This month we are featuring a Colorado based franchise called Kidcreate Studio and it’s founder, Lara Olson. The Kidcreate Studio franchise is a growing movement of entrepreneurs who are inspired to bring greater levels of creativity and fun to kids through an award-winning art curriculum. We specialize in children’s art classes, camps, and art-themed birthday parties, for kids aged 18 months to 12 years. Classes are packed with fun art activities like pottery, drawing, painting, and of course “Messy Time.” Through this process, kids learn about art concepts, techniques, and history.
Since 2000, art education in schools has been rapidly declining and becoming more limited. Kidcreate Studio is on the front lines of this battle and committed to providing frustrated parents and teachers with simple solutions to this growing issue.
Kidcreate Studio is different from any other children’s art education concept as we combine two different business models into one: A brick and mortar studio combined with on-the-go partnerships. The combination allows franchise partners to take advantage of four different revenue streams, quick ramp-up time, and high profitability!
So Lara – Like many founders, you seem passionate about your business. Tell us a little bit about your background
I’m a mom and I’m a wanna-be artist. But it was the mama bear in me that really lead to the idea of Kidcreate Studio. I saw a need for more art education in my own children’s lives and couldn’t find what I wanted for them. So, I decided to take a huge leap of faith and create it!
Why did you then decide to franchise or was that always the plan?
It was always part of the plan. I really like the idea of franchising as a vehicle to get more education into the lives of children across the country.
Talk to us about some of your early challenges when you decided to franchise the brand.
I think the hardest part was really looking at the way we did every aspect of the business at the two corporate locations and making sure we could replicate that on a larger scale. It became clear pretty early on that we needed to make some changes in order to scale the business.
What’s been the biggest surprise (or challenge?) to you in building this brand?
The biggest surprise has been the incredible response we’ve gotten from potential franchisees. It’s been very gratifying to hear from so many individuals that understand and are excited about what Kidcreate Studio is all about!
What has been the biggest business mistake you made – and how did you learn/recover from it?
I would say the biggest mistake I made was not delegating properly to my staff and feeling like I was the only one capable of doing a good job at a task. It took me a few years after opening the first studio to realize what a mistake I was making. Once I learned better delegation and leadership skills I was able to focus my time and energy on building the brand, not working in the business.
Who makes a successful franchise partner for your brand?
Someone who is passionate about art education for kids. A sales or marketing background is also very helpful, as is the ability to make slime 🙂 Someone who understands that opening a business is hard work, particularly the first year and is willing to put in the time and effort into their business to make it a smashing success!
What’s next for Kid Create Studio?
I’d really like to focus on finding the right franchisees to partner with and help them to become successful at being a Kidcreate Studio franchisee.
In addition to that, I have a few pretty exciting ideas in mind for the future of Kidcreate
To learn more about Kidcreate Studio, including investment ranges contact us here.