Business is born out of the needs of the people who live here
Muza Knyazeva, entrepreneur
Sun School kindergarten
One of the first things that I focused on when I came to Skolkovo was the kindergarten. When I first came here I had two questions about the kindergarten - why is it here, and where do the children come from? There were hardly any people in Skolkovo. But we talked to the managing company, and I learned that there was a real demand for this.
We arrived at the beginning of the pandemic, and it was then that I started to concentrate on setting up a kindergarten. I was confident that I would be able to reorganize the facility and work things out in detail, but it turned out that this is a very complicated process in Skolkovo. I am sure that in Moscow I would have been able to open two kindergartens in the same time. It was necessary to work together with major companies that are responsible for planning buildings in the Moscow City development - and there I was with a kindergarten project. Everything had to be monitored very strictly, which I considered to be a good thing, as this is a guarantee of quality.
We opened during the Covid pandemic. It was frightening. While the building was being decorated we had some 25 applications, even though we still did not have any kindergarten teachers. My descriptions of the project, and my enthusiasm brought in the parents.
Sun School is one of the largest kindergarten networks, not only in Moscow, but in the whole of Russia. It has about 120 kindergartens, of which 52 are in Moscow and Moscow Region. We use the unique ABC method, designed to support children’s intellectual and physical development and help them communicate. For example, in the first half of the day we have sessions aimed at developing the intellect, and then in the second half we do sport or music. There is also cold water training and walking.
In the second half of the day we talk in English. English lessons with an expat teacher are a new experience for the children and widen their world view. These lessons help the children understand that there are different nationalities in the world and that it is possible to communicate with them in spite of differences in language. That is the main goal of our bilingual model. The ABC method focusses on developing communication skills, without neglecting the basic skills children need to acquire before they start school, such as reading and writing.
All the kindergartens in the network use a single standard, which includes the ABC program, the daily schedule, mandatory on-line video surveillance, insurance of the children, safe furniture and medical checks, as well as many other features. Parents in Skolkovo are forward-thinking, and monitor their children’s needs and are therefore more willing to experiment with different educational programs.
My mission is to prioritize children’s safety and their psychological health. We have installed cameras everywhere, we have a neuropsychologist working with us, and we continually work to upgrade our teachers’ qualifications. I can see how the quality of our services has improved, compared with the first kindergarten we opened.
My third child went to the Sun School kindergarten from an early age. The older children went to other kindergartens, and dropping in Sun School now they say how jealous they are.
Factura body studio
Once I had organized all the processes related to the kindergarten, I started to think about Skolkovo’s new goals and needs as it continued to develop. I am very interested in all aspects of body care, especially massage. I had a favorite massage studio in Khamovniki, but its waiting list is so long that I haven’t been able to go there recently, and anyway the journey from Skolkovo takes too long. I decided to open a massage studio here. So, as it turned out I opened a kindergarten in September, and a massage parlor just three months later.
My partners helped me with the marketing strategy. Several months before the opening date we started publicizing it and attracting clients through social networks. The studio opened in December, which worked out well, as it is the time of year when women start making plans for their New Year outfit. After the first month, we were already making a profit.
Factura Nails manicure and pedicure studio
“Muza, please open a nail salon” - was a request that I kept on hearing from clients and neighbors. We decided to try before the summer season — twice a week we organized manicure sessions by appointment. There were so many clients that we were simply unable to serve them all.
When we started our advertising campaign for the massage salon, we went to Amalthea’s rental and advertising department. There we met some people involved in developing the services sector in Skolkovo. They suggested that I open a beauty parlor, but I was hesitant and decided to stick with the manicure project. My partners agreed that I could use the Factura brand name and we launched the project.
It was entirely my own project, that I created from scratch. As it turned out, I had signed the agreement first, and only then did I learn about how manicure salons work. My manicurist, Aida, helped me with the opening. Now we have several talented professionals — Aida, Oksana, Ekaterina and Sergey — working in the studio. I took great care in choosing my team, and it turned out to be much more difficult than opening the kindergarten and the massage studio.
About life in Skolkovo
I lived in Khamovniki, which is a lovely district. When I first came to Skolkovo, as a guest of some friends, I was struck by the empty streets and the lack of infrastructure, and I told my husband that I could never live here. But then I opened the kindergarten and, in time, discovered my niche here, and that totally changed my relationship with the place. It was warm, green and more people moved here. You can go for a walk before work, and it was I who suggested to my husband that we move to Skolkovo.
I don’t like the fact that the infrastructure develops very slowly here. There is no heated underground car park with a car wash service, something I was used to in the city center, and no cafes or after school sports activities for children within walking distance. But despite quite a few minor issues, neither we nor our friends plan to move. There is a great community here. We like the fact that there are no fences here. Children can go round to each others’ homes, and that kind of relationship is more important than considerations of comfort. An in order to make life more comfortable here, it is necessary to open new services.
After all, I founded my business not just because of my own personal needs, but in response to demand from the people who live here. They come here and want to lead a comfortable life. And, as I said to my husband, when we leave here I will sell a whole street, just like in the Monopoly game.