Just as kids coding brand Code Ninjas expands into a new country with the announcement of the first location to open in Scotland, more tech-savvy entrepreneurs in the south of the nation have invested in the world’s largest kids coding franchise. With studios coming to Hayes and nearby Uxbridge over the coming months, Greater London now has no fewer than 16 locations open – or soon to be open – covering a radius of less than 20 miles. This recent growth is a testament to the demand for the kids coding programme and the success of the brand as a whole. As the brand celebrates its fifth anniversary and CEO, Justin Nihiser, celebrates his first year at the helm, there’s a lot for the franchise network to be thankful for.
One of the most common responses from business owners when asked about the first few years of running a new enterprise is, ‘If someone would have told me where we’d be in five years, I would never have believed them’. When Code Ninjas was established back in 2016, all involved knew how far the brand would go – but had no idea how fast it would catch on. With more than 150 locations opened in the first three years, one of the key objectives when Code Ninjas first entered the UK market in 2019 was to replicate the astounding growth of the brand in the USA and Canada during years one to three. Despite the pandemic, we’re well on our way to achieving that goal.
We always knew that our franchise model – and, of course, our kids coding curriculum – would translate particularly well across Greater London and the surrounding counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The demand for children’s coding providers is more than apparent in the area – it’s a consistently rising need. With so many tech firms based in the city, our programme is setting up the next generation of coders and programmers with the valuable skills needed to compete in a digital world. That, in part, is why our studios across Greater London have been so busy since locations were able to reopen on 12th April.
The calibre of talented prospects enquiring about our franchise investment opportunity never ceases to amaze me, particularly in the nation’s capital. With experienced CEOs, finance professionals, teachers and web developers joining our UK network over the course of the last two years, trust in our programme – and the crowds of ninjas signing up! – is a direct result of the incredible people delivering our messaging. They really are our brand ambassadors, and I’m very proud to witness their success, particularly during the first six months of this year – my first year as CEO.
With many more enquiring about our in-demand franchise model, we expect more than 50 studio locations will be operational before the end of the year – 20 of those in and around London. Pharmacist, experienced entrepreneur and dad-of-three, Taizun Hassanali, is the latest franchisee to join our UK network – his studio in Hayes will open to the public later this year. He made the decision to launch his Code Ninjas franchise with business partner, Haroon Latif, when searching for coding education opportunities for his own children, aged 12, 10 and 5. When he realised that such opportunities didn’t really exist, he decided to open his own. Dad of the year, right? But all jokes aside, Taizun and Haroon understand the value of the Code Ninjas programme – in London and beyond – and see it doing incredible things to the landscape of kids coding education in years to come.
It’s undeniable that franchise brands have faced multiple challenges over the course of the last 12 months, but Code Ninjas has continued to thrive. This is a pivotal time for us and for the franchising industry as a whole. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for – celebrating my first year with this brand has been one of the highlights of my career and a milestone I’ll never forget.
