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The Tots Play Franchise
Welcome. Hi I’m Helen, founder of Tots Play.
First I’d like to say thank you for checking out the Tots Play business opportunity also to congratulate you on moving a step closer towards designing your life the way you’d like it to be.
So many people claim to want to make a change in their lives and never even get this far, so you’re one step closer to that new future, for yourself and your family.
I’ve put together this information for you, to explain a bit more about Tots Play, what it is we do and why, and how you can join the team, so I hope you find it useful.
As you scroll down you’ll learn more about our programme and how it got started, what a franchise is and whether it might be right for you, how our franchise programme works, along with the key facts and figures you need, and the skills and qualities needed to make a great success of this business. You’ll get to hear from a few of our customers and franchisees too.
When you’re considering starting any business it’s really important that, first and foremost, what that business does is something you believe in and can feel passionate about, so to get us started, here’s a quick glimpse of what we do.
An Introduction to Tots Play
When you join a franchise you want to consider both what the business does, as this really needs to be something you have a passion for and want to do every day, and also if this is a company can have confidence in, run by people you’d like to work with.
So let me tell you more of what our programme’s all about, how it started and developed, why we’re a company going from strength to strength and what opportunities this presents for you.
How Tots Play Got Started
In 2004 I was a new mum who didn’t want to leave my baby to go back to work. I did however need an income and also a focus for me in addition to being a devoted mum.
I tried a couple of party plan companies for a while, which were ok but not really what I was looking for, then I came across an advert for a pre-school music class franchise and decided to give it a go.
I started with a few classes locally, a couple of mornings a week around play dates, nap times and other baby related activities and grew the business steadily having found that it was something I not only enjoyed doing, but that gave me that work/life balance I was looking for.
A year or so later my husband got offered a good job overseas and after a great deal of consideration I sold the business and we moved to the middle east.
Once we were settled out there, I found there was very little in the way of classes for babies and toddlers and decided to start a group for a few of the mums I got to know in the country. This gave me the opportunity to try different things and to learn more about play and development. Then, just as I had started to build up quite a following for what I was doing, my husband’s contract came to an end and we returned to the UK.
This became my opportunity to make use of all the experiences I’d had, take the best of what I’d learned and from these things create a brand new, multi-activity programme, promoting development through play in a variety of fun and engaging ways, and so Tots Play was born.
Starting over from scratch, in the middle of a recession I built this new business, and within a few months was running sessions through the week, in between the school run for over a hundred families and growing.
Before changing my focus to spreading the Tots Play message more widely, I successfully ran classes for babies and toddlers for over 10 years, personally running sessions around the school run and family life for around 150 families a week.
We now have a network of franchisees across the UK and beyond running the programme in their areas and around their families, and guess what… you could do the same!
My time is now devoted to sharing my experience and using what I have learned in the process of building not one, but three businesses to help you to do the same through the Tots Play franchise programme.
I’d love for you to have the opportunity that I, and our franchisees have had to run a rewarding, fun and profitable business that works around your family commitments, and I’d also like to be the one to help and support you on that journey.
But enough about me! I expect you'd like to know more about what our programme involves, and what our customers love about it. Here’s a breakdown then, of the different sections that make up Tots Play.
The Tots Play Programme
Within the programme, each class is tailored to a particular stage of development.
Baby Development Course
The Baby Development course is our 6 week course especially for babies from birth to 6 months and sets the foundation for the Tots Play programme.
New parents tell us that they are often unsure “how” to play with their baby. They worry that baby will get bored with the same few activities or that they are not doing the “right” things to stimulate their child’s development. They are also seeking a safe space to connect with other parents with babies of a similar age, and a support network to help them through the ups and downs of life with a new born. Our baby development course is designed to support them with all these things and more.
The course covers a range of play and development activities that are easy to do and suitable even for very young babies, including baby massage, baby yoga, baby sign language, calming activities, tummy time techniques, sensory play and more, and includes a workbook and music tracks to encourage parents to continue the activities at home.
Many of our customers start by completing the Baby Development course and then move on to joining us at our weekly baby play class, Discovery Tots.
Discovery Tots
Discovery Tots is for babies from around 8 weeks old up to the time they are actively crawling, and is a place for parents to enjoy special play time with their baby each week, singing, stretching, bouncing, exploring and playing together. No two classes are the same and there are so many things for their baby to experience each week that mums often tell us that their baby sleeps very well after their Discovery Tots session.
Discovery Tots complements and builds on the activities included in the Baby Development course and is a great way for parents to continue to enjoy favourite activities and learn new ones, but it’s not necessary to have attended Baby Development to enjoy Discovery Tots.
Social Tots
Social Tots sessions involve a variety of movement, music, play and sensory activities designed for older babies and younger toddlers between around 8 months and 2 years, for whom everything is an adventure and the whole world is waiting to be discovered.
It can be tricky to keep these little explorers still for long, so activities are kept short and interactive, meaning there is never time to get bored or fidgety.
Both structured activities and free play are important for development at this age, and Social Tots combines these perfectly, with each weekly class jam packed full with fun and learning.
Action Tots
For those aged 2 and over who are ready to move on from Social Tots, Action Tots is the place to be. This fast-paced class incorporates all the key elements of the Tots Play programme, but with more focus on physical play and is all about being active, having fun and learning new skills.
Action Tots takes the Tots Play programme all the way up to the age of 4 and is great preparation for starting school.
From early riding skills on our toddler sized balance bikes to learning how to stretch and relax with simple yoga and massage, Action Tots is designed to boost body awareness, confidence, fitness and social skills, with lots of opportunity for parent and child to laugh and play together.
Other Services
In addition to our classes you can also choose to offer Tots Play parties, sessions in nurseries and other settings and sell a variety of play resources to your customers, all of which can add extra revenue streams for you and help to build your business further.
Do take a look at the Our Classes section of our website, for more about our classes and to see clips of them in action.
Create the Business that's Right for You
As you can see, there is a great deal of variety in what you can provide with a Tots Play franchise, so you can really create the business that’s right for you.
Everything we do at Tots Play aims to promote learning and development through play and to support parents through these, often anxious, but always wonderful, early stages of parenthood, allowing them to better bond with and support their child.
What this means is that your business will be providing a much needed service for the local community, and classes that parents return to over and over again.
Here are just a few of our customers explaining why they chose Tots Play.
Are You Ready for a Change?
So now you know a bit more about Tots Play and what we do, let’s think about you and what you’re looking for. What is it that brings you to be considering a new opportunity just now? What isn’t working with your current situation, or would you like to change going forward? What’s frustrating you, and what does the different future you have pictured in your head look like?
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Are you worried about leaving your little one to go back to work, or working long hours that leave little time to spend with your children?
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Need more flexibility but still want to do something that stimulates and challenges you, and provides a good income?
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Perhaps you want to take control of future, be your own boss and see the benefits of your own hard work, and would love to work with children and families.
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Maybe it’s that you simply want to have fun, use your brain, get out and meet people and earn what you’re worth.
Many people I talk to like the idea of running their own business, and can see the benefits it would bring, but have no idea how to get started, and that’s where a franchise can be the perfect solution.
What is a Franchise?
The Tots Play franchise is what’s known as a business format franchise, which is an agreement giving you the rights to use our tried and tested business model, systems and brand identity to set up and run Tots Play classes and services in an area exclusive to you at times you choose, on a self-employed basis.
You become part of a wider network of business owners under the same brand, and have access to continued support and guidance as part of this.
There is a one off investment to purchase the franchise, which also covers your training and equipment starter pack, and you then pay a simple, flat rate, fee each month once you have completed your training. Customers pay you directly for the classes and services you provide.
A franchise therefore gives you the opportunity to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself.
Rather than having to come up with a new idea and not know whether or not it will work, you can have confidence in starting a business with a proven track record, providing a service that people already know, like and are willing to pay for, and this is a big part of the reason that franchises generally have a success rate of around 90%, compared with around 15% for businesses started from the ground up.
The programme, training, systems and structures are all in place, so rather than having to figure all those things out for yourself, you simply need to focus on delivering a great service and growing your customer base.
What’s more you benefit from the combined experience of both a head office team and network of franchisees, all doing the exact thing you are, all of which substantially shortcuts the journey from thinking about starting a business to being up, running and making a profit.
To start any business there will need to be an investment of both time and money.
With a franchise, the proven business model, infrastructure and support mean that you can be sure that your time will be focused doing the things that will bring a return on your investment much more quickly than going it alone, and having a network of franchisees around you makes it a lot less lonely and a lot more fun too.
If you know your working life needs to change and when thinking about a different future starting a business appeals to you, a franchise may prove the ideal way to achieve this.
The Tots Play Business Opportunity
Next let’s look at the Tots Play franchise package options available in more detail along with some key facts and figures.
We understand that different people are looking for different things from a business like this, or may be most interested in working with certain age groups, so we’ve created three packages so that you can choose the one that’s right for you.
Birth to Crawlers
This package allows you to run just our baby classes, the Baby Development course and Discovery Tots, covering the, all important, maternity leave period, and focusing on supporting new parents at the start of their journey.
This has an initial investment of £4995, and a monthly fee of £130.
Birth to 2
With babies not staying babies for long though, many of our franchisees like to be able to offer further classes for those babies to move on to once they have outgrown Discovery Tots. Choosing the Birth to 2 package, which adds the option to run both Social Tots classes and parties to your business, giving the potential for further and faster growth.
The Birth to 2 package has an initial investment of £5495, and a monthly fee of £150.
Birth to 4
For those who want to build longer term relationships with the families they work with, and further scope to build a bigger business, our Birth to 4 package provides the opportunity to offer our full range of classes and services, including Action Tots and our Nursery programme, which takes children right up to the time they start school.
If that seems like a lot of classes to run yourself, once established, you are able, with any of the packages, to take on teachers to run some or all of the classes for you, while you take on more of a management role within the business over time.
The initial investment for the Birth to 4 package is £5995 with a monthly fee of £180.
As you can see, there are a wide variety of options and opportunities with a Tots Play franchise, which has always been focused on helping you to create a business that's right for you. Whichever package you choose the results you get with your business will be determined by the time and effort you put into it, and any business takes time to grow, but we are here to support you every step of the way.
What's Included in Your Investment?
Included in your investment are:
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The rights to use the Tots Play brand and our tried and tested business model,
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An exclusive territory in which to run your business,
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An equipment and marketing pack,
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Full initial, and ongoing training,
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Your own page on our website, plus social media accounts,
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An online booking and class management system,
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A dedicated communication portal for the franchise to easily share information and ideas or just chat with other franchisees,
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And much more to ensure you have all you need to make your business a success.
What Could You Earn?
By now you are probably wondering what you might expect to earn with a Tots Play business.
This will, of course, depend on how many classes you run per week and how many customers attend.
It does take time to establish and grow your business to the point where your classes are consistently full, so you do need to account for a lower income in the early stages of establishing and growing your business, but these figures described are absolutely achievable if you are willing to put the necessary time, effort and energy in to your business.
The table shows a few different potential income levels based on running the number of classes shown, at full capacity, with average class fees and costs, running 36 weeks per year, the equivalent of term time only, to give you a general idea of what can be achieved.
The amount of time needed to run the classes and additional tasks associated with the business will, of course vary from a couple of mornings to full time, and possibly managing staff members, depending on what you want to achieve, but it is designed so that you can work at times that suit you, meaning you can be available for your family at key times, such as doing the school run, plus weekends and holidays if you wish.
As part of the process of you joining us as a franchisee, we will talk to you in more detail about your goals and provide a break down of all the relevant figures.
In essence, what you earn will be down to you, but we will be with you every step of the way to help you achieve the goals you set yourself, and unlike a standard pay check, those earnings are limited only by you and the vision you create for yourself.
Join the Tots Play Family
I know there’s a lot to think about when considering a change of career, but if there’s something about your current situation that no longer works for you then I am here to let you know that making that change really is possible.
Sometimes it’s that first step of making the decision to take charge of your future that’s the hardest part, but, if, from what you have seen so far, a Tots Play franchise feels like it might be a good fit for you, then you can step forward with the reassurance of knowing that all the experience, training and support you would receive as part of the Tots Play family means that there is every reason to believe that you would never look back.
Here are a few of our franchisees sharing their experience, but do take a look at the What our franchises say section of our website to meet more of our franchisees and hear their stories too.
Could You Be Our Next Tots Play Franchisee?
While you don’t need any specific qualifications or experience to run our classes, it does take a special person to be part of the Tots Play family,
You need to:
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Have a passion for working with children and families
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Possess determination, self-motivation and drive to grow and develop a thriving business and a willingness to tackle the challenges that go with this head on
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Be friendly, approachable and a great communicator
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Have the energy, enthusiasm and confidence to lead a group
If you are also organised, reliable, willing to work hard and love to have fun, then this could be the perfect business for you.
If this sounds like you, and you love the idea of what we do at Tots Play then we’d love to have you join us.
Why Choose Tots Play?
I hope you now have a good overview of what Tots Play and our franchise programme are all about, and that you like the look of what we do. Because every franchise is different, it's important to have a clear understanding of how they work, and choose the one that's right for you, so here are a few more things to consider and some of the reasons you might want to choose a Tots Play franchise.
The Programme
It’s very difficult to succeed in business if you’re not doing something you truly believe in, so making sure the programme you’re running is one you have a passion for, supports your values – and is able to offer the lifestyle you’re looking for, is key.
With Tots Play you'll find…
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A programme that stands the test of time. Our programme has been tried and tested for over 15 years, and continues to be loved by thousands of parents and tots across the UK, and beyond, every week.
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A development first approach. Every aspect of each of our classes and events is included for its developmental benefit, tailored to the ages of the children attending – not simply because it’s the latest fad, or would be a good photo op for Instagram!
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An all in one programme. There’s no need to buy a separate baby franchise and toddler franchise, our programme covers children from birth right up to they are ready to go to school (and you get to share in that journey).
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The benefits don’t end when class does! We provide parents with a toolkit of play ideas and techniques to support their little one’s development that can easily and inexpensively be continued at home.
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We keep things simple. We believe that simple play activities are the best, which means you won’t need to continuously buy resources for endless different “themes” that have no real meaning for the babies you’re delivering them to. The majority of equipment needed to run the classes is provided for you, but there is enough flexibility to allow you to put your own stamp on your classes.
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There’s so much variety. With so many different activities included in our programme, you’ll never get bored, and neither will your customers!
Our overall aim is to give little ones the best start in life by supporting parents, including helping them to focus on their own wellbeing, so that they can better support their child.
If you want to make a real difference in the lives of families in your community – then this could be the programme for you.
The People
When you’re starting a new venture, you want to make sure that the people you’ll be working with have the right skills, experience and passion to help you succeed in reaching your goals.
With Tots Play…
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We know how to help you. You’ll benefit from 20 years of industry experience, and crucially, over 10 years experience in franchising – directly helping people just like you to start and grow a business that works for them (Running a children’s activity business, and helping others to successfully run one, are two quite different things, with different skills required).
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You’ll gain instant credibility in your local marketplace by taking advantage of our strong brand reputation and identity, sustained over all those years.
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You’ll stand out from your local competition. We’re the original multi-activity baby and toddler development class business, not a copycat version, and continue to innovate.
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You’ll feel confident with what you’re doing. Robust and thorough training, systems and infrastructure ensure you’ll have everything you need to operate your business efficiently and effectively.
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We’ll support you all the way. You’ll have ongoing access to our dedicated, quality assured, franchise support manager, and experienced head office team, providing continued support across all areas of running and growing your business for as long as you’re with us – you never need to feel like you are stuck or unsure about what to do.
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You won’t have to start from scratch with your marketing. We have a huge bank of done for you marketing content to save you time and stress – and we’ll even post to your social media accounts for you.
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You won’t feel alone. You’ll join a large family of other franchisees who are always happy to share experiences and offer support, so you’ll feel like you have colleagues all across the country who understand you and have your back!
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You’ll be able to create a business that’s perfect for you. With multiple revenue streams, and the opportunity to take on class leaders as you grow, you can create the business that fits your needs and can change and grow as your family does.
Take the Next Step Today
I hope you're starting to get a good feel for what Tots Play and our franchise programme are all about, but we have lots more to share with you, and I’d love to get to know you better too.
Choose from the options below to take the next step that feels right for you in finding out more about this opportunity to start your very own Tots Play business.
We’ll then guide you step by step through all the information you need to make a fully informed decision about joining us.
Thanks so much for taking the time to learn more about the Tots Play franchise. I can’t wait to hear from you and to help you create a business and lifestyle that’s just right for you.
Helen x
Just Getting Started?
"I'm in the early stages of thinking about a new opportunity - where do I start?"
Check out our 30 minute webinar on whether a business might be right for you, and how a franchise works.
Researching Tots Play?
"I know I want to make a change and am researching my options.
Where can I get more of a feel for Tots Play and ask some initial questions?"
Join our private Facebook Group - Thinking About a Tots Play Franchise, where you can get more information about Tots Play and about franchising and chat to both our HQ team and current franchisees.
Ready to move ahead?
"I'm interested in the Tots Play opportunity and would like to explore it further."
Great, let's have a chat. Click the button below to arrange an informal, no obligation, call with us to start to explore whether a Tots Play franchise could be a good fit for what you’re looking for.
Click with Confidence: Click the button above and complete a few details, and you will then be able to choose a convenient time for us to have a chat. There is no obligation from booking a call, and I guarantee no "hard sell", it's simply a chance to start to get to know each other and answer your questions. You can also email us at franchising@totsplay.co.uk.
Looking forward to chatting with you. x
Come and Join the Team!
