A passion for growth has guided Soccajoeys’ longest-serving franchisee Gary Yarnold in his business venture.

“I get immense satisfaction seeing everyone involved having fun and developing skills. And of course growing my business,” Gary says. 

Soccajoeys’ veteran franchisee

Soccajoeys’ veteran franchisee has clocked up 13 years with the brand, building his business at its launch, Gary started with 100 kids, and over the years, the business has steadily grown, establishing itself as a leader in the early childhood sector in the ACT. As of this spring, Gary has surpassed 700 kids and shows no signs of slowing down!

“I’ve been a bricklayer for more than 20 years, and I’m now employing apprentices, which I love. But I was looking for something else as a part-time business idea, something that isn’t as hard on the body.

“My brother-in-law Ivo knew about Soccajoeys through the founder Stacy Alogdellis, and that’s what sparked our interest in the business. My parents were involved in my football clubs when I was younger, so I like getting into the community.”

Gary and Ivo went into business together, purchasing the Canberra territory. After a couple of years Gary bought out his business partner and continued to scale the business across the Canberra and Queanbeyan region.

An inclusive environment

Soccajoeys operates programs for kids aged from preschool to 11 years old and it is the franchisee’s choice to pick the most suitable programs for their market.

“I only do the three main programs,” Gary says. “In Canberra, we find the majority of parents want to be on site for the classes so most of our sessions are at the weekend.

“What works for me may not work elsewhere in Australia. I give advice to other franchisees, when they give me a call, and I say, ‘work out what your market is, what will work, and how you will secure the staff – that’s the challenge’.

Gary’s role has always been building the business, and organising venues, registrations and communicating with parents, he says.

Soccajoeys’ focus is on creating an inclusive learning environment rather than a hot house for soccer skills, something that Gary explains to ambitious parents looking for their child to excel.

“Soccajoeys is very inclusive, we welcome any child,” he says. “We take our time; the kids have to wait their turn; we are teaching them good sportsmanship and social skills alongside physical skills.”

Coaches are key to success

Well-trained coaches make the business a success, he says, and they undertake regular training before each term begins.

“We go through the head office training program, which is easy to follow, and coaching is the final stage.”

Gary has 23 coaches in his business, and loves to be involved in training.

“Our coaches start young – at 14 or 15 – and seeing them develop is a highlight for me,” he says.

“I put on a coaches’ manager a few years ago. My job is making sure we have the right staff to deal with children. They don’t need a soccer background, they need to relate to the kids, be a little bit fun and crazy,” he says.

Gary chose to invest in additional coaches at each venue to provide a good coach-to-child ratio. He spends less on marketing because referrals are the biggest source of new customers. Delivering a good service ensures renewals too.

“Parents are happy if we deliver what we promise. We make sure any parent questions on the day are answered, and we have lots of support staff for the kids.”

Good systems and support

Gary says Soccajoeys’ easy processes ensure there is good, open communication with parents, and they are not overloaded with information.

“Head office is constantly updating our systems and website. There are franchise meetings throughout the year, and Soccajoeys is open to suggestions to improve or streamline processes.

“Any questions we have as franchisees are answered at head office; sometimes we have different ideas but we talk them through and bounce ideas off each other.

“All the systems and support mean this is a business you can do alongside a full-time job.”

A bricklayer for decades and a franchisee for 13 – stability and loyalty are certainly part of Gary’s DNA.

“I like a nurturing environment,” he says. “If people treat me right, I feel comfortable, and that was always my mindset – insure your car with one company and stay with it.

“When I find someone who is good to work for, or employ someone good, I make it beneficial for them to stay with me,” he says.

Building the business

Gary promoted a senior coach to the manager role, and she is now confident in handling the daily tasks and reports.

Gary plans to add more full-time staff to enable the business to take advantage of all the programs Soccajoeys offers.

“Now we can start promoting to daycare centres and for after-school hour classes. I want to reach over 1000 kids in a couple of years,” Gary says.

“That’s the brilliant thing about Soccajoeys. I can grow both my businesses and still have spare time!” he says.