How IDEA Lab Kids Leverages Technology for Franchisees and Teachers to Succeed

IDEA Lab Kids provides children ages 4 through 14 with fun and innovative ways to learn science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) subjects. This cannot happen, though, without strong franchisee support, which is why IDEA Lab Kids is passionate about providing franchise owners and teachers with the tools they need to succeed. 

This philosophy is especially true when it comes to technology. IDEA Lab Kids provides both franchisees and teachers with sophisticated technological resources to help ensure smooth operations all around. 

“Technology at IDEA Lab Kids falls into three categories,” IDEA Lab Kids Austin, Texas franchisee Adam Gockley said. “There is the way we use technology to teach students STEAM subjects, of course, but then there are also the resources franchisees can use to run a good STEAM-enrichment program and the resources teachers have to teach.” 

Gockley, who acted as IDEA Lab Kids founder Ghazal Qureshi’s right-hand man and wore many hats when the company was still in its infancy, is grateful for the many technology solutions the brand provides. 

“It’s great because if a franchisee, for example, is just coming in with a business mindset and doesn’t have a technology background, the brand provides the resources to make the tech aspects of administration easier,” he said. 

To that end, the brand provides two main technology solutions: Ncompass and Nspr. Ncompass is for franchisee use and serves as a support tool while Nspr is used by the brand’s teachers who work directly with the students. 

“Ncompass is a very effective franchise management system that we franchisees can use for document sharing and overall communication,” he said. “Ncompass also provides a ticketing solution for any problems that arise.”

Ncompass provides franchisees with a virtual trainer through which the brand’s leadership team can train franchisees, instructors and team members on how to prepare for classes and events. 

“We get to see the intended outcome of a project,” Gockley said. “We can see how a classroom should be set up, as well as visuals on how to set up a birthday party. This helps us standardize the vision that was created by Ghazal. As franchisees, we have to standardize what we do across the board, so these visual aids are very important in making that happen.” 

IDEA Lab Kids provides franchisees with templates that can be used for marketing and communications, including digital newsletters. Franchisees also get instructions on how to manage their franchise’s website. 

IDEA Lab Kids teachers can use the internal program Nspr to prepare for classes and review course content. Gockley is especially grateful for this program. He noted that while he has extensive experience working for youth-related companies and organizations, he does not have a background in STEAM.

“There are limitations in what I feel comfortable teaching staff members, so Nspr is a valuable resource that allows us all to tackle the learning process together and gives us a jumpstart on how to teach these subjects,” he said. “Thanks to this platform, my staff members and teachers are not completely reliant on me. It’s a great way to introduce teachers to the IDEA Lab Kids system.” 

Additionally, the brand provides its teachers with tablets, training videos, projectors and various media solutions to make the teaching process more dynamic and student-centered, Gockley said. 

While IDEA Lab Kids has always been forward-thinking in its technological approach, the brand really started to ramp up its efforts in 2016 as it prepared to franchise. IDEA Lab Kids has certainly come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. 

“We spent several months researching the tools available in this space and felt the need for a more robust training portal for franchisees and teachers,” IDEA Lab Kids CEO & board member, Devina Bhojwani said. “For that reason, IDEA Lab Kids worked on developing our own in-house videos and also started a YouTube channel. IDEA Lab always strives to bring the latest innovation and technology to the forefront of the various program offerings we have, and our use of technology distinguishes our brand and sets us apart in the market.” 

With so many technological solutions at their fingertips, IDEA Lab Kids franchisees and teachers are set up for maximum success. 

The startup costs for an IDEA Lab Kids franchise range from $160,500 to $373,000. The franchise fee is $35,500. To learn more about franchising with IDEA Lab Kids, visit https://franchise.idealabkids.com/.