Scale up or down to suit your situation
By Katie
28 Apr 2024 | 0 Comments
“This is definitely a business that suits parents with young children because you can scale up or down to suit your situation.”
Meet Dowley Hancock, mum of two who has been running Jiggy Wrigglers in Bournemouth since May 2021.
Tell us about yourself
I’ve worked in various roles in the children’s activity sector including being a swimming teacher, entertainer and different positions within the performing arts industry. Additionally, I have had jobs in office environments and worked as a dental nurse, so a pretty diverse background.
Why Jiggy Wrigglers?
I have two children aged six and three and being pregnant and having a young family in lockdown was pretty full on. After maternity leave, I was told that I couldn’t go back to my office job part time, which is when I knew I needed to find something I would enjoy that would also fit around the children. I took on the role as a leader for the Jiggy Wrigglers New Forest franchise and really loved it and felt it was something that matched my skill set. Not long after, the opportunity came up to invest in the Bournemouth franchise and I didn’t hesitate.
Business journey
I initially grew very quickly and although I loved what I was doing, I actually made the decision to slightly scale back to create the work life balance that I currently want with my young children. The beauty of this franchise is that you can carve out the business that suits your personal circumstances. I currently run seven classes a week as well as sessions within nursery schools. As the children get older, I may look to increase my offering again but for now this is a good balance.
How is your life/work balance
This is definitely a business that suits parents with young children because you can scale up or down to suit your situation. You get out what you put in to the business, but the best thing is that you can do the work to suit your timeframe. If the children are sick or you have a day out planned, you don’t have the stress of trying to juggle the demands of a traditional 9-to-5 job. Instead, you have the flexibility to adjust your schedule accordingly.
The joy of running Jiggy’s
I know what it’s like being a parent with young children, so I want to create a space for other families that offers a warm, welcoming place that feels like a community. Sometimes parents or guardians need a place where they can go to for conversation with other people going through similar experiences, and they get as much out of the sessions as the children do. I’m very proud that we support families as much as possible by understanding their particular needs and giving them a pay as you go option, which fits the unpredictable lifestyle of parents with babies and toddlers.
Training and support in a franchise
This was the first time I had run a business before so although I felt like I knew how to run a class, having completed the leader training, there was a lot that I discovered about being a business owner during the franchise training. The annual meet ups and the fact that we are a franchise network means there are always other people that we can ask for advice and learn from. One of my challenges was understanding how to best advertise on social media. I learnt so much thanks to Katie, our franchisor, providing us with details of an online course, which helped me with key skills and effective tools to navigate social media advertising successfully. With Katie’s guidance and the resources she provided, I gained valuable insights and mastered essential techniques for maximising our online presence.
Can you share your future ambitions
The most important goal for me is to continue to provide the sessions that families love. Having people say how much they enjoy the sessions and recommending them to others is highly rewarding. Building the community and continuing to grow at a steady pace will ensure that our business thrives sustainably. I’m committed to maintaining this high level of quality and connection to ensure we continue to enrich the lives of families in our community.
Advice to others
Do your research and plan how you want to build your business to fit with your lifestyle. I also believe it is really important to enjoy the actual delivery of the classes and really be in the moment. We can have every emotion from the children during a session; pure excitement of waking the puppets up to begin the class, through to helping them move past a difficult moment or just seeing the wonder in their eyes as they absorb what’s going on around them. Seeing the children smile and the magic that they feel from the sessions is a lovely way to spend your day and it is something to be savored.
Join the Jiggy Wrigglers franchise
Katie will be running several virtual Discovery Den sessions where you can find out more about joining the Jiggy Wrigglers network.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07966065643
To enquire about attending the classes, contact Dowley on the details below. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068003582996
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07590266049
