Entrepreur Mom:  41, mom of Zachary, 7, and Emma, 5; founder of Romp n' Roll, an all-in-one children's center for the 5-and-under set in Glen Allen, VA.

Number of employees: 13.

Projected 2008 gross revenue across 11 franchises: approximately $3 million.

Child’s Play My story: I never intended to head a multimillion-dollar franchise business. I had a much loftier goal: I wanted to be Supermom. My first awe-inspiring deed was to enroll my young son in the best enrichment classes available. The problem was, I didn’t like any of the gyms and community programs in our area. They either looked like their decor hadn’t been updated since Lynda Carter reigned as Wonder Woman, or they focused on only one type of activity, leaving me to drive all over town to provide varied activities for my child. Even Supermom shouldn’t have to do that much battle with a 3-year-old and his car seat. I knew what I wanted—gym, music and art classes under one roof with great teachers in a clean, welcoming space. My hunch was that other parents wanted this, too. Frustrated, I told my husband, Michael, that we should start up our own child-enrichment center. After several months of research and hard work, we opened our first Romp n’ Roll location in September 2004, offering creative movement, music and arts classes, hosting birthday parties and leading summer camps. When classes and party spots started selling out before we even opened our doors, I realized my hunch was right. We expanded our repertoire to include additional creative classes like Silly Science, Superheroes, Princess Class and Aargh Mateys. Our slogan: “Nurture the genius. Unleash the goofball.” When we opened our second location in 2005 and received the same outpouring, I knew we were onto something big. We wanted to expand even further, possibly as a franchise, but we didn’t know the first thing about that business model. Noticing that women-only gyms were popping up in strip malls across the country, my husband joked, “I need to meet the guy who works with Curves.” A few days later we learned that Gary Findley, the former Curves International president credited for growing the chain to 8,000 units in 2004, was attending a franchise expo near us. We emailed asking for a meeting and got it! Impressed with the success of our first two Virginia locations, Gary chose Romp n’ Roll as one of a small number of emerging franchise concepts represented by his Waco, TX–based consulting company, the Findley Group. Within the first six months of offering franchises in January 2007, Romp n’ Roll signed agreements for seven new locations to open. To date, we’ve sold 13 franchises in seven states. Handing over the franchising aspect of our business to experts allowed us to continue focusing on the fun stuff—clever classes that stimulate, inspire and nurture kids. Now, four years into this adventure, our own children have taken almost every class we’ve offered. And even though I’m not the stay-at-home, carpooling mom I always thought I’d be (building a company is a full-time job), creating a special place that rescues kids and their parents from boredom and inactivity has made me feel like a real superhero.

Lessons Learned

1: Aim high. At first I was intimidated by the idea of reaching out to a big name in franchising like Findley. I second-guessed things, thinking our company wasn’t big enough. Thankfully, I found the confidence I needed to move forward. If you have the right idea, a solid business plan and determination, you just have to go for it!  

2: Consider personality over skills. I started out enlisting only candidates with teaching backgrounds. I quickly learned that with our customer-centric business, an employee with great enthusiasm for what we do at Romp n’ Roll was more valuable than an employee who had the “right” degree.

3: Trust your gut. If your instincts tell you the time is right for your business, listen. Soon after we opened our first location, two national competitors entered our market. We compete effectively, but had we waited we might have lost our courage.  

4: Welcome ideas. Did you know that the Big Mac was created in the trenches by a franchisee of McDonald’s? Encourage everyone—employees, clients and business advisors—to share ideas. It has its rewards: One of our most popular classes was inspired by a customer.

Ask a pro: Get ready to grow Looking to franchise but don’t have a clue what to do? Here’s some advice from entrepreneur mom Linda L. Burzynski, a consultant who has previously served as the head of the successful franchises Liberty Fitness & Weight Loss, CMIT Solutions and Molly Maid.

Look to the future. Business concepts built around fads burn out quickly. I recall a franchise system centered on bungee jumping that was launched years ago. Exciting? Yes. Sustainable long term? No. Be prepared to make timely improvements and be certain that consumers will need your products and services tomorrow and for years to come.

Size up the competition. Don’t kid yourself into thinking you don’t have any competitors; every business has them. Understand the companies you’re going up against and differentiate yourself. Know the answer to these two all-important questions: Who will your franchisees go head-to-head with in their local markets? How competitive will you be in making your franchise offering attractive compared to other franchise opportunities in a similar space?

Capital is key. Most franchises have ups and downs. Planning for the rainy days and for what can go wrong in terms of capital can make or break a franchise. Once you stockpile cash, be sure you spend it wisely. Foolish spending can kill a business as easily as poor funding.

Be picky. Successful franchise systems are very choosy about selecting the right franchisees. Not every person who expresses interest in owning a franchise is the right candidate. It takes more than just being able to write a check. Develop a candidate profile to help determine what kind of franchisee is a suitable match.

Accept good advice. When you can afford it, hire experience and outsource to experts. Make sure you diligently check references when considering a franchise consultant, attorney, advertising agency, PR group or accounting firm. Then make the investment, because the right advice can make (or save) you thousands of dollars. Don’t feel you have to do everything yourself. Ask for help. It’s out there. Know when to go. Savvy franchise founders will consider passing the reins. Leading a franchise organization is not for the faint of heart. And founders do not always make the best CEOs over time. Understanding when to let go and allow someone else to take the franchise to the next level is just good business.