Building a life and career around your passions is a dream for many, but often few dare to pursue it. If this sounds familiar and you dream of turning your passion into a livelihood, you’re in the right place. 

Everyone has a passion for something — whether it is making a difference in the world, creating art, or teaching young minds. No matter your interest, turning a passion into a children’s activity business can be tough to start, but ultimately becomes a rewarding path that benefits a generation of learners. Combining the subjects you love with education can inspire students to discover their own dreams and grow their dreams upon a foundation of inspiration. In the words of W.B. Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” 

If you’re ready to light a fire in students and turn your passion into a profit, here are four steps to help you get started. 

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1. Investigate your why 

Why do you want to start a business? Some entrepreneurs dream of being their own manager, while others strive to be creative on their own terms. Regardless of your reason for starting a business, it often starts with a ‘why.’ 

Curious minds (and parents) are well-acquainted with the question, “Why?” This simple word encompasses a million curiosities, but asking yourself about your why is imperative when you consider turning your passion into a children’s activity business. Before you chart out a business plan, spend time writing and thinking about your why. What drove you to start thinking about starting a business? What made you think about education as a career? What inspires you to get up every morning? By writing down your answers, you’ll have the foundation of a company mission and the tools to make the why behind your passion into a viable business. 

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2. Remember that big dreams can have small beginnings 

Even if you wish upon every star in the sky, turning your passion into a full-time job won’t happen overnight. The silver lining to starting small is that you can minimize risk and follow your dreams. In the first days of starting a company, you’ll learn a lot. By starting small, you make space for the common mistakes that are part of the learning process. 

In these early days, focus on testing what you want your business to become and who you want your audience to be. See where you can scale by investigating where and in what directions your business can grow. In time, you’ll figure out what works best for your ambitions and slowly but surely your small beginnings will turn into something bigger and brighter. 

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3. Identify your strengths and areas of improvement

Understanding your strengths and weaknesses can help you lay a strong foundation for your new children’s activity business. To identify your strengths, you can start by listening to feedback from those you trust at work and in your personal life. Then, think about your passions, take personality tests, and think about what you might find difficult to accomplish. By identifying and building on your strengths, you can become a self-aware entrepreneur and start building skills in areas you need to work on. 

For example, if you’re an expert dancer and marketing professional who wants to start a dance studio for kids, you’ll have a headstart on acquiring new customers, crafting a brand, and perfecting a dance curriculum. On the other hand, you may need help to build skills in business operations, financial management, technology, and sales. 

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4. Keep your goals manageable  

This last tip goes back to starting small. Just as everyone has a passion, people also have ambitions. When you start a children’s activity business, it might be easy to envision a children’s activity empire (hello, Gymboree). Every educator — regardless of if they’re famous in their field or beloved in their neighborhood — had to start somewhere. Your venture will grow in time, but make sure to set reasonable expectations for yourself as you start turning your passion into a full-time job. When setting goals for your first few weeks, months, and even years of business, be realistic. In the long run, you can always grow your goals; but giving yourself space to reach realistic milestones will serve you well in the long run. 

If you’re ready to turn your passions into a business, reach out to a member of our team today! Sawyer powers best-in-class educators across the United States and our team has software solutions to support budding entrepreneurs and seasoned children’s activity business experts.