Active April

I CAN'T believe that we're at the end of another month. April seems to have been jam packed - possibly as Easter formed a large chunk of the month. Franchisees are always busy at the start and end of the term. At the end of term they have to finalise their accounts and update their registers whilst at the start of term they have to deal with new enquiries and greet new members. The start of this term wasn't helped by volcanic ash - which resulted in Paula Black the Chilterns franchisee being trapped in Spain and a number of our members being stuck abroad. Thankfully, everything is gradually settling down now.

A few franchisees deserve a mention. The Buckingham franchise has been sold and Amanda Perkins has taken over. Amanda contacted me requesting franchise information as she was taking her daughter to sessions in Buckingham and was interested in joining out team. At the same time I knew the current Buckingham franchisee was thinking about selling her franchise due to family commitments. I was able to put the 2 in touch with each other and within a few weeks the franchise had been transferred from one to the other. Amanda has got off to a great start and has already opened extra classes and is attracting new members.

The Durham franchisee, Jacquie Sedman, to our delight has renewed her Franchise Agreement for a further 5 years. This means that nearly 70% of our franchisees whose franchises are up for renewal have renewed whilst the remaining have sold their franchise on or decided to hand it back to us. The 30% who haven't renewed their franchise have decided not to for valid reasons - moving out of the area, want a change of career etc. I'm glad that they still recommend a Musical Minis franchise and it's not because the business hasn't worked. Jacquie has built up a brilliant reputation in the Durham area and now after 5 years has decided to take on staff to share her workload. This means she has been able to increase the number of classes and areas she can operate in. Judging by the number of Membership Cards she has already sent me, from new members, Jacquie is in for a bumper term.

Staying in the North East Region, I'm glad that Katherine Munro our Teesside franchisee is now back in full swing. Last term she only ran one class as she had just had her 2nd child and wanted to take things easy - or as easy as you can with a toddler and a baby! This term she's back, has opened new classes and is ready to face the challenge of being a working Mum.

For me at Head Office April has been busy. I've had to check every franchisees insurance details for both regular and contract work to make sure they're completely up to date for our renewal. I insure all my franchisees for public and employers liability as part of the franchise package. As the insurance starts afresh each April I feel its important to recheck all the details before sending out the policies. It is a crucial part of my work but it is an administration nightmare!

I've also had a month of planning. It's Musical Minis' 21st Anniversary coming up this year and I've been busy planning promotions and events. Watch this blog where all is to be revealed shortly...........