Special Feature: Kid-Friendly Franchises - Easy as ABC

Children’s products and services franchises are a great business choice for the budding franchisee, with many brands offering low start-up costs, tonnes of support, lots of opportunities for growth— and a healthy supply of enthusiastic little customers!

Despite the national birth rate decreasing, according to an Australian Government Institute of Family Studies report, the demand for children’s services is on the rise. While at first this might seem like a contradiction, the fact that parents are having fewer children means they have more money to spend on the one or two children they have. Modern parents also tend to have children later in life after establishing their careers, and due to the demands of those careers, find themselves turning to extra-curricular activities as a community of support for their child’s needs.

Parents are increasingly looking for ways to engage their kids in meaningful, healthy activities that will encourage development, socialisation, and physical and mental fitness. So not only are children’s service franchises a great business opportunity, they also offer an extremely rewarding career choice.

Children’s franchises have a host of benefits for those starting out in the world of franchising.

QUICK SET UP – Franchisors should provide everything you need to get started quickly, with training and support systems in place, and things like education packs, teaching equipment, uniforms or sporting goods all supplied for you. These out-ofthe-box business models have very clear guidelines and procedures in place; allowing you to concentrate on growing your business and keeping your very important little customers happy.

LOW RISK – As with every business proposition, success is not always guaranteed. But for those starting out in franchising, many kids’ franchises offer minimal financial risk. To make sure your business is a success, do your research. Speak to other franchisees and be sure to carefully review all business documentation provided by the Franchisor so you know exactly what they are offering and what is expected of you.

PROVEN BRANDS – Kids’ franchises often have a very clear brand identity. Parents know and recognise the brand names they trust and will return to again and again. Rather than striking out on your own, joining a franchise offers you a piece of that instant recognition, so you don’t need to worry about branding, marketing and building a reputation as a children’s service provider. Be sure to do your homework when selecting the brand you want to work with. Make sure you have the same vision and values and truly believe in the service they are providing. Once you are on board, you will become a critical part of the entire franchise. How well the brand is perceived—

and therefore how well it succeeds— depends on every franchisee being a dedicated brand ambassador.

Want to learn more about franchising opportunities in the Children’s Products and Services sector? Check out our franchise directory: www.businessfranchiseaustralia. com.au/directory

Child Care franchises

Taking care of kids means taking care of business for child care franchises. While the pandemic forced many centres into a hiatus in 2020, as parents begin to return to a new normal, many are keen to get their kids back into a fun, social and interactive environment where they can flourish—and mum and dad can take a break!

LITTLE ZAKS - Little Zak’s Academy is a leading childcare provider in New South Wales, offering premium services and extracurricular activities throughout their early learning centres. At the core of their company values lies their love for family and close partnerships with all Little Zak’s parents, as well as a mission to provide the best start in life to all children through the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) - ‘Being, Belonging and Becoming’ - and the National Quality Framework (NQF) offering intentional teaching and spontaneous learning.

Since their co-ownership business opportunity hit the market a few months ago, Little Zak’s has caught the attention of hundreds of eager potential partners keen to get into business in the childcare space, with more than five new franchise locations already confirmed to open next year.

“We know we do things really well at Little Zak’s, which drives our strategic mission of delivering our best-in-class service to as many children as possible, as quickly as possible, without compromising on quality. To make this happen, we developed our franchise co-ownership model,” said Owner Carlos Zaki.

LOLLIPOPS - Since 1993, Lollipop’s Playland and Cafe has been encouraging kids to develop through active play. Lollipop’s is now a multinational franchise network with play centres and cafes throughout

Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Lollipop’s are known for bright, colourful environments and their ‘superplay’ features aren’t found anywhere else. The business has made a strong name for itself in the indoor recreation industry.

Now is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an amazing family-friendly business, in a rapidly growing industry, working with a fun brand that encourages children to develop through play and activity. As a franchise owner, you’ll oversee the management of your own operation, working towards a high level of return that will reward you with a successful and profitable business. Lollipop’s is looking for superstar franchisees to join their team.

There are plenty of budget franchise opportunities available for budding business owners who love working with kids. Servicebased franchises for children that don’t require a bricks-and-mortar location—like tutoring or sports coaching—are often easy to get started and offer low investment costs.

Kids’ activity franchises

From arts and crafts to dance and music classes, there are a wide range of activity-based franchises to capture kids’ imaginations and encourage their creativity. Here are a few franchises that are just as much fun for the teacher as for the student!

KINDY DANCE TIME – Unique dance programs for 2-5-year-olds that lay the foundations for a lifelong love of music and dance. With three different lesson themes per term, children enjoy the familiarity of routine coupled with new challenges, resulting in a fantastic sense of achievement and loads of fun!

MINI MAESTROS – Fun, active and educational music classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. By combining music and joyful discovery, Mini Maestros encourage confident and happy learners. Both in-person and online classes are offered.

MATT FIDDES – The Matt Fiddes franchise is well recognised globally for offering martial arts classes in a safe and positive environment with an emphasis on self-defence, health, fitness and life skills. The MF franchise network has been successfully expanding for over 20 years earning its status as one of the most successful brands in its field.

Kids’ sporting franchises

If you have a sporting background and love encouraging kids to move, play and experience the thrill of taking part, then a sports-based franchise may be right for you. From team sports like soccer to individual pursuits like swimming, there are plenty of sporty franchise opportunities out there.

GECKO SPORTS – Offering kids a fun and interactive start to sport and fitness for life, Gecko Sports gives children the inspiration and confidence to be physically active and try their hand at playing different games through their scientifically-designed sports programs.

LITTLE BIG SPORT – A play- and gamebased soccer coaching program for toddlers to ten-year-olds where the emphasis is on having fun. Little Big Sport’s passionate, experienced and qualified coaches provide the perfect pressure-free environment for children to develop physical skills and learn the importance of teamwork.

SOCCAJOEYS – Helping children develop valuable life skills, Soccajoeys’ inclusive and dynamic kids’ soccer program focuses on a stable foundation of active movement, play and social interaction. A Soccajoeys franchise lets you run a business that combines sports coaching and childhood development to make a positive impact in your community.

LITTLE KICKERS – This franchise provides kids with a positive introduction to sport by teaching football skills in a friendly, pressure-free environment. Little Kickers offers four different classes tailored to the needs of children between up to seven years old. This franchise has been around for 14 years, so is a well-established model that offers lots of support.

Kids’ tutoring franchises

Do you love nurturing little minds? Tutoring franchises offer a highly rewarding career for those with suitable qualifications. There is high demand for education professionals to help kids with reading and numeracy, languages and other skills.

“Not only are children’s service franchises a great business opportunity, they also offer an extremely rewarding career choice.”

LCF FUN LANGUAGES – giving children the confidence to speak another language. LCF franchisees are a diverse team of dedicated language enthusiasts; some are qualified language professionals and experienced teachers; some are native speakers who want to share their language and culture.

LISTEN TO READ – This franchise offers a specialised program that combines phonetics training with sound therapy techniques, helping children through to adults to overcome their reading difficulties and discover the joy of reading.

TUTOR DOCTOR – Tutor Doctor’s approach to education enables children of any age to get help on any subject by matching them with a specialised tutor. Franchisees manage their team of tutors while following an award-winning homebased business model that helps them grow and develop the business.

BEGIN BRIGHT – Providing a range of fun, interactive early learning and tutoring programs for kids, Begin Bright has been designed by Australasia’s leading educational experts. Their programs incorporate all levels of maths and literacy through fun, engaging activities to create happy, smart and confident learners.