10 Children’s Sector Franchises

1. Computerxplorers

ComputerXplorers’ franchisees provide computing, coding and programming education for children aged 3 to 13.

The clubs and classes are linked to the national curriculum, so the breadth of offering is substantial. The business has a number of income streams, including after-school clubs, pre-school and nurseries, summer camps and in-curriculum time classes.

Each franchise territory includes 300 primary schools and 300 preschools/ nurseries, ensuring every franchisee has a sizeable market opportunity.

Franchisees also receive ongoing support from ComputerXplorers’ head office team - from curriculum development and marketing to financial planning, business planning and PR - and their own website, while the company holds regular conference calls and at least one annual network meeting.

Stephen Hall, franchisee for ComputerXplorers Birmingham North, says: “ComputerXplorers do exactly what they promise they will do and it helps that they are such a nice team of people to work with.” ComputerXplorers is part of The Bardon Group, which has a stable of four franchise companies and combined experience of over 70 years in franchising.

What you need to know

Investment level

£29,500 (plus VAT).

What you get

full training; ongoing support; software/licences; 12-18 month marketing launch activity; appointment generating programme; website; laptop; marketing materials; operating manuals.

Information

www.computerxplorers.co.uk.

2. Stagecoach

Since 1988, Stagecoach Performing Arts School’s has offered the chance for individuals from all walks of life to build a profitable business.

Franchisees share a passion for performing arts and a desire to positively impact the lives of children in their communities. Today, a network of more than 300 franchisees operates over 650 schools, offering 1,645 classes in eight countries.

For almost 30 years, the Stagecoach model has been proven and refined to become one of the UK’s leading performing arts opportunities.

Franchisees build a team of passionate and enthusiastic teachers, qualified to bring out the best in their students and provide a thriving, nurturing and supportive environment for creative learning. That’s just one of the reasons why 40,000 children every week flock to classes nationwide.

James Barker, who runs Stagecoach Faringdon, says: “Creative Courage for Life is a phrase used in our marketing, but anyone involved in Stagecoach can see it’s not just a slogan.

“I’ve seen our students grow in confidence and when their parents tell me how they have transformed at school and socially, it’s something special.”

What you need to know

Investment level

£14,995 (plus VAT).

What you get

initial training, including a 28-day sales and marketing course; ongoing support and monitoring from a dedicated regional franchise manager and central marketing team; regular programmes from the Stagecoach education team; exclusive link-ups with partners such as RADA and Disney.

Information

www.stagecoach.co.uk/franchise.

3. We make footballers

With We Make Footballers, franchisees have the opportunity to build a football coaching business in their chosen area.

Ideal candidates are ex-footballers, teachers, sports graduates, football coaches and anyone with a passion for the game.

You can build your franchise through weekly training sessions, one to one sessions and holiday camps. After an intense training course at head office and a practical coaching course, franchisees will have all the necessary tools to launch their business.

What you need to know

Investment level

from £5,000

What you get

five-day head office training course; own territory; website; marketing assistance; legal, sales and technical support; national PR activity.

Information

www.wemakefootballers.com.

4. Progressive sports

Progressive Sports has been providing specialist physical education for almost 10 years.

The company is dedicated to giving every child the right to be physically active by working with schools and communities throughout the UK - helping them to access high quality PE and sport.

Its aim is to increase participation, raise aspirations, self-confidence and help children to enjoy being physically active.

Everybody who’s involved with Progressive Sports is passionate about the benefits of sport and their own professional development. All the company’s programmes are delivered to the highest professional standard, helping to inspire, engage and empower children.

The initial franchise training takes place at head office and explains everything franchisees need to know about running a successful sports franchise.

What you need to know

Investment level

£7,950, £11,950 and £17,950 (plus VAT).

What you get

training in operations, marketing, sales, recruitment, customer care and services; unlimited ongoing support; franchise manual; launch kit; business stationery and internal forms; comprehensive business information pack (including all session plans); corporate clothing; ecommerce website set-up.

Information

www.progressive-sports.co.uk.

5. Raring2go!

This company’s franchisees produce a magazine and website guide filled with educational, fun things to do in the local area that are read by people who have, or are looking after, children.

You don’t need a background in magazines or publishing to become a successful Raring2go! franchisee. You simply need to be hardworking, committed and capable of following a proven business system and building a business from the ground up.

Franchisees cultivate relationships with local business owners, visitor attractions, leisure centres, schools and holiday parks, which provide content and advertising.

Mother of two Vicky Norman, from Sunderland, says she chose Raring2Go! because she wanted a more child friendly career. “I wanted to work hard, but be more in charge of my time so I could be there for my kids,” she explains.

“Raring2go! couldn’t have gone any better for me. I was worried I didn’t have the right experience, especially sales experience, but the support, guidance and hands-on help is amazing. “I love what I do, I see my kids more and I make excellent money for the time I chose to put in.”

Training and support are provided by an experienced franchise team and the franchise is accredited by the British Franchise Association. The business is flexible in terms of hours worked, overheads are low and rewards can be what you want them to be.

What you need to know

Investment level

£11,995 (plus VAT).

What you get

exclusive territory; full training; ongoing support; operations manual; bespoke magazine management and client management systems; localised web page; stationery pack; branded merchandise.

Information

www.getraring2go.co.uk.

6. Flip out

A Flip Out trampoline arena is a childhood fantasy come true.

The company’s indoor and outdoor entertainment parks feature wall-to-wall trampolines, meaning you can jump, bounce and flip your way to a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Flip Out is a rapidly expanding international brand, with over 65 centres now open and plans in the pipeline to open 80 more centres worldwide in the next year. Currently, 16 are open in the UK, with plans for up to 26 nationwide opening in 2017.

Flip Out opened the world’s largest trampoline park in Glasgow earlier this year.

Promoting an active lifestyle, Flip Out trampoline training helps participants improve their overall fitness and achieve greater balance, coordination and agility.

With state of the art equipment, including Olympic trampolines, bouncy half-pipes, slam ball courts and foam pits, both the young and the young at heart can feel the exhilaration of being airborne.

Flip Out franchises are also highly community focused, engaging schools, local businesses and sporting clubs in the area to hold their special events in an unconventional, yet extremely popular venue.

What you need to know

Investment level

from £500,000.

What you get

initial design, build and installation of park; full training; marketing support; full service back-up.

Information

www.flipout.co.uk.

7. Tutor doctor

Franchisees for Tutor Doctor work with families to assess a child’s needs and then select the best-fit tutor based on goals, personality and learning style.

Tutors visit students at home at a time that suits them. For today’s busy families, this is a huge benefit.

Tutor Doctor is a low risk, high return on investment model. Franchisees work from home, while tutors work on a self-employed basis, so there’s no staff costs to worry about.

The training programme is specifically designed to help you launch your business quickly, successfully and profitably.

UK operations began in 2009. Since then, the company has experienced growth of 50 per cent year on year and it now has 56 franchisees, almost 80 per cent of whom don’t come from a teaching background.

What you need to know

Investment level

£29,700 (plus VAT).

What you get

a week’s training in Toronto, plus 80 hours online; launch programme; ongoing support; annual franchise conference.

Information

www.tutordoctor.co.uk.

8. The rock project

This contemporary music school for children has doubled in size in 18 months. It now has 55 schools in the UK and Ireland, with around 2,000 7-18-year-olds currently taking part in its weekly sessions.

The Rock Project is essentially a management franchise. Franchisees don’t need musical skills, as professional musicians carry out all tuition.

The sessions, which take place outside of school hours during term time only, are split into juniors aged 7-11 and seniors, who are 11-18. Students learn drums, bass, guitar and vocals with tutors, before playing together as a band for the second half of sessions.

It’s this mix of tuition and performance that helps build confidence as well as musical skills.

Founder Stuart Wynne says: “Traditional music lessons can be boring, but with The Rock Project students are tutored by working musicians to play the songs they love, which leads to a great retention rate.

“This is a business that can fit around your lifestyle, while still earning you a good income. As an example, a franchisee running four sessions a week during term time only can generate £40,000 profit after costs.”

What you need to know

Investment level

£14,999.

What you get

initial training; all musical equipment; PA system; multi-channel mixers; vehicle livery; launch PR support; marketing materials; ongoing support from an area manager.

Information

www.therockproject.com.

9. Premier

A leading sport and physical activity provider in the UK, Premier is also a European Top 500 franchisor. Its network of over 1,200 activity professionals delivers more than 30,000 sport, physical activity and health and well-being activities every month.

Since 1999, Premier’s proven franchise model has been helping franchisees with a passion for sport achieve their personal goals. One franchisee is on course to turn over £1.5 million-plus this year.

The network boasts over 120 franchise territories in the UK. Franchise owners come from a variety of backgrounds, including sport, business and coaching. The one thing they all have in common is their passion for sport and a desire to make a positive impact on the lives of children and the wider community.

What you need to know

Investment level

minimum investment is £14,950. There are three packages available (Premier Sport, Premier Golden Mile and Premier Transition).

What you get

comprehensive training; initial and ongoing support; access to industry leading programmes.

Information

www.makesportyourbusiness.com.

10. Little kickers

Established 15 years ago in response to a lack of good quality sports coaching for preschoolers, Little Kickers owes its success to an obsessive quest for excellence - both in terms of the classes it operates and the infrastructure offered to franchisees.

The brand is not just synonymous with quality and fun, but recognisable across six continents and the company has featured on television, print media and has a strong social media presence.

Today more than 200 franchisees in 16 countries run classes, which are attended by more than 35,000 children each week. In addition to providing children with a fun introduction to the basics of football, the classes also promote the development of key early learning skills, such as colour and number recognition, sharing, taking turns and following instructions.

The Little Kickers network is still expanding and opportunities remain in a number of territories. A robust support infrastructure, coupled with a strong brand and a constantly evolving programme, has resulted in a franchise offering that provides franchisees with a consistently high level of success.

What you need to know

Investment level

£10,000 (plus VAT).

What you get

exclusive area; full training, startup kit; bespoke business system; website.

Information

www.littlekickers.co.uk.