From scattered tools to one shared space: How Language for Fun brought its franchise network together with Ziik

About Company

Language for Fun is a UK-based franchise business that offers conversational language classes in French, Spanish and Italian. Founded by Jessica Bonnard, the concept is built around a simple idea: helping adults speak a language confidently in a relaxed, social setting, without the pressure of traditional classroom learning.

Today, its network includes a large number of independent teachers and 72 franchisees across the UK, making it one of the largest lifestyle franchise networks in the British Franchise Association. As with all franchise operations, striking the right balance of independence combined with a shared approach is something that makes communication especially important.

Challenges before Ziik

Before Ziik, communication and resources were spread across several platforms: “We used Dropbox, Google Drive, WhatsApp, newsletters, email, Facebook groups… everything was in different places,” explains the team, including HR Manager Lucy Martin and Franchise Support Manager Bethan Thompson, who both work with franchise support and training.

It wasn’t just a question of receiving information, it was about knowing where to go back and find it again: “You might think, ‘Where was that document?’ or ‘Where did that conversation happen?’”

Over time, this created some problems. Not because the information didn’t exist, but because it wasn’t gathered in one place. For a franchise network built on shared learning and consistency, that made everyday work more complicated and confusing than it needed to be.

Requirements for a new solution

The goal wasn’t to introduce something complex. Actually, it was quite the opposite: “We wanted one place where everything could live: communication, resources, conversations, everything you need to teach and to run a business like ours.”

At the same time, the solution had to work for a wide range of users. Some franchisees are very comfortable with digital tools, but others are less so and that made ease of use a critical requirement:  “It needed to feel familiar. Something people would just understand without needing training."

Results

A single place for everything

The most immediate change was simply having one place to go. 

“Now we know: If we’re looking for something, it’s in Ziik.”

Resources, updates, conversations and announcements are no longer scattered across different platforms. That has made day-to-day work more straightforward and stress-free, especially for franchisees who need quick access to materials.

Easy adoption across the network

One of the concerns going in was whether everyone would adopt the new platform. In practice, that turned out not to be a problem.

“It looks familiar. It feels intuitive. People just started using it.”

We launched the platform at a company conference which played a role, but so did the simplicity of the platform itself. Even those who were less confident with digital tools were able to get started without formal onboarding.

A stronger sense of community

Beyond communication, Ziik has become a place where franchisees interact with each other.

“It’s not just head office posting information. People ask questions, share ideas, and help each other.”

Peer-to-peer support is important in a franchise model, where many people work independently day to day. Instead of solving problems in isolation, franchisees now have a shared space where they can draw on the experience of others.

Better visibility and follow-up

From a head office perspective, another benefit is simply knowing whether communication has reached people.

“We can see who has read something, and we can follow up if needed.”

That has made it easier to ensure that important updates don’t get lost, and that everyone stays on the same page.

Part of the franchise offering

Over time, Ziik has also become part of how Language for Fun presents itself to new franchisees.

“It shows that we have a structured, supportive network.”

Rather than being just an internal tool, the platform now also plays a role in demonstrating how the business works.

Favourite Features

Message board

One of the most valuable aspects of Ziik is the ability for franchisees to ask questions and get answers from the wider network.

“It’s not just us responding, other franchisees jump in as well.”

That creates a sense of shared ownership and makes it easier to solve everyday challenges.

Everything in one place

Having communication, resources and conversations gathered in one platform has removed a lot of friction.

“Before, you had to remember where things were. Now you don’t.”

For any distributed network, that simplicity makes a huge difference.

User friendly

The platform’s familiar interface has made adoption straightforward across the network.

“People recognise how it works immediately.”

That means less time spent explaining tools and more time focusing on teaching and supporting learners.

Read receipts

Being able to see who has read updates allows the head office to follow up where needed.

“It helps us make sure important information actually reaches people.”

A small feature, but one that improves consistency across the franchise.