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salary for childcare workers in the UK is £27,000, while for nursery jobs it is £21,000, according to a survey by recruitment company Total Jobs. The number of childcare workers has dropped over the past few years – now estimated to be around 623,500 according to Statista – which suggests that some contracted staff may be leaving the industry due to poor pay. Franchising in a children’s services business could provide a solution here by giving low-paid workers the opportunity to become their own boss and take away the salary cap they currently face. However, despite investment, they may still face challenges if they’re looking to hire employees from the dwindling talent pool they once came from. Yet, there’s also some massive opportunities here, especially when it comes to lucrative public sector contracts, which guarantee a much steadier and more substantial income than what fees from parents can provide alone. (Rich McEachran looks at how franchisees can best position themselves to pitch and win a public sector contract on page 22). Childcare Nurseries and day care centres took a big hit in during the pandemic due to national lockdowns. Remote working and fears around infection rates within nurseries have led to some parents reconsidering their need for external childcare. However, despite an abrupt pause on the industry and a change in consumer behaviour, revenue and demands for nursery and daycare services are beginning to clamber upwards, according to IBIS. This trajectory is unlikely to change, especially if we consider that the cost-of-living crisis is prompting parents to go back to work, and in turn, pay for childcare services. Furthermore, the UK government has bolstered the use of day care facilities, having recently doubled its investment in early years education to £8 billion annually by 2025. Some of this money will contribute to funding an increased number of hours for childcare across England. For franchisees, investing in a nursery could prove lucrative and rewarding. However, success will ultimately hinge on their ability to create a comforting and stimulating environment for the children under their care. Most parents are well aware of horror stories relating to malpractice within the industry – so much so, that’s there’s a growing rise in home schooling. In response, franchisees need to be reassuring parents and providing visibility over their child’s care (in addition to satisfying Ofsted). For example, digital updates sent to a parent’s phone throughout the day are becoming increasingly common. This segways into a larger development across the industry: the introduction of technology. We’re now seeing an increasing amount of franchise brands use digital tools to encourage learning and interaction among children, alongside the implementation of a branded curriculum. These developments help solidify trust and craft a memorable brand that can complement modern day parenting needs. Currently, there are several franchise brands recruiting across the UK, including Canopy Children’s Nurseries (total investment £249,999+), Moonstone Day Care (total investment £120,000), and Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries (minimum investment £300,000). Sport There’s a real opportunity for franchise brands to capitalise in the youth sports space. Children overwhelmingly enjoy being active; 61% say they love playing sports and 29% say they like it, according to a study by Statista. However, there is not necessarily enough opportunity for children to participate in their crucial one hour a day of exercise, seeing as child obesity has risen by 300% over the past 30 years. Franchise brands can lean into this space to create a relied-upon “A children’s services business could give low-paid workers the opportunity to become their own boss” WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 13