Four Most Successful and Best Leisure Business Ideas

Starting a leisure business in the UK brings both fun and profits. But where to start? Uncover the four best leisure business ideas with franchise options.

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In its entirety, the leisure sector in the UK is worth a mind-blowing £117 billion. However, the leisure market is often an overlooked gem when it comes to franchise opportunities. This is likely because many people see it as a sector where they can only work if they have the right skills or experience.

Well, this is not the case, and that is why we've put together this list of four of the best leisure business ideas combined with successful leisure franchise opportunities for you to consider. So whether you're looking for a way to make some extra money on the side or want to jump in with both feet and go full-time, there's something for everyone here.

The following franchises this article covers are:

• Centre VR
• art-K
• Creation Station
• Jo Jingles
• Christmas Decorators
• GoCruise

First leisure business idea: Start a virtual reality and entertainment business

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) has drawn Fortune 100 firms such as Meta (former Facebook), soon-to-be Apple and Google, currently investing heavily into it. Furthermore, VR/AR not only enable new technological breakthroughs like the metaverse, web3, and NFTs, but it also revolutionises how we live and work. According to UK Department for International Trade, VR/AR will reach £62.5 billion by 2030, from over 1,250 British companies spanning the UK.

Centre VR : Prepares Britain for a future with virtual and augmented reality

Centre VR prepares Britain for a future with virtual and augmented reality. A technology that will change the way we work, socialise, communicate, and play. If the UK is not ready for such a transformed future, we will fall behind.

That is why, the first leisure franchise is Centre VR, thriving at the centre of this digital transformation. For one, at Centre VR, you can experience the novelties of virtual and augmented reality at one of the largest VR experience centres throughout Europe. So, open Brits' eyes to the realities of VR/AR in state-of-the-art experience centres. You will get assistance in finding the right location, complete training in the depths of VR/AR, and have marketing campaigns that ensure a packed opening day. And once you get substantial educational, business or corporate leads, Centre VR will produce unique virtual reality content from their own VR Production Studios.

Depending on the location and size of your VR entertainment centre, the investment is between £50,000 to £100,000 with an added £25,000 in franchise fees to cover all the perks you get. Then after two years of franchising, expect £400,000 in revenue.

Contact Centre VR

Second leisure business idea: Start a recreation business for babies and children

Between 2019 to 2021, a spike in new births spanned across England and Wales with over 1,85 million new births. And not only that, the fertility rate increased for older parents as opposed to younger ones. This means the market for recreation for babies and children is growing - our recreation franchises amongst them - together with the disposable income for kids' recreation is increasing from older parents. In other words, it means new franchise opportunities for you.

art-K : Sparking creativity and independency for kids and young adults

Art-K is a leisure business that teaches art skills to children aged 6 to 18 in term-time classes, after school and over the weekends. While they also offer art workshops during holidays. Each art-K session is customised to each kid's development, allowing them to work at their own speed.

Additionally, art-K is at the forefront of teaching kids to older teenagers the necessary skills such as 3D modelling, preparing them for the 3D printing revolution.

With a new art-K franchise, you get a carefully curated supplier list, allowing access to our exclusive supplier network. You will also receive assistance with locating the perfect location for your art-K place.

Depending on location and size, the investment amount is between £5,000 and £15,000, with franchise fees of £10,000 and funding support from art-K themselves. Then, after two years of leisure franchising, expect a yearly revenue of £77,000. So become part of the 34 outlet art-K franchise network today!

Contact art-K

Jo Jingles : Prepares children for a future within a creative industry

Founded in 1991, Jo Jingles offers music and movement classes for babies aged three months to children of 5 years in the UK, Ireland, and western Australia. Each session is tailored to develop a child's language and speech, balance and coordination, and social skills. And with a staggering 90 outlets across the entirety of Britain, you can be part of this Jo Jingles opportunity as well. In other words, by becoming a Jo Jingles franchise, you establish yourself with a seasoned brand associated with music and movement classes for babies and children. All you need to invest is between ₤6,500 to ₤9,000, depending on the location of your facilities and size.

Contact Jo Jingles

Creation Station : Teaches children lateral thinking

Creation Station offers art classes, outlets for birthday parties and other events, and currently has 104 outlets in its franchise network. Creation Station's art and creativity classes are rooted in psychology and innovation schools of thought, such as de Bonos' Creative Thinking and Reggio's 100 Languages of Children.

As a member of the British Franchise Association, Creation Station offers you a tried and true business model to find you success and the complete training needed to start thriving from day 1. Training covering operational processes, business strategy, and marketing systems. Depending on the size and location of your creative space, the minimum investment amount is £5,500, and then you are ready to go.

Contact Creation Station

Third leisure business idea: Start a seasonal decorating business

One of the biggest pros of starting a seasonal franchise is the time you have to plan and strategise when things are calm, even having the ability to manage a secondary franchise. And a seasonal decorating business is one franchise leisure idea that one rarely considers, which is a shame, as, for example, YouGov tracked that the average Brit spent £1,108 during Christmas 2021, a £200 increase compared to 2020.

Christmas Decorators : Provides magical lighting for a magical season

This lucrative market of the magical season of Christmas is what Christmas Decorators enjoys, with 40 outlets spanning the UK, beautifying this festive season for celebrities and businesses alike. In short, Christmas Decorators design, manufacture and install spectacular magical Christmas installations, evoking nostalgic beauty in clients’ locations both indoors and outdoors. As a member of the British Franchise Association, Christmas Decorators offers a thorough 9-day training program, ongoing business support, long-term client contracts for consistent earnings, and much more.

You will need £25,000 in investment and another £20,000 for running the leisure business, after which you can expect to rake in actual profits of up to £200,000 per year!

Contact Christmas Decorators

Fourth leisure business idea: Start a cruise travel agency franchise

Out of the £117 billion the leisure business is worth, £40 billion of those goes to Brits travelling abroad, and out of those £10 billion, goes to the cruise business. In fact, the cruise sector has reestablished itself after the pausing of cruise trips after Covid-19. Furthermore, cruise trips are incredibly popular for seniors, which is expected to rise from today’s 12.8 million to 16.5 million in 2035 and almost 18 million in 2045. In other words, starting a cruise travel franchise is a future-proof leisure business idea.

GoCruise : Take part in one of the more consistent forms of travel for Brits

Over 170 years old company, GoCruise, with an enticing minimum investment amount of £13,000, is one of the largest cruise agencies in the country. GoCruise is a travel agency that locates the best cruise deals for customers through proven methods, models, and partnerships. Ones that you will be privy to as a new franchisee of GoCruise. To get you started, you are given an exclusive territory with around 250,000 potential customers, funding assistance, a dedicated support team for ongoing assistance, and effective marketing activities.

Contact GoCruise