How many people in the world can categorically say they 100% LOVE their job…?
WE CAN!
How many people sit in their office, surrounded by wands, pom poms and sparkle and earn a living from that…?
WE DO!
SO we sit there, in this office, surrounded by wands and sparkle and biscuits…(yes we run a business based around fitness and health…but our Franchise Development Manager has many a craving for biscuits mid 10am meeting!!). Our teachers pop in and out, the policies and plans and manuals and decisions get ticked off this morning’s agenda. We get through each point before having to dash off to run around being a dinosaur with fifteen toddlers (yes…whilst our friends are sat in a boring board room twiddling their pens…we’re ROARING like a T – Rex). We read emails and messages from schools and headteachers telling us how much their pupils have gained from our PE sessions, from parents expressing how much confidence their child has gained since joining Kicks and how much their son enjoyed his Superhero party at the weekend.
How many times do we stop and just look around and say…’wow…this is our job…this is our life…how lucky are we?!‘. Admittedly…due to the success of our franchises and the fairly recent launch of Kicks Dance Ltd…not as much as we used to and not as much as we should. However, when we do, it blows away all the inevitable stresses and strains that come with running our own businesses, brings us absolute joy and gives us the strength to fight another day. Just like our 3 year old dinosaurs do.
I joined the business as a young, dance graduate (with a first class degree I must add…because when else are you able to tell people if you’re self – employed and don’t own a CV?!) in early 2013. Julia…who I also know as ‘mum'(!!)…had started the company 5 years earlier after a lifetime of Primary School teaching and prior to then, a life of dance resulting in a Performing Arts Degree. Kicks, as most dance schools do, started as a few after-school classes with 50 children and Julia. There we were, 10(ish) years ago, sitting in our make shift offices in my parent’s house developing plans, changing structures, trying music, choreographing dances. Everything was tried and tested. Some things worked really well and we still use to this day…and then there was ‘The Conga’, which if you were (un!) lucky enough to be teaching for us at the time…you’ll remember that little mishap that must never be repeated!
Over the years, our experience with children and combined knowledge of dance has enabled us to develop what we believe, and is now proven to be, a strong business model. Here we are in 2019, sat surrounded by pom poms, with nearly 1000 children attending Kicks classes, with hundreds more taking part in PE classes, parties, workshops and shows around the South East. I think it’s safe to say we’ve come far!
What makes a business franchisable?
There are many answers to this and franchise websites and lawyers and experts will tell you different things. Why don’t we just tell you why our business isn’t only worth investing your money in…but also your future? Would you love to run your own dance business? Carry on reading!
Have you ever asked yourself ‘how do I set up my own dance school?’. It is hard work I’ll tell you that! But franchising is SIMPLE! People looking at going into franchising shouldn’t be under the impression that it’s easy. It is ‘simple’ rather than ‘easy’. Starting up your own dance business from scratch, is hard. We’ve been there, done that, got the Kicks logo t-shirt, changed it, tried again and now we finally have something ready to sell to you. Developing our brand and business has taken years of work, effort and a lot of money, that you don’t need to spend! Your investment will be very inexpensive compared to what it could have been!
We have designed and trademarked the logo, developed the brand and reputation, designed the website, developed strong relationships with our suppliers, developed plans, written policies and procedures and have an amazing graphic designer.
If you start a business from scratch, it can take years to see any return on your investment. With a Kicks Dance franchise…you are making a profit from year one.
Kicks Dance Ltd have lived it and done the leg work; we know what specific laws and guidelines we have to adhere to and what procedures we have to put in place. We’ve got our own policies ready to hand over to you. We know where to advertise, we know when to advertise, we know how to advertise. We know what works and what doesn’t work in class. We have a good grasp of the various developmental stages of children’s gross and fine motor skills. We know what music is appropriate for dances and what is appropriate for rhythm work. We’ve got everything covered!
You’ll always notice a Kicks leaflet on a noticeboard, or a Kicks stand at an exhibition. Louise at The Colour Suite, has designed and developed a really strong brand with vibrant colours. We get noticed and remembered, which is great for business!
Our ethos is also special. Our ‘strap line’ is “Every child is a star…give yours the chance to sparkle”. We believe in giving children a platform to enjoy dancing and gain confidence, whilst having lots of FUN. Whilst Ballet and the stricter dance world is for some children…we felt that there was a gap in the market for a more relaxed, fun dance business that doesn’t work towards exams, competitions and the pressure that brings as the focus of it.
Kicks Dance Ltd has produced an extensive and detailed Operations Manual outlining exactly how to run a Kicks Dance business and we will train you in exactly how to run the business and deliver our classes. It is important for all franchises to be run in the exact same way, so a high level of support is as important to us as it is to you! We will be there for any questions, queries or help franchisees need.
Working for yourself is hard work…but totally worth it! Yes you may have to work arguably a little harder and slightly longer hours initially…but you get out what you put in and you can be as flexible as you want. If you would like to employ teachers and do absolutely no teaching yourself, then that’s fine! If you would like to finish early on a Friday then go ahead! Obviously we are governed by schools etc, but as long as the business is meeting targets and is the best we know it can be, the way you do it is up to you!
Being self – employed is great, but it can be lonely. If you were to start up your own dance business from scratch, you may find it difficult to find people to bounce ideas off, to get praise from when you have done something amazing or to complain to at the end of a difficult day (although this rarely happens at Kicks Dance!…). If you franchise with us, you will instantly be part of a team and you may even make lifelong friends!
The price of our franchise is based on what you get for your investment (ie. launch pack/training etc). We have done our research and our current price is extremely competitive and value for money. We are very honest and upfront about our figures and projections and always state things in terms of profit, rather than turnover. Our year 1, 2 and 3 projections are based on an actual pilot franchise (not solely on potential in the area..meaning there is the opportunity to earn significantly more).
Unlike some franchises, we are lucky enough to offer PE classes, as well as after-school classes, Tots & Pre-School classes, parties and workshops. As a dance teacher, you will often find that a big chunk of the day is out of action due to the children being at school. We have solved that problem giving you multiple income streams.
We are at the beginning of our franchise journey, so joining us now brings with it a lot of advantages. Our price reflects our age as a business and the current market so joining us at this point is probably going to be financially beneficial. Joining the team at the beginning, means having a big input in the growth and development of the central company Kicks Dance Ltd. As we grow, we will need your help for future franchisee training and various other roles and we will definitely appreciate your ideas and anything else you can bring to the company. In 10 years time…when we have franchises all around the country…you can say “I was one of the first!”.
If all the above haven’t managed to convince you that a Kicks Dance franchise is right for you…you surely won’t be able to deny yourself THE BEST LIFE EVER! I can truly say that whilst it has been a whirlwind of emotions and extremely hard work, to quote anyone under the age of 20 and the whole of instagram…I am definitely ‘living my best life’.
We LOVE our jobs and getting up on a Monday morning really isn’t all that bad when you own a Kicks Dance franchise.
If you would like to find out more about our franchises, please click here or email nickie@kicksdance.co.uk who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
