Franchise Opportunities at Kool Kidz: Your Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking for an opportunity to make a difference in your local community and invest in one of Australia’s fastest-growing industries?

Kool Kidz, one of Victoria’s leading childcare providers, offers exciting franchise opportunities for aspiring business owners, with 16 new centres planned to open in the next 3-4 years and four centres opening in the next 12 months.

Based on insights from Brett, our Franchise Manager, this blog explores the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of becoming a Kool Kidz franchisee.

The Kool Kidz difference

What sets Kool Kidz apart from other childcare models or franchise opportunities? Here are just a few.

Community
Unlike corporate-owned centres, Kool Kidz franchises offer a consistent sense of community in how you run and how we help you run your centre. This gives you a competitive edge and ensures you provide children and families with the best care and support.

Personalised care
As franchise owners—and the Approved Provider (AP)—your in-person involvement ensures a more personalised approach to childcare. The AP is often the person families see daily during pick-up and drop-off.

Supportive network
As a franchisee, you’ll have access to a franchise community and professional support team with over 12 other members providing support and advice.

Operational assistance
Kool Kidz provides dedicated franchise, operations and marketing team members to help you with everything from HR, staff recruitment, staff training, Curriculum planning and support and service evaluations. We’re always here to lend a helping hand.

Who should consider a Kool Kidz franchise?

Kool Kidz franchises are ideal for individuals with the following:

People skills
Do your research and make sure childcare is for you. To be a successful operator, you must enjoy working with people and children. Word-of-mouth and referrals from other parents are your best marketing strategies. To achieve this, you must have a genuine commitment to providing high quality care and education to children in your local community.

Business experience
While childcare experience is not mandatory, running an existing business is a significant advantage. Good professional partnerships with a great accountant and tax professional are crucial.

Ambition
This opportunity is perfect for those looking to advance their business acumen but already have a solid understanding of business operations. You should have a growth mindset and be eager to learn and access the tools and support provided

Management skills
Our centres are medium-sized businesses, typically employing 50-60 staff and serving around 250 parents. Good communication is required.

Financial capability
Each franchise requires an investment of at least $1.9-2.1M to acquire the license, training, lease and operating expenses for the first six months. It’s important to note that Kool Kidz is not an entry-level franchise opportunity.

The scale and complexity of operations require a certain level of business understanding and experience. Still, after the second year, profitability typically goes upwards of $900,000 annually, with a potential sale value of up to $6 million for a centre at full capacity.

Our onboarding process

Even before you open your first centre, you are part of the Kool Kidz family. We invite all franchisees to our franchise meetings, awards nights, and holiday parties, and our franchise and operations teams stay in direct contact with you at every step.

Please note the process can take up to two years before your first centre is open, but here’s what to expect from us after you express interest:

Recruitment

During this phase, we will meet with you to discuss our franchise opportunities, and if you’re deemed a good fit, your application will be forwarded to executives for approval. During this phase, you will:

Receive an initial franchise meeting phone call
Face-to-face meetings will be scheduled
A robust information pack is supplied
Centre tours are undertaken

One of the best things about becoming a Kool Kidz franchisee is that multiple investors can become franchise owners as shareholders, with one person running the centre as an approved provider.

Approved Provider license

To operate a Kool Kidz franchise, you must become an Approved Provider (AP) through the Victorian Department of Education. We assist you throughout this process, which includes:

Exam preparation
The license requires that you sit an exam to prove competency. This will take approximately five hours of study per week for a month at a minimum.

Licensing exam
The exam covers the rules and regulations of childcare operations and is required to become an AP and operate a centre.

Application submission
Along with the exam, you must submit a resume and background check.

As an AP, you are the face of your Kool Kidz centre. Expect to interact with parents and staff, conduct parent tours, oversee a team of about 50 staff and serve approximately 250 families, work alongside the Education Leader and Kindergarten teachers and manage the reception and administration for your centre.

You don’t need childcare experience to become an approved provider. However, we recommend undertaking a Certification III in childcare while waiting to open your franchise.

For this certification, you can often do your placement in a centre that will offer you valuable insight into how a high quality service is run. Courses are offered through TAFE.

Training and support

At Kool Kidz, we believe in setting our franchisees up for success. Our support program for all new franchises includes:

Pre-opening assistance:

Approved provider license support
Marketing and opening plan discussions
Recruitment assistance
Parent communication and enrolment guidance

Intensive six-month support program:

For the first three months, you will receive daily on-site support from our operations team
From months 3-6, your support reduces to 3-4 days per week, but we are always on call to help
After six months, you should have the experience and expertise needed to run the centre, but we continue to conduct in-person visits 2-3 times per month

Ongoing assistance:

On-call advice and support
Business planning
Marketing guidance
Celebrations of milestones

As a Kool Kidz franchisee, you’re not just on your own—we support you every step of the way. And even though you’re operating on a Kool Kidz license, we’re not like other franchises that force you to purchase from specific suppliers. We give you the freedom to make your own purchasing decisions.

The Victorian Department of Education assesses and rates your centre periodically. To ensure the success of all our Kool Kidz franchises, we conduct service evaluation reports beforehand, mimicking what the department assesses to ensure you’re ready.

Conclusion

Becoming a Kool Kidz franchisee is a rewarding venture that combines a love for childcare and early education with the excitement of running a successful business.

While it requires dedication and hard work, our comprehensive support system and proven model provide a solid foundation for success.

With the backing of our professional operations team and the Kool Kidz community, you have the resources to succeed in this fulfilling industry.

Find out more about our new franchise opportunities here.