Approaching Schools

In this week's episode I would love to share with my story so far with Approaching Schools. I will discuss:

• why I have a business that solves a unique problem for a niche business sector
• the importance of extra curricular clubs to me personally as I was growing up
• how I built creative confidence
• creating a business I love whilst travelling the world
• where the Approaching Schools Academy started
• how I started to broaden who I was supporting through the Academy

I hope from this week's episode you will understand how passionate I am about supporting providers to gain more work in schools and nurseries.

Why not come and join me for my 5 day challenge starting on 24th April. You can find out more by going to www.ceryskeneally.co.uk

In this week's episode I want us to consider the targets you might want to set to help you bring in more revenue by working with schools and nurseries. Do you worry about setting revenue goals? Or are you motivated more by the number of schools you work with or number of pupils? Whatever your aspirations, let's consider how to establish clearer targets and how you can achieve them. Also, how do we review these targets effectively?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this week's episode.

Find out more here:
https://ceryskeneally.com

In today's episode we are thinking about the number one problem childrens activities providers have before they join the academy. We are talking about getting past the people who are incredibly good at their jobs, the gatekeepers, more often known as receptionists. 

We will discuss:

• we touch on the ingredients of a good email to schools and nurseries
• how can we personalise emails
• who do we choose to contact
• research about how people respond to a personalised communication
• how to avoid the spam filter
• what not to add into your email
• the importance of subject lines
• the power of a letter 

Give yourself the best chance of landing in the inbox and having the school receptionist forward your communications to the key person.

Join me for my Approaching Schools challenge starting on the 24th April. You can register now at www.ceryskeneally.co.uk

Pricing and packaging your services can feel like a big issue. When you look at what providers are charging and what schools and nurseries are paying there can seem to a huge range. So where do you start and what do you need to consider when pricing and packaging your services? 

In today's episode we will think about:

• how important it is to have a bespoke pricing strategy for your business
• does the area you work in or levels of deprivation have an impact on price?
• how can you support schools to find the budget
• ways to create packages
• communicating value to help you secure work

I hope this week's episode will help you to create the right pricing strategy for you.

In this week's episode we are exploring funding for your children's activities in schools and nurseries. We are going to be considering a wide range of aspects of the funding so that you can make the most of contacting schools and nurseries. 

I talk about:

• how budgets are awarded in schools and nurseries
• how you can consider making your activity cross curricular
• the funding formula that is in place
• ringfenced budgets
• the importance of figuring out how to communicate the value of what you do
• offering a free workshop to how how you are different

Come and join me for my 3 day event from 21st March that will take you behind the scenes of my career and learn what head teachers and nursery managers are looking for when it comes to activities and so much more. Click the link below to join me.

 www.ceryskeneally.co.uk/3-day-event

In this week's episode I want to share with you my top tips for creating high converting emails and letters.

I will discuss:

• what content I suggest for high converting letters and emails
• how you can compel people to respond to you
• why personalisation is important and how you can do it effectively
• what happens when your letter or email is generic
• how long we have to capture the readers attention
• the call to action

Getting replies to your emails or letters from schools and nurseries is often such a frustrating thing but if you follow my tips in today's episode you will start to see the responses coming in. I can't wait to hear your success stories.

Join my latest free event 21st-23rd March as I take you “Behind The Scenes” of my entire career in Activities, Coaching & Education to lift the curtain on all of my insights into working with schools & nurseries. Register now at www.ceryskeneally.co.uk/3-day-event


Come and share your ‘aha’ moments from this episode in my free group for children's activity providers approaching schools at: www.facebook.com/groups/primaryactivityproviderbusinessclub

In this week's episode you will learn how to use the STOP system to communicate more effectively with schools or nurseries. We will think about:

• what actions you can replace to create more success
• should you pitch in a sales email
• some of the sure fire ways your emails will get deleted or put in the bin
• how you can find out what a nursery or school needs
• what your offer is

The key is to be persistent without overwhelming the receiver of your message. I can't wait to find out your thoughts about this and what changes you will be making moving forward. 

Come and share your ‘aha’ moments from this episode in my free group for children's activity providers approaching schools at: www.facebook.com/groups/primaryactivityproviderbusinessclub

In this week's episode I want to share with you another way to grow your business. Have you considered getting more daytime work in schools and nurseries? For some of you there might be a worry that you need a teaching qualification or that you're not sure how to fit your activity with the curriculum or Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework. Worry not, there are so many opportunities for you.

Join me to hear about the different types of daytime work available to you and what each of them mean. Let's consider how your activity fits with literacy or foundation subjects and how you can be creative with your lessons.

This is such an under utilised time of the day for activity providers and I can't wait to hear how this lands with you? Have you ever considered approaching schools and nurseries around daytime work rather than just after school provision?

Come and share your ‘aha’ moments from this episode in my free group for children's activity providers approaching schools at: www.facebook.com/groups/primaryactivityproviderbusinessclub

In this week's episode I want to explore with you extra curricular clubs and how you can get more of them into schools.

I discuss:

• what extra curricular clubs are and how they are broader than just after school clubs
• how to find more hours in the week that you could offer your club
• how to handle any objections to running clubs in the setting
• ways to create opportunities  within the settings that they might not have considered themselves
• how you can explore different spaces that can be used within schools
• how to create a compelling offer
• getting buy in from schools to advertise your club
  
  

There is so much to think about when approaching schools about extra curricular clubs. Sometimes the schools themselves will not have considered all of the benefits of clubs and interesting ways and ideas to bring them to their pupils and parents. How can you support schools to bring your ideas to life?

Come and share your ‘aha’ moments from this episode in my free group for children's activity providers approaching schools at: www.facebook.com/groups/primaryactivityproviderbusinessclub

In today's episode I want to talk to you about how to follow up with key decision makers in nurseries and schools. I know it can feel demoralising when you send an email or a letter and get no response but are you stopping there? Is there something more you could be doing?

I am going to talk about:

• are your emails working for you?
• how you feel about following up and how many times is the right amount of times
• what is expected from decision makers
• what are the ways that you can follow up?
• the 3 P's 
• the level of belief you need in your offer

Let me support you to follow up in a way that feels empowering and thoughtful so you actually have teachers thanking you! I can't wait to hear from you when you start to action my tips from today.

Come and share your ‘aha’ moments from this episode in my free group for children's activity providers approaching schools at www.facebook.com/groups/primaryactivityproviderbusinessclub