Childcare Academy and Co-working Centre

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alex Carnio, founder and CEO of ProducKIDvity, located in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

ProducKIDvity is a childcare academy and co-working centre located in downtown Kelowna. Our mission is to create a better life for working parents through child-friendly workspaces. Upstairs, we offer hot desks, dedicated desks, and private offices in a co-working format that includes premium amenities such as private events, Pelotons, meal programs, and pretty much anything a working parent would need! Downstairs we offer 50 childcare spots for children from 0-5 years of age. Our childcare academy follows a Montessori, active play curriculum with ample outdoor time to help explore our beautiful city.

Tell us about yourself

The idea for ProducKIDvity came to me during the peak of COVID in March 2020 when the world shut down. At the time, I was self-employed and owned and operated a marketing agency. While I was trying to work from home with my then one-year-old daughter, I started dreaming about what my own personal utopia would look like. At the time, I was spending a good chunk of money on both daycare and office space for my business, but my days had become so unproductive because of all the driving to and from daycare.

I realized I craved productivity, and that's where the idea for productivity + kids came about. I got serious about my idea in January 2021, and by April, we had secured our location - just in time for me to find out I was pregnant with twins! It was a wild year, but we just opened our first location in April 2022 and are currently sold out and waitlisted. I am so motivated by our concept - I am truly our target market and have loved seeing other working parents benefit from it.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say my biggest accomplishment as a business owner would be opening a multi-faceted business like ProducKIDvity during the peak of covid, twin pregnancy, and all the hurdles we had to overcome, both personally and professionally. I also just won 1st place in Canada's Total Mom Pitch, and that was pretty amazing!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I think the hardest part about being a business owner is the constant roller coaster ride you feel that you are on every day. Some days the highs are high. You get financing, your customers are happy, and your team is engaged. Some days it feels like everything is going wrong, and you start to question it all and wonder if you're a little bit crazy for starting a business. The biggest thing is you have to keep going. Keep reminding yourself why you're doing what you're doing, and remember that you need to be your own biggest cheerleader.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Do as much market research to gain validation for your idea. There are so many great resources out there for entrepreneurs to help with this. Make sure that what you're planning to do makes sense.
Don't wait until everything is perfect to start. There is something to be said about just "going for it" yes, you need the validation to start with research and funding, but if you wait until things are perfect, you might miss your chance. I am a big advocate for launching with a minimum viable product/service and improving as you go. You learn so much about your business and customers from actually being in business instead of theoretically. Your customers are your best source of information.
Know your numbers. Financials aren't glamorous, but you need to know what's going on in your business. Always budget for more than you think you need and ensure you have funds for contingency and cash flow. Cash flow is such a critical element to being successful in business, and I can't recommend having a great bookkeeper/accountant enough!

We are expanding across Canada. We are currently working on the agreement for a second location in Kelowna. Right now, we are actively recruiting franchise partners across the country and looking for people to help us take our mission to a bigger scale.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.produckidvity.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/produckidvity
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/produckidvity/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/produckidvity/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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