Out of school care provider Sherpa Kids Australia has signalled expansion plans for Victoria. It has appointed an area development manager to grow the franchise business and expand its presence in schools across the state.
Michael Rasmussen has taken on the master franchise for Victoria following the success of his own Sherpa Kids local franchise. He aims to grow the number of Sherpa Kids franchises in Victoria from five to more than 25.
Mr Rasmussen was formerly a teacher at St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Camden, New South Wales,
Sherpa Kids has operated in Victoria for four years and competes with both Camp Australia and YMCA to offer out of school care services.
Mr Rasmussen says Sherpa Kids will differentiate its offering through a community-focused service, with local owners engaging with local schools and parents.
“I think the fact that local people provide and manage Sherpa Kids services is important. These are people with a significant stake in both the business and the community in which it operates. They have an incentive to make sure it’s being done right and being done well,” he said.
“From my experience, local ownership and involvement in the service has always resulted in a higher quality of care being offered to families.”
Sherpa Kids delivers out of school care in a highly structured environment. It engages children with a wide range of activities tailored to fit in with the individual requirements of schools and their curriculums, Mr Rasmussen said. These include arts and crafts, music and drama, sport and games, and cooking and technology. Many are based on specific themes, such as the circus, recycling, sporting events and space exploration.
There are more than 80 such themes, equating to more than two and half years of activity. The range is expanded each month as franchise owners around the world develop new ones.
Vicki Prout, managing director of Sherpa Kids Australia, said she wanted to give the business of out of school care in Australia “a really good dusting.”
“This is a stale sector of the child care market,” she said. “Some of the more established providers have been around for decades. The rut they’re in is both deep and long. In many cases they’ve degenerated into little more than a corporate baby-sitting service.
“Children and their hard-working parents deserve way, way better. We’ve been around long enough to earn our stripes but we’re still the new kids on the block. The way we do things is gaining traction with both teachers and parents. I’m confident that Mick’s remit to build our brand in Victoria is going to change significantly the out of school care landscape here.”
Sherpa Kids franchises cost $35,500 for a five-year agreement with the option of a further two five-year terms.
Mr Rasmussen is looking for potential franchisees with a passion for children and their communities, who can build and manage strong relationships, and who can multitask.
“We tend to look for people with a background in business or people management of some description, and a work history of delivery and success within a team environment,” he said.
“A marketing or sales background is helpful, but not essential. This is a people business and our most successful partners care about helping others achieve success. They are willing and able to put in the hours and the legwork. They are dedicated to the delivery of results rather than just effort. And they have the personality and stamina to build a formidable franchise network.”
The ideal franchisee would also need to be empathetic and people-focused, and a good communicator.
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About Sherpa Kids
Sherpa Kids is an international company headquartered in Australia. It runs before and after school clubs and holidays activities in schools and other community facilities. It has some 100 franchises worldwide and looks after around 5,400 primary school-aged children every day.
Sherpa Kids Australia is currently in 25 schools across the country. It provides Out of School Care each month for more than 5,000 children from 3,000 families. The fact that Sherpa Kids services are delivered by the business owners is important; the service is being provided by someone with a significant investment in the business and the incentive to make sure it’s being done right and being done well.
We deliver a highly structured, engaging environment designed to achieve a positive social and educational outcome. We believe this differentiates us clearly from our competitors. Activities include arts and crafts, music and drama, sport and games, cooking and technology. Many are based on specific themes and tailored to fit in with the individual requirements of schools and their curriculums. More than 80 themes have been prepared, equating to more than two and half years of fun and educationally-engaging activities.
