Starting a For-Profit School in Florence
Florence, Italy, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city is a museum filled with art from the oldest days and food to behold. We can say that Florence has a rich culture, based on how many foreigners visit the country and how the natives interact with the new people. The Italians are always welcoming of visitors, as they are warm and charming. Since Florence is a beautiful place, it is no surprise that it is a business destination for many foreigners. People and entities who wish to establish for-profit learning institutions in Italy prefer to do it in Florence because of its populous state and diversity.
Due to the cultural diversity in the city, it has many opportunities for each start-up school, depending on their preparedness. Artists can find a place for their businesses, foreign teachers can start-up learning institutions for profit, fashion designers can start their careers in Florence, and even food vendors. Therefore, Florence would be a recommendation for one of the best destinations for foreign start-up schools that aim at providing learning tools for Native Italians. Since the city of Florence keeps seeing significant growth over the years, especially in the tourism industry, it remains one of the most sort learning destinations in the world. More people are moving to Florence, creating a cultural melting pot for people from all walks of life. This fact makes Florence an excellent environment for a foreigner to start a learning institution that intends to instill knowledge to natives and even foreigners living in Florence.
NEED
Covid 19 has caused a real scare for people across the globe, especially in Florence. The number of deaths reported from Italy has been significant, creating doubt whether the city can still hold businesses despite the damage caused by the pandemic. However, Florence is one of the most capitalistic cities in the world. Florence enjoys a rich history of education, as it holds some of the richest and prestigious learning institutions in the world. Because of such accounts, Italy remains a lucrative start-up destination, especially for-profit learning institutions. People who want to start a profitable business and corporations in Florence can rest assured that Florence is a busty town that entails many different businesses and welcoming cultures to new and foreign learning institutions.
According to Guerin, the city of Florence is modernized and shaped to accommodate all kinds of accouterments like bookkeeping, computerization, international banking, among other activities (Guerin). As explained, the need for Florence to ensure its running requires established centers of learning for people from all walks of life living in the city. With a transparent and rich background for business, Italy needs the rise and survival of a new learning institution because the city has always been a place of teaching and learning (Iavicoli et al.). Thus, since the city of Florence is robust with business and a boiling point of different cultures and people from all walks of life, it can act as a center for learning. Due to the need for business entities to grow, there is a need for individuals living within the city to access learning institutions that can provide optional learning opportunities for foreigners and even natives.
EXISTING COMPETITION/SERVICES
Like any other established city, there is stiff competition in Florence, especially for foreigners who wish to start learning institutions in the area. Italy is known to be one of the top destinations globally, making it a famous city in the world. Thus, there is bound to be stiff competition, especially for individuals who wish to start learning institutions that will make profits in the process. According to Bendazzoli, one of the problems that may create a sense of competition and hardship for learning services through an established school is the language barrier (239). As mentioned, Florence is a tourist destination for people worldwide, making it a place where foreigners consistently wish to live. However, it can be difficult for such individuals to start up a school because of the strict measures required to be followed.
Even though foreigners and natives widely speak English, it is still a barrier for many to communicate in Italy. While the organized Italian education system is robust with learning institutions that offer foreign education, it is plagued by the language barrier between learners and tutors. Thus, due to its perfect blend of medieval artifacts and modernization, Florence provides learning institutions with a conducive environment for teaching and learning. The regulations of the private schools by the Ministry of Education in Italy show the need for institutions that can provide learning outcomes for natives and foreigners. However, because many institutions of higher learning in Italy have branched into teaching foreign languages, it can become difficult for a new venture to pick up. According to Hartle, external certifications like ESOL, IELTS, and TOEFL have established learning system that has even accepted in the Italian systems (Hartle). As explained, it may be difficult for a new school to be set up since existing language schools in Italy exist as a single business.
LEGAL/PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
Many people would like to know what it takes to start a school in Italy, especially since it is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It would be a good idea to have a learning institution that embraces all cultures in Florence, with the number of people who visit the city and the number of opportunities that the beautiful region provides. Many foreign investors and business ventures always want to know if it is viable to carry out business because the country is enormous and the economy is significant (Iavicoli). However, many people are discouraged from doing business in the country, especially when learning institutions are involved. Today, Italy is plagued by the harsh effects of the Covid 19 pandemic that significantly affected the population. This could be a red flag for business since the country has been influenced mainly negatively.
Additionally, many problems may arise, especially legal matters. Florence has some of the highest taxation rates and very rigid market requirements for newcomers in the market (Country Risk). As explained, a foreigner would need to go through a tiresome procedure with the legal department to acquire the receipts and permits required for opening a school. Additionally, it is difficult for a foreigner who does not live in Italy to start a business because they must find another individual from Italy who wishes to start a company in the same country. This could be tricky for an African who wishes to start a business in Italy but cannot find an Italian who wants to start a business in Africa. Permit requirements are a problem for foreigners, especially since they face other stringent measures like going through consequences for things not done (when an Italian is limited to do business in another country, it becomes an automatic limitation for the non-Italian doing business in Florence).
WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY
The workforce in Florence is not different from the national workforce, as most Italians are senior citizens. Many companies and businesses are run by older people who communicate in English in some cases, even though the workforce has only about 18 percent of the younger population. Therefore, Florence is a busy city that has incorporated the work of all individuals to ensure mutual benefit and the development of the town (Marullo et al. 476). As explained, the Italian workforce regarding learning institutions and teaching in Florence consists of senior citizens who are well learned, creating a need for foreigners who have gone to school and gotten an education. Thus, since most Italian children get access to education and learn foreign languages like English when young, they are in constant need of learning institutions that can provide that assistance (Hartle). Thus, the organized education system of Italy is always in need of teachers and educators that understand the need for teaching and can cope with the Italian culture. Ideally, the Italian workforce entails a group of learned workers since Italy is the home of some of the most prestigious learning institutions in the region and the world.
Therefore, for the eighth-most prosperous country globally, being educated is a vital part of life. Lopriore holds that for foreigners to get employment or start up a business in Florence, they need to behave gone to school, and show interest in learning Italian, creating a large workforce for the learning institutions and opportunities for expansion (94-95). Even though most of the workforce is discovered, they are not fluent in English, and a foreigner would need to understand Italian to communicate with them effectively. Therefore, while the workforce in Italy is available, foreigners can still get a chance to start a business and thrive in the city because they can communicate with the natives better.
SUBJECTIVE CULTURAL NORMS
Unlike Asian countries, where people rarely interact in public, Italians are known to be interactive people. The culture of interaction remains subjective to them because it is a way of life. According to Frattini, Italians are close and over-friendly as they are family-oriented and prefer to interact with each other rather than spend time on the internet (Frattini). The world today has evolved into a more virtual way of meeting. People are more in touch through the phone rather than physically; Florence’s subjective culture of physical interaction can be a problem for some foreigners, even though it is a way of life.
Sharma et al. hold that unlike many young individuals across the globe that would rather spend time on the phone, young Italians meet physically and talk (189). Such practices make Florence a warm and friendly environment, especially for visitors. Additionally, women are thought to be robust and respectable regarding literacy. Unlike many cultures where women are not valued or taken to school, the Italian women are learned and create a significant experience for the learning culture in the country. Such norms can become a problem for foreigners, but those ready to learn and adapt would have an enjoyable stay in Florence.
RISK ANALYSIS
One of the issues that may create a problem for foreign start-ups in Italy would be the language barrier. Language is a problem in Italy since they speak in Italian and do not always use other languages. That means that for business to thrive in Italy, the owner must know and understand Italian as a language. According to Barni et al., the language barrier is a problem for many people who wish to move to Italy and learn or work (1057-1058). However, this is a problem because of the close-knit family units in Italy and their need to preserve their culture.
Additionally, all business ventures must break into the Italian market to understand the risks of doing business. The permits and legal procedures involved in starting a business can incredibly be overwhelming for a foreigner. Foreign policies have been put in place to compel foreigners to always abide by the stringent rules of paying hefty fines and license fees. Such money-related problems can be an issue for a foreign start-up in Italy, creating problems for them. Therefore, while it would be a lucrative business venture to start a business in Florence, it would also be adverse risks that an entity would never bounce back from.
CONCLUSION
For a new school to be set up in Florence, the chances of failing and succeeding are equal. As mentioned earlier, Florence is rich in culture, which means that it would be difficult for a foreigner to get a job or start a successful business without understanding the language and culture. However, for people who understand the language, love the culture, and are ready to learn about the ropes of doing business in Italy, success is their portion. In many cases, you will hardly find an Italian speaking fluent English or any other language. That makes it difficult for them to communicate with foreigners. The aspect of the language barrier may become a problem for new start-up learning institutions in Florence, creating work fatigue and under productivity.
However, for individuals who are conversant with Italian, business is good for them. Additionally, individuals and business entities fluent in English and other languages are given priority in the tourism industry. Since Florence is mainly a tourism city, it can be a good place for foreigners to thrive through work and even further studies. The richness of Florence and Italy as a country provides a different aspect of life for people, making it one of the best work and business destinations in the world. Therefore, when language because a barrier, it would be prudent for translators to be availed to ensure the smooth running of the business. Additionally, when Florence makes it easier for foreigners to work in the city by loosening up on permit and legal matters, it would create more opportunities for foreign business entities that have the potential to help Florence grow economically.
