This month we talk to Elizabeth Hawkhead – Rhythm Time franchisee for Leeds. 

Elizabeth brought Rhythm Time’s fun and educational music classes to Yorkshire in 2003 and now hundreds of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers enjoy her fabulous classes.  In this interview, Elizabeth tells us how she combines being a mum with running her highly successful business.

How often do you work?  

I work every day of the week during term time, either teaching in our fantastic classes, or in the office working on and in the business. Sometimes I work in the evenings too, but it is very flexible.

How does the job fit around your family life? 

You can make the job work around your family life most of the time. You have to be well organised and well disciplined and then everything is great. If you don’t set deadlines and work to tight timescales then it can mean work ‘spills over’ into your family time. I make sure that I am around every morning to do the ‘school run’ and am back home every evening when school finishes.  Our classes only run term time so I am at home every school holiday which means I don’t need to pay for childcare. Although I do have to do admin work during the school holidays, I juggle that around so I still have lots of family time.

How much time do you commit?  

I work full time – it is just that the hours are decided by me and not a boss!

Where do you carry out your work?  

I work in my office, at home, or out at our class venues

Do you need a car?  

Yes – our basic music kit is quite large so you definitely need a car to transport it to the class venues.

Do you get support/training?  

All franchisees receive detailed training in the beginning. This is then supported with additional training sessions at HO, training notes and videos and also class monitoring by HO.

Why did you make this particular career choice? 

I always wanted to run my own business and this incorporated my greatest love - MUSIC.

What are the best things about your job? 

Seeing the children grow and develop week on week. Lots of the children start coming to Rhythm Time when they are only a few months old and it is fantastic to see their individual development as they move through into the toddler classes, pre-school classes and then move onto full-time education. The relationships that we build with many families over a number of years are also great.  I like teaching with a programme that is well researched and well written.

Why would you recommend this opportunity to others?  

If you have the drive, dedication and enthusiasm then it is very rewarding. It can fit around family life and provide a meaningful income.

Find out more about Rhythm Time here.