In March 2009 Vicki Sofield was made redundant out of the blue. Just two days later she decided to pursue her dream to be her own boss and invest in a business franchise.
“The redundancy forced me to make a decision about my future,” explained Vicki. “At first I felt empty, then angry. There was no big pay-out. We were told to apply to the government for the statutory redundancy package. When something like this happens it really knocks your confidence, even when it’s not your fault. All kinds of thoughts were going through my head. Like how would I find a job, let alone a part-time job that would fit in with my childcare arrangements, and what would it be like facing interviews again? But, once the dust had settled I realised that actually this could be just the push I needed to start my own business.”
Vicki had first considered the idea of a franchise that would fit around family life two years previously whilst on maternity leave. As her husband had just set up a business of his own the time had not seemed right so she went back to her job part-time.
“I had started thinking about flexible working opportunities,” said Vicki, “and had considered franchising. I had been really drawn to the Creation Station but I decided to put the idea on hold for a while until my husband’s business was more established.
“Then, about one year later, I arranged a meeting with the founder and Managing Director of the Creation Station, Sarah Cressall, and went along with my husband to see a session in action. At that time, starting my own business was a long term goal, certainly not an immediate one, but we were both impressed with the business model and what fun everyone had doing the activities!
“The Creation Station just seemed exactly right for me. I love arts and crafts and am always making things like my own invitations. I started thinking that this was something I could fit around my part-time job for a while, giving me the best of both worlds. Then, when I was made redundant, I was forced to have a drastic re-think.”
Vicki’s university degree in Business and Management Studies and her career in fashion buying and nursery product development had equipped her with great skills and experience. Now that circumstances seemed to be pushing her towards franchising she had to be certain to find the right one for her. She arranged to meet with Sarah again, this time to scrutinise the Creation Station as a serious business opportunity and find out what level of support is offered to franchisees.
“I looked at the session in a whole different light – purely from a business point of view,” explained Vicki. “It looked like a great prospect and I got the chance to speak to other franchisees. They loved what they were doing and the children and parents loved it. The way Sarah is building the business is so inspiring. People only need to see her in action to be convinced. I knew that I wanted to go with this, 100%. I got really excited about the idea and even started to imagine myself running my own Creation Station sessions.”
Vicki used the Creation Station template to put together a business plan and, after presenting it to her bank, a business loan was approved. “Banks know franchises are a sound investment - even in a credit crunch,” said Vicki.
Once the finance was in place Vicki started laying the groundwork for establishing the Creation Station in the Bolton area. Her plan is to develop the business steadily from mid-July 2009 with some family workshops. She has already secured the opportunity to provide her activities at the local arts festival and the Exploration sessions for pre-schoolers and their parents/carers will begin in September.
“Using my Marketing Action Plan, that I drew up with Sarah, I have already put some of the ideas into action and am approaching potential partners in my community,” said Vicki. “A soft play centre is excited about us helping them attract new customers and is providing a weekly room at no charge. Having a comprehensive website and established brand behind me made the meeting really easy. It was a win:win situation for both of us.”
“The Creation Station’s online forum is a great resource. I can download the tried and tested session plans and read what other franchisees are doing. I am just about to spend three days training at the head office in Devon. The support and back-up has been quite amazing and is one of the reasons I was so confident about choosing the Creation Station for my business. People who had bought into other types of franchises had told me how they had paid their money, were given a DVD and told to pretty much get on with it. I wanted more than that. I like that I am helping to build a brand and am part of a bigger picture.
“I can’t wait to start. My friends and family are giving me so much support and I know that if I want it to be successful I am going to have to work hard. But, it’s my business so it’s worth it. I’m looking forward to the satisfaction of seeing families enjoy what we do and keep coming back. In the short term I want to earn enough to pay my bills and be available to meet my child from school. Ultimately, I would possibly buy a second Creation Station franchise in a neighbouring area and employ someone to run it. Right now I’m feeling excited and a little nervous and I’m actually quite pleased that I got made redundant.”
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