Funny business

When was the last time you laughed at work? For franchisees in the child-based sector, fun, laughter and priceless job satisfaction is guaranteed everyday, as Vesna Siljanovska discovers

 

With more than 13 million children living in the UK, it’s no wonder that child-based franchises have flourished. Franchisor Nigel Toplis believes the sector “offers huge opportunities, especially as parents are always willing to invest in their children’s health and education.” It is also a sector that goes beyond the financial rewards as your business will help children to learn, grow and develop.

The beauty of many child-based franchises is that they offer as much or as little as you want. Musical Minis, a business that aids child development through music, is an example of a franchise opportunity that allows franchisees to take the business to a level that suits them. The franchise is ideal for parents with young children who want to fit work around the family and also entrepreneurial types who want to develop their business as much as possible. Founder Karen Sherr explains: “We give our franchisees a very large area so they can work all day every day if they so wish [however] we don’t set targets so there is absolutely no pressure from us.”

Franchises, such as these, often do not require a teaching or musical background, “the only thing they have to do is like children!” says Karen.
Similarly, it’s management skills not a yoga background that’s required to become a YogaBugs franchisee. In fact, when Mark Goode started out as a franchisee he didn’t fully understand what yoga was, “if you’d said to me three year’s ago that I’d be involved in child yoga I would have looked at you very strangely,” he now jokes. Now CEO, the business model Mark developed in his own franchise was so successful that the entire network adopted his approach. He says: ”I loved the company so much I bought it myself!”

YogaBugs is a perfect fit for people who are commercially minded and want to develop a thriving business. Mark explains that a YogaBugs franchise will suit “entrepreneurial, business-minded people who want to follow a proven successful method.” Prospective franchisees should be “business minded first, then the passion for the product comes alongside it,” says Mark.

Often seen as a female-dominated industry, child-based franchises are increasingly attracting men. FitKid Managing Director and mum of two Nicky Kay, 32, explains: “FitKid used to be much more female dominated but we are getting more men coming through. Especially the younger ones that have been working inthe sports industry and are looking for other opportunities.”

“We’re also getting husband-and-wife teams that want to be able to pick their own destiny rather than relying on jobs that may not be secure.”
FitKid offers classes from just £3, which makes it affordable for parents who do not want to compromise their children’s physical activities. Nicky adds: “We’ve actually seen an increase in the FitKid classes. Parents are not going on that big holiday and instead are looking at other smaller opportunities available for their children.”

With the costs of childcare reaching up to £20,800 a year, as recently reported by the Daycare Trust, child-based franchises can provide a cheaper alternative to childcare, particularly important in the current economic climate. FitKid, for example, offers childcare clubs after work, which enables children to stay for an extra hour if parents need to go shopping or have to work late.

As a franchisee of a child-based business you will undoubtedly see children progress, develop, learn and stay fit and healthy. Nicky continues: “You are working with children who may not have a healthy lifestyle at home – you may only have them for an hour a week, but in that hour you can give something positive back to that child, and seeing the benefit from it is very rewarding.”

This sense of reward is often the very core of why people want to get involved with working with children. For Mark, YogaBugs transformed his outlook on life: “It actually changed some of the relationships I had with friends and family – you start to appreciate things more because you see that you are in a world where not everybody has what you have. It grounds you.”

A business that helps child development and education often attracts interest and support from the Government, which can help to increase interest and demand for a business. ComputerXplorers franchisor Nigel Toplis explains: “The Government recently announced that it is prioritising information and communication technologies (ICT) skills alongside reading, writing and arithmetic as a core skill in primary schools.” A position of such high priority on the Government’s agenda can only be beneficial for a franchise such as ComputerXplorers.

It would be impossible not to feel inspired by child-based franchises, which can provide education, fitness and emotional development for children. So why not listen to the kid within and return to a child-like happiness by working with children!