Most people love it when they are surrounded by beautiful things, when the interior of their apartment or house is admired by friends and acquaintances, when the external design is in harmony with their internal state. The services of interior designers are in great demand. However, competition in this area is very high. If you are a professional in the field of design, think about starting your own profitable business and are looking for a promising and yet unoccupied direction, consider opening ... a design school. This is a relatively new phenomenon for our country, and in the regions there are few or even no analogues to similar schools.
What is such a school like? Unlike various educational institutions where they train for designers with the issuance of a document of a standard form about their education, the new generation design schools are closer to courses or even leisure centers. Although they provide training, they do not issue diplomas and certificates (at least of some importance). True, in this case there is no need for documents on completed training, since such courses are not intended for training specialists or advanced training, but for amateurs who want to get basic knowledge in the field of interior design and, most importantly, applied skills in this area.
Who is the main target audience of such schools? These are mainly women over the age of 25, housewives whose family income level starts from average or higher. They have their own apartments (less often home ownership), where they are going to soon make repairs. Moreover, according to surveys, most of the students in interior design courses do not plan to use the services of designers in the process of creating a new interior for their home. The reasons for this may be different. Someone believes that the ideal design of an apartment can only be created by its owner, without the help of intermediaries. Someone cannot afford the services of a specialist. And someone is thinking about getting a design profession in the future, but for now wants to get basic knowledge and try himself in a new role, using his apartment as a “training material”.
According to entrepreneurs who opened design schools in various Russian regions, this business is not simple, but interesting and profitable. The amount of investment depends on the city where the courses are opened, as well as on their scope. Some fit into small amounts - from 300 thousand rubles, but according to preliminary estimates, 800 thousand rubles will be required to open a design school.
At first glance, there are no particular difficulties in opening such an institution. However, in the process of organization, novice businessmen are faced with various problems that have to be solved in a “working order”. Most of these difficulties are due to the fact that most often such a business is opened by people who have the education and experience of an interior designer (often even have experience in teaching), but who are far from entrepreneurship, who do not know all the nuances and organizational aspects of starting their own business . It is not surprising that it’s quite difficult for them to solve the usual issues for any entrepreneur related to the choice of the legal form of doing business, the organization of accounting, promotion and advertising, as well as the correct positioning of the services of their center. Let’s try to understand all these nuances that are so relevant for new owners of their own business.
We choose the legal form
First you need to decide on the appropriate form of organization of your business. There are several options suitable for organizing an interior design school. This is an individual enterprise (IP), a limited liability company (LLC), or a private educational institution (formerly LEU). An individual entrepreneur, as in the case of other organizational and legal forms, has the right to carry out independent entrepreneurial activity in any field not prohibited by applicable law. An entrepreneur can perform any commercial operations aimed at making a profit, act as one of the parties to the contract. As part of the IP business, he has the right to act as an employer (however, there are certain nuances here). The legislation also provides for the possibility for individual entrepreneurs to open bank accounts for settlements with customers and suppliers. All these rights, in turn, impose certain obligations on the IP, which are also due to the specifics of its legal status. We note one more important point: registration of an individual as an individual entrepreneur does not deprive him of the civil rights guaranteed to every citizen of the Russian Federation. For example, the implementation of entrepreneurial activity is included in the general seniority of a citizen, which allows him to receive a retirement pension in the future. Other rights that are presented to him by virtue of certain provisions of the law also apply to IP. For example, to receive a disability pension or a retirement pension upon reaching retirement age.
Registering an IP is easier than other types of business. The whole procedure will take about a week and includes several stages, the nature of which depends on the form in which the future entrepreneur will go through it - personally, through an online service or through a representative. So, having decided to register and work as an entrepreneur, you should decide whether you will use the financial assistance provided by the employment center. If so, the first step is to register directly with the employment center. There you will need to register as unemployed before starting an enterprise, otherwise you will no longer be able to apply for cash assistance. This subsidy can be a good help for a novice entrepreneur. Another important step in the process of gaining status is the choice of type of activity. Particular attention should be paid to the type of activity that will be indicated first in the statement, since it will be the main one.
In our case, the following OKVEDs are most suitable:
08/18/2019 Further education of children.
80.42. Adult education and other types of education not included in other groups.
Please note: during 2015, the previous version of OKVED is valid (OK 029-2001 (NACE Rev. 1)). The transition period for the use of the new OKVED2 (OK 029-2014 NACE Rev. 2) was extended until January 1, 2016 (order dated 08/18/2019 No. 1261-st, letter of the Federal Tax Service of Russia dated 08/18/2019 No. ED-4-2 / 21612) . In 2015, when opening new types of business, it is recommended to use old codes. In 2016, inspectors themselves must change the old codes to new ones in the registry (letter of the Federal Tax Service of Russia dated 08/18/2019 No. SA-4-14 / 16465).
For the type of economic activity under consideration, be prepared to provide a certificate of tax conviction if you intend to engage in educational, educational activities or work with children (which is most likely to be useful when organizing such courses).
Having decided on the tax system, you can fill out an application for registration of IP 2015 according to form P21001. The form can be obtained from the tax service at the place of residence (in the same place you must register an individual entrepreneur regardless of which city you intend to carry out entrepreneurial activity in) or download from official websites on the Internet. You can fill in forms manually or print text on a computer: the main thing is that there are no errors and corrections. It is forbidden to make edits to the printed text; if you suddenly make a mistake, you have to rewrite the statement again.
The procedure for registering an individual entrepreneur in connection with the opening of an online registration resource has been greatly simplified. An absolute plus is that there is no need to go to a notary public, fill out a paper form, pay a state fee, standing in queues. To register, you need to go through a simple procedure on the tax service website. In addition to personal data, you will also need to indicate the OKVED code. For those who wish to pay a fee for registering an entrepreneur through a bank, a receipt for payment is formed. You can pay it with your own bank card without leaving your home. After payment, you should wait for confirmation that the payment has reached the address and the application has been accepted. Together with him, a notification should be sent to the e-mail address about when you need to come to the bodies of the Federal Tax Service to complete the registration procedure. When going to the tax office, do not forget to bring your passport and the original payment receipt (if the payment was made through a bank). Another way of registration (quite popular among our compatriots) is through an authorized representative. As such, it can be a lawyer, any specialist in the field of law, as well as any person with experience in registering IP. You can also carry out the entire procedure yourself. An application can be submitted directly to the tax office or via mail, but then the application must be notarized (or rather, not the application itself, but the signature on it of the person who wants to become an entrepreneur); a copy of the passport must also be notarized. So, the main stages of registration: collection and preparation of documents; the actual writing and execution of an application for registration in the approved form; payment of state duty (in any bank branch at the specified details); sending documents or submitting them personally by the applicant to the tax service; in case of a positive review of the application, you should once again visit the Federal Tax Service to obtain documents on registration of IP. After registration, you will need to open a bank account, notify the tax office about the start of your business, choose a tax form, order a seal, etc.
With the registration of a limited liability company, the situation is somewhat more complicated. For the registration of LLC will have to pay 4000 rubles. But the company can be registered on two or more participants at the legal address of the head office. LLC can be sold or reissued. The company conducts accounting, which entails additional costs for an accountant, but for other partner companies, LLC looks more solid. Although in our case this solidity is not so necessary. The director, receiving the proceeds, must pay a dividend tax of 9%. The founders bear administrative responsibility for the debts and obligations of their company within the authorized capital. The maximum fine for an LLC is 1, 000, 000 rubles. After the liquidation of the LLC, its obligations also terminate. Types of reporting for LLC - tax reporting to extra-budgetary funds. You can withdraw funds from the LLC’s settlement account only for certain purposes or to pay dividends with tax deduction of 9%, so this is not as profitable as in the case of individual entrepreneurs. For a limited liability company there are no restrictions on activities.
As for private educational institutions, it is still more complicated. On September 1, 2013, Federal Law “On Education in the Russian Federation” No. 273-FZ came into force, which regulates educational activities. Changes in the law affected the legal form of organizations entitled to conduct training. So, if previously only non-profit organizations (POW (formerly know-how) and non-profit organizations) had such a right, now LLC, CJSC and OJSC can also carry out educational activities on the basis of a license.
Unfortunately, the procedure for obtaining a license to conduct educational activities is quite complicated, lengthy and expensive. When applying to the services of intermediaries (and go through the registration procedure yourself, without having the appropriate experience, it will not be so simple, unlike registration of private entrepreneurs), the establishment of a private educational institution will cost in the amount of 16 thousand rubles. For comparison: the cost of registering an IP includes the payment of a state duty (800 rubles), making a seal (500 rubles), opening a current account (1000 rubles). At the same time, it is not necessary for an entrepreneur to start printing and a current account.
Keep in mind that the implementation of educational activities without a license is fraught with serious consequences up to criminal liability. However, there are quite legitimate reasons to avoid the need for a license. It is not required for conducting one-time lectures, seminars, trainings, organizing exhibitions, providing consultations, etc., but only if, at the end of these events, final certification is not carried out and students are not issued documents confirming their education or qualification. Such documents include diplomas, certificates, certificates, certificates, etc. In addition, individual labor teaching activities are not licensed, including in the field of professional training.
So, it is worth giving preference to IP if you are not sure that your business will succeed (IP is easier and much cheaper to close), if you work independently, without partners, if your customers are mainly individuals, if you don’t have a large start-up capital and if at first you are not going to provide services in the field of education (and later, if necessary, you can always register as a private educational institution). In the case of a design school (which is not a school in the strict sense of the word), the form of an LLC or a private educational institution is not the most optimal (under the conditions mentioned above), therefore we do not consider it in more detail in the framework of this article.
Practical moments of opening an interior design school
After resolving all legal issues (note rather complicated ones), you can begin to search for premises for your school. It must meet several basic criteria. First of all, this is the location. Keep in mind that your customers will come to you from different areas of the city. Accordingly, it makes no sense to become attached to a certain area, especially if it is sleeping. Such an institution is best opened closer to the city center, where it will be convenient to get from the most distant ends. However, the cost of renting in the center may be too high. Moreover, certain requirements are also imposed on the premises for the school of interior design. Its area may be small - from 40 square meters. meters (for a similar institution it is a little). The best option is a loft (that is, the initial construction of an economic purpose, as a rule, a warehouse or production workshop with high ceilings, rebuilt into an office or under another commercial project). But to find such a room in the city center is almost impossible. So you have to look for a compromise.
It is obvious that the interior of the school of interior design should be distinguished by originality and good taste. However, as they say, the entrepreneurs themselves who opened such courses, the investments in the design of the premises are not so large and are calculated in amounts from 100-150 thousand rubles. And this is taking into account the free design (after all, the staff of such schools has its own interior designers who can help with the project). Furniture from Ikea, of course, is unlikely to get along. However, even used chairs and tables, racks and shelves that have passed through the hands of experts, gain a second life in a completely new form.
A separate item of expenditure is working materials. In addition to the whiteboard or flip chart, you will also need office equipment - a printer, a copy machine, a projector for lectures, a computer or laptop. Most likely, the entrepreneur already has a part of this technique, so additional investments in its purchase will not be required. Do not forget about consumables - ink, paper, sheets of Whatman paper, markers, colored pencils, pens, simple pencils, color circles (for choosing color combinations), tracing paper, etc. You can take samples of fabrics and finishing materials from partners - manufacturers of flooring and wall coverings, furniture, kitchens, tiles, etc. Such a partnership will be useful for both parties: you will receive training materials, presentations, samples of materials, the opportunity to attend master classes and seminars by well-known manufacturing companies, and your partners, in their In turn, they will be able to increase sales and attract more regular customers. Advertising on the territory of affiliate stores works very effectively. Leaflets laid out on racks will attract many target customers to you.
However, this is far from the only way to promote your school. However, before deciding on the types of advertising, it is worthwhile to begin to study your target audience and, accordingly, the range of services you offer. It is advisable to divide one large course in interior design into several separate short-term courses. For example, instead of teaching the wisdom of design for three months, tell them for 1-3 days about all the nuances of planning and interior design in the bathroom or living room or kitchen or children's room. For three days, training, on the one hand, will not bother your not the most motivated students, but on the other hand will give them a lot of useful information and practical skills. If desired, students can continue their education and attend other courses. As a rule, such training is conducted in person, that is, your clients come to your class and comprehend the wisdom of design under the guidance of a teacher. However, you can train students and remotely using special programs. The easiest option is to use the Skype program and the free interior planner (such, for example, can be found on the Ikea website). This is not the most convenient option for the possibility of such programs and the options for the offered furniture are very limited. Nevertheless, for many people who want to create the design of their apartment or house with minimal investment and at the same time can not independently understand all the nuances of design, a little help from a specialist will be enough, which will give theoretical basics and, most importantly, practical planning skills.
However, you can’t go far on interior design training alone, experienced businessmen admit. If you are counting on a quick payback on your commercial project, you will have to expand the list of services and the target audience. This can be done through numerous courses, workshops and seminars on needlework and creativity. Moreover, they can be intended not only for adults, but also for children (usually from 10-12 years old). To conduct classes in these disciplines, it is not at all necessary to hire teachers. Look for handmade lovers and other creative people on local Internet resources (social networks, forums, blogs), as well as in various anti-cafes, “handicraft” shops and creative houses. In the state you can have only one person (he is a teacher). Moreover, you can play this role yourself if you have the appropriate education, knowledge and experience.
Approach the issue of advertising as creatively as you approach your business and your hobbies. You can use the most seemingly obvious options - distributing leaflets, advertising on the Internet (commercial topics on forums, banners on websites, groups on social networks). But put yourself in the shoes of a client - how would you interest him and motivate him to come to your school. The original submission of your proposal is already half the success. Do not forget about less familiar, but no less effective ways to get new listeners. For example, you can attract potential students on various joint purchase sites (these are Internet projects whose users combine to purchase various goods and even caddles at wholesale prices). Offer the participants of the joint venture small discounts and special conditions - and you will get many loyal customers.
As for the costs of opening our own design school, as we wrote above, they can vary significantly - from 100 thousand rubles (with a small room and mostly remote work) to 1 million rubles (for the central regions of our country). The average amount that you can count on when drawing up a business plan is estimated at 600-700 thousand rubles. Payback periods also depend on a large number of factors. The most realistic is the period of reaching self-sufficiency of 1 year. To open such a difficult, but creative business is in August-September. At this time, your potential clients come back from rest and with new forces begin to work, consider new directions for education and self-realization. During the New Year holidays (from November to February) there is a noticeable decrease in demand for such services. This can be avoided by selling gift subscriptions to attend a certain or any course of your choice of a gift recipient. The next seasonal decline is observed in the summer. To prevent it is somewhat more difficult, therefore, as a rule, school employees go on vacation at this time, and their management is engaged in compiling new programs for the next academic year and developing new ways to promote the business and attract customers.
Sysoeva Lilia
(c) www.clogicsecure.com - a portal to small business business plans and guides
08/18/2019