Group operations director Rebecca Crosby reports that Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries receives a very high volume of enquiries on a daily basis from people who are interested in joining its franchise. With 24 sites and a further 12 poised to launch, it is currently one of the fastest expanding chains in the UK.
Monkey Puzzle was launched as a franchise operation in 2003. Ms Crosby says, 'At that point we had established three successful nurseries as a family business, and because people were coming to us and saying there were market gaps for similar settings in other areas, we identified that franchising was the way forward.'
The group's nurseries now stretch from Leeds to Kent and its head office provides a wide range of support. This includes the input of an education co-ordinator, who is a teacher and EYP, who works with managers and supervisors to devise tailored curriculum plans. All the nurseries also use Monkey Puzzle's menus, with fresh food prepared on site.
Most of the individuals who are interested in becoming a franchisee are business people, although some have direct experience of early years and expect to work in a hands-on way.
'From an initial expression of interest, applicants are asked to fill out a finance form which outlines their financial capabilities and their experience,' says Ms Crosby. 'The capital needed to start up varies depending on the site, but we can help secure finance on the basis that we have good relationships with the banks. The franchisee is generally expected to contribute 30 per cent of the start-up, while the bank puts up 70 per cent. The success of existing franchisees helps to support this funding.'
Ms Crosby emphasises that this is not a quick process and some applicants fall by the wayside. The business of finding a suitable site, in the desired location, can also take time.
'We don't have a set size for our nurseries, although we would generally advise to open with 40 places upwards,' she says.
It was the strength of the Monkey Puzzle brand which helped Imran Rasool to secure his ideal site in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. He said, 'It took a long while to find the right site and in the end, the landlord of our Victorian house approached Monkey Puzzle to suggest its use as a nursery. This was ideal for us.'
Running a nursery for 72 children is a new venture for Mr Rasool, but he reports that one year after opening, business is thriving.
'We have found Monkey Puzzle very supportive,' he says. 'A key factor for us is that the owner and other members of the team at head office all have nurseries so any decisions they make are tried and tested.'
