At Did Teach we work with some fantastic franchisors. We are proud that we only work with Franchises that actively hire teachers and many have been set up by teachers in the first place.
We have researched many franchises to find those that are highly suitable for teachers, in particular, children’s franchises, those that have teaching and learning at their heart.
We continue to have an open dialogue with our franchisors and their employees, this way we can learn more about their offering, see how well their current teacher franchisees are getting on and find out about how they inspire the children, young people and adults that are their clients.
With this in mind, we recently caught up with some of our franchisors to find out what their top tips are for you if you are considering a franchise.
Read on to hear what they have to say:
Cressida Bullock, Managing Director, Fun Science
Science and STEM-based children’s franchise.
Fun Science specialises in providing science edu-tainment to children aged 3-11 in locations across the UK. Our aim is to foster within children a lifelong passion for learning and a desire to find things out for themselves through access to high-tech equipment in a safe environment.
“Choose something that will make you happy day in, day out. Try and work out what the actual day-to-day life of a franchisee is and see if you can imagine yourself in that position and if you think you would love it.
The huge benefit of a franchise over employment is getting to do what you love every day. Some franchises may sound exciting but the actual day-to-day is a lot of admin/management so find out what will be expected of you and what support you will get to make the admin side of things a small part of what you are doing.
Speak with existing franchisees and find out what they like about running their franchise but also if there are any dislikes. Actually go and watch a session/visit a store/speak with customers.
The British Franchise Association is also a really good place to start because their accreditation scheme is very thorough so you will know a franchise accredited through them is a safe bet. “
Colin Murphy, Co-Owner, Choice Home Tutoring
Choice Home Tutoring was established in 2010 after recognition of the need for trusted and committed tutors to work with students in their homes. Utilising the founders’ extensive experience in education, the business was initially set up in Didsbury, Manchester.
Top tip – Consider choosing an ‘up-and-coming’ franchise brand rather than a more established one.
Why?
1) You’ll receive special attention – new franchisors need their initial crop of franchisees to be successful as this serves to attract future franchisees into their network. You’re therefore more likely to receive greater support to ensure your success.
2) You can develop a strong bond with the founder(s) – this will not only benefit you in those early stages but may also be crucial further down the line due to the bond you will have developed with the founders.
3) You can hand-pick your territory – given the high number of available territories that a young franchise offers, you’ll be able to operate your new business wherever you like – ideally around your home location.
4) You can contribute to a young and growing business – as one of the initial franchisees, you’ll be in a position to contribute your own ideas to many of the early decisions and initiatives which you wouldn’t be able to do in a more developed franchise.
Further tip – Do your research! Despite the continuing success of the franchising sector and the safety net it provides for new businesses, it’s crucial that you carry out your own research, compare franchises and ensure that you choose the right one for you. Also, bear in mind that you could be working with your potential franchisor for a number of years so you must ensure that you get a good feel for them as an individual.
Faye – Franchisor of Nature Makers
Nature Makers helps children, families and adults to connect with nature and themselves, by providing mindful nature Art, Craft & Play experiences using Eco-friendly and Vegan inclusive products, so that families can raise their children to have an appreciation of our precious Planet whilst learning mindfulness skills to develop emotional resilience and self-esteem.
“A Franchise isn’t just a job it’s something that can have a huge impact upon your whole life. Because of this, you need to make sure that it aligns with your values, shares the same passion that you do and will support you to achieve your life goals.”
Ben Speed, Head of Franchise Growth, The Outdoors Project
Outdoor Education children’s franchise
The Outdoors Project was a concept that grew from becoming increasingly concerned as a father watching my own three children spending too much time in front of screens. Growing up in America with dyslexia and finding classroom time challenging myself, I spent most of my childhood in the woods from dawn till dusk building dens and getting muddy.” – Joel Evans Founder
- Speak to as many franchisees in their network as possible. Within their network of franchisees find a range of size businesses and how long they have been operating to ask their experience.
Find some newbies as well as long-timers! They will validate what the franchisor is telling you (or not) and give you a sense of what life is really like in these businesses. I’m always surprised when prospective candidates do not do this!
- Give enough time to training It is likely that those taking on a franchise will have other commitments that are competing for their time. That is normally a combination of family time and an existing job, such as continuing supply teaching. This is understandable and a good franchisor should set out how to work with this, but equally, you will need to dedicate a significant amount of time to training and ‘learning the ropes’.
Franchises are a fantastic way to reduce the time you need to launch a new business, but equally do not underestimate the pull on your time to simply understand the service, the IT systems, the marketing process and the administration. It’s so much easier to learn these things before you’re dealing with customers, so time you commit prior to launch will reward you later in your business.
- Ask why are you a franchise? Simple questions, but I believe you will get a range of answers. Is this genuinely a business set-up because they want to have you at the centre of all aspects of their brand and business.
Or is it an easy way to grow without having the hassle of employing people? Look out for any sense of ‘them’ and ‘us’ when talking about a franchise – you want to hear that the whole company is working together.
Julie Barber CEO TechyTots Ltd
EdTech children’s franchise
Do something you love. Once you have decided what kind of franchise you want to run, do your research.
Speak to different franchises within the area you want to be in. Speak to existing franchisees.
Find out about the initial training and ongoing support, ask about the initial franchise fee and ongoing costs, and ask many questions.
Final thoughts from Did Teach for teachers considering a franchise:
It is so important to speak directly with any organisation you are thinking about working with, you want this to be the right fit for you as it is an investment in yourself as well as them as a brand. All the franchises we work with are very open to honest conversations. I feel we have vetted these franchises well to find the very best children’s franchises in the UK, we don’t just work with the most popular children’s franchises but the ones we know work well for teachers.
Visit our Franchise Board for opportunities perfect for teachers and build a business with a trusted, respected brand.
