Start a LeafSpring Schools Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $4.9M - $9M

Units as of 2022: 13 45% over 3 years

Gail W. Johnson saw an opportunity in childcare and education back in 1988 when women began joining the workforce more and more. With limited options for childcare, Johnson began LeafSpring Schools as a ‘Rainbow Station.’ The idea blossomed and grew into an early education center offering childcare programs including nursery and preschool, Pre-K, and other early learning programs.

LeafSpring Schools offers sick care, summer camps, leadership development, health and wellness initiatives, and more. The franchise has a proprietary curriculum called Playworks and a leadership program called Inspired. LeafSpring Schools is always on the lookout for suitable candidates to help grow its network around the country.

Why You May Want To Start a LeafSpring Schools Franchise

Do you love children? Are you passionate about education? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you might be the franchisee that LeafSpring Schools is searching for. LeafSpring Schools franchisees should be family-oriented, business-minded, and work well with people. You should be ready and willing to try and solve the problems associated with your clientele, the parents, and the children who are part of this growing family.

What Might Make a LeafSpring Schools Franchise a Good Choice?

Owning a LeafSpring School will require your day-to-day participation, ruling out the possibility for absentee ownership. A franchisee should earn and keep the trust of parents, children, and their employees.

LeafSpring Schools’ mission is to “partner with parents to promote the success of each child.” The franchise has the vision to be the leader in their business segment, which focuses on early education, mildly ill care, and school-age recreation. Community, diversity, integrity, leadership, innovation, integrity, and ownership are the key pillars that LeafSpring Schools is built upon.

How To Open a LeafSpring Schools Franchise

To be part of the LeafSpring Schools team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include royalty and renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

LeafSpring Schools has partnered with third-party financial lenders that may help cover the costs of the franchise fee, startup, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, and payroll if you qualify. They also may offer a discount off the franchise fee for veterans.

As you decide if opening a LeafSpring Schools franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a LeafSpring Schools franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the LeafSpring Schools franchising team questions.

Company Overview

About LeafSpring Schools

Industry	Children's Businesses
Related Categories	Childcare, Miscellaneous Children's Businesses, Children's Education/Enrichment
Founded	1988
Parent Company	Prism LLC
Leadership	Vance Spilman, CEO
Corporate Address	4551 Cox Rd., #310 Glen Allen, VA 23060
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1999 (25 years)
# of employees at HQ	7
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	13 (as of 2022)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a LeafSpring Schools franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$87,500
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$4,922,500 - $8,958,200
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$1,500,000 - $2,500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$750,000 - $1,500,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	25% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	15 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	LeafSpring Schools has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	20 hours
Classroom Training	60 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	65
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes