The Trusted Authority for Starting, Improving, & Selling Private Schools: 2007-05-06

Hi Inner Circle Member:

Sadly I must pass on the news that my Vancouver Canucks were bumped out of the NHL hockey playoffs. Alas, the season and the extra playoff games were a pleasant surprise, so I’ve enjoyed the moment while it lasted.

Enjoy a happy Mother's Day this weekend.

Enjoy today’s eZine,

Doug Halladay
President
Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

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In This Issue

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1. Services You Can Use

2. Products You Will Want To Have

3. 6 Rules Of Creating Your Own Logo

4. Organizing Your Strategic Planning Process

5. Inner Circle Thought of the Week

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1. Services You Can Use

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Do you want your private school or nonprofit to be more successful in board governance, to effectively develop your own strategic plan, or start your own school? If so, our services can help. Please email us at info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call us at 604-868-0002 to find out more about how we can help you with:

- Starting A School

- Strategic Planning

- Board Governance Workshops and Evaluations

- Head of School Searches

- Coaching for Board Chairs and Heads of School

- Institutional Assessments

- Surveys

- International Student Marketing/Recruiting

- International Education Development Projects

To find out more cut-and-paste click here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/services.php

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2. Products You Will Want To Have

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(A). "Strategic Planning Toolkit: 10 Steps to Success!!" (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn How To Develop Your Own Strategic Plan Like The Pro's With This Easy To Follow, Step-By-Step, All-In-One Strategic Planning Toolkit. To find out more click here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/stratgic_planning_toolkit.php

(B). "Inner Circle Webinar Series -- Secrets of Starting Your Own School” (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your own for- or non-profit K-12 School, College, University, or Institute? You're not alone. I share with you how to start a school from the viewpoint of those who have been in the trenches and understand how to put a school together efficiently, and cost effectively. These include:

1. “Independent School Formation: The Critical First Steps"

2. “9 Secrets To Starting A US Charter School”

3. “8 Golden Rules of Starting a Junior School”

4. “Starting a Successful Private Senior School from the Ground Up”

5. “10 Steps To A Winning Strategic Plan”

6. “The Whole Enchilada: All 5 Webinars at 40% Off”

To find out more cut-and-paste or click here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/webinaroverview.php

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3. Six Rules Of Creating Your Own Logo

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Every new and existing private school will have to design their new school logo or revise their current one. It has to be done. In some circles it’s referred to as “branding;” the process by which the true character and purpose of the organization is communicated, building a favorable image that differentiates it, in the minds of prospects and end users, from other competitors.

While there is a multitude of variables, there are still rules that need to be followed to ensure that you end up with a practical logo that effectively communicates your “brand.” Remember that your logo will be everywhere: uniform crests, athletic wear, books, wall displays, middle of the gym floor, your web site, admission publications, cheques, Faxes, embroidery, newspaper ads, invoices, letterheads, etc.

1) Uniqueness: Your logo should be able to stand out as completely 'yours'. It's surprising how many times people decide to 'copy' logos. Not a good idea. On top of the potential legal complications nothing screams 'unprofessional' like a logo that's looks even remotely like someone else's

2) Timeless: Every few years there's a trend, or fad, that new logos seems to embrace. A few years ago it was the 'swoosh' - made logos all hi-tech. Trouble is, everybody jumped on that bandwagon and the treatment rapidly became stale. Few years hence, and we've got lots of people stuck with out of date designs.

3) Gimmick Free: Special effects are usually applied, by inexperienced designers, to logos that are 'missing something'. While it certainly shows how cool the latest design software is, it doesn't do much for the professionalism of your look. Your logo should be as technically simple as possible for adaptability.

4) Flexibility: Over the life of your organization, you'll want to place your logo over everything you send out. That's the point of having a logo in the first place. In order to do this, you'll need a logo that's adaptable to every occasion and while they may look pretty, the design gimmicks we just talked about render your logo impractical for many of these uses. Your new logo has to work on all of them. You'll also need a quality black and white version that can reproduce as a halftone grayscale, or in the cases of low-resolution BW reproduction, a linear version.

5) Scalability: When using your logo, you'll need to be able to use it in a variety of sizes. A good example of this is using your logo in your letterhead as well as in your formal marketing publications. Space only permits the logo to be featured as a very small image and it's always the simpler logos that stand out when viewed from a distance. The cluttered logos aren't recognizable to any great degree. When it comes to scalability, the text portion of the logo is the most important; as that's the piece you want people to remember. Scrawny or fancy text doesn't read very well at half an inch high.

6) Color vs. Black & White: Colors are extremely important. Using consistent corporate colors will become part of your brand. However, when it comes to the design of your logo, color must always be secondary. A logo that requires color to 'hold' the design together is fine when reproduction is optimal - websites, 4 color process printing and what have you - but even then only if the size is appropriate as well. Logos that rely too much on color tend to blend together when used small and unless the contrast between the two colors is pronounced, will be a grey mess if used in black and white. As for low-resolution reproduction (FAXES, checks, etc) you can forget about readability completely - logos that use color as a design cornerstone usually come out as black blotches on a FAX transmission.

Like most 'rules' of design, not all of these will apply in every situation, and in many cases, we'll toss them out completely. However, they should give you a road map that will help you navigate the sometimes frustrating creative process to design your new logo.

If you would like more information about ADMISSIONS AND MARKETING call me at 1-604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to:
--> http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/publication_des_dev.php

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4. Organizing Your Strategic Planning Process

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The following is excerpt from Chapter 5 of my Strategic Planning Toolkit’s Manual.

Organize the Planning Process

The first step is to organize the strategic planning process. This step includes deciding that strategic planning is appropriate at this time and place; selecting a person or Steering Committee to organize and keep the planning process on track; determining what people will be involved; deciding whether you need an external consultant to support the process; outlining the planning steps; and getting the boards agreement to move forward.

You need to consider why you are planning and to identify any concerns or barriers. One of easiest ways to do this is to use the “Readiness Assessment Survey,” which you can download at:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/ebooks.php

By weighing the possible benefits of strategic planning against any concerns, you will determine the best course of action to take. This first step is critical because it will stop you from the “jump reflex” syndrome – jumping into situations before planning. It seems that one of the most difficult battles for school leaders is the desire to change the world. Instant radical change won’t succeed, and if the school needs that much alternation, the time devoted to a well thought out plan is time well spent.

Determine the Plan’s Scope

The plan’s scope involves deciding on the level you want the strategic plan to focus on: micro or macro (narrow vs. broad). At the simplest level of planning, it involves the steering committee and board determining how involved they want the stakeholders to be in the planning process. Some schools want the SPC to represent the key stakeholders while other schools want the planning process to include separate focus groups for each stakeholder group. You Steering Committee needs to reflect on the cost, time, and resources needed for each approach to determine which suits you.

Determine Leader’s Role

The school’s leader needs to decide on his or her role in the process. Research has shown that strategic planning will probably succeed regardless of how the Principal or Head of school participates; however, the role the school leader chooses to participate in the planning process is sure to affect the final product. You more you are involved, the more you are perceived as committed to strategic planning and to the plan’s substance. Your involvement also signifies to others that your words and actions are consistent; that you support the planning process and final product; and the effort will not fail.

Do You Need Outside Help?

Another planning issue is deciding whether you need outside help in developing your strategic plan. A skilled planning consultant or facilitator can free organizational leaders to be participants in meetings without having to manage the agenda or discussion.

Although it is certainly possible to develop an effective strategic plan with a member of the organization responsible for managing the details of the process, the alternative of employing an outside facilitator is always available and sometimes advisable. This is particularly true if the organization has never previously conducted strategic planning.

The primary reason for considering outside facilitation is objectivity. Even the best intended stakeholder in an organization is likely to have a vested interest in the outcome of some of the issues being discussed and decided. A consultant, on the other hand, can be expected to exercise neutrality since his or her interest in completing the process itself rather than in the specific content of the plan. A consultant may also be desirable because of his or her past experience in producing strategic plans and credible knowledge in avoiding predictable pitfalls.

There are a number of ways a consultant can help you:

- Facilitate and summarize meetings

- Coach the Steering and Planning Committees

- Assist in designing the planning process

- Orient and train participants

- Assist with gathering and summarizing related data

- Lead you through the whole strategic planning process

- Provide advice on process and/or technical issues

If you would like more information about STRATEGIC PLANNING call me at 1-604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to:
http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/stragegic.php

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5. Inner Circle Thought of the Week

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FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY LANGUAGE

- Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.
- A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.
- Dijon vu - the same mustard as before.
- Practice safe eating - always use condiments.
- A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
- Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
- Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.
- When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
- In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
- She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.
- A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
- The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered.
- A lot of money is tainted - It taint yours and it taint mine.
- He had a photographic memory that was never developed.
- Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
- Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses. And finally,
- Acupuncture is a jab well done.