Working from home is often the most advantageous career route for parents with childcare responsibilities. Franchising is a business model ideally suited for those who need a flexible work schedule to fit around family life.

Stay at home parents opt to pursue a career from their own property for many reasons. Often this is borne out of necessity. It may be to care for children yet to reach school age, to look after those already in education who have additional needs or it can be because before and after school arrangements are unable to accommodate working to traditional office hours.

For other parents, working from home is a lifestyle choice. They may simply want to spend more time with their children, to nurture them and be there for their landmark moments. There is a wonderful saying which applies to parenthood that “the days are long but the years are short”. You may be trying to fit everything in if you work for an employer without realising your children are growing up all too quickly.

Whatever your reasons for opting to be a stay at home parent, there are some notable benefits to investing in a franchise business. And it’s a trend which is set to continue in the global economy.

The coronavirus pandemic accelerated a shift in employment patterns and a refreshed focus on work-life balancing. It is estimated that almost one in five people now live in countries with the infrastructure required to work from home. That figure is much higher in certain developed nations.

Mix business with pleasure

There are lots of children’s franchise opportunities available. For anyone who loves being around kids and enjoys working with little ones (or bigger ones), a children’s franchise can be a rewarding career.

If you’re dedicating much of your time to the development of your own children, then a franchise based around infants, school kids or teenagers can combine your enthusiasm with the necessity of earning a living.

You could choose to invest in a daycare franchise, an educational enterprise, pursue your passion for performing arts, or run sports classes. Essentially, any talent you have, or skills you’re passing on to your own kids, can be shared with a wider audience of children while providing your family with a source of income.

Harness your parenting skills to run a business

There are very good reasons why stay at home parents make ideal entrepreneurs for operating a franchise. Without realising it, if you’re a home-based mum or dad, you already possess and have demonstrated in abundance the skills and desire required to make a success of a franchise.

The essential abilities to organise and manage a household, look after children, tend to their needs, and provide emotional and educational support to your own kids, while also having time for a little fun, are holistic life skills that cannot be taught and are those that others simply may not have.

To be a stay at home parent, you have to be able to organise and prioritise, managing multiple demands at once. You must also be an effective communicator, to people at all levels, abilities and ages. You have to be able to set goals for others and encourage them to make progress every day.

If you’re planning to return to work as a stay at home parent

As children grow, the focus for parents can begin to shift from raising their family to beginning to consider a route back into employment.

For some, this may mean considering part-time or freelance work. However, these paths back into the workplace following a career break can be low-paid and/or offer variable levels of income.

Franchising is good for those who wish to build up their return to work while maintaining a level of flexibility and control over their schedule and commitments.

Why the franchise model is good for stay at home parents

Franchising offers significant benefits for stay at home parents over other business models. This is both because of the way franchise investments operate and the unique situation, challenges and needs of those who have responsibilities for kids.

If you’re raising children, one of the most important factors to consider is how stable and secure your source of income is. This becomes of paramount importance if you are the sole breadwinner in your household. This is an increasingly common feature of family life across the Western world.

A franchise system offers a secure, low investment route into becoming your own boss. You benefit from trusted brand names, expert training, ongoing advice and abundant resources to establish your business and then grow it in a manner that fits around family commitments. It may just be the very best of both worlds for stay at home parents.