Kiddie Academy Franchise Opportunity

Over the past three months, I've written a few posts about Kiddie Academy. I wanted to share this information with you because I am very selective about the types of daycare and school my children attend. Kiddie Academy is one that I think is amazing, as the learning centers are education-based. They are focused on the children, their futures and their success, which is so very important to me. Right now they have a great opportunity- they are looking for new people to open their very own franchise of Kiddie Academy!

There are so many reasons I would love to do something like this. I would love to be able to spend time with my kids and other kids, teaching them and seeing them grow. In addition, there is always room to grow, expand and improve services. This is the type of thing I can see doing with my own mom one day, as we both enjoy being with kids and teaching them. This is why I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about an amazing mother/daughter duo who opened their own Kiddie Academy and have been very successful! Here is the case study of Shanie and Judy:

Shanie and Judy opened their Kiddie Academy franchise, located at 6476 SW 75th Street, Gainesville, Florida, on March 2, 2009.

A love of children runs in the family for this mother-daughter team, and it’s extremely noticeable when you visit their academy. They have been able to combine their two goals -- owning a business and educating children -- into one and have been very successful. Their success is shown not only in their enrollment numbers but the support and feedback from their community.

Background: A former marketing director, Shanie began looking for child care for her daughters after moving to a new area. After having an in-home child care business for six years, Shanie and her mother, Judy, were disappointed and uncomfortable with the options in the area. The two discussed starting a new child care business. Judy, who has an background in education, previously worked for the child care company La Petite Academy. After deciding a franchised child care organization was the best option, Shanie and Judy began researching companies. They were impressed by the Kiddie Academy website and overall philosophy, so they, along with their husbands Michael and Ray, visited corporate headquarters. Their trip confirmed their decision and they chose to join Kiddie Academy.

Goals: As owners, Shanie and Judy understand the importance of keeping the business successful. However, their number one goal is the children, and making a difference in the lives they come in contact with every day. They strive to provide children with a safe, nurturing place that they can learn and grow and provide parents with the consideration and service that they wouldn’t get from a competitor.


Challenges: Overall, Kiddie Academy of Gainesville has been extremely successful. The biggest challenge Judy and Shanie faced was finding staff whose level of passion for children and education matched their own. They have been able to overcome this challenge through staff training and positive reinforcement, and leading by example.

Results: Every day, Judy and Shanie see the results of their hard work and dedication -- from the smiling faces of their students to the parents who trust Kiddie Academy to care for their children. They have created an environment that is warm and welcoming with stellar customer service, which is consistently praised by their current families. As an added testament to their success, they received the 2009 New Academy of the Year award at Kiddie Academy’s annual conference.

This will be my final post about Kiddie Academy, so I urge you to click on the link above and find out more about this franchise opportunity. Maybe one day I'll be able to open one myself! 

Kiddie Academy Franchise Opportunity: Bill & Marina's Franchise Success

Bill and Marina Schmidt opened their Kiddie Academy franchise on March 31, 2008 at 4225 Concept Court, Bradenton, Florida, while in their mid-40's. The Schmidts have a passion for the business and believe whole-heartedly in “Community Begins Here.” With their dedication to superior customer service, commitment to education and focus on creating a warm, nurturing environment, the Schmidts have shown local families why Kiddie Academy stands apart from their competitors.

Background: With the birth of their daughter, Bill and Marina began looking for quality child care in their area, which turned out to be quite a challenge. As a Vice President of Human Resources for a Fortune 500 company, with a Master’s degree in early childhood education, Marina became dissatisfied with the corporate world and saw this as an opportunity to use her skills in an educational aspect. For Bill, a manufacturing engineer, opening a Kiddie Academy location meant bringing a much needed service to the area. The Schmidts were looking at child care franchise options for a little over a year before they decided upon Kiddie Academy. They found Kiddie Academy’s dedication to education and warm, welcoming approach to be the perfect combination.

Goals: Coming from the human resources field, having excellent customer service has always been a goal for Marina. Developing a staff that can provide the level of service the families deserve is important. They host new hire orientations, service trainings and monthly staff meetings, which include role playing. Both Marina and Bill continue to look for ways to go above and beyond for the families they serve, including help with resumes or locating jobs in the area.

Challenges: Like many new business owners, the Schmidts faced challenges. At the time of their opening, the economic market conditions were the worst in many years. Homes throughout Florida and the rest of the country were being foreclosed on and unemployment rates were at an all-time high. Nevertheless, the Schmidts persevered -- benefiting from an abundant work force, the fact that many previous stay-at-home moms were re-entering the workforce, and a supportive franchisor with a proven business model. Despite those issues, the Schmidts have become extremely successful.

Results: The couple’s passion and attention to customer service and community outreach has earned them a stellar reputation in the area, along with tremendous community and parent support. They have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback that has complimented their passion, service and programs. The Schmidts focus on grassroots marketing and initiatives, including events such as book readings, parent date nights and local partnerships have helped them achieve the success they are enjoying today.

This is a sponsored post for Kiddie Academy. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Kiddie Academy Franchise Opportunity & Success Stories Part 4: Dwight from Pennsylvania

We have been sharing some wonderful stories of those who have opened Kiddie Academy franchise locations around the United States over the past months and I have another amazing story to relay. Before I do so, I wanted to stress the importance of a great education for our children, as they are the future leaders of the nation. This is why I believe it is so important to start educating at such a young age and Kiddie Academy does just that. They are education-based childcare centers and currently searching for franchisees in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. I so wish we lived there so I could be considered for this opportunity! So, without further ado, here is the story of Dwight's franchise experience with Kiddie Academy:

Dwight Wilkinson opened his Kiddie Academy, located at 1020 Horsham Road in North Wales, Pennsylvania, on September 8, 2003, at the age of 42. He has remained dedicated to educational excellence, which along with a passion for children’s mental and physcial development, has helped him and his academy achieve success.

Background: As a previous business owner of a Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Shop, Dwight Wilkinson was looking for a business concept that would grant him more time with his wife and four children. He began researching opportunities with a Monday - Friday schedule to help accommodate his family-oriented lifestyle and responsibilities as a community volunteer and coach of his children’s soccer, basketball and baseball teams. Dwight narrowed his search down to the child care franchise industry due to his love of children and managerial background. After two years of looking at child care companies, he chose Kiddie Academy for its warm, caring personality. He found Kiddie Academy to have a vested interest in the success and well-being of their franchisees. He has remained dedicated to educational excellence, which along with a passion for children’s mental and physical development, has helped him and his academy achieve success.

Goals: Dwight often sets goals around educational achievements and finds opportunities for his academy to reach a higher standard. He continually looks to improve the quality of services at his Kiddie Academy, whether through hiring qualified, passionate staff members or adding educational resources. Dwight hopes to grow his academy’s enrollment and is looking into the possibility of opening a second location in the future.

Challenges: Each new generation of parents find a new way to communicate with each other, their children and their child care providers. For Dwight, finding the most effective way to communicate with his families has proved to have its challenges. However, by experimenting with various communication methods, including take home folders, outdoor signage and technology, he has learned more about the consumer and how to reach his target audience.

Results: Dwight’s hard work and commitment has earned him great success. His academy was recently licensed by the Department of Education and accredited by AdvancEd, which is an achievement no other child care in his area can claim. From a personal stance, becoming a Kiddie Academy franchisee has been both fun and rewarding for Dwight. It has given him a better quality of life and allowed him time to spend with his children and family.

I am partnering with Kiddie Academy Franchising to write a series of posts about opportunities; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and entirely my own.