After School Program Business Plan [Sample Template]

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Are you about starting an after school program? If YES, here is a detailed sample after school program business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

Engaging children in fun, creative and educative activities when they are not in school is one sure way of making money in the United States hence the thriving nature of after school businesses.

So, if you are looking for a business to establish as an entertainer or children-oriented business person, you could start an after school program business.

Opening an after school business in an area with loads of children of school age but fewer recreational centers can be very lucrative.

The truth is that one of the easiest ways for parents to get their children active and happy during holidays or even at weekends is to take them to after school program centers.

Starting an after school program business comes with its own fair share of challenges, but that does not rule out the fact that it is indeed a profitable business venture.

An aspiring entrepreneur can either choose to start by choosing a niche or offering general after school activities. Below is a sample after school program business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own with little or no difficulty.

A Sample After School Program Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

The After-School Program Providers industry comprises of establishments that organize youth programs that take place outside of the traditional school day. After-school programs can occur at various times of the day and in a variety of places, including the school building, community centers, libraries or parks.

Activities include everything from sports and study groups to performing and creative arts. As many industry operators are nonprofit organizations, they are exempt from federal income tax. Players in this industry also operate franchised fitness and recreational sports facilities for children aged 18 and younger.

The After-School Program Providers industry has indeed coped well over the last five years, as it recovered from the economic downturn that affected most businesses in the united states. Rising per capita disposable income as well as growing awareness of the benefits of playing and exercising regularly, especially in response to the rising childhood obesity rate, have driven demand for this business.

Going forward, rising per capita disposable income and lower unemployment levels will continue to drive up demand for franchises. The After-School Program Providers industry is indeed a very large industry and pretty much thriving in all parts of the world.

Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 224,792 licensed and registered After-School Program Providers responsible for employing about 1,083,089 employees and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $23 billion annually with an annual growth rate projected at 2.3 percent.

Please note that the After-School Program Providers industry has no companies with major market shares. According to IBISWorld, the After-School Program Providers industry organizes youth programs that take place outside the traditional school day.

After-school programs are held in a variety of locations, including schools, community centers, libraries or parks. Activities are wide ranging but often include sports, homework-assistance, and opportunities for creative expression. Over the five years to 2018, the number of students participating in after-school activities has risen due to increased demand, a large portion of which remains unmet.

Rising per capita disposable income and greater workforce participation among two-parent households have driven revenue growth for the industry. Over the five years to 2018, revenue for the industry is estimated to increase an annualized rate.

According to the most recent 2009 survey conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, about 8.4 million children participate in after-school programs nationwide for an average of 8.1 hours per week. Despite the number of children in after-school programs having steadily risen from 2004 to 2009, participation has since stagnated with the onset of the recession.

High unemployment allowed more parents to supervise their children instead of enrolling them in industry programs, mitigating growth in participation rates since 2009. In recent time, the industry has experienced revenue growth, despite many families being time – strapped.

While the industry contended with mounting competition from alternative leisure activities, such as bouncy castles and cinemas, many operators generated industry revenue growth on the basis of convenience. In the coming years, the industry revenue is forecast to grow as the After-School Program Providers continue to enhance their product portfolios to attract children and families, despite their reduced leisure time.

Starting an after-school program business in the United States of America can be stressful, it requires enough cash to acquire land large enough to accommodate the kind of activities you want to start and also cash equip the indoor and outdoor playground facility to meet the standard expected by potential users.

2. Executive Summary

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is a licensed after school program provider that will be located in a growing community in East Rutherford – New Jersey. Our basic aim of setting up the business is to contribute our quota in ensuring that children who live in East Rutherford and neighboring towns engage in after school activities that will help them stay off crime and also for them to have fun.

We are committed to nurturing the play, imagination and creative side of children. We have been able to secure a standard indoor playground facility in a central and easy to locate area in East Rutherford – New Jersey.

Our aim of starting the business is to engage children in after school activities that include sports, homework-assistance, opportunities for creative expression, physical activities, educational assistance, food and concessions, music and art, workforce development and family activities.

We are well equipped to services the whole family cum community as well as visitors and travelers. Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is going to become the leading after school program provider in the whole of East Rutherford – New Jersey and we will work hard to build our business to match the needs of the average child under the age of 18.

Before launching the business, we conducted a thorough market research and feasibility studies and we came to the conclusion that East Rutherford – New Jersey community is the right place to open our business. Brighter Future®

After School Program Provider, Inc. will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a business, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is owned and managed by Mercy Colby and her immediate family members.

Mrs. Mercy Colby has robust experience in the children entertainment and family recreation industry and she possess B.Ed. in Physical and Health Education.

3. Our Products and Services

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is in the After-School Program Providers industry to provide children’s fitness center, entertainment and recreation facility for residents of East Rutherford – New Jersey which is why we have been able to put up an outdoor and indoor playground facility that can help us achieve the goal.

We are optimistic that everyone who enroll in our after school program will definitely derive fun and of course have value for their money and time. These are the activities that will be made available to our clients;

Standalone academic programs
Standalone child care
Other after-school programs
Gymnastics instruction
Dance instruction
Swimming instruction
Additional children’s fitness activities instruction
Homework-assistance, opportunities for creative expression, physical activities, educational assistance, food and concessions, music and art.

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

Our Vision is to build a world – class after-school program business and also to contribute our quota in encouraging families and children in East Rutherford – New Jersey to actively engage in creative and recreational activities.
Our mission for establishing Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is to create a movement in the community that supports total engagement of children of school age in after school programs (creative and recreational activities).
We want to contribute our quota towards ensuring that East Rutherford – New Jersey community produces some of the brightest and crime – free children of school age in the whole of the United States of America.

Our Business Structure

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is in business to become the leading after school program providers in the whole of East Rutherford – New Jersey and we are fully aware that it will take the right activities, management and organizational structure to achieve our goal.

We will ensure that we recruit only the best hands that can help us achieve all that we are set to accomplish. Our business will not be built for giving our members value for their money and time, but also, we will ensure that we make our work environment highly conducive for all our employees.

We will provide them with employee packages that will help them stay motivated. In view of that, we have made provisions for the following positions to be occupied by highly qualified and experienced staff;

Chief Executive Office – CEO
After School Programs Coordinator
Accountant / Cashier
Marketing and Sales Officer
Indoor / Outdoor Playground Safety Instructors / Assistant (5)
Customer Care Executive / Front Desk Officer
Cleaners

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
Responsible for providing direction for the business
Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
Evaluates the success of the organization
Carrying out staff induction for new team members

After School Program Coordinator

Set educational standards and goals, and help establish policies, procedures, and programs to carry them out.
Plan afterschool programs to cater to the individual needs of students enrolled in the program
In charge of homework-assistance programs, physical activities, educational assistance, food and concessions, music and art.
Implement the curriculum by creating appropriate lesson plans and imparting them in a strategic manner
Make presentations for the students so that they can understand what is to be expected of them during the course of the program
Develop and implement procedures and policies for afterschool programs
Ensure and encourage positive student behavior through modeling
Interview and hire instructors to provide sustenance to the afterschool program
Make sure that each instructor is provided with guidelines for his or her lesson
Establish communication between school management and students
Evaluate students on the basis of their ability to handle information
Document findings of the evaluations and discuss the same with parents
Maintain records of students enrolled in the afterschool program in a confidential manner
Implement emergency procedures when necessary
Identify student misconduct and attempt to correct it
Check that all program areas are kept neat and clean at all times

Indoor/Outdoor Playground Safety Instructors/Assistant (5)

Ensure that children follow safety measures when they make use of our play facilities
Handle amusement and recreation services
Handle registration for sports tournaments and matches
Responsible for handling and giving instruction for services such as meals, coin-operated games and rides, amateur sports teams and club services et al.

Marketing and Sales Officer (2)

Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new clients, and business opportunities et al
Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
Writing winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
Document all customer contact and information
Represent Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. in strategic meetings
Help increase sales and growth for Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc.

Accountant/Cashier:

Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for the organization
Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
Responsible for administering payrolls
Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
Handles all financial transactions for Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc.
Serves as internal auditor for Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc..

Client Service Executive

Welcomes members and potential members / clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the organization’s products and services
Manages administrative duties assigned by the management in an effective and timely manner
Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

Cleaners (3):

Responsible for cleaning in and around the outdoor and indoor playground facility
Clean up after customers
Wash glassware and utensils after each use
Maintain a clean play area by sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning of glass doors and windows, etc. if required.
Ensure that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock

6. SWOT Analysis

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. provides after-school activities for children of school age in East Rutherford – New Jersey. We are aware that there are competitions in the After-School Program Providers industry which is why we took out time to conduct an effective SWOT Analysis before investing our hard earned money into the business.

We hired the services of Dr. Emmanuel Bright, a HR and Business consultant with bias in business structuring to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our company and he did a pretty good job for us. Here is a of the result we got from the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc.;

Strength:

One of the apparent strengths that will definitely stand as a plus for Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is the fact that our indoor and outdoor facility is centrally located in a densely populated residential area in East Rutherford – New Jersey; our location is in fact one of our major strength.

We equally have a team of highly qualified professionals who will work with our clients to achieve their aims of enrolling in our program and lastly our membership package is going to be one of the best that anybody living in East Rutherford – New Jersey can get; it is cheap and affordable.

Weakness:

Before setting up this business, we looked into our Business model and we were able to identify two major weakness. One is the fact that we are a new business.

The second is the fact that we may not have the financial resources required to match up with existing indoor playground facilities and even government own entertainment and recreation facilities in East Rutherford – New Jersey when it comes to acquiring latest children entertainment and fitness equipment and also in generating the needed hype that can drive traffic towards our facility.

Opportunities:

Part of the advantages we have is that, we are centrally located in one of the busiest areas with the right demographic composition in East Rutherford – New Jersey and we are open to all the available opportunities that the city has to offer.

Threat:

When unemployment rises, parents are more likely to care for kids outside of school hours instead of enrolling them in industry programs. unfavorable government policies, demographic / social factors, downturn in the economy which is likely going to affect consumers spending and lastly, the emergence of new competitors within the same location where our business is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Trends

The After-School Program Providers industry is part of the industry that has benefited from recent marketing campaigns which is targeted towards encouraging people (children inclusive) to participate in recreation activities and sports, as well as consumer trends toward healthy living.

Going forward, many people who are part of the baby boomers generation are expected to sign up their children for health and fitness club memberships in their communities. However, patrons of after school program providers are anticipated to increasingly pick up membership from less expensive facilities as against expensive all – inclusive clubs.

Lastly, for after school program provider to remain operational despite less government funding and stagnant participation in industry programs, most operations are increasingly relying on volunteer labor and community support, which is benefiting the industry.

8. Our Target Market

The target market for after school program providers cuts across children of school age from different backgrounds. Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. will work towards providing services, facilities and environment that will help us reach out to our target market. These are the category of people that we intend marketing our family entertainment center to;

Households and families with children under the age of 18 in an around East Rutherford – New Jersey
Schools
Churches and Religious centers

Our competitive advantage

The After-School Program Providers industry is indeed a prolific and highly competitive industry. Clients will only enroll in your after school program if they know that you can help them achieve their goals.

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is centrally located in a densely populated – residential area with the right demographic composition in East Rutherford – New Jersey; this is obviously going to give us an edge amongst our competitors.

We equally have a team of highly qualified professionals who will work with the children to achieve their aims of enrolling in our after school program and lastly our membership package is going to be one of the best that anybody living in East Rutherford – New Jersey can get; it is cheap and affordable.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Our marketing strategies will be directed towards achieving specific objectives that support the strategic goals of the organization. The truth is that all that we do will be geared towards creating new market channels, increasing sales and our market share.

We will leverage on improving on our services to ensure that we win new clients and retain old members. At Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc., our marketing strategies will be consistent throughout the marketing mix and we will take into consideration product improvement, promotion, and price.

Our unique selling proposition is that we are well positioned and people can easily access our facility, our prices are affordable and we have a complete package for families, schools and religious organizations. Part of the marketing and sales strategies that we will adopt are;

Open our after school program with a big party for children that reside in and around East Rutherford – New Jersey
Advertise Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. on national dailies, local TV and radio stations
Promote our after school program online via our official website and all available social media platforms
Introduce our after school program by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to religious organizations, schools, households and key stakeholders in East Rutherford – New Jersey
Print out fliers and business cards and strategically drop them in offices, libraries, public facilities and train stations et al.
Making our first impression count positively to those making use of our indoor or outdoor playground facility for the first time
Make use of attractive hand bills to create awareness and also to give direction to our facility
Adopt direct mailing coupon marketing approach
Position our signage / flexi banners at strategic places in and around East Rutherford – New Jersey
Create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our consistent members especially those that registered as a family or groups
Engage in roadshows within our neighborhood to create awareness for our after school program business.

Sources of Income

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the After-School Program Providers industry and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to attract clients on a regular basis. Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. will generate income by offering the following services;

Standalone academic programs
Standalone child care
Gymnastics instruction
Dance instruction
Swimming instruction
Additional children’s fitness activities instruction
Homework-assistance, opportunities for creative expression, physical activities, educational assistance, food and concessions, music and art.

10. Sales Forecast

It is important to state that our sales forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field. It would be hard to create a sales forecast with a newly opened business because the statistics that will be provided will be on a short term basis.

Experts said that usually a business should be in operation for at least one year before they can generate the statistics that will help in accurate forecasting; statistics should be at least one year old in order to show the trends and pattern in consumer spending.

We expect to welcome a minimum of 12,000 children i.e. one thousand children per month within our first year of operation and then in subsequent years we will grow by 25 percent or more. Below are the sales projection for Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc., it is based on the location of our after school program business and the services and products that we will be offering;

First Fiscal Year (FY1): $200,000
Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $450,000
Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $750,000

N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within 4.5 miles radius from our facility.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our branding and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to become the number one choice in the whole of East Rutherford – New Jersey which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our after school program business.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc.;

Place adverts on both print (community – based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
Sponsor relevant community – based sport events and academic competitions
Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
Install our billboards in strategic locations all around East Rutherford – New Jersey
Engage in roadshow from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
Contact Families and schools by calling them up and informing them of Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. and the services we offer
List Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. on local directories / yellow pages
Advertise our after school program business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our official vehicles are well branded with our corporate logo.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Our pricing system is going to be based on what is obtainable in the industry, we don’t intend to charge more (except for premium and customized services) and we don’t intend to charge less than what our competitors are charging as gate fees or membership fee in East Rutherford – New Jersey.

Be that as it may, we have put plans in place to offer discount services once in a while and also to reward our loyal customers especially when they refer clients to us or when they register as a family or a religious organization and schools.

Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. will make available to her clients;

Payment by via bank transfer
Payment via online bank transfer
Payment via check
Payment via mobile money
Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients pay us without any difficulty.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

From our market research and feasibility studies, we were able to come up with the following financial projections and costing as it relates to establishing our own after school program business in the United States of America;

The total fee for registering the business in the United States of America – $750.
Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $3,300.
Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
The cost for hiring business consultant – $2,500.
The cost for insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
The cost for payment of rent for 12 months at $1.76 per square feet warehouse facility in the total amount of $105,600.
The total cost for facility remodeling (construction of racks and shelves) – $20,000.
Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500).
Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $60,000
The cost for start-up inventory (stocking with a wide range of sport wares, writing implements, stamps and stencils, stationery and loose-leaf paper, notebooks, binders and organizers and other related items) – $100,000
The cost of purchase and installation of CCTVs – $5,000
The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al) – $4,000.
The cost of launching a website – $600
The cost for our opening party – $7,000
Miscellaneous – $10,000

We would need an estimate of $350,000 to successfully set up our after school program business in East Rutherford – New Jersey.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc.

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is owned and managed by Mrs. Mercy Colby and her immediate family members. They decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources.

Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of stocks
Generate part of the startup capital from friends and other extended family members
Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $250,000 (Personal savings $200,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $500,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to come up with creative recreational activities for children of all ages.

Brighter Future® After School Program Provider, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry and they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

Business Name Availability Check: Completed
Business Registration: Completed
Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
Application for business license and permit: Completed
Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
Acquiring indoor and outdoor facility and remodeling the facility: In Progress
Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
Generating capital from family members: Completed
Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
Writing of Business Plan: Completed
Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
Printing of Promotional Materials: In Progress
Recruitment of employees: In Progress
Purchase of academic resources, office appliances and suppliers: In progress
Creating Official Website for the Company: Completed
Creating Awareness for the business both online and in the neighborhood: In Progress
Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
Opening party/launching party planning: In Progress