The Successful Childcare Career of Mrs. Johanna Koller | SOML

Behind every flourishing business is a story.

As part of the Story of My Life (#SOML) hashtag, we’re shedding light on five inspiring, entrepreneurial women whom we love! Their journeys reflect great hardships and various challenges, and every detail is beautiful in its own way. Here’s Mrs. Johanna Koller’s inspiring story…

When did you start with the Kids At Lake?

KIDSatLAKE was founded in 2011 by me, Johanna Maria Koller. The first location is in Zollikon on Lake Zurich. It all started there with a crèche designed for 3 groups. I have many years of experience in educational work in Germany and Switzerland.

The main idea behind the foundation of KIDSatLAKE was and is a high quality pedagogical concept with an international orientation, offering flexibility to demanding parents and loving care and individual support to children.

As a private bilingual day care center, we have high quality standards and a carefully developed pedagogical concept based on both our many years of experience and constant further development.

What are the obstacles you faced, how did you solve these obstacles?

• Finding good staff that fits the KIDSatLAKE concept and communicating my vision and the company’s goals to the staff.
• KIDSatLAKE is like a 5 star hotel and we work on the highest educational and service oriented level, this is often also a challenge to find the balance for the pedagogical staff.
• It is always a challenge to find the right location, the right rooms that fit the KIDSatLAKE concept.
• It is also a challenge for any young dynamic company to adapt structures to growth in order to ensure quality.
• Obstacles are not a burden for me and KIDSatLAKE as a company, rather they are the challenges we have grown with over the last 11 years and can now draw on a wealth of experience.

“All obstacles and difficulties are steps on which we climb upwards.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)

What is the size of the business now, and what are your future goals?

KIDSatLAKE now has 8 locations, 2 of which are in the canton of Zurich, which also offer a private school and kindergarten.
Since summer 2022, KIDSatLAKE has its own KIDSatLAKE Academy, where we train and further qualify our staff.
…and a back office with 5 employees.
KIDSatLAKE has a total of 100 employees.

Future Goals:

• Maintain and continue to improve quality standards
• Focus on existing locations – Continuous but slow growth in-depth with processes,
• keeping a close eye on all the factors that will ensure a sustainable course for KIDSatLAKE.

#StoryOfMyLife #WhatsYourStory #SOML