MO-SECA Business Academy - Kirksville

Are you newly enrolled in our administrator coaching program? Join us for an overview of the MO-SECA project and benefits. We will give a quick summary of the program and answer your questions.

Please note: No clock hours are awarded for this general overview session.

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What draws most early childhood professionals into their careers? Most likely, it isn’t budgets and employee handbooks. When our days get full with caring for the children we serve, we often drop the priority of getting the business side of things complete. How can we get it all done? Susan Tomlinson Schmidt has spent more than 30 years working with administrators to improve their business practices. Her perspective on how actually getting down to business will help us serve children better will inspire you to prioritize the tasks that are typically at the bottom of your list. Learn the how’s and why’s of taking care of business.

[MOPD Reference: The Upside of Getting Down to Business - 1.5 clock hours]

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This session explores the important role risk management has on program finances, including positive and negative outcomes. In this applied session, administrators will work through the steps required to assess and plan for risk events for their ECE program. Administrators will discuss and reflect on their personal level of risk tolerance and ways to increase opportunities for developing a thriving ECE program.

[MOPD Reference:  Managing Risk - 1.5 clock hours] 

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This session explores the intersection of a dynamic ECE marketplace, program vision/mission/values, and organizational capacity including core capabilities. In this applied session, administrators will be led through the strategic fit process and will reflect on what makes their program truly unique and how to use this approach to ensure their program’s sustainability within a complex ECE landscape.

[MOPD Reference: Determining Your Program's Strategic Fit - 1.5 clock hours]

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The session uses a cloud-based planning tool, LivePlan that provides sample business plans, market research tools, and also allows the writer to bring in advisors, SBDC counselors, or anyone who could contribute to the development of a business plan. Attendees will be exposed to research tools, cloud-based templates, and expertise relevant to developing a business plan for a childcare facility. This exposure and the associated lecture will provide the skills to evaluate a market and understand a business model leading to the creation of a usable, strategic business plan.

[MOPD Reference: Strategies for Success: Business Planning for Growth - 1.5 clock hours]

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Minimizing the risk associated with your family child care business is essential to protecting the children, the families, and your business. We define risk management, identify the potential hazards the family child care owner could encounter, and discuss strategies to alleviate the hazard to provide a safe and healthy environment for all parties, but most importantly the children.

[MOPD Reference: Secure Your Business - 1.5 clock hours]

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This session explores the powerful impact motivation plays in attracting and retaining high-quality EC staff members. Administrators will learn, discuss, and reflect on ways to effectively motivate staff including common motivators and demotivators for EC staff. In this applied session, administrators will develop a plan for identifying individual motivational factors and how to meet the needs of existing and new staff members within their EC program.

[MOPD Reference: Motivating ECE Staff - 1.5 clock hours]

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The session uses a cloud-based planning tool, LivePlan that provides sample business plans, market research tools, and also allows the writer to bring in advisors, SBDC counselors, or anyone who could contribute to the development of a business plan. Attendees will be exposed to research tools, cloud-based templates, and expertise relevant to developing a business plan for a childcare facility. This exposure and the associated lecture will provide the skills to evaluate a market and understand a business model leading to the creation of a usable, strategic business plan.

[MOPD Reference: Strategies for Success: Business Planning for Growth - 1.5 clock hours]

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This discussion is designed to empower early childhood business owners and educators to articulate their vision, uphold their core values, and amplify their impact through purpose-driven actions.

[MOPD Reference: Voices of Vision - 1.5 clock hours]

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Being a visible, contributing member of your community is key to the success of any small business. In Part 1, we will be discussing the importance of community relationships and marketing. We will examine various strategies to increase community involvement and visibility utilizing marketing tools. In addition, we will look at essential best practices in communicating with families. We will review essential policies that should be included in your family handbook. It is recommended you bring your current handbook to training for reference.

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This session introduces best practices for assessing and managing ECE staff performance and how this impacts overall program effectiveness. This applied session offers administrators an opportunity to practice conducting a performance review meeting and how to set SMART performance goals that align staff development and program operations needs.

[MOPD Reference: Performance Management and Evaluation - 1.5 clock hours]

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The session and materials are designed to educate center owners/managers in using their financial statements to serve the optimal number of children based on current markets, cash flow, and industry reports/comparisons. At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be able to:

1. Define and list the roles of the services of the Missouri SBDC and DESE, and access and apply the tools and services of the two organizations.
2. Conduct and apply financial analysis and forecasts in analyzing a center's financial strength and capacity.
3. Create and explain basic financial statements, forecasts, and key center financial ratios.
4. Present/explain a complete financial analysis in sufficient detail for a particular audience, including lenders, grantors, partners, investors, etc.

[MOPD Reference: Understanding Financial Dynamics to Serve More Children Part 1 - 1.5 clock hours]

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Every businessowner is looking for ways to increase revenue and care for themselves and their family. In Part 2, we will examine strategies for success through exploring opportunities to increase revenue for your family child care business. There will be ample opportunities to network with your colleagues as we move into the importance of providing benefits such as paid holidays, vacation days, sick days and professional development days as well as other benefits to ensure your overall well-being and personal growth.

[MOPD Reference: Strategies for Success: Business Practices and Supports Part 2 - 1.5 clock hours]

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This session focuses on the pivotal role marketing and communications play in connecting with their program’s families and community. Administrators will discuss how to craft a thoughtful, engaging marketing strategy to effectively communicate the unique value and benefits of their program. In this applied session, administrators will share real world examples of marketing and external communications for EC programs and discuss how to develop an effective external communications strategy.

[MOPD Reference: Marketing and External Communications - 1.5 clock hours]

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The session and materials are designed to educate center owners/managers in using their financial statements to serve the optimal number of children based on current markets, cash flow, and industry reports/comparisons. At the conclusion of this activity, the participants should be able to:

1. Define and list the roles of the services of the Missouri SBDC and DESE, and access and apply the tools and services of the two organizations.
2. Conduct and apply financial analysis and forecasts in analyzing a center's financial strength and capacity.
3. Create and explain basic financial statements, forecasts, and key center financial ratios.
4. Present/explain a complete financial analysis in sufficient detail for a particular audience, including lenders, grantors, partners, investors, etc.

[MOPD Reference: Understanding Financial Dynamics to Serve More Children Part 1 - 1.5 clock hours]

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