To invest in a franchise, prospects tread a well-travelled path – from initial enquiry all the way through to launch day, the journey is so familiar to many. Every franchisee has undertaken the route from enquiry to launch, but what exactly should this process look like?
Here, David Hancock, Executive Chairman for Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, speaks with one of the brand’s franchisees, Bhabani Sahoo, on what to expect from your first foray into franchising – after all, what better way to find out what you can expect from your initial training than to hear it from a franchisee?
Throughout my career, I’ve seen many take the path from prospect to franchisee. However, no one explains it better than someone who’s just gone through it. Bhabani Sahoo, one of our franchisees, recently completed this journey and can offer valuable insight into what to expect. Here is his journey:
For me, as for many others, investing in a franchise was a lightbulb moment. Mine came when I was finishing a degree in management. Me and my wife, Sampa, were struggling to find a nursery place for our daughter.
I suddenly thought, with the knowledge I had gained from my degree and my previous career in IT, and my wife’s skillset in education, we could be on to something. We’d always wanted to do something together, and then the path became clearer – we should run our own nursery.
Thorough research was my next step. I looked at competitors, the demand for nurseries in our area, what properties were available – the full nine yards. It gave me a comprehensive picture of the options available to us and helped us decide what our next steps would be – we needed the backing of a franchise.
Why a franchise? Well, there’s the obvious advantage of access to a proven business model along with ongoing support, reducing the risks associated with starting a business from scratch. With a franchise, you’re tapping into a network of expertise, marketing, and operational systems, giving you greater peace of mind. It’s a win-win.
Having decided we were going to invest in a nursery franchise, more research was on the cards. No matter the industry or brand you invest in, you need to fully understand their terms, fees, and expectations.
I reached out to existing franchisees to get a clearer picture. By speaking with those already operational, I started to see what my desired brand looked like. Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries stood out. We saw they had nearly two decades of experience producing excellent settings – we didn’t just want to open a nursery; we wanted it to be outstanding.
Our mind was made up. Monkey Puzzle was the answer, but now it was time for the nitty gritty. Signing the Franchise Disclosure Document is one of the most important steps in becoming a franchisee. Once completed, you can sign the dotted line. For us, it was a proud moment – we were on the right path to achieving our dream.
All franchisees undertake initial training to really get to grips with the brand. This can sometimes feel like a baptism of fire, with so much to take in, but my advice is to approach this with an open mind, ready to learn – remember that you’re learning from the experts.
Next, we needed to source a location. Monkey Puzzle supported us through the process of finding our ideal premises and providing us with resources to hire staff and promote the opening of our business locally and beyond. Take advantage of these resources, and don’t be too proud to ask for extra support if you need it.
We have a long-term goal to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating – it’s what Sampa and I set out to do. We also want to help the community. Having struggled to find a nursery place for our daughter, anything we can do to give back, or make someone’s life easier, is high on our agenda.
The journey from enquiry to launch is a commitment, and your heart needs to be in it. You need to think about what your skills are and what motivates you. This will help you decide which industry and brand to invest in. For us, it’s been a rewarding journey, and the best is yet to come. I’m excited to see what the future holds!
