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Unless you live in sunny San Diego, you’re used to the cyclical nature of seasons. If you’re considering jumping into the education market, you need to be aware of its seasonal nature. Your opportunity to execute, repeat, and scale hinges on aligning key business functions to the evaluation and decision cycles in the market.
Budget
The education budget cycle is a year-long process, with a separate timeline for each event requiring a coordinated game plan. At BLOQQ, we work with our partners to fine-tune their planning, development, implementation, and evaluation to coordinate with the cyclical nature of the education market. Understanding the cycle allows our partners to anticipate when schools are going to spend money - and when to align their organizations to capture those dollars.
Account Management
Retail businesses are upfront about the cyclical nature of their businesses. We all know that bargain-basement deals are available as loss leaders from various big-box retailers. The education market is equally cyclical and it is imperative that education technology companies prepare for the onslaught in a manner far superior to unnamed retailers known for Black Friday stampedes. Educators have a few key time periods in their school year when they will reach out to education technology companies and they need immediate assistance. We work with our partners to ensure they are prepared to handle the rush and solidify their reputation as customer service gurus.
Marketing
Typical marketing agencies will flood your inbox with templates and deals to bring in the customers around the holidays, like the start of the school year and the 4th of July. Our partners know that these are terrible times to power up your advertising to the education market - beyond a kind sentiment wishing them the best. Regardless of what type of product or service you are selling in the education market, it is key to plan out marketing activities well in advance to adhere to the cyclical nature of US schools.
Sales
There is nothing quite as powerful as bringing in a box of donuts to help ensure goodwill from a potential client, but on the first day of school, this would be a disaster for anyone hoping to solidify a sale. At BLOQQ, we work with our partners to ensure that their sales teams are set and ready to execute solid plans at the appropriate times so they close the sales they need to grow.
Product Development
Summer is a great time for edtech startups to build and further develop their product. Yet, mid-September is one of the worst possible times to launch an overhaul of your product. Educators need consistency and reliability as they gear up for a new school year and your product development plan should anticipate this time period where stability is necessary for growth. We work with our partners to make the most of product development and launch in a manner that both ensure goodwill on the part of existing schools and also brings in new potential customers.
With years of experience in the education sector, BLOQQ understands the importance of aligning your business functions with the season.
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