Music & Dance Classes

What is the business? MAD Academy provides music and dance classes for pre-school children in which music and dance form equal parts of the curriculum. Classes are held in large halls to encourage growth and development in a free spirited environment where both the parent and child are comfortable to express themselves.

Investment required: £6,000 to £6,500 for a standard franchise area. These costs include:-

• franchise fee
• initial marketing campaign
• class materials and equipment
• licences and insurance
• training

Earning Potential: Working 20 to 30 hours per week, term time only, a good Franchisee has the potential to earn between £20K and £30K per annum. These earnings can be increased by employing MAD Academy trained tutors to run additional classes and/or by extending their franchise territory.

Is there training/support for franchisees? Four days of pre-launch training is provided to all new franchisees followed by a one day examination. Thereafter, three half days of additional training is provided per year plus the one day Annual MAD Academy Conference.

Best suited to: A mum who has the confidence and energy to run her own business and who gets satisfaction from seeing young children develop a passion for music and dance.

For more information: Helen Harrington on 0118 926 1384 or email office@madacademy.com. You can find out more about the company online here - www.madacademy.com

Name: Maggie

Location: Dorking

Family: Andy (my lovely husband), Alfie (our gorgeous 16 month old boy) & Mac (the dog)

How often do you work?
I run MAD Academy classes three mornings a week at the moment and am planning to add an extra morning from September. I spend roughly 12 hours a week on admin and marketing.

How does the job fit around your family life?
It's great - when I had Alfie I decided that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my little boy. He's changing so quickly and I don't want to miss a thing!! Now Alfie's only in nursery while I'm running the classes and I get to spend the afternoons and days off with him. It was tricky balancing working and looking after/entertaining Alfie at the beginning, but we're getting into more of a routine now and I tend to do most of the admin and marketing in the evenings when he's asleep. I'm very lucky that my husband is very supportive and understands that I have work to do in the evenings, in fact, I think it's given us a boost as we now try to set aside one night a week for a date night! I'm also really looking forward to being able to spend most of the Summer Holiday with Alfie and Andy (who's a teacher) as the classes run during term time!

How much roughly did the franchise cost you?
£5,500

What did that investment buy?
A three year Franchise Agreement (with the option to renew) for running MAD Academy classes in my territory. Very thorough business and class training that covered everything I needed to know about setting up and running the business and classes! Extremely useful business & class manuals to refer back to!! The set up cost also included money required for an initial advertising campaign, Public liability insurance, PPL Licence, CRB check, class equipment and materials.

Do you get support/training?
Yes, I can ring or email MAD Academy HQ with any questions and know that there'll be a friendly & helpful voice at the end of the phone!! It's also great to be able to contact any of the other franchisees for advice - even though it's your own business it's a real team effort! We also have training at the end of each term to cover new elements that will be included in the following terms classes, which is also a great opportunity to catch up with the other franchisees.

Are there on-going costs?
Yes, mainly advertising, hall hire, equipment renewal and general admin/stationery costs.

How much do you earn (roughly)?
This is my first term and the business is in its infancy as I've only been running classes for eight weeks but I can see that it has great potential. Although I haven't paid myself any money yet my gross income is increasing each week and I'm just starting to break even which is great.

Do you advertise?
Yes, I have adverts in local magazines and try to get my leaflets & posters anywhere that I think Mums may see them!! I also carry around leaflets with me as you never know when an opportunity may arise.

What is the best thing about MAD Academy for you?
I love running the classes. It's great fun singing and dancing with the kids (and their parents), and so rewarding when you can see they're having a great time while learning.

Are there any downsides to the job?
It can be difficult juggling working at home with a family (this was addressed at the MAD Academy business training where we were given a set of juggling balls!) but it's worth it for the extra time I get to spend with my son and the satisfaction of seeing my business grow

Would you recommend this franchise opportunity to other Mums?
Without a doubt - it's great fun and totally MAD!!