Aug 4, 2020
As a mother, Sheri Allain wondered why there wasn’t more focus on STEM for children, especially girls and why her children’s school had nights devoted to drama, music, arts and crafts, but not one on technology.
So Sheri created CODEZILLA to provide hands-on coding classes, camps and parties, and lunch and after school programs for kids ages 4 - 14.
And Sheri’s business takes off as she isn’t the only parent asking the questions.
And then COVID-19 hits and hands-on becomes virtual? Sheri transforms her business only to find parents all over the world knocking at her door!
Has the business become too big and complicated? Sheri asks our experts Bruce Croxon one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, Ken Wong one of Canada’s leading business professors and Paul daSilva RBC’s leading franchise expert for help. Should she sell, scale or franchise? After listening to her story and their advice what would you do?
Presented by RBC.
The perfect
mix (01:22)
Sheri’s has both educator and entrepreneurial DNA flowing through
her blood, her one grandfather was a Prairie school teacher and the
other a successful businessman. With this and her desire to provide
more STEM activities for school kids, Sheri continues the family
legacy and starts her business, Codezilla, a business teaching kids
to code.
The beginning
- Hello World (03:51)
Hiring her first instructors in 2017, Codezilla immediately takes
off - forty kids in four hours - first testing the idea and then
quickly transitioning to charging for it once she realizes the
demand is real. Initially reluctant to be the face of the brand,
Sheri realizes that her opinion and points of view are valued by
many and makes the switch to be front and centre. Codezilla is now
in over 40 schools across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Offline to
online - a rapid response (07:04)
COVID-19 forces Codezilla to change their delivery model, what was
once face to face has to become virtual. Sheri and team responded
quickly and within two weeks changed the entire business to online
learning, learning as the went and making changes to enhance the
experience. Her business grew rapidly but she also has her own kids
to look after. Now Sheri has some decisions to make: Sell, scale or
franchise.
Sell, scale or
franchise? Our experts dial-in (10:49)
Paul
daSilva, National VP, Franchise Financing, RBC offers great
advice on Sheri’s franchising opportunities, key steps to take and
where she can get assistance. Ken Wong,
Distinguished Professor, Smith School of Business at
Queens University, shoots straight and advises Sheri to chose
what business she is in; and if she was to franchise she needs to
standardize her people, process and props. Bruce Croxon,
Managing Partner, Round 13
Capital, believes Sheri should rather scale her business and
find a partner to help her do so.
Tony’s parting
thoughts (25:21)
Although Sheri has a tough choice to make, franchising is not for
Sheri. With the DNA of entrepreneurship and teaching, she should
scale the business instead and find a partner to compliment her,
allowing her to run her business and achieve a balance between her
business and family life.
Links and References
Sheri Allain, Founder, Codezilla - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-allain-6b49b01/
Website - https://codezillakids.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/codezillakids/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/codezillakids
@codezillakids
Twitter - https://twitter.com/CodezillaKids
@CodezillaKids
Bruce Croxon, Managing Partner, Round 13 Capital
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucecroxon/
Ken Wong, Distinguished Professor, Smith School of Business at
Queens University
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-wong-4453892
Paul daSilva, National VP, Franchise Financing, RBC
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-dasilva-23642a2b/
RBC Business page – https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/index.html
RBC
COVID-19 Financial Relief page - https://www.rbc.com/covid-19/business.html
To get specialized support for your business, visit -
https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/advice/industry-expertise.html
Canada United - https://www.gocanadaunited.ca/
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Website - https://chatterthatmatters.ca
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TonyChapman
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