leaders share how they started their school from the ground up. You'll also receive our bonus CD ($150 value) on developing your strategic plan. Click here for more details. To your success, Douglas Halladay President Halladay Education Group Inc.   P: 604.868.0002 F: 868.472.8737 E: info@halladayeducationgroup.com www.HalladayEducationGroup.com   You are receiving this because you signed up at HEG's website or you told us you wanted to subscribe. We will never distribute your address to anyone. Period. We promise.