Discover how to achieve flexibility & freedom and run your own award winning childrens arts & crafts activity business

At some time in our lives many of us reach a watershed period and priorities change. For many it is one, or more the following;

• becoming a parent and the all consuming career is over taken by the over whelming desire to be there for your children.
• looming redundancy or being made redundant and wanting to be in control of your own destiny.
• simply waking up and asking whether you want to spend the rest of your life doing what you do now, but decide to seize the moment to follow and pursue a passion or a dream…

Claire Darnley runs the Creation Station and Create Club in Halesowen

‘I’ve been running my franchise for almost 18 months  now and I love running my own business and being in charge of my own future. It has enabled me to enjoy more time with my family than I would otherwise have had and allowed me to see my baby grow into a little boy. I love knowing that there are so many revenue streams and avenues which I haven’t explored yet, however I’m excited that my business can grow with me and my family at a pace which suits us!  Claire Darnley inspires imaginations in Halesowen.

Here at The Creation Station, we know a little about this because we are fortunate to have some of the most talented and driven people in our franchise network. They often have reached a stage in their lives where their priorities have changed  and they have made the decision to turn it into an opportunity to do something about it.

They all identified running their own Creation Station franchise would give them the personal and financial satisfaction that they wanted and needed.

Sara le Roux inspires imaginations in Penistone

“I invested in my ‘Creation Station’ and haven’t looked back since! If you’re looking for a business that is flexible to your family’s needs then ‘The Creation Station’ is definitely for you. With fantastic support from both the Head Office team and the other franchisees, you have an experienced, solid support network available to you whenever you need it. It’s hard running your own business but ‘The Creation Station’ is an incredibly rewarding opportunity. It provides you with all the tools and materials that you’ll need, but still allows you to inject your own individual personality into your creative classes, parties and events.” Sara le Roux inspires imaginations in Penistone

Here are some of the reasons why over 100 proactive and switched on people have decided to invest in their own award winning Creation Station franchise;

• The market is HUGE! – With the squeeze on creativity in education there are so many opportunities to help inspire children’s potential through the award winning classes, parties ,events and clubs.

• High Demand – children love doing fun art & crafts activities and many parents love not having to do it at home!

• Educational Benefits –The creative programmes are all educationally based, to support nurturing each child’s individual potential. They help to develop problem solving, thinking skills, self-esteem as well as physical hand and eye co-ordination and many other core skills.

• All done for you – the session plans are tried and tested and if you want to add your own creative flair you can but you don’t have to. This means it’s really easy to run the sessions. All the products are supplied at a discounted rate and delivered to your door, freeing up your time for the things that matter most to you.

• Exclusive areas with an amazing network – This means everyone has exclusive rights to deliver The Creation Station experiences in their area. This enables lots of  tops tips and ideas shared between franchise owners, providing a very positive and supportive network. Lots of people have said they feel they have an extended family of 99+ friends across the country!

• National Brand – We have helped inspire 170,000 children and families since 2002 through our growing network of successful franchise owners. We are able to work with great partners such as Lego Duplo, Sony, Haven Holidays, CBeeBies TV presenters and many more.

Many people who are awarded the franchise, don’t have any experience of working with children or aren’t particularly creative. That’s ok, because there is lots of training, support and on-going development. What they do have, is the desire to run their own rewarding business as well as achieving personal success.

Penny Gilbert helps children and families explore their creativity in Oxford

“Who wouldn’t love the flexibility of this business! I have been running my franchise for just over four years now and I can honestly say it has ticked all of the boxes. I had set out from the beginning making sure the work/life balance fit in around my family. I schedule my classes, parties and events around my home life commitments and can be Mummy to my children all at the same time as being a successful business owner.” Penny Gilbert – worked in investment banking and is a Brown Owl for the girl guides.

If you feel you would like to find out more, come along and chat with Creation Station franchise owners at a free Discovery Event. Here you can learn more about how this exciting and rewarding opportunity could be just what you are looking for.

The upcoming Discovery Events are: 

Saturday 17th October – Coventry 9.30am -1.30pm

Meet Sara le Roux, Claire Darnley and Catherine Stanley plus head of awards Maggie Seager and Founder Sarah Cressall

>> click here to reserve your place

Saturday 7th November – Hemel Hempstead 9.30am – 1.30pm

Meet Ruth Morris, Claire Darnley, Penny Gilbert  & Nicole Norman plus head of awards Maggie Seager and Founder Sarah Cressall

>> click here to reserve your place

Saturday 28th November – Exeter  9:30am – 1:30pm

Meet Nicki Smith and Alice Simpson plus head of awards Maggie Seager and Founder Sarah Cressall

>> click here to reserve your place

Exclusive areas are going fast so please note when an area is awarded it’s gone. To find out if your area is available email maggie@thecreationstation.co.uk.

By the way, it’s important that you receive the free information pack before a Discovery Event, so if you haven’t got yours yet, click here and we will whizz one across to you.

Thinking about changing your career for something more rewarding and flexible?

Cathy Houston runs The Creation Station Preston

Meet our fantastic team of franchise owners who took control of their careers.

Find out how mum of two, Cathy Huston, changed career and now runs her own fun children’s art & crafts franchise, The Creation Station in Preston.

Cathy, Why did you start looking to run your own business?

“Five years ago, I worked in financial services and want more flexibility around my family. I felt like work was controlling me, I wasn’t in control of my time and wasn’t bringing my children up. I also wanted to do something rewarding and fun!”

You’ve been running your Creation Station for 5 years now, have you achieved what you hoped?

“Running my own Creation Station franchise has given me the freedom I wanted. I’ve been there for my boys, Ben is now 13 years old and Alex is now 10 years old, and I’m so pleased I haven’t missed out.

I love being my own boss and have developed my own personal skills, learnt many new ones and focused on setting and achieving goals.

What sort of activities do you do?

My week involves a wide range of activities, from marketing and meeting with local businesses to running the fun and educationally based arts and crafts sessions, parties and events for children aged 6 months  to 11 years.  Being part of a national brand that’s passionate about inspiring imaginations, means there’s lots of support. All the session plans, products, marketing materials, website support plus tops tips on how to grow your business are all available. There are over 100 of us across the UK now and it’s a great network.”

What have been some of your challenges and highlights over the past 5 years?

“In corporate life I could leave work and switch off, but when you run your own business you’re responsible for the marketing, meetings and making it happen! It takes time to learn how to manage your time effectively.

However, it’s been such an exciting journey!

I hadn’t worked with children before and I love the differences I make. I’ve met so many amazing children and people.

My highlights include the wonderful feedback I’ve received. You don’t always realise the positive impact and the difference you make, this is a huge driver for me”.

Looking back over the past 5 years is there anything you would do differently?

“No – other than I should have invested in The Creation Station franchise sooner and not stayed in my previous career as long. At the time, it felt like a big step, so I guess I should have been braver sooner!”

What would you say to someone reading this and who feels they might like to change their career or run their own rewarding and flexible business?

“When you run your own business, you need to be prepared to put the hard work in, because you get out of it want you put it. If you are prepared to do that you can definitely gain lots of fun and freedom.”

Thank you Cathy for sharing your Creation Station experience with us.

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To find out more about the award winning art & craft experiences visit www.thecreationstation.co.uk.

Love to run your own Creation Station?

With increasing demand for creative experiences for children The Creation Station are looking for friendly and proactive people to run their own franchise in the North West.

If you would love to find out more, request your free information pack here or give Maggie a call for a quick chat on 01395 239700.

Here’s to inspiring futures!

New Micro Creation Station Franchise launches to support people who want a rewarding, flexible and fun business.

With a 15% increase in people running their own business since 2009, more people are choosing to gain the flexibility  they want and take control of their  work and family time commitments.
That’s why The Creation Station has developed a new micro franchise  providing flexibility  and choice for people who want to run their  own Creation Station franchise and achieve the success and flexibility they want.

The difference in the micro franchise compared to the other Creation Station franchises, is the size of the exclusive territory and the option to provide the core services, or to upgrade to deliver the enhanced package which include Create Clubs.

So if you have small children to look after you may be looking for steady growth of your  franchise, so the core package might suit you best. If however you are ambitious and are looking to grow a successful business and replace a full time salary, the the enhanced  package may be the better option for you.

Here is an overview of the two options; 
The core Creation Station micro franchise package provides  weekly art and craft classes, parties and events and starts all in at only £5,500 plus  vat – this includes a whopping £2000 worth of materials and tools to help you  launch and grow your business at a rate that suits you.

The enhanced Creation Station micro franchise package includes the weekly classes, parties, events and also includes  after school and holiday clubs and starts at £8,500 plus vat – this includes £3000 worth of materials and tools  to help  you provide your inspiring and fun activities.

If you want flexibility and a business that can grow as you do, request your free info pack  or call 01395 233022 or email maggie@thecreationstation.co.uk

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It could be just the opportunity you are looking for.

What is it like to run your own Creation Station franchise?

We sat down with Erin Blake our Exeter and Mid Devon franchise owner to ask her what it is really like to run her own creative business. Find out the difference Erin’s life changing decision has made to her and her family. 

Erin inspires imaginations in Exeter and Mid Devon

Name: Erin Blake
Location: The Creation Station Exeter & Mid Devon

Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose your franchise?
When coming to the end of my maternity leave with my first child I found my self looking for a position that would give me a great family/work life balance. I had decided I didn’t want to return to work full time, but I still very much wanted to have a career of my own. That is where upon some research The Creation Station stood out as being able to provide me the career and family life I desired.

I decided a franchise was a great idea as it was a tried and tested business. The support given to franchisees is invaluable and having the amazing franchisee network that we have has made being a sole trader so much easier.

What did you do before taking up a franchise?
Prior to becoming a franchisee of The Creation Station I was managing a team of 12 in a small family insurance broker.

How did you raise the finance?
I was in the fortunate position that we could raise the finance from another family business.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?
Initially included as part of our initial investment we attended a four-day training programme held at The Creation Station Ltd head office. This covered everything from the day-to-day running of the business to marketing and accounts.

The ongoing support received as a franchisee is great, there is never a time where you feel you are alone. We have regular support calls to discuss all aspects of the business as well as our goals and ambitions.

Helping babies to explore, discover and develop.

What is a typical day for you as a franchisee?

A typical day for me involves setting my alarm for 1 hour before my daughter wakes up. Typically this means I am up somewhere between 5.30am and 6am. My first hour is spent doing some of the business administration that I need to get done with no interruptions! I then flick back into mummy mode and get my daughter up fed and ready for the day.

By 8.30am we tend to be on the way to one of my regular class venues to set up and get ready to run two sessions. Once I have inspired the imaginations of 30 children both my daughter and myself are very much ready for lunch, followed by the best part of the day. Nap time – to me this means one thing; 90 mins of uninterrupted time. This is where I do all of my most important work, business planning, goals, accounts and all of the phone calls I need to make where it is not appropriate to have a toddler in the background.

The rest of the afternoon is spent having quality time with my daughter, and this is the reason why I took on the franchise. My working day then recommences post dinner and bedtime, where I spend several evenings a week responding to emails and catching up with some online marketing.

What challenges have you faced?
The biggest challenge I have faced has been trying to find the work life balance that I wanted. It is so easy when you have your own business to work every minute of the day. But I regularly need to remind myself the reason I took on the business and spend more time with my family.

Encouraging creative thinking

Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?

Yes! I am happy! I can never say I don’t want to go to work. This is the first “job” I have had where I am excited to get up in the morning and get on with the days list of jobs.

I have learnt so much about my capabilities and myself; it is just the beginning of a life changing decision.

What marketing/promotional tools do you use to grow your franchise?
The biggest marketing and promotional tools I use have to be online listings and social media. For me it is an easy way for me to connect with my target audience during my somewhat unconventional working hours. Its amazing how many mums are online at 1am and booking classes.

Inspiring imaginations

What differentiates your franchise from the competition?
In my opinion the support provided to us from head office is what sets The Creation Station apart from the competition. It is clear that they want us as franchisees to succeed and they will do anything in their power to help us achieve that. With out their support I feel many of us would have crumbled under the pressure and spent most of their days flapping rather than building successful businesses.

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?

Ambition, Will power and Common sense. You need to be ambitious and set big (but realistic) goals for yourself; the sky is the limit and if you don’t aim to be the best you won’t be. Will Power – because it is hard working for yourself, you need to have the will power and discipline to sit down and work and give in to the temptation of using your time to do something else. Common sense because you have to be able to make simple and sensible decisions.

Fun, hands on event entertainment!

What advice would you give to someone thinking of buying their first franchise?

Do your research and know exactly what you are getting into. Don’t be blinded by how exciting the prospect of having your own business is, if you have any doubt take longer to research and make your decision. It is life changing, stressful and demanding. But if done right it is worth it!

What are your plans for the future?
In the next year I will be expanding the business further and launching after school clubs. This will see you take on my first two employees.

Would you do it again?
Yes, and next time round I would hope it is a lot easier as I would have so much more experience.

For more details about Erin’s creative baby and toddler classes or her NEW After School Create Club sessions visit her webpage.

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Would you love to inspire children’s imaginations and be there for your family? If you think the Creation Station could be the right career change for you and you would like to find out some more details give Matt a call on 01395 233022 or order your free information pack here. 

 

Leading arts and crafts children’s activity franchise, The Creation Station launches ten low cost ‘Micro’ franchise opportunities.

Do you love the idea of running your own arts and crafts activity business and having the flexibility of being your own boss? The new Creation Station ‘Micro’ franchise provides a low cost option to start up your own business with all the training, resources and support you need to run your own fun and successful flexible business.

“We have a great network of over 80 franchise owners and demand continues to grow. Many of the people who enquire about running their own Creation Station want something that will fit around their family commitments and that they can gain a second income from, but not necessarily having to take out a business loan for” said Sarah Cressall, Founder and Managing Director of the Creation Station “Our new ‘Mirco’ franchise means that the
start up cost are much lower, but still with all the support that we are committed to providing”

The ten new micro Creation Station franchises will cover an area that still provides huge potential for baby classes, toddler classes, family fun, arty parties and events. The price starts at  £3,500 with a start up kit of just £1,500 plus Vat.

To request your free information pack visit  http://www.thecreationstation.co.uk/receive-your-franchise-pack

To find out more you can attend one of the free Creation Station Discovery Events. Here you will experience an award winning class, chat to existing franchise owners and find out how the business could work for you.  A light lunch is also provided and partners and families are very welcome.

The next available dates are:

•  Saturday 25th January 2014 Worcester 11.00 –4.00
• Saturday 22nd February 2014 Guildford, Surrey 9.30 – 2.30

To reserve your place or find out more email Maggie on maggie@thereationsttaion.co.uk
or call 01395 349462 for a chat.

Hello,

We are here to help nurturing creativity and support others to inspire children imaginations.
Creativity unleashes potential and we are here to help inspire children imaginations to help them explore, discover and develop. We work with  parents, grand parents, carers, child care organisations, children groups, local communities, schools and  event organisers to help them nurture creativity through fun and social art and craft activities. We love helping learning through creative play with our award winning educationally based arts and crafts classes, parties and event. .
Giving expression to your own imagination in a group setting provides lots of benefits. It helps young children learn to make choices, share, listen, observe, pretend, problem solve, as well as play and interact with others.
The Creation Station has over 70 franchise overs across the UK, has inspired over 105 ,000 children and families and ran the Kidszone for the Olympics in Hyde park.

The desire for flexibility and running your own business inspires eight women to change their career to run their own Creation Station franchise.

The desire to be your own boss and to have your own flexible business with lots of support, inspired eight women to change their careers. They have moved on from a variety of careers including teaching, genetic engineering, publishing, nursing and also from being a stay at home mum to running their own Creation Station franchise and now inspire their local community with award winning art and craft classes, parties and events.

Finding flexible working that enables parents to prioritise their children and family needs can be a challenge. Many parents want flexibility to have time with their pre-school aged children and also to be there to support their school aged children.

Rachel Simpson from  Nottinghamshire  wanted to change her career from teaching but still wanted to inspire children. Having always dreamt of running her own business but not enough confidence to go it alone, she felt the Creation Station could give her the rewarding and satisfying business opportunity she had been looking for.

Shobhana Sankar from Sutton has a background in genetic engineering, both Rachel Simpson from South Nottingham and Indi Johal from Letchworth Garden City worked as Teachers, Mel Valente from Gosport has worked as a Nursery Assistant and Nanny, Leanne Griffin from Thame was a stay at home mum, Sinead Thornton had a career in nursing in the Republic of Ireland, Hayley Raison from Sevenoaks worked in the Financial Sector, and Sally Martin from Paisley worked in Digital Publishing.

“Since having my daughter Kaydie, 4 years ago, I have been looking for a better way of balancing work and family commitments. Although I worked part time in the financial sector, when Kaydie started school, I was desperate to be around for her after school, as my mum had been for me.  As well as this, it’s  also important for me gain a sense of pride and achievement from my work. When I’m a granny  I don’t want to look back and think ‘I wish I’d done that…’ I want to look back with a feeling of job satisfaction and to say Wow! I achieved that and I loved doing it too.” explained Hayley Raison from Sevenoaks “What I love about running my own Creation Station, is that I am making my future happen by doing the things that I love and that are really important to me – all this is now possible – and it feels wonderful.”

The Creation Station is the UK’s leading and fastest growing children’s creative experience franchise. With a passion for helping to inspire children’s imaginations the experiences include: Baby Discover classes, Little Explorer classes, Arty Birthday Parties and Event Entertainment.

These experiences operate in over 500 centres and are delivered by over 75 franchise owners across the UK.

“I am very proud of our team of franchise owners, as they share our passion and values about nurturing creativity and help to inspire children’s imaginations” says Sarah Cressall founder and Managing Director. “Our eight new inspiring ladies are very warmly welcomed to our team and we are fully committed to support, nurture and help them to achieve the personal and
financial success that they want.”

For more information about The Creation Station experience please visit www.thecreationstation.co.uk  To find out about running your own Creation Station franchise call Maggie on 01395 349462 or visit www.thecreationstation.co.uk/become-a-franchisee

The Creation Station provides children’s activity zone at The National Franchise Exhibition Event

If you are looking for a new opportunity that puts you in control of your work and family balance, then discover how running your own franchise could give you what you are looking for. The UK’s leading children’s activity franchise, The Creation Station will be at The National Franchise Exhibition on Friday 4th October and Saturday 5th March at the NEC in Birmingham. The Creation Station is providing a fun and free activity centre for families, so both parents and their children can be inspired.For complimentary tickets email maggie@thecreationstation.co.uk  or call 01395 349462. For more information about The Creation Station franchise visit www.thecreationstation.co.uk

New Creation Station Franchise Award scooped by the amazing Rosin Eyan from Northern Ireland

Rosin Ryan from  Mid Ulster Northern Ireland, scoops the New Franchise  Award and is interviewed live on national radio.

>> Listen to Rosin chat about winning this prestigious award and running her own Creation Station in  Northern Ireland 

To experienece Rosin’s award winning class, parties and events, visit Rosins Creation Station page and see whats on.

>> See what creative fun you can join in with, in the  Mid Ulster area

Come along and meet Rosin and or other inspiring franchise owners and find out more about running your own Creation Station or Create Club franchise  at a free Discovery event  in Belfast  (We have moved the event from Dublin to Belfast)  on Saturday 15th June from 9.30 – 1.30pm 

>> Find our more about what a discovery  event is all about

For more info  visit www.thecreationstation.co.uk

Get The Inside Scoop & Discover Your Perfect Work-Life Balance Opportunity

Finding the right opportunity to satisfy your needs can be tricky. You need to match your own personal needs as well as fitting in with your own goals and values.

One of the ways you can find out more about opportunities that can meet your needs is at the National Franchise Exhibition, these shows are in association with the British Franchise Association, so you can really trust the quality of the exhibtors.  

As you may know, we are passionate about supporting people, and this tend to be mainly mums, to find their own ideal opportunity. That’s why the National Franchise Exhibition asked us to run their children’s activity centre at all their UK shows. I am delighted that we are at the NEC, in Birmingham , this Friday  24th and Saturday 25th February.

This means you can come along and be inspired and let your child be inspired too! There is a lot going on to help you find out if this realty is the perfect opportunity for you.

Get the inside scoop on the childrens activity franchise

Watch Franchise owners talk on ‘Which franchise’ Friday and Saturday 13.15 -14.00.

You can watch Rachel Sykes and Christine Cox talk about what it’s like running their own Creation Station on the Which franchise panel.

>> See the details of The Which Franchise Panel Plus.

Meet and chat with some of The Creation Station franchise owners throughout the event. It’s very relaxed and informal and the perfect way to really find out more what it actually like running your own franchise.

During the 2 days you can meet and chat with:

• Christine Cox from Solihull. Christine is mum to two and wanted to have the flexibility to be there for them.

• Rachel Sykes from Loughborough bought my franchise from me when I relocated back to Devon (I love hearing all the updates on my old customers!)

• Sue Morrow-Jones from Sutton Coldfield wanted more time with her older children.

On the Saturday you can also chat with

• George Mason from Nuneaton -You wouldn’t believe George used to be a copper. She’s is such good fun!

• Louise Hill from South Leicestershire– Louise started running her franchise when her third youngest was just 3 months old. She just didn’t want to go back to teaching.

The ladies are very open and honest about their experiences so it really does give you a chance to get the inside scoop on what’s its really like. Plus, you can meet our dedicated franchise manager Ian Ballinger- he’s just has a haircut specially for the event!

Book a 1 to 1 with the Founder of  The Creation Station

You can also get a chance to book a one to one with myself. to discuss your thoughts and queries, with me directly and confidentially. I am offering a limited number of 1 to 1 ten minute appointments.

The times available are from 12.00 -13.00 pm If you would like to book an appointment with me, please email Nicki to book your place. I know these places go like hot cakes so please don’t delay.

I hope these opportunities help you really look at finding the right opportunity to achive your own needs and wants.

Don’t forget to receive your complimentary tickets, or to book a 1 to 1 with me, simply email nicki@thecreationstation.co.uk or call 0844 854 5061

For details of further events and special offers op over and like our facebook.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Sarah Cressall

Head Of Scoops, Buckets & Spades

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