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Updated RecentlyChallenge Island vs MakerKids Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Challenge Island vs MakerKids including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $48,300 - $62,950 | $152,750 - $399,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $39,900 | $30,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 6% | 8% |
| Advertising Fee | 2% | 3% |
| Year Founded | 2003 | 2013 |
| Year Franchised | 2012 | 2018 |
| Term Of Agreement | - | - |
| Term Of Agreement | - | - |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | - | - Passion for working with kids - Thirst for knowledge - Glass half full mindset (60% optimist, 40% realist) - An Excellent Credit History - Leadership Skills - A Desire to Succeed - A Desire to Make A Difference - No past bankruptcies - No past criminal record - Willing to get out there and make sales - Persistence - Desire to listen, share and be compliant - Being happy is more important to you than being right - Customer-oriented Wait, I don’t know how to teach STEM! - Don’t worry. If you don’t have a teaching background, you can still excel as a MakerKids franchisee. In fact, the backgrounds of our ideal franchisees vary greatly – from engineers and accountants to teachers and homemakers, and everything in between. MakerKids franchise training was designed to level the playing field. We teach you all that you need to know about running a business that deals with STEM instruction. |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | -/Yes | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | -/Yes | -/- |
| Equipment | -/- | -/- |
| Inventory | -/- | -/- |
| Receivables | -/- | -/- |
| Payroll | -/- | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | 3 days of classroom and hands-on training. Some of the key aspects of the training is provided by the Founder of Challenge Island, Sharon Estroff. Once you return to your market and are ready for business, Challenge Island will have a support person come to your market for one-full day and provide on-site training and assistance. On-The-Job Training: 8 hours Classroom Training: 24 hours | - Five (5) days Training in Toronto, Canada - Five (5) days On-Site Training - Education/Curriculum: MakerKids® Lesson Plans Options for additional training*: - Internal Training with support and guidance from MK Training Team via Teleconferences, GoTo Meeting and Webinars - Additional Training available at MK HQ in Toronto, Canada - Additional On-Site Training available *Please inquire about additional training. |
| Support | Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform | - Advertising and Marketing: Initial supply of Presentation materials and Templates. - Usage of proprietary Operations Manual - Use of MakerKids® Name, Logo and Trademarks - Annual training and workshop - MakerKids new releases and new concepts |
| Marketing | Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing | - Use of MakerKids® Name, Logo and Trademarks - Presentation Material & Templates |
| Operations | - | - |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | - | Yes |
| International Expansion | Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Challenge Island
Challenge Island Founder and Creator, Sharon Duke Estroff M.A.T. is an award-winning educator with over two decades of teaching experience in Atlanta public and private schools. She is the author of the popular parenting book Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah? (Random House) and a feature parenting and education writer for numerous national publications including Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Parents Magazine, and Huffington Post.
Sharon created Challenge Island while on maternity leave with her fourth child. Maxed out on late-night reruns of a popular, realityTV show, she began wondering if the same basic principals (minus the voting and island part) could become a means of motivating her students to take on complex higher level thinking tasks. She poured everything she'd learned about children into developing this idea, incorporating cutting edge research and educational thought. By the time her daughter graduated from 3 am feedings, Challenge Island was ready for primetime. It's been growing by leaps and bounds ever since.
Now over a decade later, thousands of children have experienced the magic and benefits of Challenge Island, as Sharon continues to develop fresh curriculum and content for this popular enrichment program.
*It's a proven model - truly a home-based business;
*Requires only a modest investment;
*Has NO national competition;
*Quick ROI on your low-cost franchise;
*Can be operated as a part/full time business;
*Has high profit margins;
*Has low fixed overhead;
*It's easy to operate;
*It can be easily taught to anyone;
*The classes, camps and birthday parties are affordable by nearly any family;
*Parents view the classes, camps, and birthday parties as educational and therefore feel that the fees are well spent.
*Year-round income with camps during school vacations and birthday parties anytime.
*Thrive in any economy by providing affordable classes to parents who put education first on their list of expenditures.
Veteran Incentives 10% off franchise fee
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About MakerKids