The best of both worlds (Daily Mail franchise story)

The best of both worlds

By: Linda Whitney

APART-TIM E business could be your way of making ends meet. Running your own business beats part-time employment as it's more flexible, so you can fit it around existing commitments, be it another job, the family or both.

Many franchises and business opportunities can be run parttime and offer a ready-made business idea and help with getting started.

Make sure you have the time to spare. Most franchises and business opportunities require an investment of at least a few hundred pounds, so if you do not take your business seriously, you will have lost your investment.

'It's important to realise your business is not just a hobby,' says Tony Franks, of Little Impressions, whose franchisees make and sell framed casts of children's hands and feet.

Most run the business parttime around a family, working while their children are at nursery or school.

Mr Franks says: 'You must be able to dedicate at least 20 hours a week to it or the return will not be enough to make it worthwhile.' Franchisees market their services around their community, at parent-and-toddler clubs and family-themed events, as well as taking impressions of children's hands and feet and mounting them in wooden frames or on glassware.

Start-up costs £15,000 including equipment.

Many other part-time franchises are aimed at those wanting to work around a family.

Diane Taylor runs a ComputerXplorers franchise in the South Midlands, running afterschool classes developing children's IT, maths, art and literacy skills with computers.

'I was in retail field management, working more than 60 hours a week, including weekends and nights away from home, and getting phone calls 24 hours day,' says Diane.

'But now I have the franchise, and this year, for the first time ever, I was able to go to my daughters' school fete.' ComputerXplorers includes training in its £24,500 start-up cost.

Sister franchise PopStarParties also involves part-time work, often at weekends, as it involves arranging parties for eight to 16-year-olds. You'll help guests record their favourite songs on CD and make videos of the party highlights.

'You can work from home with flexible hours, low set-up costs and high net profit margins, and it's also great fun,' says franchisor Nigel Toplis.

Set-up cost of £10,000 includes training and equipment.

Go-Kart Party franchisees also work weekends, taking a portable go-kart track to corporate events, fetes and fairs.

Around 60 per cent of their business comes from children's parties, so, as with all franchises that involve working with children, expect extensive checks in the recruitment process.

NOT all part-time franchisees involve working with children. Franchisees with PETsits arrange pet care and home-sitting services. Once again, expect thorough background checks. Set-up cost is around £2,500.

Activ Web Design franchisees can fit business around a family or another job. They create websites for small businesses, mainly working from home, but also meeting business owners to market the service.

'We train you to build the sites using templates in a matter of hours,' says franchisor Dillon Boivin. Investment is £6,995.

Little Impressions 0800 019 3950, ComputerXplorers 01530 513308, PopStarParties 01530 513305, Go-Kart Party 0870 116 2000/, /PETsits 07984 487900


'JOBS that allow you to work between 9am and 3pm to fit in with children are like golddust, so I decided to set up in business instead,' says Jenny Andrew.

Jenny (left) started a Little Impressions franchise in Stafford, so as to work flexibly while caring for Bethany, seven, and William, four. 'I fit in up to 25 hours a week, while Bethany is at school and William at nursery, but as William starts school in September, I'll be able to increase my hours,' says Jenny, 36.

'I go out to meet parents, or they come to see us so I can take the casts of the children's hands and feet. Then I mount them in frames.

'Some people like to put poems, photographs, shoes or mittens into the frames, too, as keepsakes.' 'I enjoy the social side, but you also have to be business-like, as there are targets set by the franchisor. I market the service at shopping centres and community events, and my husband Jonathan comes along and brings the children.' Jenny's turnover was £20,000 last year.

'You must be prepared to put in the hours and market your service, but if you are enthusiastic about your product, you'll pass it on to customers,' she says