We lost our 9-5 jobs and set up our own business – now we work less and have MORE time with our kids
EVERY parent wants to make more money AND spend extra time with their kids – and that’s exactly what Richard Simcox and his wife Emily do.
The couple, who live in Leigh, near Manchester, set up a franchise business together when they both lost their jobs four years ago, in 2021, and they have been living the dream ever since – here’s how you can too.
When Richard and Emily lost their jobs, they had no idea how they would make ends meetCredit: Supplied
Then they discovered Computer Xplorers, an after-school, weekend and holiday computer clubCredit: Professional Images/@ProfImages
Richard and Emily enjoy holidays with their three children aged 16, 13 and nineCredit: Supplied
Before losing their jobs, the couple had demanding work schedules that meant they didn’t have enough time for their three children, aged 16, 13 and nine.
Richard could never do the school run, and they desperately worried about their children growing up without them there, and the lack of family time they had.
But suddenly Richard’s 20-year teaching career came to an abrupt end at the age of 44 when he was made redundant from his assistant headteacher role.
Meanwhile, his wife Emily, 46, had finished a contract role in breastfeeding support, having been made redundant from her job in fashion design in 2015.
Richard, now 48, says: “It was quite daunting at first, especially moving away from the security of a regular income. But at the same time, I felt ready for a change.
“I wanted to do something different, something that offered a better work-life balance and felt more meaningful.”
The couple had friends with their own franchise businesses – they were envious of their lifestyle and how they could work for themselves, but still spend time with their kids.
They began researching what franchise businesses they could become part of, looking at options via the British Franchise Association.
They discovered Computer Xplorers – an after-school, weekend and holiday computer club for children from pre-school to secondary school age.
It seemed like the perfect fit for Richard’s teaching experience, and Emily’s design experience, which had involved a lot of computer programmes – and so they got to work.
We earn MORE than we did in our old 9-5 jobs
After starting with no clients in 2021, and marketing to local schools, Richard and Emily today run 15 after-school clubs, three weekend academies and five holiday clubs across Bolton, Wigan, Warrington and St Helen’s, employing 20 people to help run it all.
It’s become a family affair, too, with their oldest helping run the holiday clubs, and their two youngest coming along for the fun.
In 2024, the business hit a turnover of over £230,000 per year.
The couple say they earn more than they did in their old jobs.
The average local assistant headteacher salary of around £58,000 a year while the average senior fashion designer salary in Manchester of around £35,000.
Richard says: “That number is turnover, not profit. I would say we are comfortable, though and are earning more than before.
“We’re lucky, but we don’t take it for granted. But like a lot of businesses, we do have to manage cash flow.
“We have months where we might have a lot of invoices out, then months when those are paid, so there are peaks and troughs.”
They did pay an initial fee to set up the franchise, which cost £14,995 plus £2,999 in VAT. Plus, they have to pay a yearly 10% royalty fee and 1% marketing fee.
Richard and Emily paid the franchise fee with the help of a loan through a specialist franchise department at a high street bank.
Richard and Emily are now able to spend more time with their family and enjoy days outCredit: Supplied
How to start your own franchise
FROM the initial franchise fee, buying stock and setting up premises as well ongoing costs, setting up a franchise business may require a hefty amount of capital.
If you have a cracking idea and the relevant experience to make it happen but lack the cash, there are ways to get help.
Emily and Richard said their “biggest piece of advice” for anyone looking for funding is to speak with the franchisor early on.
They added: “They’ll be able to point you in the right direction and recommend lenders who understand franchising.”
The entrepreneurs also pointed out the importance of having a solid business plan with realistic financial projections.
Plus, the plan should provide an overview such as size of the market and competitor analysis, how you plan to attract and retain customers as well as how much you’d need to borrow.
However, putting it together would be easier than for a traditional start-up as some information should be available from the franchisor.
Pip Wilkins, chief executive of the British Franchise Association, added that getting funding doesn’t have to be “as hard as people might think”.
She added: “Banks traditionally favour lending money to prospective franchisees because franchising is considered a safer route into business.”
Before you take out any loan, remember to shop around to find the best one for your circumstances and business.
Also keep in mind the loans will need to be repaid and that success is never guaranteed.
‘We were never able to do long weekends before’
While the school holidays are some of their busiest times, they now say they spend more time with their kids.
For Richard, even though he doesn’t have the generous teachers’ school holidays, he finds that day-to-day he’s more present as a dad.
He says: “There are more things we can do now that aren’t tied to the summer holidays.
“We also tend to be able to do more long weekends, which we were never able to do before.
“For example, there are days when I can go on a hike with our oldest, just her and me, which is an opportunity we haven’t had before.
“It doesn’t sound like much, but in my previous job, I never had that opportunity to do it. So the fact I can just walk our youngest to school in the morning is a small thing, but it means a lot.”
Emily says there’s a focus on finding the right balance for their family.
She says: “It does make us busy. In the holidays, it’s a little bit mad getting ready for it all. We usually run clubs for five weeks over the summer, then at the end, we’ll go away for ten days.
“It’s just finding that right balance of making sure that you can get enough work in, but then just leaving a little bit of space for us as well – because that’s why we got into this, to free ourselves up a bit so we weren’t stuck in that whole 9 to 5.”
“We’re not dreaming of being rich and living in a mansion.
“We just want to have enough to support our kids and allow them to do what they want, and have a few nice holidays.
“You’ve got to make the most of life.”
How to turn your career into a money-making idea
TO set up a business based on your experience, Richard and Emily said you need to play to your strengths.
You’ll want to choose a franchise in a sector you’re passionate about and where your skills can make all the difference.
Richard said: “For us, ComputerXplorers was the perfect fit.
“We’ve both always loved working with children and technology and with my background in teaching computing and Emily’s experience in design and social media, it just felt like the right blend.
“Having a young family ourselves also helped us understand what engages kids, which has been a real advantage.”
They also recommend speaking to other franchisees about their experience, and not just the ones the franchisor recommends.
Meanwhile, Ms Wilkins added that any information from the franchisor should be transparent.
For example, don’t get blindsided by financial projections without knowing what they’re based on. Or worse, if they refuse to disclose it, this is a red flag.
You also need to understand what’s in the franchise agreement – which is the document that governs the relationship between you and the franchisor.
She added: “The key piece of advice for us is to take professional advice on the franchise agreement so you fully understand what terms you’re signing up to.”
Dividing and conquering
Richard and Emily like to divide and conquer – Emily focuses on marketing, social media, class timetabling and staff scheduling.
Richard takes on more of a business development role, working on building relationships with new schools and organisations to hopefully eventually sign them up as clients.
While they have staff, they both still have clubs that they each take care of separately, as they like to maintain interaction with the children and parents, and stay on top of the curriculum that they’re teaching.
Emily has also recently become more involved in bigger business decisions.
It’s not always smooth sailing, though.
Hiring staff can be difficult – not so much in the holidays, where there are plenty of university students and teachers looking for extra cash, but during the term, when there are only a few hours of work a week available.
But Richard and Emily have tried to make up for that by including a Saturday morning academy, which increases the amount of consistent work they can give someone during the school term.
Having run their franchise for five years now, Richard and Emily are now considering hiring a business manager so that when they reach the milestone of ten years of running it, it will be in a solid position to potentially hand over to somebody else.
Richard says: “In the next couple of years, we’re going to have to be thinking about what decisions to make when that ten years is up.
“We’ll be in our early and mid-50s, and we want to make sure, whatever we do, we’ve got a sustainable business there.
“We wouldn’t want to just walk away from it.”
A business manager would also help Richard and Emily keep an eye on the competition that’s coming up.
Emily adds: “In this children’s activities provider area, there’s so much growth there, but there are a lot of other providers coming in as well.
“So we’ve got to continue to make sure that we’re well known and can maintain the business that we’ve got, because there’s always competition coming up.
“People see that growth potential in this industry, and they want a piece of it. So we’re always working to maintain what we’ve got as well and keep those little bits of growth.”
Richard and Emily are now able to spend long weekends and holidays as a familyCredit: Supplied
The couple are now able to enjoy weekends away and love to go hikingCredit: Supplied
The business turns over £230,000 a year, so they can treat their children to days out and mealsCredit: Supplied
