As universities start preparing to welcome students for the start of the new academic year, some young people will be considering whether higher education is the right route for them.
The percentage of UK 18-year-olds going to university fell to 36.3 per cent in 2025 from a peak of 38.2 per cent in 2021, official figures show.
The high fees and student loan burden has meant prospective students are carefully weighing up whether university truly provides value for money.
Below, two people explain why they took an alternative route to university by going into business.
‘I didn’t want the debt’
Ben Catt, 23, left school at 18. He initially got an entry-level job in an environmental consultancy while he figured out what he wanted to do career-wise.
“I decided not to go to university because I didn’t want to take on a large amount of debt without being certain about what career I wanted at the end of it. For some of my friends, university was absolutely the right choice because they had clear plans and needed a degree to get there. I did not have that same clarity at the time,” he says.
Ben, from Hampshire, was coaching young children’s football every Saturday morning, something he’d been doing since he was 14. He enjoyed seeing children grow in confidence, learn new skills and have fun through football, and wondered if it could actually be a career option rather than just a hobby.
He initially looked into buying a franchise – purchasing the rights to open and run a branch of an established named business – through the company he was currently coaching with but had no luck.
After exploring other options he came across WeeKicks. He spent about £4,000 from his own savings to buy into the franchise in 2019 (the cost is now £8,000). This included a starter pack with equipment such as goals, footballs and cones.
It took a few months to start turning a profit, and after six months he decided to quit his corporate job and focus on the business full-time. WeeKicks runs football sessions for nurseries, lunchtime clubs, after-school clubs, football schools, birthday parties and football holiday camps in the school holidays.
Ben says his business is on track to turn over six figures this financial year. Last year’s annual profit after tax was £40,000 with this year looking towards £50,000. He’s just bought another WeeKicks franchise to cover the neighbouring area.
“Instead of leaving university with a large student loan, I invested a much smaller amount into something that could start generating income relatively quickly. The franchise opportunity appealed to me because I could run my own business, but with the support of people who had already built the model and understood what worked,” he adds.
“That does not mean franchising is risk-free, but for me it felt like a more practical and direct route into building a future. I do not think I would have felt confident starting a business completely from scratch at that age.”
Buying a franchise – the pros and cons
There are more than 1,000 franchise systems in the UK, supporting more than 770,000 jobs, according to figures from industry body the British Franchising Association (BFA).
The main benefit of buying a franchise is that you are buying into an existing brand that is already established. You can tap into established marketing materials already being used, and support and guidance offered through the franchisor.
But the downside is that it needs money upfront to buy into the franchise, as well as the cost of any equipment or premises to get started. You may also have to pay ongoing fees to the franchise owner of 6 to 13% typically (including marketing), says UK Franchise Opportunities .
You’ll also need to be prepared to be in it for the long-term. Franchise agreement terms are typically five to 10 years but could be longer, and it’s difficult to end the agreement and leave the franchise early.
If you later want to sell the business, you’ll also typically have to pay a transfer fee to the franchise owner, who must approve the buyer.
Nevertheless, franchises generally have a strong success rate. Nearly 9 in 10 franchises are profitable, says the BFA, and franchise units get more profitable over time.
Franchises are popular in areas such as catering, retail stores, healthcare, pet care, children’s clubs and financial services. Examples of well-known franchises in the UK include McDonalds, Costa Coffee and Anytime Fitness.
Carl Reader, a franchise specialist and chairman of accountancy group d&t, says buying a franchise as a young person can offer a great potential option to be in business for themselves but not by themselves. But you should go in with your eyes open and remember that any business is a risk, even if it’s a franchise.
“While the survival rates are higher than for general small businesses, any potential franchisee must do their due diligence. Check the agreements, the numbers, speak to existing franchisees and make sure that the model is right for you. This is perhaps even more vital for a young person if they haven’t had much experience in the workplace,” Carl explains.
I have no debt from my career choice
Ellena Morgan, 32, left school at 18 and bought a franchise aged 22. She bought into the Little Voices franchise, which offers singing and drama classes.
Ellena was set on going to university but decided to go travelling in Australia first and during that time she realised she’d rather get straight into work rather than go back to studying.
She heard about Little Voices because the founder, Jane James, used to be her singing teacher. Initially Ellena joined the Little Voices Head Office as a customer care apprentice and in 2017 decided to take over the Little Voices franchise on the Fylde coast in western Lancashire.
Ellena Morgan started in business at 22“Working in head office gave me a unique insight into the business. I saw first hand the difference tutors and franchisees were making to children’s confidence and the positive impact they were having on families across the country,” she says.
The franchise investment was around £15,000 to £17,000. Ellena paid an initial amount and then made monthly payments until it was fully paid off. Her parents helped with the initial outlay, which Ellena says was their equivalent of helping her through university as they had done for her elder sister.
Ellena says it took about 18 months before the business was consistently generating a profit, and her income was about £46,000 in 2025. Pupil numbers have increased from 13 to over 100 today.
“Nearly 10 years on, I have no debt from my career choice. I’ve been able to buy my own home, own my own car, and recently pay for my wedding and honeymoon comfortably. That’s something I’m incredibly proud of. Whatever path you choose, never underestimate the value of people skills. Being able to communicate, build relationships and genuinely care about others has probably been one of the biggest contributors to my success.”
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