the Coder School

About the Coder School

We are an after-school drop-off program for kids learning to code. There’s after-school kung fu. There’s after-school music lessons. Sports, art, tutoring, Chinese, you name it, it’s out there. But after school coding for kids? We’re the first of hopefully many. The future will be ever more dependent on technology so let’s get our young generation ready. Learn to Code, Change the World.

Why coding for kids?

In the recent few years, the movement to teach kids to code has surged in a big way. Code.org reports that there are almost 600,000 computing jobs open, and only less than 60,000 Comp Sci students (that’s one-tenth!) graduating into the work force. Now’s the time to get our kids ready! Learn to code. Change the world.®

Does the business model work?

It sure does! We started our first school back in 2014, when coding for kids was just starting to become hot. We’ve learned tons of lessons along the way, and found a way to be successful AND document the playbook for others to follow. That is, after all, the reason you buy into a franchise system, right? You follow our proven, successful model that we’ve perfected over multiple successful locations. Now does the business model work automatically? Heck no! That’s where you come in – it’s up to the owner to take our playbook and make it work.

What makes an ideal franchisee?

We’re not looking for super deep technical architects, nor are we looking for passive investors who want to invest in the movement. Our owners want to give back to the community and get excited about kids when their eyes light up, and are looking for an impactful business to own. Our owners have a great business sense and love to provide good customer service. While owners don’t necessarily need a technical background, they understand the impact that kids learning to code can have on our future, and have the ability to pick up enough technical chops to run a Coder School!

What are the initial fees and royalties?

We’re not here to make a quick buck off you, we’re here to get more kids coding in a quality way. So our fees tend to run lower than many other franchises. Direct from our FDD, our initial fees are $29,950 (subsequent locations $19,950), and a 5% royalty of gross receipts. We also have a Brand Fund of 1%, used for furthering the brand as a whole.

What are the startup costs?

The investment needed to start up a school is between about $65,000 and $150,000. That large range isn’t just because of local cost factors, it’s also because some owners are better at negotiating than others. Taking the first bid that comes to you? Not a good thing. Getting 8 bids and sharpening everyone’s pencil? Now that’s how you negotiate! There’s levers you can adjust to impact what part of the range you’re in, but that is the expected range of total up front investment (including rent, initial fees, working capital, everything!). We also require that you have a net worth of $250k+ and liquid capital of $50k.

Can I really make a living doing this?

The short answer – we can’t answer that for you! It’s really all up to you. Are you good at relationships? Are you good with giant to-do lists? Good with numbers, hiring, marketing? Are you the manager or are you hiring one? Like any business, the success or failure of it is up to the owner(s) running it. As the franchisor, we can provide a great successful playbook – but in the end, it’s up to you (with our support) to execute it well! What we CAN say is that our locations have been quite successful for some time, and we think we’ve figured out how to bottle it for our franchisees – so if you’re a good business person, you might have a good shot at a great business.

Do I need to know how to code?

Generally, owners with experience in technology certainly have an advantage, as that is what we teach. However, we’re not a tech business – we’re a customer service business! We can teach you the things you need to know about coding (and you’ll need folks on your staff that can answer the tougher tech questions), and we’ll look to you to have great business smarts and an inherent ability to run a customer-oriented business.