Hannah, the owner of Boogie Beat Music and Movement, talks to Sarah Smith, franchisee of Boogie Beat Music and Movement North Wiltshire.

Sarah bought a franchise with Boogie Beat Music and Movement in July 2020. She has 3 children and loves how the franchise model of Boogie Beat works for her and her family.

1. What was your journey to franchising?

I was working as a secondary school teacher and struggling, particularly with trying to find any sort of work life balance. When I gave birth to my first son I knew I had to make a positive change in our lives. I wanted to be around more to watch him grow, and to not miss out on all the important moments with him. Being in the education system for so many years, I had lost a lot of confidence and I really didn’t know where to begin with starting up my own business. A friend recommended a franchise business as you are still part of a team and have the full support of other franchisees which really appealed to me, so I decided that this would be the best pathway for me.

2. How did you come to make a final decision?

I was invited to a Boogie Beat franchise open day where I had the opportunity to take part in a Boogie Beat class with my son. This was amazing as I’d never been to a class before, and I didn’t know what to expect.  Once the class finished I then had a meeting with Boogie Beat HQ where I was given further information about Boogie Beat, and how to run my own franchise business. This was really helpful as I’d never run a business before, and I didn’t really know where to start. I came away from the open day on such a high, I really loved everything about Boogie Beat, and I was eager to find out more about the franchise. From the open day I began to conduct market research in my area and had further meetings with Boogie Beat HQ.  They were so supportive in answering any questions I had, and I never once felt pushed to make a decision. The weeks that followed I spent time gaining more information about Boogie Beat and how to run baby/toddler classes in my area. From all the information gathered, I was so excited and it felt like the right time to take the leap! I decided to go ahead with buying the franchise and I’ve not looked back, I’m so happy that I chose Boogie Beat!!

3. How did you know that you’d found the right franchise opportunity?

I knew when I came away from the Boogie Beat open day that it was the right franchise for me! Watching the franchisees deliver such a fun and engaging class, it was so clear to me that they really loved Boogie Beat! They captivated the children and adults with their music, songs and stories and there was such a positive energy in the room. I could really see myself being part of the Boogie Beat team and I just loved everything that the brand stood for. What drew me to Boogie Beat was the different avenues you could go down with your business. It’s not just a baby/toddler class; there is the opportunity to visit nurseries and schools/care homes for intergenerational workshops and birthday parties/special events too.

4. How did you secure finance for the franchise?

I unfortunately lost my grandmother in 2019 and I decided to use the inheritance money that I received to buy my franchise business. She absolutely loved children and music, singing and dancing, so it felt like the right decision to use the money in this way. On the Boogie Beat franchise open day I was given lots of information about financing my business, particularly through bank loans. If my circumstances were different then I would have 100% gone down this route instead.