Earn and learn with fun

Making kids learn languages with musical, artistic and multi-sensorial approach is a Canadian brand Pop Languages. Sharing the expansion of the brand in India via franchise route is Michele-Marie of Pop Languages in an interview.

Namita Bhagat (NB): Tell us about the concept of your brand and how suitable it is for the Indian market?

Michele-Marie (MM): When I presented my program in Vancouver, Canada one year ago, the most interested people were not the Canadians but the Indians and Asian people. My videos made them laugh and they all told me that it would be great for Indian children to learn English. So I went to India to check the prospects for launching the concept of Pop Languages.

NB: What is the USP of the brand?

MM: The USP of the brands is its musical, artistic and multi-sensorial approach to the discovery and mastery of languages.

NB: What is the franchise model for your brand in India, (master franchise/direct franchise)? Kindly elaborate.

MM: We are looking for three Master Franchisees covering the areas of North & East; West; South. The Master Franchisees will recruit Unit Franchisees in their territory. Whilst a Master Franchise Territory is vacant, Pop Languages will recruit and support Unit Franchisees direct.

NB: What is the requirement in terms of capital/infrastructure to partner with you as franchisee?

MM: The total investment for a Pop Languages franchise is as follows:

• Master Franchisee: Total Investment is INR 5,500,000 made up of INR 4,500,000 plus INR 5,500,000 set-up and working capital
• Unit Franchisee: Total Investment is INR 700,000 made up of INR 500,000 plus INR 200,000 set-up and working capital

NB: How many locations do you have currently and/or what are your expansion plans in India in coming years?

MM: We have just landed in India. We are operating in a language school in Mumbai currently we have no Unit or Master Franchisees in India.

NB: What are the qualifications for a franchisee to partner with your brand?

MM: The skills we are looking for in our franchisees are:

• Master Franchisees: Experience recruiting and managing people, Marketing experience, financially literate, budgetary experience, IT literate, have good attention to detail, self motivated, hard working and ambitious, determination and enthusiasm to succeed, willing to stick to a proven system. Master Franchisees do not need to have a background in music and teaching as we will train them on all aspects of running a successful ‘Pop Languages’ Master Franchise business. Master Franchisees are not required to deliver classes themselves.
• Unit Franchisees: Good with children, positive enthusiastic outlook, basic singing skills, financially literate, IT literate, have good attention to detail, self motivated, hard working and ambitious, determination and enthusiasm to succeed, willing to stick to a proven system. Unit Franchisees do not need to have a background in music and teaching as we will train them on all aspects of running a successful ‘Pop Languages’ unit franchise business. Should Unit Franchisees wish to deliver some ‘Pop Languages’ classes themselves they will need a basic level of singing ability and be fluent in English.

NB: What kind of marketing and training support do you provide to your franchisees?

MM: We will provide Master Franchisees with templates for all marketing material and discuss any changes required to the material to meet the needs of their local market and territory.

Unit Franchisees will be provided with marketing material to help them market their Pop Languages classes to schools and their local market.

NB: Could you share break even period – ROI facts for the franchise?

MM: The ROI is as follows:

• Master Franchisee: We have projected a Five Year cumulative Profit before Depreciation Interest Tax of INR 30,000,000 which will provide a Return on Investment (ROI) in 29 months
• Unit Franchisee: We have projected a Five Year cumulative Profit Before Depreciation Interest Tax of INR 10,000,000 which will provide a Return on Investment in 17 months.

All figures are estimates and are not a meant as a guarantee of income or profit. All figures will vary depending on personal circumstances