Planning, Finance, and Marketing

Business Planning

Tools and templates to help you to tailor a business plan that give your ECE centre a sense of direction and focus.

Setting the right direction for your organisation

Operating an early childhood education centre without a well-defined plan is like traveling without a destination in mind.

Effective business planning is your compass to success, It is also a regulatory requirement to have an annual plan.

Research shows that businesses that undertake regular business planning have higher profit margins, more satisfied customers, and enjoy more overall success than those that don’t.

For your ECE business, this means that an effective business plan will improve your compliance, your financial viability, the experience of your children, and their whanau. You will also have a greater chance at achieving your goals.

A business or annual plan gives you direction and timelines in which to achieve your goals, and provides a framework for your day-to-day decisions.

A robust business plan starts with “what” - what strategic goals your centre is aiming for. Next, it would show the “how” of achieving the strategic goals, detailing activities and costs involved, who is responsible and what success will look like.

ECC's tools and templates will help you construct a tailored plan for your ECE centre.

Member-only resources

Below is a sample of resources available free to members. Members can log in to the Member Portal to see the full list of templates, guidelines and other resources.

  • Strategic Plan Guide (20120109)
  • Strategic Plan template (20171107)
  • PEST Template (20170917)
  • SWOT Template (20170917)
  • Organisational Core Values (20120920)
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