“My name is Nicky Dunn and I am a former recruitment consultant living in Wiltshire with my husband Mark and our 3-year-old daughter Jess. Earlier this year I started up my own business running a Music Bugs franchise. Music Bugs provide fun and interactive music and singing classes for local families and cater for children aged from 6 months to 4 years of age.
I had attended the classes with my own daughter since she was a baby and loved the varied, colourful aspect to the sessions. The emphasis is on growth and exploration rather then on any strict educational objectives and they were perfectly suited to my daughter who loved the songs, props and instruments that she was able to play with.
I saw an article in a local magazine about Claire Bennett (the founder of Music Bugs) and her plans to franchise the Company throughout the UK and I contacted her immediately to let her know that I was interested in taking over the Swindon area. She already knew me quite well as I had been attending her sessions for sometime and she was very approachable and encouraging about my plans to run my own business.
Well what can I say? I took over the business in January 2007 as the first Music Bugs franchisee and haven?t looked back! With the help of a dedicated team of class leaders I run 17 weekly classes in the Swindon area welcoming over 250 children to our sessions each week. We also provide Birthday Parties and sessions to nurseries and preschools and have just been awarded the contract to run sessions at the David Lloyd Leisure Centre in Swindon for its private gym members.
It is a fantastic business to run (I get to play with puppets and bubble machines on a daily basis!) and it fits in perfectly around my family as the sessions are run just during the school term. Plans are underway to expand my team of Class Leaders and set up new classes throughout my territory over the next few months as there is a high demand for our classes. The job satisfaction is enormous and I wouldn?t swap it for the world!”