What to consider if Franchising a Children’s Activity Business

The children’s franchise industry is booming. As things ease post Covid, families are returning to normality - which means letting kids be kids, and giving them the opportunity to enjoy activities they’ve missed over the past few years. Even with the cost of living crunch, a parents willingness to spend on their children is rarely diminished.

Expectations around flexibility and work/life balance have also turned on their head. Many of us don’t want to go back to the 9-5 grind that we lived before. More so than any other in franchising, the children’s activities sector affords an opportunity to fit a professionally and emotionally fulfilling career around your family. People want change.

And so, there are now more franchisors than ever. Offering a huge range of services from cooking to languages, drama to sports. If you can think it - there is probably a franchise for it. 

So what should you consider if you were a business owner interested in turning your kids business into a franchise?

• Is your brand good enough?

  With competition levels this high you need to have something unique that will give a prospective franchisee confidence that you are a better route than another franchise, or indeed going it alone. Having a nice idea and a good local reputation is not enough. You need to excite, and even if you are treading a well walked path as a concept, be unique in its execution.

• Who would buy your franchise?

  Setting up as a kids Franchise is relatively straightforward, but finding Franchisees can be much more challenging. Don’t go fishing for prospects in the standard Franchisee pool if you know your likely Franchisee is going to come from a very specific demographic. Profile your candidate and then be proactive and market where they live digitally. 

• Are you ready to lose a bit of control?

  You’ve probably built up a great local business, have an impeccable relationship with parents and take your brand and the children’s safety incredibly seriously. Franchising is a great way to expand, but it means letting go of some of your control. Know this from the start and put the right systems and plans in place.

• Does it work financially?

  Franchisees in this sector do it because they love it - but don’t lose sight though that money talks. There has to be enough in it for both you and your Franchisees to achieve your respective goals. It may not need to make someone hugely wealthy - but it has to be worth the effort.