You don’t need to be a professional artist to inspire creativity in children, and you don’t need to be an experienced business owner to open a business that you feel passionate about. What you do need is enthusiasm, the drive to succeed, and of course, some sound advice.
Maybe you are a teacher looking to change careers, or a keen parent looking for ways to use your creativity to work with kids. Perhaps you already host a kids’ art class on a small scale, or maybe you are an aspiring artist who has never quite found a way to unlock your talent, or simply an entrepreneur seeking a new business opportunity. Opening an art studio for kids is a wonderful way of harnessing creativity and passing on your passion to children, but of course, as with any new business, there are a number of things to consider, and several potential pitfalls along the way.
Here are some top tips for opening a kids’ art studio, to try and avoid some of these pitfalls.
1. BE ENTHUSIASTIC
More than anything, the most important skill you will require is enthusiasm. Your art studio will not succeed if you are not passionate and excited about both the creative side and the children you will be working with. You do not have to be a trained teacher or childcare provider to be able to successfully work with kids, but you do need to have the vitality and passion required to inspire and enthuse young people. Any parent or teacher will tell you that when they are tired, bored, or fed up, this lackluster approach rubs off on the children. And conversely, when they are happy, enthusiastic, and excited, the children buzz off this energy and the lesson or the day is a completely different experience.
That’s not to say you need to abandon the dream of owning a kid-centric business if you don’t necessarily wish to be on hand for every lesson. Kidcreate Studio Franchise Owners have the freedom and flexibility to hire instructors to handle the day-to-day heavy lifting while they focus on growing their business empire.
2. USE SOCIAL MEDIA
3. BE ORGANIZED
There is a time and a place for winging it and making it up as you go, but opening your own brand new art studio is not it. Art lessons require planning and organization, just as with any other subjects, arguably more if you take into account all the materials and resources involved. Put together a basic curriculum, perhaps encompassing themes or topics, and use it as a base upon which to build.
At Kidcreate, our Franchise Owners have the benefit of over 1,000 art lessons at their fingertips! Our robust curriculum has been carefully curated by art education experts and gives step-by-step instructions, additional information about the art techniques used, and even fun educational tie-ins with STEM disciplines, history, and more to further enrich each lesson.
4. BE FLEXIBLE AND EXPERIMENT
Children are not predictable- you never know what you are going to get, so be prepared for your wonderfully planned and prepared idea to not quite be as you expected. Experiment with different activities for different ages, find out what works and what doesn’t, and always have other ideas and activities waiting in the wings, you never know when you might need them. Use Pinterest to search for inspiration and expand your own creative mind.
As part of our extensive curriculum library, Kidcreate Studio has curated numerous fun lessons and projects for kids anywhere from 18 months to 12 years of age! We’ve taken the guesswork out of which lesson works best for which group, and pass that key information along to Franchise Owners. We’ve also tried and tested every lesson and can help our Franchise Owners choose the ones that resonate most with our Kidcreators.
5. BE APPROACHABLE
INVESTING IN AN ART STUDIO FRANCHISE WITH KIDCREATE
Are you starting to think that opening a kids’ art studio could be a lot of fun? Well, you would be right! However, before you launch into planning, take into consideration all the factors that this new venture will require. You will need to research and plan your business, conduct market research, find the right location, organize leasing, write a business plan, apply for a business license, set up business banking and accounting, obtain the correct building permits, research and purchase the necessary equipment and materials, then market and advertise your business. And this is before you have even opened your doors!
This is not only a stressful, but a very lengthy process, and there’s nothing like month after month of hitting a brick wall to dampen even the greatest enthusiasm!
At Kidcreate Studio we understand what a daunting prospect this must be for aspiring entrepreneurs, but we don’t want enthusiastic individuals to be put off by the red tape involved, so we have put a great deal of time and effort into making it so much easier to become a Kidcreate Franchise Owner than trying to run an independent studio business. A Kidcreate Franchise Owner can enjoy all the benefits of being a business owner, following their dreams, and making a difference in the lives of children, but without the stress and worry involved with having to go it alone.
To begin with, we have a full support team available to you at Kidcreate, to advise and guide you through the entire process. This includes a real estate agent to provide you will advice on finding a suitable location and signing a lease, 100 hours of initial training and on-the-job instruction, ongoing refresher courses, and access to a Marketing Director who will provide continuing assistance to promote and advertise your business.
Secondly, rather than spending months and months planning, organizing, and fighting to get your project off the ground, at Kidcreate we can help you get your mobile art studio up and running in as little as 60 days! You have the option of investing in a mobile studio where you are free to move around, offering classes all over your community, or taking it a step further and opening your very own brick-and-mortar studio. As a Franchise Owner, you have the flexibility to start with a mobile studio and add further mobile studios or a brick and mortar studio further down the line.
Investing in a Kidcreate Art Studio Franchise is a wonderful way of not only generating a great income but also passing your enthusiasm on to the younger generation by helping children grow and develop.
Please visit our franchise website for more information.