NATURE MAKERS

I worked as a geography teacher in London for 13 years in various roles, including Head of Department and Lead Practitioner for Geography in a multi academy trust. I loved teaching in so many ways, but once my son was born I found it increasingly difficult to have a work-family life balance. 

I was becoming frustrated with some aspects of teaching and felt that the focus on exams and attainment robbed a lot of the fun out of learning. I tried hard to make sure my students (overwhelmingly from a fairly deprived area of London) experienced trips to rivers, the coast and countryside, and had the chance to ‘run free’ within the bounds of field trips and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. Having my flexible working request denied and returning to work effectively demoted was the last nail in the coffin.

I have always loved being outdoors, particularly taking long meandering walks in the parks or the countryside. My son was a ‘Covid baby’ so when he came along, we had no choice but to do all our exploring and socialising outside. I worried about this at first, but there was definitely a moment when I realised that not being allowed to mix indoors didn’t have a negative effect on him, quite the opposite. It gave him opportunities to learn, explore, count, find colours, get messy, identify birds and plants, and build resilience in terms of still going out in the rain. He has a deep love of nature and recently told me that when he grows into a man, he’d like to be ‘an aphid scientist.’

Around the same time, I suffered with post-natal depression/anxiety, which led me to learn more about mental health and mindfulness and the benefits of nature for our mental health. I also realised how valuable it is for new mums to have a group of similar people to interact with as more than ‘just’ a mum. 

I looked at a few different children’s franchises, but I was still very much on the fence about whether that was what I wanted to do. I looked at the classes in my area and looked for franchises that would fill a ‘gap in the market’ so to speak. I found several that sounded really interesting, but if I was honest with myself, they didn’t really fit my skill set or passion. Then I stumbled upon Nature Makers here on the Children’s Franchise Enterprise website.

I attended an online discovery session with Faye and really loved the idea and ethos of Nature Makers. I was still full of doubt that I could actually make it work, so Faye suggested I had a chat with an existing franchisee, who had also transitioned from teaching a year earlier. I think I asked her about a million questions, but she was so friendly, down to earth and welcoming. She was obviously really passionate about her job, but at the same time she didn’t try to ‘hard sell’ me. I could tell that all the franchisees embodied the values of Nature Makers and wanted to make sure I made the right decision for both them and myself.

Nature Makers fits my values – inclusive, educational, environmentally friendly – and I love being outdoors in nature and getting crafty. I organised a meeting with Faye, who was completely lovely and I definitely felt like we clicked. I also went to one of her classes at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens (roughly 100 miles away!) with my son. I remember saying to my husband “I really hope this is as good as I think it will be because if not I’ll be devastated!” Thankfully, it was awesome and I left really inspired and excited for the future.

I was fortunate enough to have inherited some money, which allowed me to buy the franchise.

Faye has a tried and tested pricing structure, which I used to guide me, and for me it really worked. Public classes are more popular in the summer and during school holidays, but I have found nurseries and schools are really keen to have professional input to design a winter-proof outdoor learning programme.

Maths was never my forte at school and I was really worried about the finance side of things, but as long as you are practical and organised, it’s far less scary and difficult than it looks.

It does take a while to set everything up, and in the first few months, you will probably need to invest most of your profits into marketing, advertising and buying materials. However, after 3 months I was consistently making a profit and I’m now in a position to pay myself a decent wage each month. 

I run Nature Makers classes 3 days a week, with the odd weekend class for an hour or two. Compared to me teaching 3 days a week, we are actually better off financially. Yes, the money I earn is a little less but because I can work school hours to suit my family life, our childcare bill is drastically reduced, so my ‘take home pay’ is more. I also think this will improve as the business grows. 

My main questions were: How do I register with the relevant agencies? What about insurance? What if I hate it and want to leave? What if I have another baby? Luckily, all these questions are answered in the training and also in the Operating Manual, which I can refer back to at any time. I personally found the contract quite straightforward, but it’s definitely a good idea to ask as many questions as you need to. Faye has a business degree and a wealth of experience, so she is really valuable to talk to about insurance, training, employing people etc. once you are up and running.

Taking on a Nature Makers Franchise is honestly the best decision I’ve ever made. I love how I am my own boss and can focus on the things that are important to me. However, I would never have been brave enough to set up on my own, and being part of a Franchise gives me a community to learn within.

The training was really helpful and covered all the basics, but the best thing is the regular team meetings and check-ins with Faye. The team meetings make us feel like colleagues even though we are widely spread, and the one to ones with Faye are excellent for focusing my mind on the next steps unique to my area.