Last Updated on July 30, 2012 by DeanR
Ident-A-Kid Services of America Franchise
Ident-A-Kid Services of America is a franchise for a business providing children’s identification services and products.
It was founded in 1986 by Robert King. He created the first Ident-A-Kid iin St. Petersburg, Florida in 1986. The idea started when a friend of his lost her son at the mall while shopping. She said that she “just turned away for a second and he was gone.” We hear this from parents who have lost their child. Minutes after that incident, because of hysteria, the mother was unable to describe her son to the authorities. His friend found her child just stores away and he was not even aware of the ordeal that his mother just went through. This experience gave Mr. King the idea to provide ID cards to friends and neighbors.
The local elementary school became the first in the country to offer this program to parents as an option. Word of mouth grew the business and he continued to get requests from parents. They still have the headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida and they now have more than 200 program directors all over the United States. At this time, they offer the service to more than seven million parents every year.
What information do they include in the Ident-A-Card?
The card is about the size of a driver’s license. It is heat-seal laminated with heavy plastic and designed to be carried around in wallets or purses at all times. It contains the most current physical description of the child together with a full color photograph of the child and a fingerprint. These requirements meet the national standards. It also includes the parent’s or the guardian’s address in case the card gets lost. At the back of the card are tips on what to do when your child is missing. These cards are encouraged to be updated in a yearly basis.
How does their eKid-ID work?
It is a digital version of the Ident-A-Kid card that is designed by a technician and sent to your cellphone as a picture message. The information contained are the same as that of the card. This makes it easier to forward information to friends and everyone in your phone list in case your child is missing. You can also ask them to forward it to their friends to help you find your child.
Costs and requirements on running an Ident-A-Kid franchise?
You need to have a net worth of $100,000 and a total liquid asset of at least $25,000. Expect to be investing about $34,000 to $45,000. The Ident-A-Kid Services of America franchise fee is $24,900. This is for a renewable 10 year term agreement. This business can be run from home. They do not allow absentee ownership.
What is included in the franchise package?
There will be two and a half days of training at the headquarters and trainings through telephone and multimedia. You will be receiving newsletters and a toll free phone number. You will also be attending meetings and will be given access to the internet. For marketing, there will be national media.
Ident-A-Kid Contact Details
You may reach them at:
Address: 2810 Scherer Dr., #100 St. Petersburg, Florida 33716
Phone: (727)577-4646