Franchise Anonymous: Teaching kids how to drive and how to hoop.

Happy Sunday, folks. 

As a franchise consultant, I hear pitches from hundreds of different franchise concepts every year. 

I’m taking the most interesting ones, and telling you: 

• What sets them apart

• One potential weakness

• Who the ideal buyer is

My promise: you’ll learn something about franchising every time. 

Today’s mystery franchises: a teen driving school, and an athlete-style fitness operation.

The business: Teen driving school

Most driving schools are forgettable—usually one crusty instructor, a 20-year-old sedan, and a barebones curriculum designed to tick the box, not teach. This one actually feels built for teens (and their parents), with a strong focus on safety, structure, and school partnerships.

What they do differently

• They built a curriculum teens actually pay attention to. Most schools just follow the state-mandated minimums. These folks combine state requirements with training systems from UPS and the Smith System (a defensive driving standard used by pros). The result: a more dynamic, safety-focused approach teens might actually remember.
  

• They focus hard on school referrals. Traditional driving schools rely on random local marketing and Yelp reviews. This brand trains franchisees to build long-term relationships with public high schools, locking in steady referral volume. It's not sexy, but it’s smart.
  

• Residual revenue, without memberships. Unlike other models that live or die by new lead gen, this one creates recurring demand each semester through school partnerships and word-of-mouth in the teen/parent ecosystem.
  

• 🚩Potential weakness: Only one current location. There’s 20 years of history behind that one location, but no proof yet this model can scale. If you're looking for a proven multi-unit system, this one’s still in early innings.
  

The takeaway:

If you’re well-connected in your community, like working with teens, and don’t mind showing up at PTA events and football games with a branded water bottle, this could be your niche. You don’t need a background in education or driving. You do need strong local ties, people skills, and the patience to deal with some DMV red tape. Could be a solid fit for ex-teachers or coaches looking for their next chapter.

Interested? Let's talk teen driving school.

The business: Athlete-style fitness for all

Most youth training programs are either glorified babysitting or run out of a high school weight room. This brand emulates the training from college athletics. The structure, intensity, and everyone else combines into a premium training experience for kids, teens, and adults alike.

What they do differently

• Division I-style curriculum. Most training gyms wing it with the one-size-fits-all classes and vague fitness goals. This brand runs structured programming designed for serious athletic development (think: speed, strength, discipline), but they tailor it to kids and weekend warriors too.
  

• Multi-audience model. While it’s branded around youth sports, nearly 40% of revenue comes from adult training. That split gives you broader reach and fewer seasonal dips than you'd expect from a kid-focused concept.
  

• Presales engine. They've nailed a playbook that starts generating revenue before doors open. That’s not common in fitness and gives you some cash flow right out of the gate.
  

• 🚩Potential weakness: Mid-sized footprint. You’ll need around 4,000–5,000 sq ft. That puts you in commercial territory not a boutique studio, but not a big box either. Site selection (and rent) matters more than you might realize if you’ve never owned a brick-and-mortar concept before.
  

The takeaway:

This is a good fit for someone who understands team culture. Perhaps a former athlete, coach, or anyone who can build a staff that keeps energy high. You don’t need to be a trainer, but you do need to care about performance. If you’re comfortable navigating real estate and want something that feels mission-driven and scalable, it’s worth a look.

Interested? Let’s talk athlete-style fitness.

If these aren’t doing it for you, I work with hundreds of other brands. Get in touch and we can find something that scratches the itch.

Thanks for reading!

Connor

Ready for the next step? Here are 3 ways I can help you: