Creating Your Preschool Brand – Iris Florets Story

Building a preschool brand can sound daunting, but it’s not an impossible task, as explored in the journey of Iris Florets, a preschool brand that began in 2015 now boasts over 145+ branches. Iris Educare has developed into a successful preschool franchise after lots of research and planning. Today, they enjoy a wide presence of their brand across India, Nepal, and Uganda.

Ms. Radhika Turlapati started as a teacher and as she progressed in her career, she advanced in Curriculum R&D. That’s when she put together all her knowledge in building an academically strong and successful preschool brand. Ms. Turlapati talks about her transition from teaching to franchisee owner and finally becoming a franchisor of Iris Florets – the happy school.

“I started my career as a teacher and alongside did a lot of research on early childhood education out of my own interest. Then I put my steps into running a preschool franchise. Advancing to a leading position almost seemed like the next logical step. After so many years of experience in the preschool industry, we finally launched our own brand – Iris Florets.”

The development of the brand – Iris Educare was sure overwhelming in the beginning. We did come across few challenges, acknowledges Ms. Turlapati.

“During my tenure of running a franchise preschool, deep down I had a different perspective of doing things. Maybe it was the curriculum where I wanted to give customization, maybe it was the uniform or maybe the teaching aids – there was something that I wanted to revise and put my own ideas into. These little things that bothered me as a franchisee led me to become a franchisor so that I could redefine the way preschools function.”

After gaining experience running a franchise, Ms. Turlapati managed to become a more considerate and mindful franchisor. Working as a franchisor involves catering to the:

1. Preschool operations
2. Locality based necessities
3. Analysing the competition in the area
4. Building the brand name through the successful functioning of each franchisee

Iris Educare branched out as Iris Florets in and outside India, as Ms. Turlapati shares, her experience of being a franchisee helped her understand how crucial her role as a franchisor is to keep up the morale of each franchise.

She says, “Sometimes even petty concerns from a partner require great attention. It is the little things that often blow out of proportion. I knew that through my past experiences. That’s where I want to create a difference by being meticulous about every single detail, by being approachable and giving quick resolution to queries put forth by my business partners.”

Beyond delivering the basic set up to franchisees, a franchisor’s duty extends to the school’s credibility and reputation. Ms. Turlapati explained how she ensures the same, “I put myself into the shoes of a franchisee, and as well as a scrutinize things from a parent’s perspective to comprehend if what we are doing is creating excellence or not.”

THE FATE OF THE BRAND DURING THE PANDEMIC

Keeping up the vision and its brand name during the pandemic became a challenge. The pre-primary school sector was responsible for meeting the expectation of franchisees, children and parents.

Ms. Turlapati expresses her concern about the sudden drift in the modes of teaching and highlights her concern for the students to adapt to the new modes of learning. She adds,

“This is a crucial time where kids need the most attention and explanation to the current crisis. Children were missing out on socialization, physical activity and engagement. And being an educator, I couldn’t see the loss our young children had to face during the pandemic.”

Ms. Turlapati shares how her team of academic experts redesigned the curriculum to suit the digital pattern of teaching, as they introduced more activities in the class which would limit an additional screen time; thereby catering to the children’s overall health and happiness.
She says, “Our objective is not just academic progress but to ensure that the child is receiving holistic development. Staying active socially was just not sufficient. Children need physical activity too. Without sports or physical fitness, the child will not be able to process all the learning he/she had in the classroom.”

Iris florets have always had sports programs as a part of the curriculum. Even when the world went virtual, Iris florets managed to adapt to the virtual world and worked through the challenges to provide the children with an education that corresponds with children’s need at the time.

BUILDING A CURRICULUM

Multiple curricular ideologies are available to the preschools, and adopting one isn’t an easy task. Curriculum designing requires the preschool to:

Setting an intention

The school values, pedagogical approaches, the individual needs of the children are all factors that require consideration before designing a curriculum.

Enrichment of the educational process

As a franchisor, it is necessary to consider the type of enrichment programs each franchisee can offer. The franchisor can work with the franchise holder based on the branch’s location and resource availability. It is crucial to provide enrichment programs that will cater to the development of the child.

 The right balance 

Quality education depends on the balance of activities and the depth of lessons offered by a school. While selecting a proper curriculum, a healthy balance has to be assured, and Iris florets combine various techniques to ensure the same, as explained by Ms. Turlapati,

“We introduced four renowned pedagogies into our curriculum. We integrated Montessori, the play way method, the project-based method, Reggio Emilia and curated Iris Power Curriculum model.”

Teacher training

When creating a successful preschool brand, the management must work with the stakeholders to ensure that the teachers are trained and qualified.

Timely interventions and regular training are required to maintain a quality brand of preschool.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT

Method of teaching

According to Iris Florets ideology, ‘Every child is unique, and hence the learning process for every child also should be unique.’

When parents send their children to preschool, they have high hopes and expectations. As Ms. Turlapati rightly explained, “Teaching an ABC or one two three, it’s a simple thing for any parent. But how the child learns and how we teach is important.”

No two children are the same, and Iris Florets caters to the multiple needs of their students. According to Ms. Turlapati, “Children are different type of learners. Some pick up on audio-visual, some pick up with just reading. So, considering this, we created a curriculum that suits all types of learners.”

A happy environment

Iris Florets is ‘THE HAPPY PLAYSCHOOL’

They adhere to the tagline when providing an enriching and nurturing environment to 21st-century children.

She notes, “Millenial parents understand the importance of laying the right foundation to their child’s early childhood education. It’s the most crucial time where children explore the world around them. We, at Iris Florets, strive to provide a positive and happy environment so that every child comes in and goes out of the school with giggles and chuckles.”

The uniform

The uniform isn’t a mere piece of cloth but an image. It is the key identifier of which school the child goes to. Iris florets as a brand ensured that their promise of quality transfers into their uniform too.

“Children are very delicate, and you need to look into the texture of the cloth, whether it suits the child and also considering the weather in our country and our presence internationally.”

Being in a leadership position, there is an added responsibility to look into these details, Ms. Turlapati says.

Safety and security

A school that respects and is vigilant about the safety and the security of its children builds lasting trust and credibility in society. At Iris Florets, every concern is considered while maintaining a safe and happy environment for its students.

While discussing an incident, Ms. Turlapati gave an example of how on Independence Day or Republic Day, flag pins provided to the children might be dangerous. Ms. Turlapati says,

“We don’t want to disrespect our flag. At the same time, we can never compromise on the safety aspect. We started putting it with double tape such that it’s totally harmless to the child.”

At Iris Florets, no concern is small. It is due to their holistic approach and inclusive methods that Iris Florets has made a name for itself in the country.

Being a former teacher, Ms. Turlapati’s attitude as a franchisor goes beyond the business aspect. When it comes to running the preschool branches, she draws on her background as a teacher and a franchisee.

Iris Educare’s nurturing model has aided in its growth and success through these years. It has given a solid foundation to children, joyful moments to parents, and quality services to its franchisees. This mindful approach has helped them build a successful preschool brand that has been going strong for years and will reach new heights in the days that follow.

Written by Stuti