Becoming a Kinderdance International franchisee about four years ago did not amount to a huge departure from her former life for 52-year-old Donna Vincler. For the 10 years prior to buying her franchise, Vincler owned a private dance academy in Brentwood, TN, a suburb of Nashville. Before that, she owned dance studios in Mississippi and California.

Her responsibilities in those former situations were prodigious - which was also good preparation for becoming a franchise owner. They included teaching, managing staff, studio scheduling and operations, bookkeeping and performance-related planning such as choreography, costuming, stage design, sound and lighting work and more. "It was a job that kept me hopping from morning until night, both at the studio and at home," Vincler says.

Married to her husband, Mark, a finance director at a health care company, and mother of an 18-year-old daughter, Aubrey, now a student at Belmont University, Vincler certainly led a full and engaging life. So why did she choose to buy a franchise, and why this particular franchise?

The proximate reason was rooted in practicality. The property lease on her dance studio was about to expire, and having been in negotiations with the property management company for some time, she knew the cost was going to increase.

"Although I loved what I did as a career, it came with very high overhead costs due to commercial property values in our area," Vincler relates. "I had searched for other properties, but all available leases were still very high, so I began thinking about a much needed change in my life."

In particular, Vincler was looking for something less stressful that would offer flexible hours and allow her to spend evenings at home with her family. "My daughter grew up spending several nights a week in the dance studio after school, and although she became a beautiful dancer, I still felt the need to give her all of my attention during her high school years, when she had so many activities and performances that I wanted and needed to attend," she says. "After 25 years in the dance studio business, I was up for a change, and this seemed the perfect time for me and my family."

Going to work for someone else did not seem a likely option for Vincler, who has been a business owner all her adult life. She opened her first dance studio while still attending college. "Not only did it help pay for my college expenses, it developed into a career which I still enjoy to this day," she notes.

There came a several-month long period during which Vincler’s always stressful life seemed even more so, dogged by endless rounds of performance planning, costume ordering and other duties. During an out-of-town business trip, she overheard a couple of women talking about Kinderdance classes.

"I had never heard of Kinderdance in our area, so I quickly wrote the name down on the cover of my notebook and thought that one day I would Google it, when I had the time," she recalls. "A week later, I started the search, and the more I researched the company, the more excited I became. Five months after I had first heard the name Kinderdance, I was a franchisee."

Vincler was looking for a new business opportunity that would allow her to continue her work in the dance field and to share her passion for dance education with children. "My goal was to find something less stressful, with little or no overhead, and of course it had to involve the world of dance and movement," she explains. "Having a daughter who is also a dancer would allow her to work in the business and help pay for part of her college education as well."

Having spent many years as a successful entrepreneur and independent business owner, Vincler liked what the franchise model had to offer. "My independent business ownership was hard work and long hours, so I decided to let Kinderdance do the planning work for me," she says.

"Kinderdance founder Carol Kay Harsell had already taken all of the steps necessary to make the program successful by developing a great curriculum and teaching philosophy. All I had to do was continue with my love of working with children and teach them to dance the Kinderdance way. I saw what Kinderdance had to offer and how much simpler my life would be," she adds.

Vincler credits her franchisor with providing "endless corporate support," including extensive training at corporate headquarters and quality curriculums that offer dance and movement classes that also promote self-esteem and academics. She also speaks highly of the startup teaching supplies, marketing materials and detailed lesson plans provided by Kinderdance. "I could see that my life would be simpler and less stressful and that I would have very little business overhead," she says.

Even though Vincler was focused on a particular franchise right from the outset, she utilized a variety of resources in conducting her due diligence prior to committing to the purchase. She kept a detailed binder with articles, phone interviews, information provided by Kinderdance to prospective franchisees and related materials. She also did a lot of research online and through The Franchise Handbook.

I learned about The Franchise Handbook from copies of articles that were included in a packet of information for prospective franchisees that Kinderdance gave me," she says. "Reading the success stories from individual franchisees gave me a great perspective on the type of company I was interested in and how the featured franchisees made it work.

"I read The Franchise Handbook articles on franchises that targeted kids and one article on balancing marriage and franchise ownership by Mary Esposito," she continues. "Hearing from other franchisees makes the whole franchise concept seem possible and encourages others, since they have walked the walk."

Speaking from the point of view of a wife and mother, Vincler advises prospective franchisees to focus on what’s important to them during their franchise search. "I would suggest finding a franchise that fits with your passion in life," she says.

Vincler says she found the perfect fit for her needs in becoming a franchisee. She describes Kinderdance as "a quality company that loves children and wants to provide them with the very best learning experiences possible," and that was important to her.

"I wanted a franchise that was operated as a home-based business and taught on-site at various centers, such as preschools, day care facilities, churches, recreation centers, etc., to reduce the overhead," she says.

"The flexible hours were very important to me, and the fact that I could run the business to fit my life was another selling feature. At this time, I work part-time by choice, with my franchise offering 16 classes each week to approximately 150 students," she says. "The potential for growth is definitely there when I want to increase my work week or hire other teachers."

And growth is definitely part of Vincler’s plan for the future. She says she is interested in hiring more teachers and moving into more of a management/training role as her franchise grows. "I have already achieved so many of my goals in areas such as number of students and income in just the first two years of business, and I was thrilled when Kinderdance named me Rookie Franchisee of the Year," she says.

In fact, Vincler likes being a franchisee so much that she’s hard pressed to single out one particular thing she likes most. High on the list, though, is the flexible work schedule she currently enjoys. She also likes being associated with a well-respected company and is excited about potential growth opportunities. "I enjoy the common bond that I have with the Kinderdance corporate staff and other franchisees, and the work is fun," she says.

Vincler suggests that those interested in buying a franchise do their homework, especially asking a lot of questions of numerous franchisees. "You should know ahead of time the financial commitment the franchise requires," she says. "Find a franchise that offers good training and continual support. Believe in yourself and what you have to offer."

Kinderdance International franchisee Donna Vincler, a former Miss Mississippi and second runner-up to Miss America, loves sharing her passion for dance education with her young students.