Building a business around sports and fitness for toddlers and preschoolers sounds like a fun idea, but is it really something you can do? Absolutely. Not only is it a truly fun business, it can be a rewarding and profitable one as well.
When my own wife came across the JumpBunch concept, we had the exact same question and puzzled look on our faces. Can this really be a business? Fifteen years later and with the benefit of lots of hindsight, I can safely speak for her by saying yes.
Solving a Problem
The first question to ask when hoping anyone will buy anything from you is "what problem can I solve?". Even though sports and fitness for toddlers and preschoolers is not a problem in and of itself, offering this does provide a solution to more than one potential customer.
- The School: We say school here, but this can mean any location that can host a JumpBunch class for their specific group of families being served. It is now a competitive world we live in. Schools have to find ways to stand out, offer more, and be more appealing to families who have choices. This problem creates the opportunity for sports and fitness for toddlers and preschoolers to be a solution.
- The Parent: It is common for parents to be concerned that their child is not getting enough physical activity. They understand every kid won't be an "athlete", but parents want physical education and movement as part of what their child is taught to appreciate. Another problem that sports and fitness classes can solve.
Building A Business
Establishing that you have a valid solution to a valid problem is the foundation to building your business, but the actual building begins by focusing on and putting other things in place.
- Collateral: You can't just have a message...you must make sure it is heard. Well considered, professionally designed marketing materials are a must to stand out and communicate exactly what you can do for both of the customers named above.
- Systems and Technology: There are two sides to every business. One is public and seen by all and the other is on the back end where everything is organized. You will likely not succeed in business today without systems to efficiently accomplish things such as billing, ordering supplies, hiring, and other critical tasks.
- Product: We've already established that we are offering sports and fitness to toddlers and preschoolers. Great, but that's generic enough for anybody else to come along and say "me too!". You must have a product that rises above when those inevitable voices of competition chime in. For JumpBunch, it is a library of curriculum that offers unmatched variety for three distinct age groups.
- Relationships: Working with children requires there to be a level of trust. Trust is only built through establishing relationships. While the things above can be provided for you, this kind of business requires that you be someone who can relate to people. We mention this last, but it is by far the most important. If you enjoy talking to people, getting to know them, and genuinely communicating in ways that make them trust you, that is a huge step forward in building your business.
You can build a business around sport and fitness for toddlers and preschoolers. While you have to bring some important ingredients to the table, you don't have to completely build the business alone.
If this is a dream of yours, what can you do to make it one step closer to being a reality? We have a great guide to help you answer that question and more.
