With the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I know that many entrepreneurs are thoughtfully considering their options when it comes to viable and—more importantly—sustainable business opportunities during these unprecedented times. Maybe you’re thinking of starting your own business but don’t know exactly how to start. Franchising covers several key areas you need to begin, and grow: stability, expertise, and support, as well as an established and thriving business model that works in various industries and markets.
You’ve got to ask yourself: what are you passionate about and how can you converge that with what the market needs? In knowing so, you can start developing the best products or services to address this demand. When I founded Celebree back in 1994, I knew even before then that providing the best care and education to young children is what I wanted to devote my life to.
Franchising also empowers you to pursue these passions even with little-to-no background or experience. I myself didn’t have a business degree, but I was very fortunate to grow up in an environment that equipped me the tools and sharpened my instincts in the childcare industry. My mother owned a school herself, where I had first-hand experience on how a school operates. She, along with many others, mentored me—this kind of support is unparalleled and something we are dedicated to providing our franchisees from the get-go. I know that not everyone has the same experiences or background like I have, which is why franchising will give you access to this proven and trusted model.
Investing in a franchise as opposed to being an independent owner affords you all the benefits of owning your own business, but also the advantages of a successful business that has the following:
- Cost advantage: franchises are typically less expensive than traditional business and in many cases, easier to secure finance (with assistance from us, of course)
- Ongoing, cultivated structural support: access to training and operational support every step of the way
- Brand name recognition: allows you to grow a loyal, existing base while also drawing new customers in
Furthermore, franchises are better prepared for economic downturns as much as they are built to handle sudden boom in sales or high demand.
During the pandemic, Celebree Schools have remained open to serve families and working parents to ensure safe continuity of care and education for young children. We’ve operated with limited capacity and eventually increased it according to state and local regulations and health requirements. Because of our franchise model’s guaranteed, ongoing support, our schools were able to adapt efficiently and mobilize each school to streamline all health and safety standards without a negative impact on our curriculum, such as providing free daily online lessons via Celebree Connect, implementing our Kiss-and-Go policy to reduce risk of transmission, and vigilant monitoring of health updates and readiness to implement changes accordingly.
But best of all, we’re able to help many families and communities in these challenging times, including our staff and their families. Having this security that franchises provide is profoundly important to keep not just our economy going, but also to make meaningful change to those we serve.
