About the business: My Little Wrapper provides chocolate bars with personalised wrappings for any kind of occasion, from birthday parties to weddings, hen nights to Halloween, fundraising to marketing. Just like a card – but tastier! My Little Wrapper is the latest venture for Sue Botterill, 42, mum of four and founder of My Mag, Raring2Go! and thebestof. She runs her company N5 Ltd with her husband Nigel. They have won many awards for their franchises and business opportunities.
What’s the new business all about?
'Personalised chocolate bars; I mean, really personalised and with wrappers that have got a real ‘WOW” factor.’
What sort of occasions/events are these personalised bars for?
‘Every family celebration such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. Birth announcements are very popular – it’s lovely to send a chocolate bar rather than a card.There’ll also be businesses in your town that would love to have chocolate bars wrapped with their name and logo to offer to customers and guests at conferences.’
What do people have to do?
‘We’ve made it really easy for people by pulling together a complete package that enables you to produce beautiful, high quality, personalised chocolate wrappers and put them on tasty, chocolate bars – which we supply all wrapped in silver foil so that the finished article looks absolutely fab. By using your own colour printer to over-print the personalisation on pre-printed wrappers you are able to provide real top quality looking wrappers.’
Sounds great, how much time do people have to put in?
‘It’s very part time. You can do as much or as little as you want – it’s entirely up to you.’
So it’s flexible and can help create a better work-life balance?
‘Absolutely. There are two key points to emphasise here – flexibility and control. There are no ongoing fees or obligations. No royalties to pay. No minimum standards of any kind. You can stop and start as you wish.’
How much can people expect to earn?
‘The answer to this question is entirely in your hands. It will depend on a number of things, like your work ethic, the time you devote to the business, the amount of marketing activity you undertake, the way in which you deploy the techniques we give you and, of course, your existing skills, experience and contacts.’
What sort of people are buying your pack and setting up their chocolate wrapping business?
‘It’s quite mixed. We have lots of mums doing this. There are several career women who are doing this in their spare time. Others are running it alongside their existing business because it fits really well and creates another income stream. We’ve even got a couple of entrepreneurial teenagers who have been set-up in business by their parents. The chocolate bars have such wide appeal and the business is so flexible it’s attracting interest right across the board.’
Name: Ally Jones, mum of one girl aged 20 mths
Location: Witney
‘My Little Wrapper for me has fitted in perfectly around my other work commitments and family life; I work from home, so often make my bars in the evening when little one is in bed. I bought into My Little Wrapper in May and have had a greater response than I could have hoped for, producing around 180 bars in my first week. All from just one advert and talking to friends and family. Well... who doesn’t love chocolate?!
Word of mouth has been great and I now have three stores in my town centre happy to promote me. It’s Chocolate Week in October, so I’m exhibiting at a local fayre giving people the chance to see the full range of wrappers and place their personalised orders in time for Christmas; though why wait til then? Any occasion is perfect!’
There’s lots of information about My Little Wrapper at:
getmylittlewrapper.co.uk, or you can speak with Sue or one of her team on 0121 765 3400.
About the business: Set up by Jan and Rick Lomas, MagiKats offer out of school tuition in maths and English plus support for those special tests such as SATs, entrance exams and GSCEs. The franchise has been running for four and a half years and now has 22 operations in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the Philippines.
What is your business aim?
We’re aiming for comprehensive coverage in the UK and Ireland, and eventually Australia.
Education/skill level required and is training provided?
A MagiKats franchisee does not necessarily have to be a qualified teacher, but must have an active interest in education. Full training is provided.
Is any other support given?
We provide all the materials and templates for preparing all resources that are needed in MagiKats workshops. We cannot provide administrative services, but do offer lots of help, support and advice so franchisees can learn these skills themselves.
What premises will a new franchise operator require?
Most MagiKats workshops run from premises which are rented by the hour, for example rooms in libraries, community rooms, church meeting rooms, etc. The most important thing is to consider what structure will work best in your area, and for you.
Costs involved: The initial franchise fee is £1,750 (inc VAT). The only other significant setup cost can be that of hardware, as an important part of MagiKats is the software we use. On an ongoing basis, there are monthly royalty charges, based on student numbers.
What does your franchise offer that others do not?
We provide a programme that has been written, by British education specialists, specifically to support the UK National Curriculum. The unique way in which we use modern technology means that we are able to keep our materials current and relevant, while encouraging traditional study skills among our students. We offer a commitment to making your MagiKats Tuition Centre a success. Our aim is not for maximum coverage of the country, but for each MagiKats franchisee to be as successful as they want to be. Our background is as franchisees ourselves, so we know what it takes, and what the pitfalls can be. We can therefore sympathise – and tell you what we did wrong.
What sort of person do you think makes the perfect holder of one of your franchises?
Someone whose prime interest is education, who wants a flexible lifestyle and a rewarding occupation. MagiKats franchisees need to have lots of energy and enthusiasm for a new venture – and must love kids!
What are the five ideal qualities for a successful franchisee?
Name: Stefanie Kosky, mum of one teenage daughter
Location: Stevenage
‘I am 47 years old and have a daughter of 17 and have been running a MagiKats franchise in Stevenage and Knebworth for just over a year. I have 35 pupils at present, and the business is growing all the time. Being a MagiKats Franchisee has completely changed my life-for the better! I now have plenty of time for my family and friends, whereas before I used to be rushing from home to work. Life is 100 per cent more enjoyable nowadays!’
For more about MagiKats telephone 01252 821603 or visit magikats.co.uk
