How Helen turned playtime into a major franchise
A lack of experience did nothing to hold back Helen Smith McGuire when she spotted an opportunity for a new business. Her idea became an Instagram sensation, a franchising success and is now set to go global. Helen tells us more…
Mine was a business born from necessity but it became so much more to me and my family.
I became pregnant with my first child when I was living in Thailand and came back to the UK in need of a way of making money. I enjoyed working with children and my own experience with my new baby was my inspiration for a totally new concept in playgroups – messy play. The UK’s original super messy, sensory play classes for babies and toddlers, where kids got to splat paint, squelch goop and splash water and we’d do the tidying up!
Instagram was just beginning to become popular when we launched in 2009 and parents loved getting photos of their kids having fun being messy.
It became something of a phenomenon. We started with one or two classes in Whitley Bay and word of what we were doing spread with the emerging power of social media. We were approached by someone in Middlesbrough asking if we’d like to franchise the idea and we thought it was a great idea. We started running classes in Gateshead and in no time at all we had lots of franchises popping up across the country.
The franchise opportunity was massively popular with other mums looking for a way to make some money while their own children were little.
It was a perfect arrangement. My business could allow other mums to support their own families and in turn, they supported mine by helping to grow the brand. My franchisees were brilliant brand ambassadors because they were the target customer. They believed in it because their own children loved it so much and that’s where the magic happens when you’re so invested.
Things were going so well I began to explore taking Messy Monkeys global and had plans to move into China, Australia and the US.
But then Covid hit and that put a stop to everything. By this point my own family was growing up and I was beginning to crave a change. Once I started to lose interest in the concept, I knew I’d outgrown it. I decided to sell the business to a franchisee in London.
I felt good handing the business over. I was completely ready for it and glad to pass it to someone who would do fantastic things.
She is incredibly ambitious and her own children are of the right age so she relates strongly to the brand. She can see the market opportunity in China and Malaysia and is taking it there. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next with it.
Messy Monkeys was my first taste of being in business and I’ve never looked back. I’d encourage anyone who has an idea to go for it.
I had no business acumen and no experience when I embarked on this adventure but it’s not rocket science. If you have a good idea, there are plenty of people out there who will help you to make it happen. The Business Factory is the perfect starting point.
Has Helen's story got you thinking?
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