Popcat's Music Time Ltd franchise

Popcats are looking for franchisees across the UK

Our franchise is growing in the north west of England. We currently have 7 franchisees and are looking to expand. Each franchisee has their own exclusive territory to maximise potential earnings. Popcat’s is a unique music and movement class that you won’t find anywhere else.

All classes support the 7 areas of the EYFS

• communication and language
• physical development
• personal, social and emotional development
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive arts and design

We are extremely proud of our classes and all that they can offer to our all-inclusive age range (0-5yrs). We want everyone who comes along to learn whilst they have fun, the best way for them to be prepared for school.

Why would you want to be part of a Popcat’s team?

• Popcat’s is a business that WORKS!
• Popcat’s is a wonderful way to work and have so much fun!
• Popcat’s gives you joy back into your life
• Popcat’s fits in with family life
  • lets you take part in school runs
  • have free evenings and weekends
  • allows you to have the chance to earn a good living at the same time.
• You will be supported every step of the way
  • our training is very thorough and is ongoing so you will feel confident in your class and party leader role.
  • ongoing team meetings with other franchisees
  • regular territory visits
  • help with running a business
  • training with social media promotion of the brand and your classes.

Payment plan options available!

• £6800 in one lump sum
• £3800 and the rest to be paid over the 3 year term at £85 per month

Our training and support is extremely bespoke to each individual franchisees needs. Training is thorough prior to any franchisee running their own classes and support certainly doesn’t stop once classes begin. Support is crucial to any franchisee running their business successfully and at Popcat’s we believe that 100%. We have monthly face to face team meetings and training too at head office. All meetings are friendly, effective, supportive and extremely efficient.

At Popcat’s franchisees will be given all company policies, all GDPR compliant documents, our wealth of experience and the right tools to enable anyone coming on board to run their business smoothly, professionally and confidently.

Steph – franchisee since October 2016 “ Starting your own business can be challenging, you have to be willing to work hard and accept it may take time to grow. Having the support from Catherine, the creator of Popcat’s, has been a real plus, as she’s been on the journey and can help you to develop through advising and suggesting strategies to enable your business to grow. There are regular meetings with the whole Popcat’s team, this is also an excellent facility which allows you to share ideas in relation to the business and is an extra layer of support.

It is fabulous to have a job which makes me smile. When a class is in full swing and you look around the room seeing children and adults having fun, making memories together. There is no better feeling.”

You must be…

• A teacher or someone who has an educational background
• Someone who loves working with children
• Energetic
• Organised
• Entertaining with a big personality
• Hard working
• Motivated
• Willing to grow your own business
• Patient

A unique skillset!

You must have…

• A great singing voice
• A desire to succeed
• A passion for music

As a class leader you will be someone who can hold the attention of a busy room full of children and babies. You will always have a smile on your face even when the unexpected happens. You will have a fantastic personality and a desire to succeed and make everyone who enters your class feel valued.

Popcat’s was founded in September 2014 by Catherine Williams. A primary teacher and mum who wanted to come away from a very stressful work life, there was no balance and she didn’t have any time for her own family at all. Catherine had young children all under the age of 9 and wanted to spend as much of her time with them as possible.

Catherine passionately believed that teaching was something she wanted to continue with but not within the constraints of the classroom. In June 2016 Popcat’s sold its first franchise and things have gone from strength to strength ever since. Franchises are now all over Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Chester, Southport, Ormskirk and Crosby. We are looking to grow further into Cheshire, all over Liverpool and North Wales with an eventual expansion nationwide.

Popcat’s started life with classes solely for pre school children under 5 however it soon developed into sessions in care and residential homes with a specialty in dementia patients. Popcat’s has the potential to reach everyone and we want the right people to join our team of outstanding franchisees.

Jemma - franchisee in West Kirby, Hoylake and Heswall

I love Popcat’s. Still. After 2 years of attending it as a mum with my little boy and after 3.5 years of running my own Popcats franchise! I first attended Popcat’s early 2015 with my daughter, aged three and my son, aged one. I was so pleased that it managed to entertain both my children of very different ages – my son was happy watching the lights, listening to the music and shaking his bells and my daughter thought it was her own personal disco!

Meanwhile, I was really impressed with the content and structure of the class and Catherine’s enthusiasm. The pay-as-you-go option was also very attractive, in contrast to other classes I had previously attended where you have to book a block of classes, rather expensive and some of which you know you won’t be able to make, due to sickness, or the general unpredictability of kids! A week or so later, I started counting the mats around the room, noting the number of people there, and weighing it up with how much it would cost to buy equipment, hire the hall etc. It wasn’t long before I realised this was an excellent business with great potential. Having a background in both Drama and Teaching, I could really see myself running a class, so asked Catherine if she had considered franchising the business. 

After a few months of discussing the possibility and getting to know each other, we agreed on a plan and Catherine signed me as her first franchisee and by June 2016 I started my business. I had run a small business before so I understood how unlikely it is that you make any profit in your first year, but I was fortunate that my husband could support us financially, plus the initial financial investment for the franchise was relatively low, so I was able to take the risk.

I began running 3 classes per week in West Kirby, started with smaller venues, perfect with up to 15 people per class, but soon moved to larger spaces to accommodate the increasing numbers of attendees and by October I had expanded to 5 classes per week, with classes in Hoylake too! In 6 months I had established a good reputation and a loyal following, meaning my classes were well attended on a regular basis. I promote my classes using my Popcats page on Facebook and by posting on relevant local pages, leaving flyers in local places like cafes and soft play areas where mums might be looking for new things to do with their kids, attending local events and now I hire rooms in larger venues, the costs have increased but I benefit from excellent facilities and promotion on their websites too.

18 months on, I still love my job. I honestly wondered whether the repetition of songs and structure would drive me mad after a few months, but it’s quite the opposite. The children and parents make very class so unique and enjoyable that each class feels different and still keeps me on my toes! As the classes have grown I have had to learn to adapt and manage the safety element of the classes, negotiate fees with venue managers and when to invest in my business by purchasing more or new equipment and marketing materials.

Catherine has been an amazing support, providing encouragement and guidance especially in the early months when I was trying to establish my business and sharing her experiences to help me grow. Now there are team of six of us with franchises across the Wirral and Liverpool, and the business looks set to grow again over the next 12 months, so the future is very exciting for Popcats!