Interactive Yoga inspired adventure and play sessions

What is the business? Tatty Bumpkin is a children's adventure & movement session, inspired by yoga for children aged 18 months – 7 years. No experience of yoga is needed, just a sense of fun, imagination and some experience with children. Sessions can be run as a preschool class, in day nurseries, schools, libraries, festivals or as a children's party and can be adapted to suit special needs. The sessions are multi-sensory, incorporating specially written music, colourful & imaginative props, and can incorporate dance, singing, counting as well as yoga so work with all of children's interests and needs. The sessions fit the government's criteria for the Foundation Stage and so work well in schools.

Investment required: Designed to be low-cost & low-risk to help mums back to work the training weekend is around £250 (run monthly around the country). This includes a Tatty Bumpkin bendy yoga doll and fair trade yoga mat, full support, the training weekend with comprehensive manuals, space on the website to promote your classes, national PR & advertising then other set-up costs include insurance, yoga mats & (low-cost!) props. Ongoing membership fee payable monthly between £10-£30 depending on the number of classes run a week. We'll also send you stickers and certificates for use in the classes.

Earning Potential: Varies according to how much time you want to give it (which is very flexible). If you had 4 daytime hours & 1-2 evening hours preparation a week you could earn around £350 a month, £4,200 a year, £17 an hour. You can also sell Tatty Bumpkin products (gorgeous organic children's clothes, fair trade yoga mats and Tatty, the amazing bendy yoga doll) through the classes or elsewhere which would boost income further.

Is there training/support for franchisees? We provide friendly office support, a teachers' website with lesson ideas, a teachers' web forum for exchanging tips, regular newsletters, low-cost refresher & continuining development courses.

Best suited to: Parents who want to work with children, do something really fun, healthy and fulfilling, who work for themselves, only have a few hours to spare (though it can be expanded too), who don't want to leave their kids (or for long). Must have a good sense of imagination and fun, no experience of yoga or formal teaching needed.

For more information: http://www.tattybumpkin.com or email classes@tattybumpkin.com

Name: Paula

Location: Bristol

Family: Husband, Nigel, two sons, Gabriel (3) and Jude (1)

How often do you work?
I prepare my classes or birthday parties in the evening on the sofa with a glass of wine and during the week with my son when a bedtime story, song or funny game inspires me! My husband works flexibly so brings the kids (3 and 1) to my class (Monday mornings, 2 45 minute classes) which they love and I do children's parties on a Saturday when he takes them to the park (I'm only gone for a couple of hours). I do one-off sessions for schools, libraries, the Zoo etc when it fits in with my life. There are teachers running sessions every day and making more of a full time job of it but the structure of the low-cost training means its very flexible so you can do only one class a week and it still makes financial sense!

How does the job fit around your family life?
Running morning preschool sessions fits with playgroup, parties fit with husbands work, planning and admin can be done in the evening and my children actually understand mummy's job!

How much roughly did the franchise cost you?
It's more training than a franchise and that cost £250.

What did that investment buy?
Full training, lesson plans and ideas, training manual and ongoing support as well as a doll and mat to get me started. It's designed to be low-cost so you would need to get your own insurance and CRB check but still felt like very good value and meant it didn't have to be such a big commitment.

Do you get support/training?
Great support and low-cost refresher courses (again, you pay for these if you want to do them rather than them being included because it's designed for start-up to be low).

Are there on-going costs?
Monthly membership fee of £10 a month for each class taught per week up to 3, then £30 for any number.

How much do you earn?
When my classes are full (I haven't been running long), around £300 a month, depending on how many parties I do (that's for 2 morning classes and a party).

Do you advertise?
NCT newsletters, fliers everywhere I can put them, on park gates, netmums etc, mostly free.

What is the best thing about Tatty Bumpkin for you?
That I love the sessions, they keep me fit, really give my imagination and creativity a dusting-down and make me a more fun parent and bedtime-storyteller! And my kids love it! It's very low cost so you can dabble or really go for it and very little paid upfront and yet the company is very professional and supportive.

Are there any downsides to the job?
You've got to stick at it; in the early days keeping the class full can be hard work just due to 'natural wastage'! As with any business, it takes perserverance but then provides a lovely, fun source of income!

Would you recommend this franchise opportunity to other Mums?
Definitely!