Research shows that 90% of the child’s brain develops by the time they are 5 years old. A nurturing environment and stimulation provided to children during this crucial phase go a long way in setting them up for a successful life. If you are passionate about making a difference to young lives and want to make your passion your profession, there is nothing quite like setting up a preschool franchise.

What Does “Setup to Stability” Mean in a Preschool Franchise?

The first 12 months of setting up a preschool franchise are critical. This includes the planning necessary for establishing the school. There are a lot of areas to focus on, including finalising the location and actual setup of the school, as well as setting up processes and ensuring that all safety and security protocols are robust. In parallel, you need to ensure that you place due emphasis on marketing and promotion activities that drive admissions. Done right, by the time the first 12 months go by, you have moved from the setup phase to stability. Let us look at the process phase by phase.

The First 12 Months of a Preschool Franchise – Phase by Phase

Months 1–3: Planning, Setup & Pre-Launch Preparation

Months 1–3 can safely be referred to as pre-launch preparation months. During this period, your key areas of focus include:

• Finalisation of location: You would typically want to look at a high-catchment area that is home to nuclear families with young children. To finalise a location, you need to make sure that you enter into a long-term lease. Other aspects to take care of include the fact that the location has enough parking and that it is safe for young children.
• Licensing and compliance: You want to make sure that you complete the requisite procedural protocols to be able to run the preschool without any issues.
• Infrastructure setup: It is important to prioritise the establishment of safe, child-friendly infrastructure.
• Staff hiring and training: A preschool is only as effective as its educators. You therefore need to make sure that you hire the right staff and train them to be able to deliver the curriculum.
• Marketing groundwork: While a preschool franchise brand in India will benefit from the strong brand equity of the principal brand, you sure need to work on undertaking marketing and promotional activities to spread the word.

Months 4–6: Launch Phase & Initial Admissions

These months signify the actual launch of the preschool and onboarding students. Parents will want to see the facilities and ask about the curriculum, pedagogy, safety protocols, staff training, and more. All of these activities will go a long way in actually driving preschool admissions.

Months 7–9: Operational Stability & Process Optimisation

Your processes and operations will stabilise during these months, providing you with the much-needed confidence. You will notice admissions picking up and your systems beginning to work seamlessly. You will, however, need to be mindful of the fact that you do not become complacent. Aspects such as hygiene and cleanliness, continuous staff training, parent connection, and more require due attention. Please exercise caution in this matter. Oftentimes franchises tend to lose sight of cost control in this phase. Ensure that you are closely monitoring this aspect.

Months 10–12: Growth, Retention & Brand Trust

This is the stage of consolidation. If you have done the planning and groundwork well, this phase will see you ensuring growth in admissions. As parent trust builds up, admissions will begin to result from word-of-mouth, which is the best publicity you can get.

Preschool Franchise Journey at a Glance

Let us sum up the journey as below:

Phase	Key Focus Areas
Months 1-3	Set-up, approvals, training, marketing
Months 4-6	Launch, admissions and onboarding
Months 7-9	Operational stability, cost control
Months 10-12	Referrals, Growth planning

Common Challenges During the First Year

Despite careful planning, you may face some challenges. The idea is to be aware of them beforehand and to avoid them. Common pitfalls include:

• Overstaffing – It is always advisable to start lean and scale up as preschool admissions scale up.
• Inconsistency in delivery – Such errors can spell disaster. Please ensure that consistent processes are followed.
• Lack of data-driven decisions – All decisions that you take need to be backed up by data.
• You must ensure that you have the necessary technological support to keep parents informed at every stage.
• You absolutely need to stay updated with curriculum trends by following a scientifically developed curriculum and ensuring that there is constant staff training.
• Insufficient lead tracking – Make sure the processes that you put in place are robust and leads are tracked continuously

Role of Franchisor Support During the First 12 Months

It is crucial to choose a franchisor who can provide the necessary support and guidance. Some important aspects in which a professionally run preschool brand can offer you support include:

• Training and SOP – Such assistance will ensure that you do not have to reinvent the wheel and that deliveries are consistent.
• Marketing support – Professionally run brands will not just offer you the requisite marketing support; they will also guarantee a certain number of admissions, making your venture virtually risk-free.
• Operational guidance – Day-to-day operations can feel overwhelming, especially when handling young children. With the right support, you can be sure that you are in excellent hands.
• Ongoing mentoring—With the right franchisor, you also have access to ongoing mentoring, which will make not just day-to-day operations but also growth planning easy.

Footprints Preschool franchisees are known to have a 100% success rate on account of all the above support.

When Does a Preschool Franchise Usually Reach Stability?

With the right franchisor support, preschool franchisees tend to reach stability by the 12th month. By this time you hit break-even, your processes are fully in place, and you begin to see improved admissions and onboarding.

To Sum Up

To sum up, the journey for a preschool franchise tends to follow typical phases of setup, stability, and growth. The choice of the right franchisor is the number one factor that can make a big difference in your journey.

As a Footprints Playschool Franchisee, you can be sure you’ll get all the help you need and can focus on what you like.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the typical investment required to start a preschool franchise?

Starting a preschool franchise usually requires an investment of around 55 lakh and above, depending on location, brand reputation, and infrastructure.

2. How long does it take for a preschool franchise to stabilise?

A preschool franchise typically stabilises within 12 months. This period allows time to build trust with parents, establish consistent admissions, and streamline operations. Strong marketing, quality teaching, and community engagement accelerate the journey toward stable enrolment and profitability.

3. Is the first year profitable for a preschool franchise?

The first year is often focused on brand-building and admissions rather than profitability. While some franchises may break even quickly, most see profits from the second year onwards. Success depends on enrolment numbers, operational efficiency, and effective local outreach.

4. How many admissions are typical in the first year?

First-year admissions vary widely depending on location, brand strength, and marketing. Building parent trust and word-of-mouth referrals are key drivers of numbers.

5. What kind of ongoing support do franchisors provide after launch?

Franchisors usually provide continuous support through teacher training, curriculum updates, marketing assistance, operational guidance, and quality audits. They also help with parents. This includes developing engagement strategies and integrating technology to ensure that franchisees maintain standards and adapt to evolving educational expectations.