Work when it suits you (Daily Mail franchise story)

Work when it suits you

 
By: Linda Whitney

THE long summer holidays will soon be here, and many parents are puzzling over how to fit in childcare and earn a living.

Setting up in business for yourself can solve the problem. Many franchises allow you to work flexibly, so you can combine business with family life. s

Before you start, work out how many hours you can realistically devote to a business.

For instance, even though they are flexible, some businesses need year-round attention, while others require only term-time work.

David Tudor represents Purple Peach, a new franchise from card company CardLine that involves placing stands of stickers in convenience stores and corner shops.

'You visit clients regularly to renew stocks and collect takings. If you leave them over the summer, you risk losing business,' he says.

But he points out that you can adjust your hours to suit your changing availability.

Many of the shops you will be visiting are open late, so you could leave children with a carer in the evenings while you visit clients.

Purple Peach can be run fulltime or part-time, and initial investment (from £5,000) includes your first 50 clients.

If you over-estimate your available time, you could end up juggling children and the business, and become even more stressed than before you started.

But if you work too few hours, you might not make a profit and will have wasted your investment.

Terry Kelly is part of Kumon Educational, a franchise that involves teaching children English and maths after school hours.

'To produce an income of around £18,000 a year before business expenses, you need about 50 to 60 students, which usually means around 15 hours' work weekly,' he says.

Kumon franchisees typically run sessions between 3.30pm and 5.30pm in local venues. It costs £400 to start, plus about £2,000 for local marketing in your first year.

Even though you might be working around a family, franchisors expect as much commitment and professionalism as a full-time franchisee.

'We are happy to be flexible, but we want you to grow the business,' says Mr Kelly. 'It should be a long-term commitment rather than a hobby.' With Jo Jingles, the franchise that involves running music and movement classes for pre-school children, you are expected to teach a minimum of 12 to 15 classes a week in your first year.

'This generates an average turnover of £15,000 to 20,000 and gives you something to aim for,' says Caroline Crabbe of Jo Jingles.

The franchise costs £7,000 to £9,000 to set up. You do not need any teaching experience, but you should be able to hold a tune.

If you are short of time, consider a partnership with a friend or relative — an agreement that could extend to sharing childcare, too. S AM PETTER is involved with Tatty Bumpkin, a franchise that involves teaching a yoga-inspired programme to children and selling organic toys, clothing and accessories.

'You can make your own schedule around the demands of family and school hours,' says Sam.

'It works well as a partnership — one person teaching the classes and the other responsible for clothing sales.' The £10,000 start-up cost includes training, business help and clothing samples.

PURPLE Peach / Cardline Greetings Franchise; Kumon 0800 854 714; Jo Jingles 01494 778 989; Tatty Bumpkin 01732 812 212..

GINNY BARLOW runs the Little Gym, a franchised centre offering gymnastics activities to children, in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire.

'When I moved out of London, I no longer wanted to commute and needed a business that fitted round my family,' says former lawyer Ginny, seen here with her daughter Georgina, three.

'Georgina and my other daughter Ellie, five, had attended the Little Gym in Wandsworth, South-West London, and loved it. So, I spent a long time talking to the franchisee — a man who had chosen the business because it was child-friendly.' After school, her children come to the gym and do their homework or watch a DVD while Ginny works.

'I still have the flexibility to take them to swimming and ballet classes, and I do the paperwork after the girls are in bed,' says Ginny, 37.

The girls enjoy the gymnastics programme, and Ginny says: 'In time, I hope they will feel encouraged to help me out, and that seeing their mum in business leads them to a lifetime of confidence.' Little Gym franchisees run centres for children aged four to 12, offering a gymnastics programme which evolves with a child's cognitive and motor skills development. The investment of around £150,000- £250,000 includes training, equipment and marketing support.

THE Little Gym: 00 32 10 23 17 90..