Meet Christine Kelly, founder of Little Kickers
In 2019 Christine Kelly (founder of Little Kickers) was nominated by the BFA (British Franchise Association) as one of the 10 most powerful women in UK franchising.
From a nominal personal investment of £300 (plus £600 from her 2 former partners), Little Kickers has grown into a truly global football-themed franchise, championing fun-based activities for pre-school children 18 months to their 7th birthday.
Today Little Kickers operates in 34 countries (330+) franchises with some 65,000+ children attending classes each and every week. It is the single biggest player within the ‘education through football’ space.
How did you get into Little Kickers?
Back in 2002 young mum and high-flying risk manager, Christine Kelly found herself increasingly frustrated by the soul-destroying lack of engaging, activity orientated initiatives for pre-school children. Football was the underlying medium however Little Kickers was never a scouting enterprise to discover fantastical footballers of tomorrow.
Instead the Little Kickers focus was one of assembling a fun-centric/’edutainment’ based franchise experience whereby football provided a positive first exposure to sport #morethanjustfootball.
Were you nervous at the outset?
Absolutely! I knew deep down that I was on to something an interactive, sports-based initiative littered with laugh-out-loud activities, the perfect setting where children can mingle with their peers and learn team-building skills, self-esteem and inner confidence.
There were significant challenges from the very beginning – the first being that footy programmes being run by someone called Christine was not a big draw. I changed all my literature to Chris and never looked back (my pilot initiative in Clapham 2002 was over-subscribed by 400%).
Then there was the enraged rival who decided to not only leave me abusive phone calls but try and intimidate my coaches and dissuade my customers. I thought it was an over-reaction that would quickly subside – but it didn’t so eventually the police needed to intervene.
I also had many people whose advice I admire try and steer me clear of taking Little Kickers to the worldwide stage, warning me of plagiarism, litigation and the near impossible task of cutting through language and cultural divides to ensure a consistent quality of offer throughout each and every market. Of course there have been many cul de sacs and wrong turns but 15 years down the line the good news and experiences far outweighs the bad.
What were you doing before Little Kickers?
I started out as a trainee chartered accountant at Price Waterhouse, a poor decision that I distanced myself from at the first opportunity. Corporate life then took me into risk management (JP Morgan) a role I adored, although it soon became clear that such an existence operating in London & Wall Street wasn’t conducive to settling down and starting a family, which made me think the moment was ripe for something completely different.
How do you balance both private and business life?
Genuine outdoorsy, get stuck in type who loves running, tennis, skiing….. I also do some informal workshops for up & coming female brand owners which I find strangely cathartic.
Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
Maintaining a consistent brand offer is certainly a challenge which is why we wanted to go further than a majority of our franchising peers by creating an ‘Away Team’ which consists of established franchisees/experienced coaches from our blossoming employee network heading abroad for a few weeks to assist new franchisees as they take shape in new markets. We work to a system where the new franchisees cover the travel and accommodation costs which enables the ‘Away Team’ to travel to interesting places and combine work trips with amazing holidays.
What we hadn’t fully appreciated when we set building the international arm of our business is the very distinct barriers to entry. In India for example the obesity epidemic is rife among young children as parents prioritise education over physical exercise, whilst in Brazil & Chile there was simply too much resistance to even basic football schools being taught by Brits & Canadians.
Barriers can of course also be opportunities which is why the creation of an English language programme proved pivotal to the brand’s rapid growth in Spain & Mexico , whilst our latest market Germany seems to have gathered momentum quickly as younger people are drawn to the thoughts of entrepreneurism and franchising which are less evolved over there than they are here in the UK.
What do you think gives a brand longevity?
We believe very strongly that over time business has a responsibility to give back to the community in which it operates. Social responsibility is becoming an ever greater element of the Little Kicker experience. In 2020 we’ve made a commitment to be the most eco-friendly Football club in the world which is why we’re about to sign an eco-friendly kit deal (we order 100,000 football kits a year) whereby the tops and shorts will be made from plastic from the ocean, whilst old kit from children who leave us (plus balls, goals…) will be dispatched to 6 designated orphanages in Africa.
In 2019 we also donated a franchise to my old university Aston – which will provide paid work experience for two franchise degree students each and every year.
What’s would be your best advice for fellow entrepreneurs?
Play to your strengths not your weaknesses.
