A Week in the Life of an Inventioneer: The Realities of a Franchise Business for Teachers

One of the questions teachers ask me most often is: “What do you actually do each week as an Inventioneer?”

Starting something new can feel daunting, especially when it’s a move away from the familiar classroom environment and into running your own business. Teachers often imagine it will involve complicated business plans, constant sales calls, or long hours staring at spreadsheets.

The reality is it’s structured, it’s clear, it’s fun - and it fits around your life.

To give you an idea of what it’s running a franchise business is really like for teachers, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at a typical week as an Inventioneer.

Monday – Getting Organised + After-School Club Fun

After doing school drop off, I start the week at my desk with a cup of tea.

It’s time to:

• Email local schools and nurseries using the templates I've been provided with

• Update my booking and contacts tracker (again, all provided)

• Plan upcoming workshops I'm booked for

• Do a bit of admin

• Catch up with the central team about any questions or upcoming sessions

Once a month, all Inventioneers jump on a team call to share wins and hear updates from HQ, like new workshops coming, improvements we’re rolling out, and anything exciting happening across the network.

Then, at 2:30pm, I head out to my KS1 after-school club where we’re building bridges. This group is such a delight: every week they bound in with enthusiasm, and parents always tell me it’s their child’s favourite club.

Tuesday – Nursery Sessions + A Flexible Afternoon

On Tuesday morning, I’m at one of my regular nurseries.

I run two back-to-back sessions with different age groups - it's space this month so I'm wearing my astronaut helmet and blasting off balloons!

Lots of hands-on learning, lots of little faces lighting up, and the joy of seeing them grow in confidence and understanding each month. It’s one of the best parts of the job.

Afterwards, I head home:

• Unpack from today

• Repack for tomorrow’s school workshops

• Spend a few hours catching up on admin before doing school pick-up for my own children

This flexibility is a huge part of why our Inventioneers choose this path.

Wednesday – In-School Workshops + Building Business Momentum

Today I’m delivering our brand-new workshops on understanding artificial intelligence. This has quickly become one of our most popular topics, booked months in advance. Teachers always comment on how much they learn too.

I leave at 3:15pm, and walk out buzzing from the energy of the day and the feeling of getting to actually leave at the same time as the children!

I head home, and:

• Follow up with the school - they told me how much they loved the workshops but it's always nice to get some feedback in writing too

• Check my inbox to more school enquiries coming in

• Chase up schools and nurseries I'm waiting to hear from

Workshops in schools really build your reputation locally as schools often talk to each other and then start coming back year after year.

Thursday – Getting Creative + Another Club Day

This morning I’ve got a single workshop with a Year 5 class all about inventions.

Their ideas are always brilliant - some wildly creative, some genuinely believable, and all of them show just how much potential children have when given space to explore.

I’m home by 11am, in plenty of time to reply to emails and get ready for my KS2 after-school club later that day. Another great group I look forward to seeing every week.

By 4:30pm, I’m back home…and that’s my working week done.

Friday – A Day Off!

Friday is my day to recharge, reset, and enjoy my own time - something I never had in teaching.

All of our Inventioneers right now have chosen to work part-time, fitting their business around family life or other commitments.

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Behind-the-Scenes Support That Makes It All Possible

One of the biggest surprises for new franchisees is just how much is already done for them. You’re not starting from scratch, you’re stepping into a proven, well-supported system.

Here’s what you receive:

• Step-by-step onboarding and training, guiding you through launching your business with total clarity

• Ready-made, award-winning workshops, clubs and resources

• Marketing templates and year-round email campaigns to help you book work consistently

• Built-for-you systems for taking bookings, tracking contacts, and emailing schools and nurseries

• Regular 1:1 check-ins plus team calls to share learnings and successes

• Tech support whenever you need it

• A messaging platform to contact HQ anytime - no question is too small

• Proven sales systems that get you into schools and nurseries and keep them returning every year

You’re independent, but you're never alone.

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The Learning Curve (And Why It’s Not as Scary as You Think)

Every single Inventioneer feels nervous at the start.

For most teachers, this is a complete leap into the unknown, especially the “business” side. But the truth is, you already have the hardest part nailed: delivering brilliant sessions.

The rest we teach you - clearly, step-by-step.

As one Inventioneer shared:

“After 14 years of teaching, starting my own business felt like a huge leap. I knew I could run the workshops, but I was nervous about everything else - business plans, invoicing, marketing, legal bits. But I needn’t have worried. From day one, the support has been brilliant, with clear, purposeful training and help whenever I’ve needed it. Within a few weeks, I was set up with HMRC, insurance, a business account and bookkeeping software - things that seemed overwhelming before."

Most franchisees are amazed by:

• how structured the training is - live calls, videos, and guides take you through every single step of the process

• how little time they spend wondering “What do I do next?” - you're helped to put together a plan and regular goals to keep you moving forward

• how quickly they get into schools - one Inventioneer had sold out two after-school clubs within 6 weeks of starting her franchise

• how popular their clubs are - every Inventioneer has sold out after-school clubs in their very first term

The only truly “new” parts are:

• sitting at a desk

• emailing schools and nurseries

• getting comfortable with the idea that yes, you are doing sales

But we show you how to do sales and emails in a way that’s warm, helpful, and very “teacherly” - no awkward scripts or pushiness. And honestly? Doing it in your pyjamas with your favourite playlist on is a bit of a treat after years of classroom chaos.

As your confidence grows, so does your business: more workshops, more regular nurseries, more schools returning each year.

Inventioneers have described the experience as life-changing:

“Inventors & Makers has transformed my whole life. I love that I still get to do what I trained for and teach children, but I don’t have any of the other stuff that drained the joy from the job. Coming onboard with Inventors & Makers was the best decision I ever made.”

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Could Running a Franchise Business Be Your Teacher Life Too?

If this glimpse into a real working week for an Inventioneer has sparked a little curiosity - or the feeling of “I could see myself doing this” - you’re welcome to explore it further.

Running an Inventors & Makers franchise can be meaningful, flexible, and joyful and can fit around your life, not the other way around.

Download the brochure here: https://inventorsandmakers.com/inventioneers