The phrase 'working mum' may roll off the tongue, but it's easier said than done these days. We all have our ways of coping, and working mums Sally Frost and Kirsten Williams thought up theirs whilst helping their children over the A-frame at Tumbletots. Both on maternity leave from their careers in marketing and financial management they were struggling with the same decision all mums (and dads!) have to make - career versus home.

Their eureka moment came when they noticed a gap in the market, for a community magazine focused exclusively on children and giving information and practical advice about local events for kids.

The pair launched their business over 18 months ago and it was an instant success. The magazines flew off the shelves in their local area, Wolverhampton, and the feedback from readers and advertisers was exceptional. It also gave Sally and Kirsten the perfect balance - they could run the magazine during nursery and school hours and when the kids had gone to bed, but be there for their children when they needed them during the day. Not only that, but the venture was very profitable and gave them real pride and fulfilment in what they were doing.

Experience & Track Record
Now, they've teamed up with Nigel & Sue Botterill, the inspiration and driving forces behind the amazingly successful My Mag and www.thebestof.co.uk franchises, to roll out Raring2Go!! across the UK as a franchised operation. "It was important that we did this properly and the experience and track record that Nigel, Sue and their team have is exceptional" explained Sally, who invested in a My Mag franchise three years ago. "Between My Mag and thebestof, they have over a thousand franchisees and I know first-hand just how effective their support systems are. Not only that, but there is a natural fit between their existing businesses and Raring2Go!, so they were an obvious choice"

So What Exactly is Raring2Go!
Raring2Go is the definitive source of what to do and where to go for you and your children. It is aimed specifically at the parents and carers of children under the age of nine and manifests itself in two forms:

• A magazine that is distributed free, via school book-bags, local libraries, play groups, nurseries, leisure centres etc. The magazine is published four times a year to coincide with the main school holidays.
  
  
• A national website which very cleverly takes all the content from the magazines and enables parents to easily find what they need through its smart search facility.

All information available in the magazines is also available on the website and the website is extensively promoted in the magazine. This combination of high traffic, high function website and high profile, big distribution local magazine is totally unique in the UK and together with the high earning potential and genuinely part-time hours it makes Raring2Go! a truly compelling proposition for potential franchisees.

"There are just over 200 franchisee territories in the UK," explains Kirsten, "and we are planning to have them all set up and running before the end of 2007."

Lucrative
Although the business is definitely part-time and very flexible (it could be run alongside an existing business), it is also extremely lucrative. Detailed projections of revenue and profit are available as part of the Franchise Information Pack but typical earnings ought to be in excess of £25,000 per year. Not bad for only 16 weeks' work!

"Raring2Go! means that men and women across the UK can experience all the benefits of a senior level job, including the pay, without the stress of commuting or the guilt factor of not spending time with their children,'' says Kirsten.

Part-Time and Flexible
It is this powerful combination of high earnings with a part-time franchise that is likely to make Raring2Go! so popular. "Flexibility is the key to Raring2Go!," says Sally. "Kirsten and I both wanted careers that fitted around our children but that were still fulfilling and challenging, and we know that many other women feel the same way.

"The truth is that it is very hard to find something with this level of flexibility, where you can take every school holiday off for instance, and which provides you with such serious earning potential."

To make it as easy as possible for franchisees, all the printing and design is taken care of centrally and the national website is also put together at HQ to alleviate the workload for franchisees still further. "Franchisees have full ownership of the content of their magazines though," explains Kirsten. "They can tailor and personalise their magazines to quite a large extent. For instance, they can include locally written features and articles if they wish. Content is provided centrally for each issue but its inclusion is not compulsory and we actively encourage franchisees' personalities to be reflected in their magazines." This true sense of ownership and involvement is another important element of this well thought through franchise.

Fulfilling
The third common trait among existing Raring2Go! publishers is the great sense of pride that they have in their magazines. "Nothing beats the feeling of getting your finished magazine back from the printers - it's the same with every issue and it's tremendously fulfilling," says Sally.

There's now also a cutting edge national website as an integral part of the package.

Who is this for?
Although it is expected that many Raring2Go! franchisees will be women, the business is designed to be equally attractive to men.

Mums and dads both know all about the stress and guilt-inducing task of trying to fit caring for children around work obligations and if you like the idea of becoming your own boss and setting your working hours to suit your family or other commitments, then this really could be for you.

"It's important that you are outgoing and have a bit of personality," says Kirsten, "because the biggest part of this business is talking with businesses and schools and you need to be confident enough to do that. The training is excellent but you need to be comfortable going out there and speaking with people you don't know."

Sue Botterill concludes: "Anyone can be a Raring2Go! franchisee. You don't have to be a technical whiz. It's very hard to find a part-time opportunity that gives you real satisfaction, sensible earnings and suits all your family commitments - that's why this is so special, and the demand for franchises will be so high."

Maybe Raring2Go! is the perfect solution for you?