Find out how public education trends and increased demands for out of school programs has driven the children’s services sector.
Darryn McAuliffe CEO of FRANdata, said children’s service franchises have been in the five fastest growing industries in the US and that we are already seeing evidence of this happening in Australia, with sharp rise in the number of child-related businesses available.
Tammi Ceppi, owner of the Playball franchise; a sport-based school readiness program, says there are a few factors contributing to this trend.
“Parents are enrolling their children in a wide range of extracurricular activities to supplement their development,” she says.
“Budget cuts over the years, and changing curriculum, has meant the scaling back of many science, art, sport, music and drama programs in the education system,” she said.
“A growing tide of parents want to give their children the best possible start in life and they aren’t willing to leave that to the system.”
Ceppi puts the recent boom in child-focused franchises down to the following:
- Education budget cuts: Scale backs in the childcare and school system is pushing parents to seek their desired services elsewhere.
- Competitive edge: The need for parents to give their children the best start in life has fuelled the opening of a plethora of businesses to cater to their every interest.
- Culture shift: Parents are more focused on their children’s day-to-day activities than ever before – a generation ago it was common for kids to roam around and find their own adventures, today almost every part of a child’s day is scheduled.
- Career change: Many teachers and parents are opening children’s service franchises because they are looking for a career change that allows them to continue working with kids but to enjoy more flexible conditions and the opportunity to become their own boss.
Ceppi said she is seeing many disillusioned early childhood educators, and teachers, opening franchises in the children’s sector because they are burned out by unrealistic expectations.
“Almost a third of teachers in the state sector quit within five years of qualifying,” she says.
“Many of the people that buy into our franchises fit this profile – and they end up hitting the ground running because their skills marry up.
“Children’s sector franchises also tend to be competitively priced and have decent turnover making it much easier for teachers and child care works to work for themselves and not by themselves.”
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