Childhood Education Wonder Woman: Alexandra Sim
Mompreneurs We Love
Every parent wants the best for their children. One of the most fundamental needs for a child is education and yet it's not uncommon for parents to struggle to find the right kind of education for their children, especially when it comes to early childhood education.
Eve Writes | 18 September 2019
One mother knew enough the struggle of finding a good early childhood when she was looking for the right early childhood education for her daughter. Wanting her daughter to have a wholesome experience that's not just focused on academic, but also holistic experience, Alexandra Sim found it hard to find an early childhood education centre that caters to this.
So what did she do?
She decided she would open one herself!
If a woman is sufficiently ambitious, determined, and gifted,
there is practically nothing she can't do.
In this round of About Eve series of Mompreneurs We Love, we talk to Alexandra Sim, the Founder and Managing Director for Choo Choo Train Baby & Childcare Centre.
Choo Choo Train is an early childhood education centre that strives to strike a balance between care and learning for infants and young children from as young as 2 months old to preschoolers of 4 years old. What started as a simple centre for young children in Mutiara Damansara, Alexandra has now managed to open a franchise of 7 other centres around Klang Valley and she's not showing any sign of slowing down!
We talked to this energetic mompreneur to understand more about her passion and how she manages a family, her centres, and how does she find time for herself in the midst of a productive schedule.
Tell us about your business and what was your motivation to start it?
Initially, the idea of opening up Choo Choo Train Baby & Childcare Centre comes from own experience as a working mom. After I've had my daughter, I was looking around for a good centre for her so I can make sure she's getting the best while I'm at work. But I couldn't find a suitable daycare or babysitter places which suit my requirements which has good environment, qualified caregiver as well as a centre that follows proper guidelines provided by JKM.
It makes me realise if I couldn’t find the right place for my daughter, why not open a centre which fulfilling my standards on my own! This way I can guarantee the qualities and at the same time get to establish my own business.
Can you share a little bit of your experience in starting out your first childcare centre and where do you go from there?
It wasn't easy, but it wasn't entirely difficult either. I have to make sure I obtained the right certification and go for all the necessary trainings. Setting up a childcare centre is very serious so I pursued the knowledge in professional care and early childhood education for quite some time.
It's highly vital to have legitimate and proper certifications because many parents are very particular about this. So I spent a lot of time in the earlier stage making sure the necessary legal and safety regulations are followed before I can officially open the first centre.
How do you manage a franchise and what are the biggest challenges?
To manage one centre already played the biggest part in ensuring your business runs smoothly, so when it comes to managing seven is a whole new thing altogether! I make sure I supervise and check these centres myself. I make full use of my 5 working days to visit each centre and always keep in touch with the licensees to know the condition of their business. Choo Choo Train has 4 main centres and 3 licensing centres and our licensees see the centres as their own business where they can grow as a businessperson. This is why we also provide training and resources for licensees who are interested to open up a centre under Choo Choo Train.
By making personal visit and maintaining a healthy relationship with my centre managers, I can help to ensure each of Choo Choo Train centre follows the guidelines provided in our SOP.
When it comes to challenges, the truth is, it's really in managing the clients' expectations and satisfaction. Being a parent who was once looking for exactly what Choo Choo Train provides, I understand and identify with the clients' needs in making sure their kids get the best. But it can be quite a challenge to maintain and improve our standard when we aim to charge parents with lower school fees. The maximum percentage to increase the school fee is only up to 5%. If we ever decide to increase it again according to the market price, some parents might not be able to afford it. Hence, it will go against my initial plan, which is also to cater affordable childcare service for most of working parents.
It took a little work to find that balance of providing high quality childcare centre at an affordable price, but I'm really thankful that we have a great team who knows what are our priorities and understands that cutting corners is out of the question.
How many children do you have? How do you manage work-life balance?
I have one beautiful and genius daughter who knows how to be independent at a very young age. Being a working mom, it can be quite heartbreaking knowing you can't spend that much time with your children. But because I also understand I'm doing this for her, I make sure I treasure and make full use any time I have with her. I always insist we have our own family time once my husband and I are back from the office. Oh, we make sure our weekends are fun and fulfilling as well so we always look forward to the weekend hahaha!
Other than that, I also make sure I don't do office-related work at home while my daughter is around. It's important to me for her to know that when I'm at home, all my focus and attention is for the family.
Tell us a bit about your routine and how do you manage your time?
Since I fully utilise my 5 working days, I manage my operations and administration work during these 5 days. It ranges from checking and catching up with the employees to make sure everything runs smoothly or take note of any complaints/issues they have. I also spend some time looking into parents' enquiries, usually about their children's progress or any centre's issues, and help them to solve their grievances as quickly and as effectively as possible. I also make sure I squeeze in some exercise or workout in the evening. It helps to take my mind off work-related things for an hour or two!
What do you do for me time?
My me time is very simple so I can catch it whenever I'm feeling a little tense. All I need is a warm mug of coffee (I swear I run on this thing hahaha!) while I read. I usually read materials related to parenting because it helps me gain better perspective on my business, but yeah, coffee and books for my me time and I'm happy!
What are the biggest lessons for you as an entrepreneur so far?
Never give up even though when you encounter any problems related to your business field. It's not easy to build your own reputation in any industry without feeling scared, but use that as encouragement to push forward and face all bitterness of challenges because the sweetness in the end is priceless!
What are you advice/tips for moms who want to be entrepreneurs?
Always focus on the things you already planned. Always. Be committed to what you decide to accomplish even though the road is not easy.
To make sure your plan and ambition are on track, take care of your health! I'm a big believer in healthy body, healthy mind. Always remember to get enough rest and have a balanced diet habit because when it boost your energy level, you get the job done and you can stay on top of the game!
You can make a difference in child's life with Choo Choo Train Baby & Childcare Centre Licensing Program Package which includes integrated infant & childcare system, monthly lesson plans, Choo Choo Train very own specialised Organic & Nutritious Food Menu, training, and many other supporting resources. Check out Choo Choo Train here to know more.
