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WHERE: We'll meet at our HQ office in Hove (BN3 3LW) and visit the Brighton & Hove Holiday Club Sites.
WHEN: Our next Discovery Days will run 14-18 February 2022.
(If you would like to visit but cannot attend during the school holidays there are opportunities to see the clubs in action throughout the term, please do get in touch)
WHY: A chance to visit 2 of our Holiday Club sites in one day. You'll get to see Clubs running on school grounds and one of our two out of town sites (just 15 mins from Brighton). Discuss how to get your business started - Meet the Team - Talk through the website/bookings system - Understand the activities, training & support offered - Discuss your business plan requirements & funding options - Discuss a potential launch timeline.
The Outdoors Project was a concept that grew from becoming increasingly concerned as a father watching my own three children spending too much time in front of screens when I knew there was so much adventure and fun to be had outside. We have now expanded beyond our Brighton home with successful franchises in West Sussex, Bristol and Lewes District.
We believe that people will always want to invest in improving children’s physical and social development: it’s our future. We will enable you to create a space for this to happen where the children have fun, are engaged and inspired and importantly want to return time and time again.
We have a wealth of experience and we love what we do and feel that nature can provide reward, health, happiness and adventure.
The Outdoors Project has various revenue streams such as After School Clubs, Holiday Clubs, Birthday Parties, School Workshops & Parent Toddler Group and events, we have a solid business model ready to share and if you believe that this could be the opportunity that you have been looking for we would love to hear from you whatever your previous career background.
Whilst 2020 was not the easiest of years, it will not be a surprise to hear that once we had clear guidance on how we could operate, demand for what we do is huge, we are struggling to keep up!
The franchise offers the opportunity to run a profitable business, have a flexible lifestyle whilst creating a positive environment in your local community, having lots of FUN and we will be on hand to provide advice and support when you need it.
Alongside our Brighton and Hove HQ we have 4 successful franchises running in Bristol, West Sussex, Lewes District and Lincoln. Franchise 1 in Bristol has been running since 2013. Franchise 2 in West Sussex since July 2017 Franchise 3 in Lewes District started in summer 2020 and Franchise 4 in Lincoln in Summer 2021. We have deliberately taken the time to pilot our franchise model so we can be confident that we have ironed out potential problems for new franchisees.
Outdoor activity clubs for children have never been more popular. Our franchisees have seen huge growth and demand within this sector over the last few years as parents are keen for their children to spend less time in front of a screen. This has become even more apparent during COVID-19 as indoor activities have been restricted. As an Outdoors Project franchisee, you can be a part of this growth.
Joel Evans
Founder of The Outdoors Project
Our franchisees come from a variety of backgrounds; 
you don’t need a background in childcare. We are looking for people with the drive to run their own business, with a passion for nature and helping children shine.
Each franchise may have a different business model. We offer a variety of income streams; Holiday clubs and Weekend Clubs are the most lucrative of the clubs that we run, Saplings, School Workshops and After School Clubs offer less time-consuming opportunities and great marketing opportunities and regular year round sessions. The franchise offers the opportunity to have a flexible lifestyle creating a positive environment in your local community whilst having a lot of FUN. Find a plan that suits your ambitions and financially works for you.
The business can run in cities, towns or in the countryside. We can help you to find the right location(s) within your territory and all of our pre-planned activities are developed to be run in all types of location from urban parks to playgrounds to rural farm locations.
Running your own franchise enables you to be in control of your own business and working week because you choose your direction, plan your holiday clubs, after-school club classes, parties and events. Taking ownership of your area and being the face of something new and exciting within your community.
We provide a Business Format Franchising Model; a range of activities, trademarks, logos, website, booking & payment system, marketing systems and a complete framework for setting up, launching and expanding your business with continued regular advice, training and support.
We have a whole programme in place ready to guide new franchisees through the set up process; finding the right venues/outdoors spaces, recruiting staff, planning, launching and delivering clubs and everything else you need to launch with ongoing support as required.
You will have your own goals and visions with the determination to make your business a success. We won’t run your company for you but we will support and guide you to help you achieve your goals
Outdoor activity clubs for children have never been more popular. Our franchisees have seen huge growth and demand within this sector over the last few years as parents are keen for their children to spend less time in front of a screen. This has become even more apparent during COVID-19 as indoor activities have been restricted. As an Outdoors Project franchisee, you can be a part of this growth.
The children’s activities sector is very buoyant, very robust, growing rapidly, innovating, and employing hundreds of thousands of people to work with millions of kids each week. There’s an estimated £12.5bn in revenue being spent in the sector and this figure doesn’t include the £20,000 a year that primary schools receive to spend on PE, a lot of which goes to 3rd party companies in the sector to deliver.
At some stage every child in the UK is going to experience a children’s activities business, whether that’s as a preschooler, in nursery, a school, a birthday party, event, or just a regular class that they attend. We are confident that becoming an Outdoors Project franchisee will provide you with the opportunity of a business to grow and establish within your local area, as well as a secure income within an industry that is enjoying growth.
We have an extensive training and support process to help you achieve what you want out of the business and can help with the skills gaps and elements of the business that might be out of your comfort zone.
We provide a comprehensive Business Format Franchising Model: a range of activities, trademarks, logos, website, booking system, marketing systems and a complete framework for setting up and expanding your business with continued regular advice, training and support.
& no, Rain does NOT STOP PLAY. As long as the children come dressed for the weather there is nothing to stop them from having just as much fun in the snow or rain as they do on a sunny day. We’ll share our experience of managing the activities, staff, children and venue in all weathers year around.
EARLY ADOPTERS PRICE: £10,000 to the first 5 franchisees, after which the price will rise to £15,000.
The beauty of TOP franchise model is that overheads are low and there are no large upfront set up costs as clubs are all paid for in advance lessening the risk and creating positive cashflow.
We can offer you a proven business model that is flexible and scalable and you can run your own business without the worry of taking a leap into the unknown. Each franchisee will have their own ambitions. Franchisees have the opportunity to influence their own income and determine at which level they would like to work. Turnover can range from £80,000 per annum to £300,000+ per annum depending on ambition and growth.
Yes, we can help you access business planning support and help with your application for a Government-backed Startup Loan.
We believe there is potential for the right person to be up and running their own The Outdoors Project business in 3 months. We are of course open to discussing longer term future planning too.
"After some amazing adventures & time working around the world in the adventure industry and working in the UK with a children charity for many years The Outdoors Project set a new challenge for me. Fast forward a few years and I find myself the Franchise owner for The Outdoors Project Bristol.
I have found buying a franchise a huge benefit, as so much of the ground work has been done for me, enabling me to start up the business quickly and start earning money without having to go through lengthy and costly trials and errors.
All procedures, branding, systems and paperwork were all in place so that when I started it, I really hit the ground running and had 5 full clubs within the first month of trading; with all staff having uniforms, schools having brochures and very thorough paperwork in place.
Starting up, I had a lot of involvement from the Franchiser, including a multiday visit of the premises and a visit both to my own premises and a visit from myself to the franchiser.
Going forwards I get a lot of support and advice on best practices and marketing. I get gently nudged in the right direction but am free to choose how to run my operation and in what direction"
“When I learnt more about The Outdoors Project I could see that it worked, and although I didn't create the business it is completely aligned with my own values. By building my own team and customer relationships, my franchise has become my own. One of the great things about this business is that there aren't many overheads, you don't have to take on large amounts of debt, and if your clubs are busy you can make a decent living quite quickly.
The support is there when I want it, they know most of what works and where to focus, but autonomy is really important too and I definitely have that. When I read all the amazing parent reviews and hear the children talking with such affection about the team that I've built it's an amazing feeling. A few months in I noticed a weird warm feeling I'd never really felt before - job satisfaction."
https://www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk/news/job-satisfaction-guaranteed-for-west-sussex-franchisee/
"Life before becoming an Outdoors Project franchisee was tough and relentless, 3 children under the age of 6, 2 parents working full time and both commuting 4 hours a day from Brighton to London. When my youngest children started school it quickly became clear that our current work/life balance just wasn’t sustainable, my children needed me around more and I felt guilty not being there so we took a family decision that I would quit my job and do something different that enabled the ‘holy grail’ of being around for my children whilst also having a successful and rewarding career.
Right from the start I believed in the brand and the proposition, it seemed like no other clubs offered anything like it and I was able to see first hand how much the children enjoyed it. I started working some of the clubs to build my confidence and I soon realised that it wasn’t a scary as it seemed.
The sessions and activities are so well planned, tested and organised that you don’t need to be children’s entertainer to deliver them. With only 3 weeks to find a venue, recruit and train a team, buy all the kit and navigate COVID procedures, I was up against it. However, with the support of HQ we got the clubs on sale within 24hrs of deciding to go ahead and by the time I ran my first club in mid July most of our clubs were full.
I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my franchise journey: great location, awesome team, fabulous weather, brilliant activities, all made better with a great bunch kids and parents. One thing I hadn’t accounted for when making my decision was the sense of achievement I felt when I knew I’d had an impact on a child.
There are lots kids out there that need a bit of extra help and it was an amazing feeling to see them developing with the help from me and my team. I am confident I have a business that can roll with the punches and still deliver a much needed service for children and parents."
https://www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk/news/new-lewes-district-franchisee-is-huge-success/
"I found an advert for The Outdoors Project on the Did Teach website. I was blown away by everything they were doing; the website and marketing was effective, professional and really perfectly matched to the company. Joel and Sam both spoke with such passion and belief in what they do, and the reviews spoke for themselves.
I attended a Discovery Day in Brighton, Sam showed me around the sites, filled with happy, engaged children and clearly well-trained and passionate staff. Each site was totally different but showed how their brilliant idea can work just about anywhere. Every question I had about set up, day-to-day running and long-term growth were answered there and then.
I put together my business plan, applied for start-up funding and within a month I was ready and confidently signing the contract. By this time, I had researched the local area in depth, found out about cash flow forecasts and set my first targets for the first three years of trading. It’s been a massive journey of learning about running a business but any time I had a question Google couldn’t answer, Sam was on the end of the phone, happy to help get me set up and running in the time frame I wanted.
I am unbelievably glad that I took that initial step into the unknown. Sam and Joel have supported me throughout and it is fantastic to know that I have two absolute experts in their field on the end of the phone if ever I need them. I know that I can bring my own experience of working with children to their incredible brand and creatively planned activities."
https://www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk/news/the-outdoors-project-arrives-in-lincoln/
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