Knowledge business: how to open a training center?

education in Russia, despite the protracted crisis, continues to be in demand. This applies not only to the sciences offered in the school curriculum. People in adulthood want to learn something new: improve their qualifications, learn to draw, dance, master modern technologies.

The alignment goes to the global trend, and the number of educational courses is constantly growing, creating opportunities for people who want to start their own business. The niche remains relatively free, as the direction is only developing. Therefore, it makes sense to open a training center by choosing a field of activity that is close to understanding and will bring not only good profit but also great satisfaction, as well as the implementation of your own ideas.

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People tend to strive for new knowledge and skills. Everyone has their own childhood dream, which can be realized consciously, becoming a self-sufficient person, able to independently pay for the course. At this point, the educational business is built, which concerns not only the in-depth study of general education subjects.

Often, a person is driven by a desire to master high technologies that are taking up more and more space in ordinary professions, for example, accountants. Moving up the career ladder also requires the assimilation of certain knowledge. Other reasons are a change of profession or just the realization of a cherished dream: learning to dance, drawing, mastering the game on a musical instrument, etc.

Consulting is in great demand – consultations for the management of enterprises in the legal, financial, technological areas. Before opening an educational center, you should analyze which of the directions is most in demand, and which are in demand now:

• Special training programs for novice businessmen (management).
• Personnel training in the specialties of narrow-profile production.
• Acquaintance with computer programs for accountants.
• Training of marketers.
• Study of psychology.
• Courses for mastering the art of cooking.
• Advanced training in a specific area.
• Mastering foreign languages.
• Personal growth trainings.
• Yoga classes.
• Dance circles.
• Schools of creativity and visual arts and much more.

The training format is short-term training or courses that take place either online or in the traditional form of direct communication with the class or individual client. Each method has its own advantages, depending on the chosen direction. In a group of up to eight people, there is an opportunity to pay attention to each student. Individual lessons are much more effective, but also more expensive. Reaching such a level of earnings requires great professionalism from the teacher. The client should know what he pays a lot of money for. This means that you need to take a responsible attitude to the selection of employees and yourself to understand organizational issues well.

Why tutoring is a profitable business idea

Along with teaching to private individuals, a movement in the field of teaching entire teams sent by management to refresher courses has gained momentum. A manager who wants to improve the professional level of his subordinates sends an entire department for retraining and pays for the training himself. In this case, opening a training center for additional education is very welcome. Usually, there is no question of price for businesses. The main achievement of tangible results, and is important for our business. The relevance of the topic, which is of benefit, can be listed point by point:

• Having opened at first one or two directions, we get the opportunity to quickly respond to the market needs and switch to more demanded activities.
• It is not necessary to invest huge funds at the start, starting work as trial private lessons.
• The need for education is increasing every year. An entrepreneur has the ability to quickly build a customer base.
• According to statistics, the payback of this business starts from six months to a year, if you are active with the introduction of marketing.
• The profitability in this segment can reach 30%, which is not observed in every industry.

Opening a training center from scratch is beneficial in that traditional professions are gradually changing their form. High technologies are being introduced everywhere, and this requires additional training. A specialist is obliged not only to be well versed in the intricacies of his work, but also to be able to handle various programs for keeping records and statistics. For example, 1C is used not only by accountants, but also by dispatchers, operators, foremen, etc. This moment can be used profitably by setting up your profitable business.

The costs of implementing a business idea and potential profit

Any business requires some initial investment. However, those who have already followed this path advise against starting with large loans. It is better to conduct a test period with one or two students, to understand whether it will turn out to be fully developed or not, and then look for serious investors in a large-scale business.

For example, online courses will require little investment. Registration as an individual entrepreneur, the purchase of a laptop with high-speed Internet and one program will take no more than fifty thousand rubles. But if it is decided to start with renting a room designed for ten students, then the purchase of equipment, equipment for classes and demonstration of material, perhaps some furniture will cost a maximum of 700-800 thousand rubles. What they may be needed for:

• License (now required!) And business registration – 40 thousand rubles.
• Removable hall / room – from 50 thousand rubles / month.
• Marketing and advertising campaign – from 30 thousand rubles / month.
• Purchase of training programs (if you do not have your own) and equipment – from 350 thousand rubles.
• Salary for full-time staff – from 250 thousand rubles / month.
• Unforeseen expenses – 20-40 thousand rubles / month.

The business plan for the opening of advanced training courses shows that the first time profit is not expected. This means that it is necessary to set aside a certain amount for wages and rent of premises. Thus, we get about one million, if we add another 250 to 750 thousand for the first two or three months.

It is difficult to calculate the exact profit, since it depends on what kind of classes are planned to be held, what client base is accumulated, on the duration of training hours and much more. But you can estimate that the average cost of classes per person is 800 rubles. If there are ten people in a group, and classes are held seven days a week, then in a month you can help out from 200 to 240 thousand. Subtracting monthly expenses, we get 60 thousand of net income.

A group of fifty people can make a profit of one hundred thousand. Observations show that this business begins to pay off after eight months of work. In large industrial centers, the course is more expensive, but more money is spent on rent. Take St. Petersburg, for example.

Tutoring costs

Consider how much the initial costs and monthly costs will be needed to open an educational center in the “northern capital” of Russia.

It will take up to one hundred thousand rubles to register a license for a small enterprise, register a cash register with a terminal. Rent and repair will cost 220 thousand rubles. Training programs, purchase of equipment – from 150 thousand. Preparation, design, installation of equipment – from 30 thousand. Additional website development – from one hundred thousand rubles. Together they study at least 600 thousand.

Every month you will have to pay for rent of an audience (hall) of 100 m ² – 100 thousand rubles. To pay for utilities, taxes, advertising – from 100 thousand. For employees’ salaries – from 250 thousand rubles. In addition, there may be unforeseen expenses, for which we will throw ten thousand. Together we get 460 thousand rubles, much more than in the provinces. But thoughtful additional activities, for example, holding extraordinary classes in summer camps, will allow you to enter the period of profitability in six months.

Legal subtleties: permits and documents

You can start with one or two students, but you still need to officially register a business so that there are no problems with the tax authorities. In addition, the Law “On Licensing Certain Types of Activities” dated 05/04/2011 No. 99-FZ clearly indicated that additional education also belongs to the category of training, therefore, before opening your training center, obtaining a license is mandatory. We’ll look at some of the exceptions a little later.

Business licensing is a lengthy and costly process, both in terms of money and time. It is necessary to collect an impressive package of documents and pay a state fee in the amount of 7.5 to 30 thousand rubles. Rospotrebnadzor provides:

• List of educational documentation and developed training programs.
• Proof of ownership with the indication of the legal address, certified by a notary or consent to rent the premises.
• Counting students to the maximum.
• List of an employee with certification of workplaces and an indication of the education received.
• Application for permission to conduct training.

The whole process takes up to three months, but the time can be shortened by contacting a legal services company.

To register a legal entity you will need:

• Write an application to the tax office at the place of registration.
• Pay the state fee.
• Register the authorized capital – from ten thousand rubles.
• Register a cash register with a POS terminal.
• Issue sanitary books for employees.
• Submit the drawn up contracts with the personnel and the companies serving the premises.
• Obtain permission from SES, Ministry of Emergency Situations.
• Inform Rospotrebnadzor about the start of activities.

The simplified tax system is indicated in the application as the taxation system. We choose the most suitable OKVED from class 85 “Education” (you can specify several).

Now let’s talk about how to open a training center without a license. First, the form of activity of the individual entrepreneur is registered. At the same time, an entrepreneur can conduct private lessons without the involvement of outside help and hiring personnel, indicating the OKVED for club-type institutions – 92.51.

During this period, a kind of test for endurance and implementation of the idea passes. You should not rush to register an LLC. You can find a “promoted” enterprise operating on a stable basis and agree on temporary cooperation, conducting lessons on a ready-made basis. Later, when things get better, there is a reason to open your own large establishment.

What activities are not yet subject to compulsory licensing:

• Conducting entertainment events with exhibitions, competitions, quests related to leisure.
• Informational consultations, where the training process is not implied.
• Conducting short-term reports, thematic evenings, conferences, etc.
• Seminars, webinars, innovation introductory courses that do not provide detailed information and skills development.
• One-time master classes that require permanent conclusion of contracts for a specific lesson.

Such activity is carried out as an individual entrepreneur and does not require additional permits.

Selection and preparation of premises

The choice of the first hall / room does not require rush. For a start, 25-30 m ^{2 is} enough . There is no need for a large room. It is best to rent the classrooms already prepared for the training process, this way you save money on repairs. Masters advise to hold an initial free master class and conclude an agreement for the hourly rental of the premises. You can go to your gym with a sufficient client base, the prepayment for which will be equal to the hourly rates. Considering the prospect of customer base growth, income will gradually turn into profit. It makes sense to open the second class as well.

Regarding a legal entity, the requirements for premises from the regulatory authorities are much more stringent. To ensure good attendance, you will have to look for a building in a densely populated residential area or in the city/village center. Before opening a training center for continuing education, you should pay attention to:

• The height of the ceilings is from 2.7 meters.
• Availability of classes in accordance with the number of groups.
• Alarm connection and a separate fire exit.
• Proper operation of the ventilation system.
• Bathroom equipment with washstands.

For the cold season, you will need a dressing room with hangers. The administration and accountant must have their own offices.

Equipment, furniture, teaching materials

The advantage of renting is that often such premises are rented out with the repairs carried out. If the audience is at an educational institution, then it will also be possible to save on furniture. If you are not lucky, you will have to add to the expense item:

• Arrangement of a comfortable changing room with hangers.
• Purchase of a couch and a coffee table for the hallway, where the seating area will be located.
• Tables and chairs for the director’s office and the accountant’s office.
• Demonstration technique.
• Software training.
• Manuals.
• Visual aids.
• Office equipment for classrooms and for accounting.
• Cash register with POS terminal.

You may need a projector and video material for certain activities.

Staff

An individual entrepreneur has the right to hire an assistant on a voluntary basis. This may be a student who wants to do an internship. He can receive honorable mentions for hourly work.

But it will not work to open a large business training center without official registration of employees. How many employees to hire – the founder decides on the basis of the number and variety of subjects. In order for the business to generate income, the following are recruited:

• Director, if the entrepreneur himself does not undertake to lead the process.
• Accountant, preferably a full-time accountant or outsource the case.
• From four teachers of in-demand disciplines.
• Cleaning woman.

The salary of a team in such a composition can be calculated from 120 thousand rubles per month, if the teachers are on the payroll. But an hourly option is also possible.

With the expansion of activities and the growth of groups, the state will increase, and accordingly, income will increase. A competitive reward system will help to avoid staff turnover. Subsequently, you can think of a deputy and a secretary with business acumen, able to look for new clients along with the organization of the educational process.

Advertising and marketing activities

The new center needs to be announced somehow. If we talk about traditional methods, then investing huge amounts of money is not worth it. The only thing that doesn’t hurt is to order an original sign. The name plays a significant role, so it should be memorable and interesting. Advertisements and leaflets in educational institutions and enterprises are also not bad. But practice shows that the best way is to demonstrate your abilities.

A free master class, for example in ballroom dancing, fine arts, playing the guitar, or even training for aspiring businessmen, will help you immediately recruit a large group for training in the event that it really shows the skill.

The first free webinars or lessons of the training center should be rich, give the maximum benefit, only in this case, interested customers will want to buy their continuation. A good helper is the Internet. Social media will work in disseminating information at the initial stage. Then you can order or make your own website using a ready-made constructor.

The first task is to build up a customer base. You can search for people in related courses. Let’s say those who are interested in healthy eating will not be without interest in any sports or yoga. This does not mean taking the clientele away from partners, it is just that students may wish to attend both courses.

Anyone with whom you have had a lesson at least once, add to the list, collect contacts, use them, periodically reminding yourself of new interesting developments. One or two free mailings are sure to renew interest. It is much easier to retain “old” clients than to find new ones, but be prepared to find them constantly. This is a laborious process, but without it people will not come on their own, they need to be constantly motivated.