Father’s Search for High Quality Child Care Inspires Him to Franchise with Children’s Lighthouse

Tarakesh Potluri’s journey into franchising began with his personal experience searching for  suitable child care for his son, which sparked the idea of starting a franchise. Despite initial challenges in finding available child care franchises, a chance meeting at an entrepreneur event led him to discover Children’s Lighthouse. Impressed by its reputation, curriculum and well-maintained facilities, Potluri decided to pursue this opportunity seriously and will be opening his own location in Wake Forest, North Carolina, within the next two years. 

Potluri’s goal for the first year is ambitious: to enroll at least 100 students in the first three months. His passion for ensuring top-quality education and care for children, along with his commitment to continuous improvement, underscores his dedication to making Children’s Lighthouse a success.

Potluri took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what he had to say.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Tarakesh Potluri: Before this, I was working as a senior business analyst in Salesforce and ERP applications. Both my wife and I have IT backgrounds; she’s a product owner, and I’ve been a business and quality analyst since 2008. I was actually working with different people to understand what business ownership opportunities best suited us. 

At the time, my son was four-and-a-half years old, and we were exploring child care options. We realized how important and impactful a good child care facility can be. That’s when the idea of starting a childcare business came about. I initiated some discussions, but initially, I couldn’t find any child care franchises available. Fortunately, I attended an entrepreneur meeting and met a person named Sachin who mentioned opportunities in child care franchising. That rekindled my interest, and I began looking into a couple of franchises. I learned about Children’s Lighthouse from a friend who had a positive experience there. This made me pursue the idea more seriously. 

1851 Franchise: What was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Potluri: Initially, I thought franchising meant the franchisor would help us start a branch, provide information on running the business and leverage their brand name to kick-start the venture. However, once I delved into the details, like franchise disclosure documents and understanding royalties and fees, I realized it depends a lot on the specific franchise. 

1851 Franchise: What made you choose this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Potluri: The first thing that attracted me to Children’s Lighthouse was its reputation. Despite having only five locations in the area, all of them have a good reputation. I was impressed by their curriculum and how well-maintained the schools are. They look like proper schools, which I appreciated. Additionally, during my validation calls, everyone praised their support system. They are always available to assist, which reassures me that I am in a great place.

1851 Franchise: What’s your big goal for your first year?

Potluri: My goal for the first year is to get as many students enrolled as possible. Specifically, I aim to have at least 100 enrollments in the first three months.

1851 Franchise: What’s the No. 1 thing about your story you want us to know?

Potluri: I am a very passionate person and I want to ensure that children receive top-quality education and care. It’s important to me that both children and parents feel happy and at peace knowing their kids are at Children’s Lighthouse. I strive to be a great coordinator, ensuring all facilities and resources are available for the best possible quality at the location. I am dedicated to continuously improving our processes and services to make our customers and children happy.

1851: What advice do you have for aspiring franchisees?

Potluri: Not all franchises have great customer service or well-established processes. It’s crucial to choose a franchise with good business practices and brand recognition. Franchisees should help define best practices, but success depends on adhering to these practices. Just signing up for a franchise doesn’t guarantee success; you need to follow the rules and work hard to maintain the brand’s reputation in the market.

ABOUT CHILDREN’S LIGHTHOUSE

The Children’s Lighthouse brand was established in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1997. Children’s Lighthouse Early Learning Schools™ promise to create a safe, fun, and happy place that gives children confidence, a sense of comfort today, and a lifelong love of learning, friendship, and community. Its proprietary curriculum helps children of all ages develop healthy brains, bodies and best behaviors.