Buying a franchise business in the children’s services sector means you need to be dedicated and driven by a passion to make a difference. 

Parents invest in businesses they trust and tell their friends about it. To buy into the children’s services industry, you need to be engaged in the community and looking beyond the cash return – the rewards of the job are more than monetary.

Commonly, brands in the sector find the work rewarding, often offering work/life balance. Many franchises can be run from home. However, most children’s services franchises must be state or territory mandated, with Working with Children or police checks to approve candidates.

Old Macdonald’s Travelling Farms

Established in 1989, the mobile Old Macdonald’s Travelling Farms franchise brings an experience of country life to the city in an educational way.

Ann Richardson, who heads up the franchise, says franchisees drive client growth through marketing, which includes electronic and social media. In terms of referrals, she says repeat business averages 88 per cent.

As well as state-required police checks, franchises may need a Certificate III in Animal Care and first-aid certification.

Richardson says about 40 per cent of overheads go toward such items as animal feed, fuel and vehicle expenses, electricity, wages and insurance. The concept requires that franchisees have land available for the animals.

“Franchisees need to be constantly aware of a very fluid market, combined with the ability to market nostalgia with education,” says Richardson.

Initial investment starts at $88,000 to $120,000, where goodwill is included. Franchisees receive 24-hour support in husbandry, administration and marketing.

Richardson says franchisees need to be clear about whether an Old Macdonald’s Travelling Farms franchise suits their family dynamics.

Interested in this sector? Check out brands in the children’s services category.