Inculcating healthy habits in kids

JumpBunch, a company that believes in working to ‘Build Healthy Habits Early’ and provides a curriculum that helps in the early development of the child inculcating a sense of curiosity to learn something new. In an interview, Dhanalaxmi Srinivas, Managing Partner, Fun Factory - Master Franchise of JumpBunch Inc. shares the future plans of her company.

Ramanjit Kaur (RK): Shed some light on the inception of JumpBunch in India?

Dhanalaxmi Srinivas (DS): JumpBunch is America’s leading sports program for kids and is currently in over 27 states in the US with 40 + franchises. They have been adjudged as the best program in the child services segment for two years in a row. JumpBunch in India is their first international expansion. We have taken the Master Franchise of JumpBunch for India and commenced its operations in July 2010.

RK: What inspired Jumpbunch India to take the franchise route to expand its presence in India?

DS: The potential of this business in India is very large given the sheer size of our country. We therefore feel that franchising is the only way to expand the business while managing the operations of the company and while maintaining the quality of the product. Further, the parent company in the US has grown using this model. The immense success of the JumpBunch curriculum in the US is attributed to the network of partners that they have as franchise owners. We believe that franchisees help dissipate the company’s vision and objectives across a wide landscape, ensure the product offering and maintain quality of the session.

RK: What is the USP of Jumpbunch India? How it is different from other players in the sector?

DS: The USP of JumpBunch is the fact that it is portable. The program does not require affixed facility and potential franchisees can work out of their own homes. The sessions can be conducted where there is a congregation of children and all the equipment is easy to pack and carry. We also use age specific equipment thereby ensuring the safety of the children during the program.

RK: What will be the eligibility criteria for selecting the franchisees of your company?

DS: We are looking for individuals who have worked in the Child Services Industry – specifically like Montessori schools / pre-schools or people who have a flair for kids and really enjoy being with children and working with them. We largely assess the ability of the applicant vis-à-vis the ability to engage kids, the physical fitness levels and sporting ability. We would prefer people who look at this opportunity as more than a business alone.

As we are a portable model, no space/ area requirement exists. We believe that the initial investment will be approximately Rs five to 10 lakh. The working capital requirement will be about Rs 5 lakh for a territory.

RK: How many franchised outlets do you presently have in India? What are your target locations to expand Jumpbunch India in India?

DS: Currently, we are only in Bengaluru and have a target of about 15 franchisees pan-India in the current fiscal.

RK: What kind of training and support will a franchisee gets after partnering with your company?

DS: All franchisees will be trained by the parent company in Bengaluru and in their locations as well. Mentor coaches will spend time at each location hiring, training and monitoring the coaches for the franchisees. A detailed procedure and system exists for the franchisees to adopt in order to set-up the operations of their unit. The parent company in Bengaluru will provide all the support for Public Relations, advertising, marketing and staffing for the franchisees and will ensure that all the necessary collaterals and other material are available for the partner to use. The Master Franchisor will ensure all requisite support to the partner and will also identify and aid in the marketing activity as well.

RK: What are the future plans of the company in terms of expansion through franchising?

DS: We have plans to expand our business all over the country through franchising. We believe that the best way to grow would be through strategic partnerships (franchisees). The key would be the selection of these potential partners so as to ensure that the JumpBunch Vision and Brand is retained.