Baby Keepsakes

What is the business? The Keepsake Co produces the widest range of hand-crafted Baby Keepsakes in the UK. These include Glazed Clay Impressions, 3D Casts, Raised Plaster Impressions, along with a delightful collection of pure silver Fingerprint Jewellery.

Investment required: We have a range of start-up options to suit all budgets and ambitions! Unlike a straightforward Franchise we have no high Franchise Fees, Royalties or Territory Restrictions - simply a series of modular training and support services, which allow you the freedom to operate your own Keepsake Business around the demands of your growing family.

We especially wish to appeal to mum's hoping to return to work after having children, and have therefore structured a career-path which enables them to work their way up the ladder, with limited initial investment:

Keepsake Consultant - £495 Come on our two-day course and learn how to take the prints and moulds for our growing collection of Keepsakes. Earn a healthy commission on your sales and send your production work to one of our qualified Senior Keepsake Consultants.

Senior Keepsake Consultant - From £1490 To boost your income further, you can learn to specialise in a particular area of production and earn profitable production revenue. Choose to come on either, our Clay Impressions, 3D Casting, Raised Impressions or Silver Fingerprint Jewellery Courses. Alternatively, select a combination of these! Once you have completed our full suite of courses and are consistently earning sales in excess of £2000 per month, you can apply to become a Master Keepsake Consultant, where there are even greater rewards and earning potential!

Master Keepsake Consultant - Internal Promotion only As a Master Keepsake Consultant you will become a vital member of our team, responsible for developing your own team of Consultants within your own territory. You will earn a monthly support fee from every consultant in your team, in return for acting as their mentor, offering support and advice. You can also earn additional income from hosting Training Courses for new recruits, on behalf of The Keepsake Co. This will be in addition to the income you are already generating from your usual sales and production work.

Earning Potential: Like any business, you get out what you put in and generally speaking, the more revenue streams you build into your business the better! Because The Keepsake Co offers such a diverse range of Keepsakes, you automatically have a head-start!

Your income will vary depending upon the level you have reached in our Career-plan. i.e, A Keepsake Consultant can earn a healthy commission on their sales, whilst a Senior Keepsake Consultant, trained in all areas of Keepsake Production, should expect to earn considerably more!

As an example: A Senior Keepsake Consultant, trained in all areas of production, working part-time (2-3 days per week), and taking an average of 3 appointments per week and 2 Keepsake Parties per month, should be able to earn around £1900 per month quite comfortably. This is assuming that best efforts have been put into marketing their business.

Is there training/support for franchisees? Of course! We offer full training and support to all of our consultants. The type of training you receive is dependant upon the level that you join us at. We are always here to offer our full support and advice!

Best suited to: Mothers that wish to return to work after having children, with the flexibility to work around the demands of their family! As a Keepsake Consultant there are no sales targets or quotas, no high-start up cost, therefore no pressure! You can work part-time or full-time to suit your own desires and ambitions! You have complete flexibility over your working hours, with the option of working term-time only, if you so wish! .

For more information: Email - Victoria@thekeepsakeco.co.uk | Telephone - 0845 2573081 | Visit - www.keepsakeconsultants.com or www.thekeepsakeco.co.uk for more information

Name: Michelle

Location: Hampshire

Family: 2 boys - Harvey aged 10 and Elliott, aged 6.

How does the job fit around your family life?
I work on average 2-3 days per week, during school hours, so I'm always there to drop off and pick up my children from school. I also take most of the school holidays off, with the exception of the summer holidays, where I continue to take appointments, to ensure I still have money coming in over the summer. It's easy to fit your appointments around your family-life, so you can pretty much work, when you want to work!

When I get really busy periods, I sometimes do my production work in the evenings. However, this is usually done with a glass of wine whilst listening to the radio - so it doesn't actually seem like work!

How much roughly did the franchise cost you?
Well, The Keepsake Co is not a Franchise, although it does offer many of the benefits of one! There was no Franchise Fee, I just had to pay the course fees for the various training courses I have taken.

I started off with the initial Keepsake Consultant Training, combined with the Clay Impressions workshop. However, I quickly realised the benefits of being able to offer the full range of Keepsake Services, therefore I'm now trained in all areas of production! (Clay Impressions, 3D Casting, Plaster Impressions, Silver Fingerprint Jewellery etc).

The initial Keepsake Consultant course was £495 and each Production Course was £.995. I really liked the idea that you could start with just one course and then add to this as and when you could afford it. Even after doing all of the courses, it's such a low investment that it's easy to see a quick return - and with each new course you are learning a new skill, so it's fantastic! As part of your initial training you get a whole load of things to help you develop your business. This includes a start-up set of marketing materials, raw materials, your own Keepsake Co web-page, email address, 0845 number and Keepsake Co Uniform.

The only other major cost was the purchase of my Kiln. I wanted to be able to offer production services in Clay Impressions and Silver Fingerprint Jewellery, so this was a necessity. However, I only had to make about 11 sales to get my return on this!

Do you get support/training?
After my initial training, I had many questions! However, there was always someone there to help and guide me! In the beginning I was on the phone all the time asking questions. However, I've recently become a Master Keepsake Consultant, which means that I'm now here to help other Consultants starting out!

Are there on-going costs?
Naturally, I have to buy raw materials such as Clay, Plaster, Frames, etc in order to fulfil my orders - but as customers always pay for their orders in advance - I'm never out of pocket!

There is a small monthly fee which covers the license agreement, allowing me to operate under The Keepsake Co brand. It also covers administrative-costs to ensure there is a good network of support for all Consultants. This ranges from £25 up to £50 per month, depending upon what level you join at. The only other cost is public liability insurance which is around £250 per year.

How much do you earn roughly?
I only work part-time, typically about 2-3 days per week. I tend to take about 12 appointments per month and around 2-3 Keepsake Parties per month. Typically my sales average around £2000 - £2,500 per month, but I have had some months where I have sold far more!
Naturally, it took a while to build my business up to this level. Consultants shouldn't expect to come in and earn this from day one, but with hard work and determination, anything is possible! The key is pro-active Marketing - once people know that you're out there - it's plain-sailing!

Do you advertise?
Yes, in local papers/magazines etc.

What is the best thing about The Keepsake Co for you?
Being my own Boss and having a business which is just so much fun - it honestly doesn't feel like work! Not to mention the bonus of earning a full-time salary from part-time work - which can be fit it in around the school run!

Are there any downsides to the job?
Yes, keeping my house tidy for customers! Sometimes my house can get taken over a little, particularly if I have a lot of production work or framing to do! However, the key is to be organised! I've got quite a good system in place now!

Would you recommend this franchise opportunity to other Mums?
Definitely! I left a very good job in IT to join The Keepsake Co. It was a big risk - but one which thankfully has paid off, very well!