The founder of a growing business which aims to teach youngsters new languages has developed a new qualification for budding entrepreneurs.
Angela Sterling launched Lingotot in Consett, County Durham, 10 years ago to help combine her passion for teaching with family life.
The franchise has grown from offering French lessons to children in the North East to a multinational operation, teaching French, Spanish, German, ESL, Italian, Arabic, Welsh and Mandarin to youngsters aged up to 12 through songs, stories, games, drama and play through its network of 130 franchisees and teachers.
Now Mrs Sterling, who collected the firm’s trophy as Digital Technology award winner at the 2018 North East Business Awards grand final, has been working to develop a new qualification, the Award in Business Franchising, specifically for new franchise partners coming in to the company who need to improve their business skills.
The qualification is a Level 3 Award approved by and accredited by NCFE, the Newcastle-based national awarding organisation and Lingotot will put all of its new franchise partners through the award, to make sure they have the skills necessary to launch and lead a successful Lingotot business.
The new qualification will equip learners with the necessary knowledge in finance, business planning, monitoring and marketing in addition to demonstrating a proper understanding of the franchise sector.
Mrs Sterling said: “Many franchise partners join us from a wide range of professions.
“Over the years we have welcomed teachers, doctors, musicians, finance experts and more to Lingotot. What they all have in common is a passion for languages and the educational development of young children. What they often lack are business skills, specifically in franchising.
“There are plenty of business qualifications out there, but there was nothing for franchising. It is such a unique business model and relationship, I felt it was important that we could offer bespoke support for our franchise partners.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing franchise partners embrace this qualification, and the wider impacts this will have on their commercial acumen.”
The qualification launch comes a month after Lingotot introduced a new programme offering lessons in a socially-distanced forest school environment.
This summer the firm is hosting new language sessions in a range of natural settings, such as forests, woodland, school fields and parks, compliant with the government’s distancing measures, through its Forest Schools scheme.
