With a passion for caring for infants/toddlers care in the medical district, Tana and Leslie decided to make their vision a reality. “The medical district in Amarillo is growing and so is the need for a Christian preschool,” they stated. Their children’s center is unique from many other private centers since they also provide a learning environment that models Christian behavior and includes teachings of the Bible. "With the help of Shane Groff and the SBDC, we were able to pursue this dream of impacting children with a Christian base in the medical area. We are so grateful and want to thank the SBDC for contributing to the success of our business.”
Tana and Leslie feel that owning their own children's center has been a true dream turned reality. They had many positive experiences in the startup process, and as most small businesses find along the way, a few challenges as well. In particular, the remodel of the building and maintaining code compliance was strenuous. The advice they would give to anyone wanting to start their own business is to, “find a building up to code and with little to no renovation needed. This was the most stressful part in getting started.”
We caught up with Tana and Leslie to ask a few questions about business and life...
What inspired you to pursue small business?
Tana and I saw the need for quality infant/toddler care in the Medical District. The medical district of Amarillo is growing, and so is the need for a Christian Preschool.
How did the SBDC assist you with your business?
Shane Groff helped us construct an amazing business plan, and inspired us to pursue our dream. He helped us as we continued to find financing, and kept in contact with us. The SBDC was a huge part of our success and we are so grateful.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?
Our biggest challenge was dealing with City Codes and getting all the construction finished in order to open. We only had to put up some walls and add a toddler bathroom, but this was the most stressful part of our Children's Center.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your business.
We are so proud that we opened our own Christian Children's Center and that we are steadily growing.
What is most unique about your business?
Our program is unique in that we teach the Bible and strive to be a Christian based Children's Center for the Medical District.
And a few questions just for fun!
If you could get a doctoral degree in any field, which would be and why?
Tana- I would get a Doctoral degree in education. I love to teach!
Leslie- I would get a Doctoral degree in Child Psychology to help improve the lives of children.
What is your favorite book?
Tana- Monster Momma Loves Me So
Leslie- The Bible- It's the only book I have time to read right now.
What do you think you’re much better at than you actually are?
Tana-Gardening: I know a lot about plants, but I don't always apply what I know.
Leslie- Eating Healthy: I'm a vegetarian, but I love sweets and French Fries!
What advice do you have for others who are thinking about opening a small business?
The best advice we could give is to buy a building that does not need to be remodeled. We thought the remodel process would be easy, but it was the hardest part.