Would You Risk Your Family Relationships to Open a Franchise?

By Tam Goldsmith

Three generations of women open an Edukido franchise in the Czech Republic, challenging the idea that family and business don't mix.

I've never quite understood why we're so quick to warn people against going into business with family. We'll happily encourage someone to start a company with a former colleague they've known for a couple of years, yet suggest working with your mother and people immediately start predicting arguments over money and ruined Christmas lunches.

Of course, families argue. I've yet to meet one that doesn't. But business partners argue too, and at least with your own family you generally have a reasonable idea of who is good with money, who keeps their promises and who is likely to lose their temper when things go wrong.

That's why I was interested to hear about three women in Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, who have decided to open a franchise together. They're a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter, and they've become the country's first Edukido franchise operators.

The family came across the Polish education franchise on Facebook and decided to bring it to their home city. Edukido runs educational activities using LEGO bricks, encouraging children to learn through building, problem-solving and practical exercises.

The women have plans beyond their first operation. They hope to establish classes throughout Ostrava by the end of the school year, before extending into Hlučín, Opava and other parts of the Moravian-Silesian Region during 2027.

It's an ambitious undertaking for a new business, particularly when the owners are also learning how to work together professionally. But I wouldn't assume their family relationship makes the challenge any greater than it would be for three unrelated partners.

Why Should Strangers Make Better Business Partners?

The argument against family businesses usually comes down to money and authority. Relatives may find it difficult to challenge one another, particularly when parents and children are involved. There can also be different expectations about working hours, salaries and how much profit should be reinvested.

Those concerns are perfectly reasonable. The mistake is assuming that unrelated business partners somehow avoid them. Disagreements about effort and money can become unpleasant in any company, regardless of whether the owners share a surname.

The Ostrava women reportedly have experience in economics, marketing and working with children. That's a useful combination for an education business, although the precise division of responsibilities between them hasn't been made public.

I would hope they've agreed who looks after the finances, who organises the classes and who has responsibility for marketing and customer enquiries. It's also important to decide what happens if one person wants to leave, or if the business needs more money than originally expected.

These arrangements are best settled while everyone is enthusiastic and getting along. Once a business is struggling, conversations about who has contributed the most can become considerably more difficult.

A family relationship can be an advantage if the owners already trust one another and understand their different abilities. But trust works best when it's supported by proper agreements and clear responsibilities.

Why They Chose a Franchise

Edukido provides educational programmes in which children use LEGO bricks to explore subjects through building activities. Its services include regular classes, school workshops, holiday programmes and birthday events.

The family could have attempted to create a similar business independently, but developing teaching materials, testing activities and establishing operating procedures would have required considerable time and effort.

By joining Edukido, they have access to an established programme and a business format already used in other markets. They still need to attract parents, organise suitable venues and deliver classes that children enjoy, but they aren't responsible for inventing the entire service.

I think that could be particularly helpful when several family members are entering business together. Having agreed teaching methods and established procedures should reduce the number of operational decisions they need to make from scratch.

The format also offers some flexibility over premises. Classes can be arranged in schools, nurseries and other suitable venues, depending on local requirements, without necessarily committing the owners to an expensive permanent teaching centre.

That gives the family an opportunity to establish demand before taking on larger fixed costs. For a new business, particularly one with ambitious expansion plans, that flexibility could make a considerable difference.

The Investment Still Has to Make Sense

Edukido's published Czech franchise information puts the minimum initial investment at CZK 180,000, excluding VAT. That's a relatively accessible starting figure compared with many restaurant or retail franchises, although it doesn't represent the full cost of operating the business.

The family will still need to pay for teaching materials, venues, marketing, transport and any instructors they employ. They'll also need enough working capital to cover expenses while building up regular enrolments.

The women have reportedly expressed the hope of recovering their investment by the end of the school year. I'd be pleased for them if they manage it, but the business only opened in October 2026, so that remains an ambition rather than an established result.

Educational franchises depend heavily on the number of children attending each session. An instructor may spend much the same time preparing and travelling to teach four children as twelve, but the income from those classes will be very different.

Before expanding, I'd want the family to know how many paying children are needed to cover the cost of each session and which classes attract the most repeat bookings.

Those are ordinary business calculations, but they're particularly important when the owners have plans to reach several towns within a relatively short period.

Three Generations Could Be a Strength

Most multigenerational business stories involve a company being passed from parents to children. The younger generation joins an established operation, learns the business and eventually takes over.

What I find appealing about the Ostrava family is that all three generations are starting together. The grandmother isn't handing down a company she's spent decades building, and the granddaughter isn't waiting for her turn to inherit it.

They have the opportunity to contribute different experience from the beginning, without being tied to the way an older family business has always operated.

We don't know exactly how the women have divided their responsibilities, and it would be unfair to make assumptions based on their ages. But a business that involves marketing, finance, customer relationships and working with children has room for people with different abilities.

There may also be advantages in the relationships they already have within their community. An education business depends on parents trusting the people who organise activities for their children, and personal recommendations can be valuable when establishing a new service.

Of course, three generations may have different opinions about how quickly the business should expand or how much money should be spent on advertising. That's where having agreed responsibilities and a clear business plan becomes important.

The family should be able to disagree about a commercial decision without treating it as a personal disagreement. That's a skill every business partnership needs, whether the owners are related or not.

The Real Challenge Will Be Filling the Classes

The family's biggest test over the coming months will be attracting enough children to make the business financially worthwhile.

Parents may be interested in educational activities using LEGO bricks, but they still have to decide whether the classes are worth paying for and whether they fit into already busy family schedules.

The owners will need to establish regular enrolments, deliver enjoyable sessions and give parents a reason to book another term. A dependable group of returning children is far more useful to a new business than a large number of enquiries that never become paying customers.

Expansion into neighbouring towns will bring additional demands. The family will need to arrange venues, organise instructors and manage travel between locations. They may also need to invest in more teaching materials and local advertising.

I'd be inclined to establish a few well-attended classes in Ostrava before committing too much time to additional towns. A busy session close to home may generate more profit than several small classes requiring hours of travel.

The franchise format should allow the family to develop gradually, adding activities where demand justifies them. That seems a sensible way to build a regional education business without taking on unnecessary expense.

Perhaps We Should Stop Warning Families Away From Business

I wouldn't suggest that everyone should start a franchise with their parents or grandparents. Some families would find the arrangement impossible, and others simply don't have the right combination of skills or interests.

But I do think the blanket advice against family partnerships is unfair. It ignores the fact that relatives can bring trust, shared commitment and valuable experience to a business, just as unrelated partners can.

The Ostrava women have chosen an established education franchise with a relatively modest advertised entry investment and a format that doesn't necessarily require permanent retail premises. They've also selected a business that allows them to contribute different skills while working towards a common objective.

They still have to prove they can attract customers, control costs and manage their expansion plans. Their family relationship won't guarantee any of those things, but it shouldn't automatically count against them either.

What franchising has given them is a practical starting point. They have a teaching programme, operating procedures and a recognised name, leaving them to concentrate on establishing the business in their own community.

I'd be interested to hear how they're getting on in a year's time, particularly whether they've managed to expand beyond Ostrava and how the three women have settled into their different responsibilities.

If they succeed, it won't prove that every family should go into business together. It will simply demonstrate that being related is no reason to dismiss a partnership that has the right skills, proper agreements and a business worth developing.

What We Can Learn From This

The Ostrava Edukido venture challenges the assumption that relatives are poor business partners. Families considering joint franchise ownership should agree on financial contributions, management responsibilities, pay and exit arrangements before investing. They should also examine the economics of the franchise itself, particularly enrolment levels, instructor costs and the expense of expanding into additional locations. An established franchise can provide useful operating procedures and support, allowing family members to concentrate on attracting customers and building a sustainable business.

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