Q&A: Does Stagecoach Franchise in the UK?

Do you want to earn a living working with children as they grow their confidence through performing arts? If so, you might be interested in finding out whether there are any Stagecoach franchise opportunities.

Stagecoach is one of the top performing arts businesses for children, with hundreds of branches all over the world. Since it was founded in 1988, it’s touched the lives of more than a million young people worldwide and, to this day, it welcomes around 47,000 students through its doors every week.

Does Stagecoach franchise?

Yes. Stagecoach has an extensive network of franchise units across the globe, managed by more than 300 franchisees. Over the decades, the brand has refined its franchise model to support young people aged between four and 18 in developing self-esteem and key skills to reach their full potential.

History of Stagecoach

The franchise was established in 1988 with the aim of nurturing children’s self-confidence through acting, singing and dancing. Today, it has the biggest collection of part-time performing arts schools for children aged four to 18 of any franchise network in the UK.

Each Stagecoach franchise unit provides three types of classes:

• 90-minute ‘Early Stages’ classes for 4-6 year olds
• Hour-long ‘Main Stages’ classes for 7-18 year olds
• Two- or three-hour ‘Further Stages’ classes for 15-18 year olds

Stagecoach thanks its hard-working franchise partners for the business’s steady growth over the years. Its ‘Principals’ are passionate, talented and dedicated to success, employing teams of professionals to teach performing arts for the duration of the school year.

Like all popular franchises, Stagecoach has achieved widespread brand recognition thanks to word-of-mouth marketing. Now, many parents choose the business based on recommendations from other parents.

Starting a Stagecoach franchise unit

The Stagecoach franchise opportunity gives investors the chance to run a part-time business with fantastic returns potential. You don’t need any previous entrepreneurial experience; you’ll have the chance to take part in a comprehensive training scheme before you get up and running.

Becoming a Stagecoach franchisee

Stagecoach is looking for investors who want to have an impact on the culture and lives of young people. Successful franchise candidates will have a passion for the performing arts, strong business acumen and excellent communications skills.

Once you've opened your Stagecoach franchise unit, you'll be overseeing a team of teachers who will deliver enriching and engaging performing arts classes for 36 weeks a year. You can also work with Stagecoach's partners, such as Disney and RADA, to give your students the best opportunities.

The most important part of being a Stagecoach Principal is changing children’s lives for the better. Creative Courage For Life isn’t just a tagline, it encompasses the essence of Stagecoach perfectly. I genuinely feel that we are changing our students’ lives by setting them up with skills that they may not pick up on the playground. We are teaching them to become confident and outgoing people, which is invaluable in today’s technology-heavy world. They learn how to communicate, how to integrate and how to behave, all whilst having fun with their peers. - Richard Chatterley, Aylesbury franchisee

How much you need to invest

There are three routes into business ownership under the Stagecoach brand:

1. Part-time - You’ll provide classes for over 130 children and work two days a week. You’ll need to invest over £18,000 and could take home up to £45,000 per year.
2. FAST Start-Up - You’ll deliver coaching for over 200 students and work four days per week. Investment starts at £18,000 and you could make up to £70,000.
3. Business resale - You’ll take on an existing Stagecoach franchise unit and work four days per week. You should expect to invest between £40,000 and £500,000 for your turnkey business.

Depending on your financial history, banks may be willing to lend 50-70 percent of the cost of your new franchise business. On average, Stagecoach franchisees in the UK take home around £70,000 per year.

What you get for your investment

All new franchisees receive a comprehensive induction and training course at Stagecoach's head office in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Your Regional Development Manager will offer you a bespoke training plan so you can support your staff to become brilliant Stagecoach employees.

Plus, you'll get a customised marketing toolkit to help you reach new customers, including social media campaigns, advert templates, telemarketing and PR materials, and a micro-website with strong visibility. This resource will even give you detailed information about your target market, so you’ll be able to raise brand awareness and build a strong customer pool.

What’s more, franchisees benefit from ongoing support delivered by a team of experts at the Stagecoach HQ. You’ll receive guidance from the marketing team, as well as child protection and First Aid training, which will help you get your business off to a great start. You’ll also receive an invitation to the annual conference and awards ceremony, where you’ll be able to mingle with fellow franchisees and the head office teams.

If you invest, you’ll have the chance to observe an existing franchisee before you set up your unit, so you can get a sense of day-to-day business operations at Stagecoach.

Start your journey today

Launching a performing arts franchise unit might be one of the most rewarding career paths you can take. Not only will you be able to take pride in setting up a profitable business, but you’ll also watch as your pupils grow in ability and confidence. This is your chance to shape the future of children in your local area. You can find out more about the Stagecoach franchise opportunity on the business’s website.

Alternatively, if you’d like to browse other investments, take a look at our selection of children’s franchises. Kids’ education businesses cover a huge range of subjects, so whether you’d like to teach coding, science, football, music or swimming, there’s bound to be a perfect opportunity for you.