Interview with Claire Bennett, Managing Director of Music Bugs™
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Interview with Claire Bennett, Managing Director of Music Bugs™ who provide pre school learning music and singing classes across a number of locations in the UK.
Why did you start your own business with Music Bugs?
I saw a gap in the market and mulled over the possibility for several months before starting to formulate a plan. It was just a germ of an idea initially, that grew and grew. I was particularly keen to develop a pre school business that focused on informal play rather than some of the stricter options I had personally encountered when my own children were of pre school age which I found fairly limiting.
Why did you decide to franchise your business?
A mum who had been attending our classes had to relocate due to her husbands work commitments and asked whether there were any Music Bugs classes in other areas of the country. I had already made some tentative investigations into a potential franchise model but this spurred me on to take things to the next level.
How did you balance family life around your business as it developed?
I had 4 children under the age of 8 at the time so a fair amount of juggling was required. I had, and still have, a fantastic amount of support from my husband and family which was vital in those initial months of launching the business.
How did you adapt from running your own Music Bugs business, to becoming a franchisor, responsible for recruiting, training and supporting your growing network of franchisees?
The past 6 years have been a massive voyage of discovery for me and it did all seem very daunting at the beginning. I took things one step at a time however and did a lot of networking through online business forums. Our initial ‘Pilot Franchisees’ were also very instrumental in shaping the early development of the business as they were able to provide valuable feedback on the quality of training and levels of support offered. There is a lot of help and support out there for new businesses and I was able to access resources such as Business Link and the Chamber of Commerce. I also stayed in close contact with my solicitor and bank manager who both helped to mentor me through those early days.
What benefits do you see for somebody starting a franchise business against starting their own business from scratch?
It is a massive undertaking to start a business from scratch. In addition to the financial commitments that come when starting any new business, one of the biggest challenges is how to strike a balance with the inevitable long hours that are required to get the business off the ground around family and other personal commitments. Finding this balance can be difficult in the first couple of years and previous surveys have found this to be a contributing factor as to why 50% of start ups fail within their first year of trading.
One of the benefits of buying into a franchise is that you are buying into a tried and tested business concept. You are essentially buying your own slice of an already successful and established brand. A franchise that invests in their people will provide ongoing support and training as well as the chance to collaborate with other franchisees in their network who are a fantastic source of advice, ideas and overall encouragement as you develop your business. I certainly think the array of benefits available to somebody looking at becoming a franchisee is a core reason why we receive so many enquiries from people looking at franchise and class leader opportunities with Music Bugs.
Why is the Music Bugs business so successful, and what makes it stand out against other franchises in this sector?
We are the only UK based company to provide classes where the focus is solely on play based development and social interaction for the under 5's. Our ethos is 'letting kids be kids' - we feel very strongly that children should be allowed to socialise and develop at their own pace without pressure or expectation. Parents have responded to this very positively and have really helped to spread the word about Music Bugs with one or two of them even taking up a Music Bugs franchise of their own.
How is Music Bugs developing compared with your business plans to date?
Our aim was to appoint between 5 and 7 franchisees per year and since our launch in 2007 we have slightly exceeded this target so I am very pleased with how the business has steadily built up. As Managing Director, I am still personally involved in training and mentoring the new franchisees through the first few months of their launch and beyond, so we have been careful not to launch too many franchisees at once.
How do you see Music Bugs Developing over the next few years?
We have yet to tap into the pre school market in Scotland and Northern Ireland and look forward to the day when we can launch our very first classes in those areas. We currently have a network of 24 franchisees which I envisage will grow steadily over the coming years based on the increase in enquiries we are receiving for the territories that are still available. We are also experiencing a high demand for our existing classes which is prompting our franchisees to seek new venues for the future and we will continue to generate awareness for the birthday parties our franchisees provide which are becoming increasingly more popular. The diverse opportunities within the pre school market and the changing requirements from parents on the types of pre school activities they want their children to participate in will continue to change over the coming years and I am confident we will be able to evolve and develop our business around any future changes.
How are your franchisees performing currently, and how do you see the market changing over the next year or so?
The UK birth rate has risen steadily over the past decade and fertility rates are also climbing, which means we will continue to see an increase in demand from parents who are looking for the best quality activities for their children. The number of Music Bugs classes around the country continues to grow each year and many of our franchisees are looking at increasing the number of venues to run their classes from in order to meet demand. In addition to the weekly classes, our franchisees have the opportunity to develop their businesses further by delivering classes at private nurseries and by organising Music Bugs birthday parties as well as merchandise sales. The franchisees are performing incredibly well and even concerns about the recession and the recent swine flu outbreak didn’t impact the demand for our classes from parents.
So, now is a good time to explore starting a Music Bugs Franchise?
Absolutely. We are a successful business, that despite the current economic challenges all businesses are facing, we are continuing to grow and make our classes available in new areas across the UK. We still have a number of good sized territories available and in 2010 we have offered all new franchisees a £350 advertising bonus and one years public liability insurance free of charge.
Who are you looking for to become new franchisees of Music Bugs and what is your recruitment process?
Our current team of franchisees come from all walks of life from graduates, TV producers, air hostesses and mums returning to work who need to work flexible hours to meet their busy family commitments. Ideally, a Music Bugs franchise will appeal to people who are focused and motivated to manage their own business and have a real interest in providing fun informal singing and music classes for pre-schoolers.
If somebody is interested in becoming a franchisee for Music Bugs they will need to fill out an application form which can be requested via our website or by calling head office. Subject to a successful application, they will be invited to a Discovery Day which are run a number of times throughout the year. The Discovery Day is a great opportunity to learn more about our business, visit a live class and chat to an existing franchisee and parents about their Music Bugs experience.
Finally, what tips would you offer to somebody considering starting a franchise?
I think the best piece of advice I can offer is know your personal strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of how brilliant your idea is and how excited you are to get it off the ground, you are going to need the support and expertise from a range of people in order to get your idea up and running. The second tip I would give is make sure you understand who your target market are and crucially, that there is demand out there for the service you want to provide or products you would like to sell. This may sound obvious but it is something that is ignored over and over again and it can prove costly to ignore this. Finally, there will be the inevitable ups and downs to running your own franchise, particularly at the beginning, but it still remains in my opinion an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling career opportunity.
