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Shanu Mathur worked with kids for years before encountering Safari Kid. She volunteered and worked with young children in India and Australia before she and her family moved to the United States in 2012. Shanu knew by that point that she wanted not only to continue working with kids but build something of her own.
A Quick Introduction to Safari Kid Franchise
Shanu and her husband met Safari Kid franchise founder and CEO, Shadokth “Shy” Mudakavi, and Chief Financial Officer, Deepak Mudakavi, in 2018. Shanu soon realized that this was the opportunity she’d been looking for.
“I really liked their vision and philosophy on working with children,” Shanu explained. “I looked into some other schools and brands, but I really gelled with Shy and Deepak.”
Shanu knew that the biggest issue for many franchises in the preschool and education industry was finding adequate space, so she made that the priority as soon as she signed her franchise agreement for three locations on the Bay Area Peninsula. She was prepared for a challenge, but to her surprise, she quickly found a space in San Mateo, California, that she couldn’t pass up. Within a few months of meeting Shy and Deepak, she was already well on her way to making her goals a reality.
From the beginning, Shanu knew she wanted to be involved with the day-to-day operations of running her Safari Kid preschool franchise, while her husband would play an important role in supporting her on the back end. This was more than a business opportunity for her; it was an opportunity to take her interest in childhood development and education to the next level.
Even with two locations open and running now, Shanu is still as involved as she was when she first opened. Once her newest location in Redwood City opened, she decided to hire a director for the already-established San Mateo location so that she could assume the role of Director at the Redwood City location. She knew her new location would need more attention as she worked on instating it in the local community.
Unmatched Franchise Support
“From a business perspective, the best thing about Safari Kid is that it’s small enough that leadership really cares about each of their franchisees, but big enough that they really matter,” Shanu said, in summary of how Safari Kid stands apart in the world of preschool franchises.
She went on to describe how much their support impressed her from the very beginning. Whenever she had a question or concern about finding vendors, real estate, or the design of the learning centers, the setup process, anything that she needed clarity on in the slightest, the Safari Kid team was, and continues to be, easy to reach.
This unrivaled franchise support is partly why she’s felt so confident about opening her Redwood City location this past October. She knew that she could count on Safari Kid to assist her each step of the way, throughout the process of setting up the business end of her preschool franchise and learning the curriculum that drew her to partnering with Shy and Deepak in the first place.
The Groundbreaking Curriculum at Safari Kid Franchises
Shanu had considered several other business opportunities and franchise options before settling on Safari Kid as the right choice but found each lacking, especially regarding the curriculum and educational research.
“The curriculum is aged-based and ability-based, so you’re meeting the children at their level. Each child grows at a different pace, and the Safari Kid curriculum takes that into account,” Shanu said.
She was drawn to the way lessons made room for play as well as academics and more straightforward approaches to learning. This balance makes it possible to meet each child where they’re at in their educational journey instead of pressuring children to meet arbitrary standards before they’re ready.
An Approach to Education Parents Can’t Get Enough Of
For any new business, there’s a crucial period of time where a business owner builds their credibility in the community. Although Shanu’s first learning center has only been open for a few years, she’s already discovered what a difference it makes to parents that the vision cultivated at Safari Kid is one of a kind.
“This business is very word of mouth,” Shanu said. “As parents start finding out about the school from other parents, you’ll get a steady stream of students enrolling. Once the parents know about you, it’s easy.” In other words, Safari Kid practically markets itself.