TWO MINUTES WITH DAN KELLAND, DIRECTOR, LITTLE KICKERS

My background is in small business.

Over the past 10 years I’ve become very passionate about franchising in Australia and am a Certified Franchise Executive.

My wife and I were looking for an activity for our then (super energetic) two-year-old son. We felt there was a lack of quality activities for preschoolers and believed there must be plenty of parents like us who were looking for an alternative. Enter Little Kickers from the UK!

I ran the first Little Kickers franchise in Australia with my wife for many years so I understand the challenges and hurdles that can present themselves to franchisees.

I think it’s important to be approachable and for all franchise partners to feel secure enough to communicate openly. I try to listen more than I talk. The input and ideas from Little Kickers franchisees have often led to innovation within the system, and that’s something I try to facilitate as much as possible.

When I face obstacles I try to keep as calm as possible, take a step back, and think about things logically. If there is a strong difference of opinion within the group, I put myself in the shoes of the other party and view the issue from their perspective.

Ultimately we measure success through the continued evolution and growth of our brand, both in Australia and overseas. We are now in over 30 countries and the fact that the model has been able to adapt to different cultures and challenges says a lot about how we conduct our business, I feel.

We’ve had three key goals to provide value to franchisees and their customers: moving to our new business system, the monthly subscription model, and the final goal is the rollout of our Little Kickers Achievement Badge program in which the children each receive a badge based on what they have been working towards over the previous quarter.

Longer term, we aim to be the market leader in the preschool sports sector.

I’ve learned that I am passionate about helping people grow businesses and am grateful for the opportunity to do so with a brand that can have such a positive impact on the lives of young children and their families.

You get out what you put in – there are no shortcuts – but if you put in the work you can build an extremely rewarding business and create a flexible lifestyle for your family.