If you are looking for information on the The Story Ship franchise business opportunity, The Story Ship franchises or The Story Ship franchising , then you have come to the right place.
The Story Ship is a Franchise program that gives people interested in theater the opportunity to own and operate their own children's theatrical production company. Offering innovative educational scripted performances and workshops, The Story Ship programs are technology driven and truly unique in the industry.
Featuring interactive animation, comedy theater, magic, and music, the Story Ship's performances have been developed over 10 years and presented all over the Eastern United States in thousands of performances. The sets include a giant video projection system that brings the animation to life. The Story Ship Actor and the audience interact with the animation as the stories unfold. With a wonderful array of magic tricks and comedy skits, the audience is drawn away from the animation into live action interactive theater. There are two versions of each show one (50 minutes) for presenters that need a larger and longer show and one (30 minutes) for other venues such as festivals or birthdays looking for a more concise easy to setup and breakdown performance. Since all of the shows require only one actor, it is much easier to be profitable when the rest of the cast is animated.
The Story Ship's audio workshops were created for kids eight and above to introduce the recording arts and further develop their writing and reading skills. When combining today's digital audio technology with the uninhibited creative drive of children, extraordinary things happen. And parents and teachers want to share them with every one they know! So these workshops become great fund-raisers and moneymakers. These workshops are perfect for After School Programs. Kids work with a Story Ship Artist to create an Audio CD of their own stories, sound effects and music. The final product is a digitally mastered Audio CD created by the children. This is a great way for kids to learn and practice writing, reading and acting skills while discovering facts about the science of sound!
There are plenty of kids waiting... As a Story Ship franchisee, you have several things going for you. One is the fact that schools, churches, daycare centers, and other entities need creative ways to instruct, entertain, and challenge children. Another is the willingness of parents to spend virtually unlimited amounts of money when the well being of their kids is involved. Yet another is the growing population of youngsters and the increasing affluence of their families. Over 4 million children are born each year in the United States.
As a franchisee you'll get:
Two Weeks at The Story Ship Headquarters
Two weeks at The Story Ship Headquarters covering every aspect of giving a top-notch performance and workshops including rehearsing with mock and real performances, preparing the stage, selecting costume, using animation, performing the magic, manipulating the puppets and controlling the audience.
You'll also get in depth explanations on how to use The Story Ship management software so you can minimize time spent in the office and have more fun out in the field performing.
All of this is covered in depth with a 420+ page manual and a complete video training series now available online and given to you as a DVD set. You'll also get...
Three days at your home territory
Your Story Ship training specialist will come to your location and help you to:
When the training is over you'll have...
To start your Story Ship franchise, you'll employ a six-step program designed to obtain bookings quickly.
In addition, you'll receive a consolidated vendors resource guide for all equipment, costumes, magic tricks, props, and software.
It's all there - everything you'll need to stage professional performances and workshops and everything you'll need to run a business, whether or not you have business experience. Come see how much fun you can have at one of our Discovery Day Performances!
The information presented may have changed since first published. We recommend that you always verify fees, investment amounts and offers with the business opportunity directly prior to making a decision to invest.
1. What training and ongoing support do you provide?
You want to know what happens after you pay the initial fee. A strong franchisor provides comprehensive pre-opening training, site-selection help, operational playbooks, and continuous assistance with marketing, technology, and supply chains.
2. What is the total initial investment, and did actual startup costs match the estimates in Item 7 of the FDD?
The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) lists estimated startup costs in Item 7, but real-world expenses can run higher. Asking how closely current owners tracked to these estimates reveals if you need extra working capital or if hidden fees exist.
3. How do royalties and local/national marketing fees impact profitability?
You need to understand ongoing financial obligations-such as monthly royalty percentages and ad fund contributions-and evaluate whether the brand value and support justify cutting into your profit margins.
4. What are the common challenges new franchisees face, and how do you help them overcome them?
Transparent franchisors will openly discuss real hurdles like local competition, tight labor markets, or supply chain bottlenecks, and show you the exact playbook or field support they offer to solve them as well as allowing you to speak with other franchisees.
5. How many franchise locations have closed or left the system in the past few years, and why?
High turnover, store closures, or quiet franchise exits are major red flags. This question measures system stability, territory health, and whether the corporate team addresses struggling owners or lets them fail.
