Category: Blog

Do you have loads of energy and love working with kids?
Have a passion and interest in a variety of sports?
Then Leapfrog Sports could be perfect for you!

Leapfrog Sports runs fun multi-sports classes in South Birmingham and is looking for friendly Lead Multi-Sports Coaches and Assistant Coaches to run sessions for children aged 2-7 years old.

We have positions available for Saturday morning classes from 9am to 12pm based at Bournville Woodlands Park Hall and Sunday mornings from 9am to 12pm at both Kings Heath Boys School and Kings Norton Boys School.

There is also the opportunity for extra work, such as birthday parties or nursery/school sessions.

You must have excellent communication skills and be able to interact especially well with young children and their parents. You will need to be able to think on your feet, be confident and as a Lead Coach deliver the session plans in a fun and engaging way or for an Assistant Coach support the Lead Coach to deliver the sessions.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
You will need access to be able to carry various equipment (all equipment will be provided)
Be available to work on Saturday and/or Sunday mornings and get to the locations above
An Enhanced DBS check will be required

Ideally you will have:

Access to your own transport (particularly for Lead Coach)
Coaching qualification (or working towards for Lead Coach)
Experience of working with 2-7 year old children
First Aid qualifications
Flexibility to work additional hours when required.

Job Type: Part-time

Salary: For Lead Coach from £12 per hour (depending on experience)

For Assistant Coach from £7.50 per hour

To apply please send your CV to birmingham.south@leapfrogsports.co.uk

For more information call 07572 931 405 or email birmingham.south@leapfrogsports.co.uk

Name: Jennifer Medlicott

Franchise: Leapfrog Sports

Territory: Sutton Coldfield & Lichfield

Started in Sept 2022

WHAT WAS YOUR JOURNEY TO FRANCHISING?

I was working part time as a PE teacher in a secondary school and had 2 of my own young children under 5. I had started to look into it to run alongside teaching however there were then redundancies at the school I worked at including myself. So I decided to give running my own franchise a go so I could have more flexibility and time available to work around my children.

HOW DID YOU COME TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION?

The final decision was made after researching the area and discovering there was nothing on offer similar to Leapfrog Sports. Firstly I had a chat on the phone to the franchise leader Jo and looked at the website and information on that. Then me and my husband went to a discovery day where we watched a few sessions going on, spoke to some of the coaches and then Jo gave us a presentation on all the information and answered any of the questions we had.

HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU’D FOUND THE RIGHT FRANCHISE?

The fact that there was nothing like this in my area cemented the fact I wanted to do multisports as I felt very passionately about it. I liked the look of this franchise as the website looked good and gave alot of information and the original franchise was very local to me only about 30min away. The discovery day made me and my husband feel excited about the prospect and Jo gave us lots of information and answered all of our questions with really good detail making us feel at ease about the process.

HOW DID YOU SECURE FINANCE FOR YOUR FRANCHISE?

I had funds from both my Dad and redundancy money from school.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR NAVIGATING THE LEGAL SIDE OF THINGS?

When we first read the contract it seemed a bit daunting and there was a lot of legal terms written into it that we didn’t fully understand. Firstly one of my friends who is an accountant read it through for us and made some points that we may need to clarify and secondly we spoke to a franchise solicitor who also gave us some advice on some aspects of the contract we may want to get checked. So we made a list of all the questions and sent Jo all of the questions, which she responded to explain them and if she didn’t know the answer she asked her solicitor to clarify.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT TAKING ON A FRANCHISE?

Not having any experience in the business world especially in terms of the accounting and all the organisational aspects of a business it would have been extremely hard to start my own business from scratch knowing all of the different things I would need to do in order for it to be running. It would have taken much much longer to set up and get running and therefore make money from it. The idea of having someone on the end of the phone who was always willing to help and had done it themselves so had lots of advice was one of the main factors for us deciding to go for it. The training and support was very thorough in all aspects of running the business and is still on going more sporadically now when new things come up. There were still alot of hurdles and unseen problems that we faced and are still facing and working through in the first months of the business but there is plenty of ongoing support still. I wanted to run a franchise so I had more control over when I worked and could spend time with my children taking them to school and attending school events such as sports day etc. So far I have found that I have had a much better work-life balance even though I am still in my first year so there is extra work that is being done in the evenings. I would recommend becoming a franchisee if you have a passion for what it is you will be delivering as there is alot of background work that needs doing that isn’t necessarily obvious at first. However it is a learning curve and I have learnt alot in this first 6 months but it excites me the future of my franchise and where I can take it to.

What is a Discovery Day?

One of the stages you go through when buying your own Leapfrog Sports franchise to run in your area (you can read more about the stages here), is to come along for a Discovery Day.

A Discovery Day is a chance for you to see the Leapfrog Sports classes in action, meet me and some of the coaches that run the sessions and then learn everything you need to know about the franchise opportunity so you can make a really informed decision whether the franchise is right for you.

What happens on the day?

The day is usually held on a Saturday, so you are able to see the full range of classes for each of the age ranges and don’t have to book time off work!

When you arrive, I will welcome you and give you an overview of the set up, the sports we are covering and answer any questions you have.

We will then observe the sessions in action. You will see how they work, what the coaches do, the equipment and see the fun the children have.

Once the sessions are finished, it is then time to find out everything you need to know and things that you didn’t realise you would need to know!

What we cover includes: the history of the company, how the business is set up, why choose a Leapfrog Sports franchise, if you are the right fit for a franchise.

We will also discuss exactly what the package includes, the investment and what you will receive, different revenue streams and all the financials.

You will have plenty of time to ask and have any questions answered.

You don’t need to make any decisions there, you won’t be under any pressure at any stage – we want you to be excited about going ahead and for it to be exactly right for you and your family.

Of course, buying a franchise is a big commitment and we cover a lot of information! So you are welcome to bring your partner or family member along with you for the day.

If you would like to come along to a discovery day, all you need to do is get in touch!

Just email info@leapfrogsports.co.uk to arrange a good time to call

Do you know what the process is to own your own Leapfrog Sports business and the stages we go through? In this blog, you can find out exactly what happens and when.

Stage 1 > You learn about Leapfrog Sports and head to our website page about franchises where you can read more, get your first introduction to me and download the information pack which gives you loads more information (if you haven’t already seen it, it’s here: https://www.leapfrogsports.co.uk/join-leapfrog-sports)

Stage 2 > You will receive some emails (always check your junk!) to learn more about me and the business

Stage 3 > We have a chat – here is your chance to ask any questions you have, find out in more detail anything you are wondering about or want to know more about and I will get to know more about you. This first call is informal and relaxed and gives us both a good chance to see if we are a good fit

Stage 4 > Discovery Day – this is a really great, informative day where you will come along to see some sessions in action. Then we will spend time going through everything you need to know so you can make a really informed decision whether the franchise is right for you

In my next blog, I will write in more detail about the Discovery Day

Stage 5 > Sign the agreement, start training and launch in your area!

We would love you to join us and so why not take that first step to download the brochure and having a chat?

Speak soon,

Jo

I had a phone call from someone who is interested in their own Leapfrog Sports business franchise last week. ‘Being on lockdown and working from home has really changed my perspective’ he said and went on to explain that they had loved being around more to see their children and not have to face the dreaded commute. I knew exactly what they meant.

Several years ago, I worked in a senior role for a bank. I’d been there for 12 years, worked in loads of different roles, working in different areas of the UK – having to travel and basically giving my life over to them. My life revolved around work and fitting in with what the bank needed. Then I had children and what a shock! Work could no longer be my priority and I didn’t want it to be, it just didn’t have the same importance anymore.

I still enjoyed working and definitely didn’t want to give up but I needed something that was going to fit in around my family life and mean I didn’t have to choose between going to the assemblies and sports days or work.

Leapfrog Sports and all the freedom and flexibility that it brings, fitted perfectly. Starting my own business meant I got to work and love what I do – it’s much more fun and interesting than banking – the kids, the families we meet and help and are so appreciative of what we do, the coaches and the team I work with. I started running the business part time around my banking role and soon it had grown so I couldn’t do both and so I took the plunge and left to focus on Leapfrog Sports and I have never looked back.

This last year has really changed many people’s perspective on things, what is important to them and what they would love to do. Do you enjoy your current role or do you think there could be something more? Do you want more flexibility around your life and the chance to leave the 9-5 where you just live for the weekends? It isn’t too late to make a change and I would love to help every step of the way – just get in touch!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for yourself running your own business?

Perhaps you have thought about starting your own Leapfrog Sports children’s sports coaching business in your area and are interested to understand more about what it involves?

Maybe you have thought that it looks like great fun but wondered what actually happens and the work that goes on behind the scenes?

Well, wonder no more! I have put together a short video of a typical day in the life of a Leapfrog Sports owner to show you what I get up to and how it fits around mine and my family’s lives.

You can watch it here…

A day in the life of a Leapfrog Sports business owner!

I’d love to know what you think and if you are interested in starting your own Leapfrog Sports in your area you can find out more HERE

I hope you enjoy it – Jo