I enjoy working with little children. Years ago, when my daughter was a toddler, I was the head of childcare and a board member for our local Mother’s Center. It was a great arrangement because I was able to bring my daughter to work with me. I was able to work and provide money for my family, and my daughter had fun and played with her friends.
The same time I worked at the Mother’s Center I also volunteered as a Mommy & Me type group leader for a local non-profit organization.
When my son came along I had to give up my job at the Mother’s Center. My son required physical, occupational and speech therapies twice a week, every week. It was impossible to work around his therapy schedule. Eventually my volunteer position died out too when the organization shut down due to lack of funding.
Several years ago I was fortunate to help out in a Pre-K class for a few months. I would have applied for the job as the teacher’s aide but the hours didn’t work around my kid’s schedules.
I miss working with little children. I love doing cicle time, reading stories to them and helping them with arts and crafts.
If we didn’t live in a condo, or if we had money, I’d love to open my own daycare. I think that would be a lot of fun.
Did you know that you can actually buy into a childcare franchise? I think that is a pretty cool idea. I wouldn’t mind doing something like that. It’s called Kiddie Academy. I was surprised to learn that Kiddie Academy has been around for 30 years and has centers all across the United States.
Kiddie Acadamy is always looking for new franchises.
If you are unfamiliar with what a franchise is, it’s basically a company that sells it’s business logo and business model to a third party. There is one main company but it sells the rights to it’s products and logo to others. Some examples of franchises include McDonalds, Jenny Craig, Budget Rent-a-Car, Outback Steak House, H&R Block and Quality Inn. These are owned by INDIVIDUALS, meaning that your local McDonalds is owned by a person (or group), not actually McDonald’s themselves. The owner of your local McDonald’s paid for the right to open that store and uses McDonald’s products.
Why would someone want their own Kiddie Academy franchise? That’s easy. People like how it’s compatible with their lifestyle and how they are able to create their own schedules. As someone who had a home business for 7 years I can tell you that it’s a great feeling being your own boss.
As a mom I know how important is it to find quality childcare. Childcare is certainly a industry that is in high demand, especially ones that have a flexible schedule and offer parents and children a quality experience. That is why the education based childcare sector is growing even more in demand compared to regular childcare.
Kiddie Academy offers families more then just someone to care for their child. Kiddie Academy offers families;
– Educational and Cognitive Skills
– Socialization
– Character Development
– Physical Activity
– Nutrition
Kiddie Academy is always looking to work with entrepreneurial minded individuals, groups or couples. You could open your own Kiddie Academy, or perhaps your company or church group would like to open one.
Kiddie Academy provides full support of it’s franchises, even helping you to pick out a location.
There are stories about current franchise owners that you can check out if something like this interests you. You can also find out a lot more about the opportunity on the Kiddie Academy website, www.KiddieAcademyFranchising.com. You can also follow them on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/KAFranchising.
Here is an example of an actual Kiddie Academy franchise owner.
Wendy Barry opened her Kiddie Academy franchise on March 15, 1993 at 100 Kiddie Lane, Elkton, MD, at the age of 35. Wendy’s tenure with the company is a true testament to her dedication to superior child care and success within the local community. Her focus on education has proven that the Kiddie Academy’s child care model is not a typical day care.
Background: As its first franchisee, Wendy Barry has a long, rich history with Kiddie Academy. Prior to becoming a franchisee, she spent 10 years as a special education teacher at Elkton High School in Elkton, MD. Wendy began looking into a child care franchise after the birth of her daughter, Taylor. After reading an article in her local paper about the Millers, who were looking to begin franchising their child care company, Wendy arranged a meeting to discuss the possibility of becoming a franchisee. The Millers’ educational philosophy matched hers, and she was impressed by the overall business. She automatically knew Kiddie Academy was the right fit for her — both professionally and personally.
Goals: With a strong background in education, Wendy is continually focused on achieving the highest educational standards. She has just become MSDE approved for her four-year-old program and is currently working to achieve the MSDE (Maryland State Department of Education) Early Childhood Accreditation. As a successful franchisee, Wendy also looks to continually build her enrollment and rapport with her current families and the local community.
Challenges: Being the first Kiddie Academy franchisee has its advantages, but it also presented a challenge for Wendy when opening her location. With no other academies in the area, she was faced with a lack of brand awareness and peer support that future franchisees would benefit from. However, her status as the only franchisee offered her the ability to have the corporate staff’s undivided attention and assistance. With that, and her hard work and dedication, she was able to overcome all challenges.
Results: Wendy is thrilled at how her business has grown and progressed. For the last 17 years, she has provided a safe environment for children to learn and a place that parents can rely on for the care of their children. She receives positive feedback from her families and enjoys a terrific reputation within the community. Wendy and her academy have won numerous awards and accolades, including: Brand Champion Award, #1 Child Care in Cecil County for 2009 and 2010, and the 2010 Director of the Year Award. She also takes pride in knowing she has offered her employees a work place that has helped achieve their career goals.
If you would like to find a Kiddie Academy near you please visit www.KiddieAcademy.com.
Kimberly
*This is a sponsored post in partnership with Kiddie Academy. However all opinions expressed are entirely my own and not influenced in any way.