One voice, one platform: Learn how Ziik is helping a growing franchise stay aligned

About the company

Founded in 2007, Little Voices offers performing arts training, like singing, acting, and dancing, for children aged 4-18. Their small class sizes, individual attention, and nurturing environment help children grow in confidence while working towards recognised qualifications, all in a fun, supportive setting.

With a growing number of licensees running their own local franchises, Jane James and her team at Little Voices HQ needed a smarter way to stay connected, consistent, and in control.

Challenges before Ziik?

As the Little Voices network expanded, it became harder to share updates, resources, and processes, especially with new licensees coming on board.

“It was just getting harder and harder to reach everyone,” Jane James says. “We were putting things on the website, on Facebook, in e-mails… and still someone would say, ‘I didn’t know about that!’"

It wasn’t just inefficient. It was exhausting and also risky. Franchise growth meant more people needing guidance, more materials to share, and more chance of things falling through the cracks.

“I remember thinking, ‘I just want one space where everything lives.’ And that’s exactly what Ziik gave us” recalls Jane James.

Requirements for a new solution

Jane James came across Ziik almost by accident.

“It was a total fluke,” she laughs. “I saw it mentioned in a marketing e-mail for franchisors talking about the importance of streamlined communication, and I thought, that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

She reached out to Ziik for a demo, and the response was instant.

“I got a message back from someone at Ziik straight away. I was really impressed. And the more I explored the platform, the more I could see how it would solve our problems.”

"Of course, as a small business owner you need to consider the cost of bringing in a new system like this. But the price of Ziik is easily justified by the value it brings to you and your business," says Jane James, and exclaims: "Honestly, it's a no-brainer!" 

"Also, you no longer have the nervousness you get from using free services. Platforms like Facebook and other social media tools change so quickly, you're at the mercy of Meta making big decisions about your communication channels. They could just decide overnight, 'we're not going to have groups anymore' - and then what happens to all your information on there, all your questions and answers and so on? Ziik is future-proofing your communication," adds Jane James.

Jane and her team began rolling out Ziik with one Little Voices group, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“The system is so intuitive. Everyone just got it. No one has needed training. That was a big relief.”

Results

Everything in one place

Every important document and all information vital to running Little Voices or a Little Voices franchise now lives inside Ziik. From operations manuals to event plans, marketing toolkits, and tutor resources. 

“It’s all in there, and it’s so easy to keep it up to date. I don’t have to worry anymore that someone’s using an old document or hasn’t seen a new update."

Clear, focused communication

Instead of blasting messages across different platforms, Jane now uses Ziik’s role-based groups to speak to the right people at the right time.

“I can message just the licensees, or just the tutors, or everyone at once, and I know they’ll see it. That’s huge.”

Stronger onboarding for new licensees

Every new franchisee gets access to Ziik from day one, with everything they need to get up and running.

“I feel proud when I give someone access to Ziik. It looks good and it feels professional, so it sets the tone for everything else.”

Confidence and calm for the team

With everyone working from the same platform, there’s less confusion, fewer questions, and more confidence.

“It’s just made everything calmer. People aren’t asking ‘Where do I find this?’ or ‘Who do I speak to?’ They just know where things are.”

Next Step: Inviting Parents into the Platform

One of Jane James' next ambitious goals for the future of Little Voices is to use Ziik not just for internal communication, but also to connect directly with parents.

“We’re starting to use Ziik for parent communication too, sharing timetables, exam info, cancellations… all the stuff that clogs up our inboxes. If we can move that into Ziik as well, it’ll be even more powerful. Mind you, that means adding hundreds, if not thousands, of new users.”