Stretch-n-Grow International was established in 1992 by fitness guru Jill Manly. Upon becoming pregnant and researching early childhood fitness, Manly discovered the lack of exercise and physical education among toddlers and young children. She decided to take a pro-active approach and established Stretch-n-Grow in her hometown of Galveston, Texas. The company then began franchising in 1993.

Stretch-n-Grow franchises provide programs ranging from after-school sessions, parties, and camps. The classes are usually taught at locations such as community centers, grade schools, day-care facilities, YMCA and YWCA’s, and other locations dedicated to community service. They offer programs for children ages 18 months to twelve years. They are currently franchised in 12 countries and the claim to be the “world’s largest network of children’s fitness professionals”.

Stretch-n-Grow is a home based franchise. This results in lower out-of-pocket start up expenses as there is no need to rent office or commercial space. The estimated cost of starting a franchise is $23,700. This includes a franchise fee of $22,600. There is a low ongoing royalty fee of $150 per month. The parent company does not offer financing for the start up costs, but they do allow the franchisee to obtain third party financing. Specific business experience is not required but a cash liquidity of $20,000-25,000 is mandated. Absentee ownership is not allowed and the business can be run by one individual.

Specialized training is provided by the parent company, both in the field of fitness and marketing. A three-day intensive training session is held at the corporate headquarters and the cost of airfare, transportation, and hotel accommodations are included in the franchise fee. As a result of the training programs, each franchisee becomes certified in adolescents fitness. Stretch-n-Grow also provides ongoing training and support in a variety of different ways.

If you enjoy children and fitness, then you may want to investigate Stretch-n-Grow as a potential business opportunity. It is, however, important to keep in mind that a significant amount of marketing and prospecting will need to be done on a consistent basis and it is doubtful that this type of opportunity will lead to strong residual income in the future.

The world seems to be getting smaller as more and more companies scan the globe to put up franchise operations. The international franchise market has expanded to a large extent during the past few years. Countries throughout the world seem to be participating in the growth of industries that was previously specific to a particular country only.

Some of the major industries are food, electronics, and automobiles, which have shown a rapid growth through franchising worldwide. International franchising allows the companies to infiltrate countries by introducing the product in the country in franchises.

Starting an international franchise can be very difficult and require extensive research in that market that might take years to finish. The company must ensure that raw materials and other requisites can be found in the country itself as it is cost effective.

Certain legalities concerning the leasing of land or offices in a different country, receive the permission from the government to use trademarks, tax related issues, and employing the regional manager or an area manager to manage the initial proceedings are few of the initial hurdles to be crossed. A contract containing these aspects as well as other management criteria must be drawn up.

Since there definitely would be a difference in the currency, the fee amount, conversion rate, and such monetary related issues must be considered. Some countries might have restrictions on the amount that can be remitted into the country at a given time.

All the related government approvals must be considered at the initial stage itself. Some governments need the company to get special licenses for putting up a franchise in the country. Also, all the monetary related issues such as fee details, and repatriation etc need to be run through at the government office before being approved.

The company must be ready with the financing and background check in order to confirm the time that would take to start the franchise. Accurate preparation will ensure the franchise will be up and running in no time with any additional costs cropping up out of the blue.

There are various other aspects to consider before opening a franchise in a different country. It is suggested to go through the whole lot before signing an agreement for an international franchise.