What is Ident-A-Kid Services of America?
We are a comprehensive child ID and safety program that was established in 1986 to provide parents in communities throughout the United States a means to initiate a quick safe recovery should their child ever become missing or abducted. Using our state of the art digital data acquisition system, franchisees are able to process over 100 children per hour. Currently, there are over 200 franchises nationwide, and we expect to expand, grow and evolve every year!
What type of people become Ident-A-Kid Franchisees?
Ident-A-Kid franchisees are people that are passionate about children and have a desire to serve the community. At the same time, our franchisees enjoy the flexibility to spend more time with their families and build the lifestyle of their dreams. Good time management skills and a strong belief in what we have been doing for over 21 years is all you need. We will teach you everything else!
How much is an Ident-A-Kid Franchise?
An Ident-A-Kid franchise is only $24,900 and includes all necessary equipment, supplies, initial inventory and training.
Why purchase an Ident-A-Kid Franchise?
Ident-A-Kid is a low investment, family friendly business that provides a great return on investment and solid income opportunity.
Is Ident-A-Kid a registered trademark?
Yes, Ident-A-Kid was registered with the United States Patent & Trademark Office May 3, 1988. In 1994, Ident-A-Kid became an incontestable mark. An incontestable registration is conclusive evidence of the validity of the registered mark, of the owner’s ownership of the mark and of the owner’s exclusive right to use the mark with the goods/services. Trademarks less than five years old are somewhat precarious in that they could be unregistered and the Franchisee would have to start all over again with a new name.
Why do most people commonly refer to any form of Child ID as Ident-A-Kid?
The trademark, Ident-A-Kid, has become synonymous with child identification. It’s kind of like what Kleenex® has become for facial tissue. The Ident-A-Kid Program has produced millions more ID cards than all other programs combined!
Are Ident-A-Kid cards made on-site?
No, Ident-A-Kid utilizes an extremely fast all digital data acquisition system to acquire a complete profile of each child, including fingerprint, photograph, height and weight in less than 15 seconds. Programs that complete cards on-site take two to five minutes per child, or about 12 to 30 children per hour. At that rate, it could take several days to process an average elementary school. At 15 seconds per student Ident-A-Kid Program Directors can service several locations in just one day!
Does Ident-A-Kid ever do any corporate sponsored events?
Absolutely! We have worked with a host of national corporations such as Dillards®, Radio Disney®, Coca-Cola® and countless others. As a franchisee, we make available to you specific marketing plans and materials to offer corporate sponsored events on both a local and national level. We assist in coordinating all nationally planned events bringing the leverage of a national brand to you and your local market.
Has Ident-A-Kid ever considered offering a digital form of ID, like a CD or Chip?
Yes. We have conducted extensive focus group studies since 1999 on the concept of wallet or drivers licens sized data CDs. Through them, we have found that parents consistently commented that in the occasion of a missing child emergency, it was more important to begin looking for the child immediately than to look for a computer to read a data disk. Additionally, parents felt that having up-to-date identification information in their possession and others who regularly care for their child was far more important. Ident-A-Kid continually commits resources to research other child security products and services, which is how our eKid-ID came to be.
Has Ident-A-Kid ever considered making cards on plastic, Like a Sam’s Club Card For example?
Yes. In 2001,and again in 2010, as part of our ongoing commitment to research and development, we purchased several PVC card printers and tested them for overall quality and durability. We made several mockups of the PVC card and our current photo quality laser printed card. In blind tests, the overall conclusion was that the resolution (photo quality) and durability (because they rub off or scratch easily) of the plastic cards was substandard and unacceptable for the purpose of identifying a child. Additionally, because of the complexity of some PVC card printing systems, it would not be possible to include a fingerprint on the backs of the cards. Participants in the test made comments that the photos on the plastic cards resembled the “dotty looking” pictures in a newspaper.
What is the difference between The Ident-A-Kid Program and event type programs offered by the Police and others?
The Ident-A-Kid Program is a totally comprehensive program administered by a properly certified Program Director. Ident-A-Kid does not depend on volunteers or even parents to provide data, such as height and weight. (Randomly ask a few of your friends to guess their child’s height and weight. You’ll be surprised how inaccurate they are!) Additionally, some so called child ID programs just hand out fingerprint kits expecting the parents to fingerprint their own children. Fingerprinting a child should not be left up to amateurs! Over 25 years ago, Ident-A-Kid pioneered specific fingerprint techniques especially for children. We use the very same digital fingerprint scanners used by the Department of US Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Why doesn’t Ident-A-Kid keep children's information in a database?
When the Program began back in 1986, our initial market research indicated that parents unequivocally did not want anyone keeping vital information on their children. This is even more prevalent today with ID theft now being a major problem. Our card production software was specifically designed to accumulate data, produce the ordered cards, and keep only statistical data such as the number of children who participated in a particular school.
What defines the Ident-A-Kid Program’s potential market?
We offer the Ident-A-Kid Program to pre-school through middle school (ages 0-15) age children. Our middle school program is specifically target marketed as “The Pre-Driver’s ID Program.” Additionally, we offer Student IDs and Campus IDs to high schools and a comprehensive line of corporate IDs to businesses and school personel.
How much money can I make being an Ident-A-Kid Franchisee?
As with all businesses, your success depends a lot on how much time you are willing to dedicate. We believe the best way to assess your potential is to speak directly with several of our franchisees.
I am really interested in becoming an Ident-A-Kid Franchisee. What is my next step?
If you would like to be considered for a Program Director position, or if you have a few more questions not addressed here, please call Lisa Hinz, our Director of Franchise Development, at 800-890-1000 X107. She is ready to answer any of your questions and walk you through the steps to becoming an Ident-A-Kid franchisee.
