In this episode, Erik and Brian talk with Ruth Agbaji, the CEO and Nerd-In-Chief of Code Wiz. Ruth has a passion for helping kids connect with their inner genius through an after-school program that coaches kids in coding, robotics, and electronics.
The trio talks about Ruth’s incredible journey in building the business and how she plans to grow Code Wiz into a household brand name in the enrichment education space. There is a lot of wisdom we can learn from her experiences- everything from studying competitor brands, identifying the right location for her franchises, and how she managed to work on the business, not in the business.
Tune into this episode and gain insightful tips on building a solid foundation that fosters growth in your business from the very start.
What we talk about:
- The transition Ruth went through from Nigeria to Code Wiz
- What made Code Wiz unique from other franchises
- Offering options within a structured environment
- The journey of building the first location
- Being strategic with your location
- Working with advisers and making wise decisions
- Learning to work ON the business
- How programs in Code Wiz work – Student-driven learning
- Seeing the need for another location
- Hiring the right people to build the franchise
- The cost to set up the franchise properly
- “In a franchise system, you got to get it right from the beginning. A weak foundation will just be going to lead to disastrous results down the line.”
- A realistic expectation of how much it costs
- The importance of building solid support for running the franchise
- Choosing the right first franchisees and really thinking through about the optimal growth strategy
- Sticking to your core values and don’t be too afraid to grow
What we mention:
- Code Wiz, by Ruth Agbaji
- Code Wiz Franchise, by Ruth Agbaji
- Talk With Erik
- IFA – International Franchise Association
