Child's Play

Child's Play

Fun for kids, profitable for you, children franchises are booming.

by Alesia Visconti

Certified Franchise Consultant

There is no question we all want the best for our children: We want them to be happy, healthy, have fun, and learn. We want bright, blissful futures for them. Luckily, there’s an assortment of franchise brands designed to ensure that all our children's needs—and more—are taken care of.

Nearly two-thirds of mothers with young children work outside the home, so needs for extended care begin from the start. Postpartum and newborn care is exploding, after-school enrichment programs thrive, and with society’s ever-changing demands dual-income families are becoming the norm. Businesses that cater to these families will be in ever-increasing demand.

The desire of parents to have more physically active children—versus playtime consisting of sitting and playing electronic games all day long—is enabling fun and creative brands to flourish. Focused on areas such as sports, music, swimming, dance, cooking, adventure parks and the like, a plethora of sub-categories in the arena of “children’s products” help develop the minds and bodies of our future generations—all while easing the stress of parents’ work schedules. Co-mingling the two areas of learning and fun is a trend toward “art play/education,” serving to develop the cognitive skills of children through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

For business-minded investors looking at category options, brands focused on children offer many attractive pluses. Parents are more willing to sacrifice discretionary spending in many other ways so they can contribute to their kids’ development and advancement. Parents want well-balanced, socially engaged children. And for many working parents, childcare is a necessity in order for the household to function. All of this leads to strong numbers for children’s franchise brands. With low-cost options, many home-based and/or mobile, the absence of a physical location results in no build-out costs, extremely low overhead, and the ability to open the business and ramp up more quickly.

Important for many franchise owners, it also gives them the work balance they seek, with hours of operation in harmony with their own lives. While it is easy to see how brands that focus on children’s needs can thrive in nearly all economies, it usually isn’t solely the financial benefits that motivate owners. When you ask the owners what drew them to the industry, often they state having the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives on children in their community as a strong factor. Truly rewarding on every level!

Alesia Visconti, CFC, and her expert team of franchise consultants are passionate about helping others achieve their dreams of business ownership through franchising. Visconti has 20-plus years helping others find career bliss. She is the CEO of FranServe Inc, the world’s largest franchise consulting & expansion organization. Her motto in life is “work hard, play hard, help others, repeat.” Alesia is a self-proclaimed nerd and loves all things “superhero.” For more information visit www.franserve.com. Reach Visconti at avisconti@franserve.com