Elite Franchise September 2018 by Elite Business Magazine

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk

Dog First Aid

SEPTEMBER 2018 £4.50

Mad Science

Jo Middleton’s franchise is all about caring for your canine companions

This NASA-approved franchise is skyrocketing through the stratosphere

Down with the dictators

Saved by the bell

Why it’s time to democratise your franchise

Everything you must know to boost your franchise recruitment at the start of the school year

974002 772054 9

ISSN 2054-9741

Water babies How did Paul Thompson go from being a stay-at-home dad to launching the global franchising powerhouse that is Water Babies?

Anne, operates 6 restaurants in Leeds & Wakefield

McDonald's Double Page - August 1

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Come and talk to us at one of our Insight Days in 2018:

7th September, Bristol 21st September, Milton Keynes 19th October, Leicester 9th November, York 23rd November, Belfast 7th December, London

McDonald's Double Page - August 2

02/08/2018 16:38

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Be your own boss and benefit from the support of a proven brand with more than 25 years experience. Share in our growth as the acclaimed technology and entertainment exchange store with worldwide operations. We’re so confident that you’ll be delighted with your CeX franchise that we offer a Buy Back Guarantee if you’re not. Act now to secure your location.

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COVER STAR

The deep end Paul Thompson has overcome near-death experiences in tropical hurricanes and fought appalling industry standards to make Water Babies the world-leading franchise teaching babies and toddlers to swim

6 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

contents 09.18

REGULARS 9 Welcome & contributors 11 News & events 105 Franchise diaries

Ending and beginning the year on a high

COLUMNS 13 Pip Wilkins 15 Sussanne Chambers 29 Frank Milner 33 Nigel Toplis 37 Tony Bowman 59 Chris Roberts

FEATURES 40 Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best friend Dog First Aid is saving our canine chums with franchising

46 Back to school

Why parents look to change their lives at the start of the academic year

50 Enriching future Einsteins

How to boost your franchise recruitment at the end of the year

Mad Science is prepping kids for the high-tech future

60 Is your franchise a democracy?

Giving franchisees a say in the running of your franchise can boost your business

78 Bottling up

How can you help employees recover from bad drinking habits?

88 We all own it

Is employee ownership the right fit for you?

105 Safe as houses

Mark Chenery's move into franchising could've saved his life

50 SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

Own a gym with the UK’s top fitness franchisor Ranked #14 in the Elite Franchise Top 100 UK Franchises 2018

With over 15 years’ experience in the UK fitness franchise sector, no other fitness franchisor understands the UK health and fitness market like énergie. Operating in the fast-growth low-cost sector of the market, our proven model allows you to position your fitness club to attract the optimum number of members, giving you the best possible chance of success.

P P P P P

No previous experience in the sector required Dedicated UK based franchise support and world-class business training Expert advice and guidance every step of the way Record-breaking fitness club launches A proven track record of success

To get a full information pack and book your place on our next Franchise Discovery Day, visit: www.energiefranchise.com or call: 0845 363 1020

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welcome Volume 06 Issue 09 / 2018 EDITORIAL Zen Terrelonge Editor Eric Johansson Acting Web Editor Varsha Saraogi Junior Feature Writer Angus Shaw Editorial Intern Yoana Cholteeva Editorial Intern editorial@cemedia.co.uk DESIGN/PRODUCTION Darren Marriott Head Designer Dan Humphris Designer Lizzie Thurgood Junior Designer production@cemedia.co.uk Dan Lecount Web Development Manager dan@cemedia.co.uk

A new leaf

ell, summer was fun while it lasted. But as the heatwave fast becomes a distant memory, it’s time to embrace autumn. September may not be in the same league for business sales as December – I daren’t use the C-word yet – but it has a significant impact for franchises. Indeed, the month is a brilliant chance for franchise recruitment. Kids heading back to school is a contributing factor behind the interest spike, as parents look for more freedom around family life and the school run, which we discovered from those with first-hand accounts of the trend. But it’s not just a new school term prompting a change. Circumstances can play a part in decisions any time – something Dog First Aid founder Jo Middleton knows well. Desiring more flexibility around her duties as an NHS first aider to raise her two girls as a single mum, she followed her love of dogs and became a franchisor in the process. However, for our cover star Paul Thompson, it was a near-death experience that set him on the path to create Water Babies, the infant swimming franchise, which teaches 50,000 children globally each week.

SALES & MARKETING Jemma Tonge Senior Account Manager jemma.tonge@cemedia.co.uk Richard Smith Senior Account Manager richard.smith@cemedia.co.uk Taylor Blayney Account Executive taylor.blayney@cemedia.co.uk Ore Akinniranye Marketing Assistant ore@cemedia.co.uk CIRCULATION Amy Coleman Data Compliance Assistant amy.coleman@cemedia.co.uk ACCOUNTS Sally Stoker Finance Manager sally.stoker@cemedia.co.uk

■ ZEN TERRELONGE - EDITOR

DIRECTOR Scott English Director scott.english@cemedia.co.uk Circulation enquiries: Channel Edge Media Call: 0124 567 3700 Elite Franchise is published by Channel Edge Media, 1st Floor, Regency House, 16 Victoria Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1NZ Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No part of Elite Franchise may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the editor. Elite Franchise will make every effort to return picture material, but this is at the owner’s risk. Due to the nature of the printing process, images can be subject to a variation of up to 15%, therefore Channel Edge Media Limited cannot be held responsible for such variation. cemedia.co.uk

Contributors

Jane Maudsley

Pip Wilkins

Eric Johansson

Gary Davie

Fresh from receiving stellar Smith & Henderson Franchise Satisfaction review results, Maudsley is thinking hard about the importance of feedback.

Successful franchisors know the importance of creating strong networks. Need a reminder? Check out the bfa CEO’s story about how franchises can help each other.

Our new acting web editor again proved his chops by penning a cover feature packed with near-death experiences, fatherly love and franchising.

Davie took time out of his busy role at Shakespeare Martineau to explain why franchisors should consider employee ownership to boost retention and satisfaction.

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

make their

FUTURE your

BUSINESS

Are you looking for a career with all the rewards of helping children achieve and the independence of running your own business?

Kumon is the UK and Ireland’s largest supplementary education provider. As an independent business owner and the Instructor of your own Kumon Maths and English Study Centre, you will reap the rewards of developing children as you grow your business. We offer: • Thorough and transparent recruitment process • Low cost start-up fee • Support of a dedicated Area Manager • Comprehensive training programmes If you can demonstrate the educational skills and business acumen to succeed, this full-time opportunity could be for you. Apply now to attend an orientation meeting near you:

0800 854 714 www.kumon.co.uk

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news

Coca-Cola buys Costa Few brands have played such a pivotal role in turning Britain into a coffee-drinking nation like Costa. Whitbread, the multi-brand company, has spearheaded the franchise’s growth since acquiring the business in 1995. Since then, Costa has gone from 39 shops to having over 2,200 shops in the UK. But now it seems as if their story together is at an end. On Friday August 31, Whitbread announced it would sell Costa to Coca-Cola to the tune of £3.9bn. The deal will enable Whitbread to focus more on the expansion of its hotel brand Premier Inn. The holidays may still be a long time coming but it seems as if Christmas came early for the Costa franchisees who are sure to benefit from Coca-Cola’s awesome distribution network.

BY Eric Johansson and Varsha Saraogi

EVENTS The Irish Franchise Show Dublin September 7-8 RDS Merrion Road Ballsbridge Dublin, D04 AK83

bfa Chairman’s Charity Day September 13 Whilton Mill, Whilton Locks, Daventry, NN11 2NH

EWIF Conference September 21

The Best Western Plus Manor Hotel Main Road, Meriden Solihull, CV7 7NH

Restaurant and Takeaway Innovation Expo September 25-26 Royal Victoria Dock 1 Western Gateway London, E16 1XL

Franchise Now Expo 17/18 October 3

Cardiff City Hall, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3ND

The National Franchise Exhibition October 5-6

NEC, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham, B40 1NT

Reaching for the higher ground There’s no shortage of opportunities to open a food franchise in the UK, whether it’s burgers, salads, fried chicken or afternoon tea that takes your fancy. There’s even a food franchise catering to consumers with more exotic or indecisive tastes – Giraffe, the world cuisine restaurant. And now Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), the parent of Giraffe, has announced the diverse restaurant chain is set to explore more of the global market that inspires its menus by entering into Spain. The expansion into the Iberian peninsula will be through a franchise partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail, the owner of retail sites in travel locations, which will see Giraffe open in airports across the country. Giraffe’s expansion proves that international growth needn’t be a pain in the neck for franchisors.

Stagecoach draws new owners Having gone back in the black after being acquired by the investment company Encore Capital in 2012, Stagecoach Performing Arts has been sold again. The international extra-curricular children’s performing arts school franchise’s new owner is the Trafalgar Entertainment Group (TEG), the live entertainment business owned by the entertainment entrepreneurs Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire. Stagecoach will now be expanding with new opportunities in the performing arts school business using the experience and network of leading theatre practitioners. Commenting on the new deal, Squire said: “We hope that our professional expertise and the access we have to performing arts networks will add value to Stagecoach going forward.” It seems like the scene is set for success.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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PIP WILKINS chief executive bfa

The importance of networking within a franchise Pip Wilkins, CEO of the bfa, explains why it’s more important than ever to contribute to your network

ne of the most appealing aspects about joining the franchising industry is you will not be alone. Franchises are built on networking and without it, they wouldn’t be successful. Franchise-wide communication ensures people can learn from one another, overcome hurdles and obstacles with the help of each other and have somebody to talk to. This support and advice is extremely comforting. It’s also professionally enriching and helpful in implementing the best practices and some of the many reasons why franchises have such a high success rate – far greater than startups that go it alone. However, don’t just take my word for it but see what a couple of franchisees told me about why they believe being a part of a network has contributed to their success. Why is networking important? Neil Hatt, franchisee of InXpress, a courier service, is certain being part of a franchise has helped him succeed in his business. Having recently won the award for Networking Contributions at the 2018 bfa HSBC Franchise Awards, he stresses the importance of working

together network-wide to ensure you learn from one another. “Contributing back to my franchise network was of great importance to me from day one,” Hatt says. He explains that not only did being part of the network help him feel part of a team even though he was running his own business but speaking with the other franchisees also helped him maintain a high standard. Moreover, Hatt argues it helped him “get closer to the centre of the spider’s web – the business – and then be involved with and understand many different strands.” Helping the business expand Jeff Longley, director of Mr. Electric Birmingham North and a finalist for the Networking Contributions Award at the 2018 bfa HSBC Franchise Awards, understands networking is essential for business growth and staying relevant in the market. “A strong and expansive network gives you insight into trends in your sector as well as insider information on movement within the wider network of brands and your franchisor,” Longley explains. “The support and guidance from your franchisor is equally as important and the Dwyer

Group has enabled me to not only form new relationships with like-minded people but also expand my business into new areas.’’ Helping you get into franchising Darren Barley is relatively new to franchising, having been the franchisee of Mr. Electric Wolverhampton for just over a year. Even so, he explains being part of the network has helped him find his way from day one. “Networking has been crucial for me on both a professional and personal level, particularly in the early phases of running my new business,” Barley says. He’s particularly glad to being able to draw on the experience from his fellow franchisees and franchisors. “It's very rewarding to know that I can pick up the phone and speak to anyone in the network or the franchisor about anything – this has really boosted my confidence and morale.” There’s a reason why the bfa has a dedicated award for network contribution. Communication and sharing ideas is the cornerstone of improving procedures and making sure the environment is ideal for making the most of your franchise. SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

The mark of excellent care

“…it’s an opportunity to run a successful operation whilst to a high standard.”

You can become the next Caremark homecare franchise success story. for more information speak to our recruitment team on 01903 266392

www.caremarkfranchises.com caremarkfranchises.com

SUSSANNE CHAMBERS founder and managing director HomeXperts

Because you’re worth it For many, launching their own business is a dream of a different kind of life. So what can you do to make that vision a reality?

tarting a business requires a huge investment. I’m not talking just about financial investment, it also costs time and often a large amount of emotion. It’s so important to start your business doing something you love. In the words of the late Steve Jobs: “If you don’t love something, you’re not going to go the extra mile [and] work the extra weekend.” Whether it’s a franchise or your own enterprise, to be successful you need to live it, breathe it and initially put the business before everything else. Maybe this sounds dramatic but I remember going to bed at 3am in the early days of my franchise HomeXperts. My husband rather sleepily asked me if I was coming to bed or getting up – either was a possibility. I had to work like that at times as there weren’t enough hours in the day. No matter how organised you are, there will be late or sleepless nights and early mornings. It will get better but thinking working for yourself will free up time for other aspects of your life, in my experience, is a fallacy. For your business to work you must throw everything you have at it. The working day for the self-employed doesn't finish at 5.30pm or on Friday evening, ready for a start Monday morning – but it’s worth it. The other myth is that you’ll earn more. You might but usually not in the short term. It’s really important to budget for a lower disposable income for a period of time, length of which will vary dependent on the area you choose to start in. Be realistic – the last thing you need is to run out of money before your business starts to return profits. You need to be prepared for financial sacrifices, to reinvest again. Financial success will follow. So why do people start? Having less time and money doesn’t sound appealing. But the personal fulfilment is immense, knowing it’s your company you created from nothing is amazing. Being able to run your own business, to build a team of like-minded people to work with you is the best feeling. Creating a living, breathing business legacy is in my mind well worth the initial sacrifices. SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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The

deep end

18 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

Despite barely escaping drowning in a hurricane, Paul Thompson launched and grew Water Babies into the world leader for classes in baby and toddler swimming BY ERIC JOHANSSON / PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILIE SANDY

eople always ask Paul Thompson what he thought about when the waves pulled him under. Moments earlier he’d been fighting his way home to his wife and daughter through the hurricane descending upon Dominica, unleashing lashing winds and whipping waters around the Caribbean island into a frenzy. Then the waves had suddenly washed him off the road and into the dark. “The truth is that there was no epiphany about my life,” he remembers. “I was actually incredibly calm. I literally went, ‘so this is how it feels to die.’” But the current gave him a shot at making it. “I came up for air and realised there was a chance I could live and I just fought and fought,” Thompson says. Eventually, he managed to make his way up on land and back to his young family. He’d arrived earlier in the year to swap his property developer career for a short-lived one as a scuba diving instructor and to spend more time with his child. But despite the tropical postcard-like surroundings, his then-wife was slightly bored and, with him almost drowning, she’d had enough. “She said it was time to go home,” he says. Thompson agreed but not because of his experience. “I wasn’t particularly traumatised or anything in the way that it fundamentally changed my life,” he says. “I’ve always lived my life on the basis that I should just go for it and this was just another reason.” Ironically, considering his ordeal, two years later he’d launched Water Babies, the baby and toddler swimming teaching franchise that’s just about to break into its eighth international market. Few people from his childhood would be surprised to hear Thompson has become the co-founder, executive chairman and owner of

a global enterprise. After all, his parents gave him the drive to excel from an early age. “My mother in particular wanted to ensure I was well-educated and she actually worked three jobs to put me through school,” he remembers. “And my father was a civil accountant and the first independent black accountant to set up in London. So my parents taught me [the value of] hard work, self-reliance and entrepreneurialism.” His ambition was evident by how he dove head first into sports – particularly rugby, which he’d later end up being a semiprofessional player in – and he even became the head of the local cadet force. “That was just there from a very young age,” he remembers. Thompson eventually acquired a bachelor degree in surveying at Bristol Polytechnic and a master’s degree in construction project management at Heriot Watt University. “That made me a property developer,” he says. Through the 1990s Thompson rapidly rose through the ranks and ended up as a director at a housing association. Just months before the new millennium knocked on the door he lived in a flat overlooking Brighton’s seafront with his newborn daughter and his wife Jess Thompson, who would soon become his Water Babies co-founder. “Life was pretty good if I’m being honest,” he says. However, he’d soon abandon what he calls his “pretty good yuppie lifestyle.” “I was at a board meeting late one night talking about some sexy project we wanted to do in Brighton to a bunch of old committee members who really didn’t understand what I was talking about,” Thompson remembers. Not only did they fail to see his vision but the meeting derailed into an hourlong discussion about good grammar when SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

PAUL THOMPSON

one of them noticed a split infinitive in his report. “I just sat there thinking I can’t do this anymore,” he says. While walking back home, Thompson decided to hand in his notice. Although, he didn’t anticipate his wife would quit her job too. “We went from yuppie lifestyle with two incomes to having a baby and no income overnight,” he laughs. “So it was a fairly dramatic life change.” Slightly shell-shocked, the couple talked about what to do next. “And I said I’d quite fancy being a scuba diving instructor in the Caribbean while we put our lives together,” Thompson says. That’s how he ended up spending a year in the sun on Dominica before the hurricane hit. Following his brush with death, the couple moved back to Blighty. However, at the time their house was being renovated. “So in my mid-30s I moved back in with my mum,” Thompson remembers. But as he’d gone on the whole Caribbean adventure to spend more time with his kid, he decided to be a stay-at-home-dad. “After about a week of looking after my daughter I thought, ‘oh my god, what have I done?’” he laughs. “And then I thought, well, let’s get on with this. We’re in London so let’s do baby activities.” For the next few months Thompson took his daughter to everything from dancing to horse riding lessons. “That’s how I came across baby swimming,” he says. The experience blew him away and he soon began training to become a baby swimming teacher himself. “I use the word ‘train’ very much in inverted commas when I look back at it as there was barely any training at all,” he says. “We were just shadowing a couple of lessons.” By the time Thompson finished his first day of teaching he knew it would change his life forever. “I was so shocked

20 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

after those four lessons that I sat in the car for two hours afterwards thinking, ‘what on earth was that all about?’” he remembers. “I had a real sense that this was what I was supposed to do with my life. It was really quite amazing.” He wasn’t the only one impressed. A few years later he attended a baby swimming conference where a woman kept staring at him. It turned out she was in one of his first ever classes and had been so inspired that she’d become a swimming instructor for another organisation. “I clearly had a natural bent for it and that’s where it started,” he laughs. While Thompson was supposed to go into a partnership with the company, he eventually decided against it. “Let’s just say they had a very different business ethic to me,” he remarks. For one, he wasn’t impressed by the business’ structure and how customers struggled to find classes. Essentially, he thought it could be done better. “It was a bit like somebody inventing the hamburger and McDonald’s coming along to make it accessible,” he says. “It was that sort of feeling I had.” But that organisation wasn’t alone in floundering to maintain high standards – Thompson argues the entire unregulated baby swimming sector lacked a sense of professionalism. “Somebody’s grandma could come along and set up a baby swimming business and start dunking babies and it was really scary,” he says. “There was no health and safety, there was no standard of training, which was just scary.” That was what he wanted to change by launching Water Babies in 2002. “I’m a real believer in doing things properly,” he shrugs. To attract their first clients, Thompson and his wife invested £5,000 of their savings into the company’s branding. “Our thinking was that we may not know what we’re doing but we’ll look like we do,” he says. The money was used to create the iconic Water Babies logo, print leaflets and to set up a website. Armed with the branding the couple gave themselves six weeks to find their first clients. Although, he admits being slightly too eager when handing out leaflets. “On day three I went up to a lady in the Tesco car park and she said, ‘that’s the third time you’ve given me this leaflet,’” Thompson laughs. Yet, his persistence certainly paid off. “We had a builder over at our house at the time and when I came back home one day he came running down the stairs like a giddy schoolboy with a piece of paper with 16 names on it,” Thompson remembers. It turned out he’d been on the phone all day hearing from people who’d love to try Water Babies’ classes. “The phone never stopped ringing after that,” Thompson says. “It went absolutely mad. We ended up in a very short order in June 2002 with close to 100 clients.” However, not all phone calls were about parents wishing to test the waters. In fact, his sister-in-law and an old study buddy soon reached out wanting to become Water Babies franchisees. “We didn’t have any plans to grow so we just laughed,” he remembers. “We said,

‘come and talk to us,’ thinking that we’d have a chat and they’d then move on with their lives.” Instead, the budding franchisees’ persistence convinced the couple to give them a shot at opening branches in Bristol and Edinburgh. “And that’s when the franchising began,” he says. Staying true to form, Thompson decided that if they were going to be responsible for franchisees then they’d better do it right. “We said ‘we’ve got to know what we’re doing,’” he recalls. To that end they reached out to Bill Pegram, director at The Franchising Centre, the franchising consultancy firm, to help them put together their operations manual and franchise agreement. Doing so helped the first two franchisees make an instantaneous splash in their respective markets and enabled two more to join the network. “In less than 18 months we had four franchisees and then we went from four to 14 in one year,” he says. “It just went bang and it kept on going.” But no matter how much the company has grown since, the founder has always ensured each prospective franchisee is up for the job. “We’re after a certain type of person,” Thompson explains. While he’d happily consider candidates from all walks of life, Water Babies won’t accept anyone who lacks what Thompson calls “the thing” – that natural empathy and passion needed to teach babies to swim. Moreover, they must have the backbone to work hard to establish their business. “It really is as simple as that,” he says. Additionally, candidates must ace the franchisor’s extensive initial training before becoming franchisees. “It goes on for four to five months,” he says. During this time they’re taught the business systems and, most importantly, how to be a swimming teacher. The programme, which Water Babies has developed together with the Swimming Teachers’ Association, shows each budding franchisee the theory behind the lessons and then they do 20 supervised lessons. Given Thompson’s dedication to professionalism, the franchisor unsurprisingly has no qualms about failing anyone unable to live up to his standards. “We take that

I had a real sense that this was what I was supposed to do with my life SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

PAUL THOMPSON

Somebody’s grandma could come along and set up a baby swimming business and start dunking babies and it was really scary very, very seriously and people are often surprised when we send them home,” he says. “They kind of think we’re joking.” Not only does this mean the 50,000 children being taught in over 560 pools around the world each week are as safe as they can be but it also means the company has yet to have a single failed franchisee. But Thompson felt he needed to ensure the longevity of the business as the company grew, even if that meant stepping down as CEO in 2009. “The company has to be its own company, not a family-run business,” he says. “It’s not Paul’s company.” He found the perfect candidate in the industry veteran Steven Franks who previously worked as the operations director at the Swimming Teachers’ Association. “He’s Mr Organisation and I’m the mad entrepreneur and we met in the middle and we’ve been very successful together,” Thompson says. “Without him the speed of our growth wouldn’t have been maintained.” 2009 was also the year Water Babies went international. “We started in Ireland literally when the world economy imploded,” he says. Watching the news about how the country essentially went bankrupt overnight, Thompson feared the franchise’s global dreams would be short-lived. “I couldn’t see how the business was going to survive,” he says. “But they actually

22 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

went from teaching zero to 1,000 babies a week in one year.” In the end the company was even celebrated by the Irish president as an example of how Ireland was still open for business. Encouraged by the success, the franchisor decided to try and grow even more. “We were getting enquiries from all over the world all the time,” Thompson says. Having talked with their consultants, the franchisor decided to aim to set up at least one franchise in either Germany, the Netherlands, Canada or New Zealand within two years. “And we got into all four of those markets in less than four years,” he adds. However, there was one market he never considered getting into: China. “Too big,” he says. “Too scary. Wasn’t going to happen.” So the company turned down every aspiring Chinese franchisee despite it easily being the country Water Babies had the most enquiries from. But in 2015 he was approached by a couple just itching to give the market a try. Despite Thompson politely turning them down they persisted. So he invited them to Devon for a 30-minute meeting. “But our meeting went on for half a day because they literally were the ideal candidate for us to go to China,” he remembers. At the end of it Thompson was convinced that maybe entering the Far East was worth it.

Not only did the company have to manage a franchise on the other side of the globe but also had to transform its model to fit the country. “You have to build a centre if you want to go to China,” he explains. “You can’t hire a pool because that’s illegal.” Eager to make a success of the Asian expansion, he pressed on. The result was that Water Babies’ first aquatic centre opened in China a year to the day after that first meeting with the couple. Afterwards, it didn’t take long before the new concept was proven a success. Following that, Water Babies found a master franchisee and began expanding the network in China. “Our aim is to roll out a network of 80 Water Babies centres in China in the next ten years,” Thompson reveals. And the expansion didn’t just affect the Asian market but changed the company’s future plans too. “We’re now building our own aquatic centres everywhere that we operate,” he says. The first UK one is set to open in September 2019 and there are two more under construction in Germany. Moreover, the company’s first Australian franchisee is set to open for business in the next few months and the network is expected to keep growing. Today Water Babies has over 80 franchisees, 56 of which are UK-based and there’s no doubt in Thompson’s mind that number will grow considerably in the next five years. “We have probably as many people as we have clients sitting on waiting lists around the UK,” he says. Given Water Babies’ international success and Thompson’s own endeavours to improve the standards of the industry, it’s hardly surprising the company has picked up prestigious accolades like the EWIF Woman Franchisee of the Year. Although the biggest recognition to date came in 2016 when the business won the coveted Franchisor of the Year at the bfa HSBC Franchise Awards. “It was amazing,” Thompson says. “Not just for me personally but for the whole of the Water Babies family.” The one thing he remembers most was that he gave the evening’s biggest hug to Pegram, the consultant who helped Water Babies into franchising. “So that was a special moment,” he concludes. Although, with Thompson’s drive we’re certain it won’t be the last one.

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD TA K E C ON T ROL O F YO U R F U T U R E

H ome Instead has b een disrupting the UK care m arket for 12 year s. Join an innovative network of over 190 offices, delivering quality care to older people in their own homes. • An i nn ov a ti ve b u s i n e s s model • 15 -2 0 % o p e ra t i n g p rofi t • P rov i d i n g ca re t h e w ay c l i e n t s a n d fa mi l i e s wa n t it • Aw a rd w i n n i n g s u p p or t

CO NTAC T U S TO DAY www.homeinstead.co.uk/franchise 01925 730 273 franchise@homeinstead.co.uk Each Home Instead Senior Care® franchise office is independently owned and operated. Copyright © Home Instead 2018.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

The richness that comes from choosing Action How Nin Vraitch became both time and cash rich and the rewards for herself and for her son

in Vraitch credits ActionCOACH as sparking a flame in her spirit, enabling her to grow a business that made her dream come true of being cash rich and time rich. After completing her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and then her master’s degree, people-person Vraitch didn’t want to work in a lab. Instead she desired to take her problem solving and analytical nature into a wider business environment. Becoming cash rich but time poor “I decided to move into the food industry and landed a role in sales and marketing with Alpro,” Vraitch explains. “I had a great boss, whose involvement in my career made a huge impact and one of the things he showed me was the difference between IQ, your level of intelligence, and EQ, your emotional intelligence, the latter being the one that really brings about success.” While she enjoyed the mentoring of her boss, Vraitch felt her work-life balance could be better. “I spent my early 30s working a lot of hours and travelling abroad for the company – cash rich and time poor,” she says. A time of cash poor and time rich Eventually Vraitch left Alpro, got married, started a family and spent some time helping grow several businesses owned by her partner. Then tragedy hit. “Unfortunately, when I had my first child, I also lost my father which had a huge impact on both myself and my family,” reveals Vraitch. “My marriage ended and it was a testing time as a single mother. I moved to Kent with my son, Millen, and began a four-year low of being cash

poor and time rich. For the first time in my life, I realised it was important to be cash rich and time rich so I could give my son my time as well as a good life. My brother gave me some great advice, he told me not to take a job just for the salary as I would find it impossible to leave once I was attached to the regular income. I thought that joining a franchise might be the way forward.

“I went to some franchise exhibitions and signed up to mailing lists. Many of the options seemed like I would end up spending a lot of hours running the business and I didn’t want to go back to being cash rich and time poor. It got to my 39th birthday and I was feeling really low and I must have put out a message to the universe – I need a solution to

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present itself. The next morning, I had an email come in from ActionCOACH. I’d never really considered a whitecollar franchise but I liked what I saw on their website and gave them a call. It was like the universe had sent a reply in just 24 hours. “During my due diligence, I spoke to several franchisees, including Lucy Cameron. She’d created the life I wanted - she still managed to have breakfast and dinner with her young kids whilst running a successful business. She was earning far better than a corporate salary, doing something she loved. She didn’t just seem to have the ideal balance for a mother, it seemed like the ideal life for anyone. I remember asking Lucy what the most important skill a coach should have and she said ‘empathy’. It’s the only thing from all my due diligence that stuck with me so profoundly.” Re-igniting her spirit Vraitch spent four weeks completing the pre-training preparation for

the UK initial training week. This is the start of a process meant to open new franchisees’ mind to continual personal and professional development, which is part of ActionCOACH’s culture. “You can’t avoid the feeling of growth,” says Vraitch. “I read Brad Sugar’s first book Instant Cashflow and it changed the way I looked at business. An ActionCOACH franchisee, Andrew Kureishy, led our training and he was assigned as my master coach. Seeing him in action gave me an understanding of how a business growth specialist should operate. He’s given me so many ‘flashes of the blindingly obvious’ moments. But it was his behaviour and ActionCOACH’s culture that really lined up with my personal values – always be present, curious, humble, patient and kind.” Achieving cash rich and time rich One year into her business, Vraitch is still working hard but condenses her working hours between 9am and 3pm

between the school runs. “Since Millen has started school, I’ve been able to make all the events parents are invited to such as pumpkin carving and forest school,” Vraitch smiles. “I haven’t missed out on anything, yet we have a good income which I only expect to increase – I’m well on the way to being cash rich and time rich. “I plan to hit £10,000 a month in the next month. I’ve outsourced my telemarketing to ActionCOACH’s exclusive client generation centre, invested in LinkedIn marketing and I continue to network at local events. To leverage my time better, I plan to recruit a business development manager so I can concentrate on coaching.” Paying it back Vraitch believes that when the universe brings you good fortune, you should remember to pay it back. “I work with a social enterprise, a lettings agency who find homes for people on benefits,” Vraitch explains. “They then offer employment training and CV workshops to help their clients create a better life for themselves, not just give them a roof over their heads. Outside of coaching, I’m part of a group who feed the homeless once a week – we started feeding two people and that has now grown to 30. I’m also a chairwoman of a charity that helps ex-offenders get into work. “I’m coaching every other week and I intend to remain time rich while I plan to grow to £20,000 a month in the next six months. My longer-term vision is to have a team of employed coaches, people who match my core principles of being curious, humble, patient and kind. This opportunity is great for talented women who want work-life balance including single mums like me.”

If you like the sound of being cash rich and time rich and you get a buzz from helping others succeed, love learning and developing yourself and have enjoyed success in your career or sport, then find out more by watching the overview video at actioncoach.co.uk/overview Nin with her clients and Michael Heppell at the Beyond Brilliant event

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

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PASSIONATE ABOUT PROPERTY? Join Century 21 UK as a franchisee and beneﬁt from:

Additional earning through the SDL Group

Global brand presence

Continuous support & training

Market leading technology

If owning a C21 franchise sounds like it would be up your street, contact us today and you could be up and running in as little as 6 weeks!

ONE OF THE UK’S FASTEST GROWING FRANCHISE NETWORKS

United Kingdom

0115 902 1002 opportunities@century21uk.com www.century21franchise.co.uk

OVER 8000 OFFICES ACROSS 81 COUNTRIES!

SALES & LETTINGS

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06/08/2018 09:54

FRANK MILNER CEO Tutor Doctor

Class in session With many workers experiencing the holiday blues, franchisors are advised to beef up their recruitment at the beginning of the school year t may come as no surprise to you but the beginning of the school year is prime time to capture the hearts of prospective franchisees. The back to school season affects people in many ways and, if you take the time to understand how many folks are likely to be feeling it at this time of year, you can reap the benefits and give your recruitment a boost. Well established franchisors know, through years of experience, that the start of the school year is a busy time for franchise recruitment. It’s no coincidence one of the UK’s largest franchise exhibitions takes place around this time. Younger or newly established franchisors would do well to budget accordingly for this peak season to ensure they don’t miss out. But what is it about back to school that drives hundreds of people to make a change? I think it’s fair to say everyone at some point in their lives will experience an overwhelming sense of back to work dread towards the end of a relaxing holiday – worries about office politics, the daily commute and limited career prospects to name a few. As the summer draws to a close, the number of people experiencing just that increases exponentially and the holiday blues well and truly take over. For those with children, the stress and financial pressure of the six-week summer holidays can be daunting and exhausting. Getting time off work, finding activities to keep the kids

occupied and arranging childcare over the summer is enough to make anyone want to throw in the towel. At Tutor Doctor, we always ask: what was the reason for the turning point in someone’s life that made them decide to make a change or take control of their future with a franchise. Reasons like “come September, I just got to the point I knew that, as a family, we couldn’t do that again next year” and “laying on the beach, I couldn’t bear the thought of going back to work, knowing that I was lining someone else’s pocket” come up time and time again. The answer is pain. It’s more often than not a pain or a pressure in their current circumstances that drives people to make a change. And back to school is an almost universal catalyst. Savvy franchisors should use this melting pot of emotions to their advantage. How? By directly addressing these pains and showing how and why your business can offer a solution. Everyone craves the ability to work flexibly and have control over their life. So, put this at the forefront of your efforts to welcome an influx of enthusiastic enquirers. This could mean anything from a completely new, seasonal campaign to slight tweaks in messaging and clever use of exciting materials to cut through the flurry of activity from your fellow franchisors. We create case studies of franchisees who have made the transition from their former career to create their perfect work-life balance and enjoy much more precious time with their

family. We regularly share those case studies far and wide to attract prospects who understand people just like them have travelled this journey before. We also showcase back to school as a busy time for our franchisees too. No matter your industry, it’s important to demonstrate that, in making the leap to business ownership, the market is buoyant and the demand is high. Those who are spurred on by end of summer, back to school pains may well have dreamed about being their own boss for some time. They may’ve been seeking an opportunity to change the trajectory of their career and life. They’re also more likely to lack the confidence to make such a change. Reassure them the fear of going back to school themselves is unfounded by showcasing your training programmes and support structures. At the start of a new school year, get top marks of your own by addressing pains and offering a direct solution. SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

Heating up your business prospec t s

UK WIDE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES Aire Serv ® is part of The Dwyer Group®, one of the world’s largest parent companies of home service brands with over 3,200 franchisees worldwide, including Bright & Beautiful®, Countrywide Grounds Maintenance ®, Drain Doctor ®, and Mr. Electric ® in the UK. Join this exciting network now and start building your own heating and cooling franchise business.

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01295 983412 LeadingTheServiceIndustry.co.uk

31/08/2018 11:04

RECRUITMENT BY PROFESSIONALS FOR PROFESSIONALS And now YOU can own a part of it! Law Staff Legal Recruitment are award-winning legal recruitment experts with a network of connections spanning local, regional, national and international law firms and in-house legal departments. We act for legal professionals at all levels, whether they are climbing the career ladder or making lateral moves. Our aim is to fill each role with the best available candidate in the marketplace. We’re not just selling a standard ‘recruitment package’ we are sharing our business with you!

Why choose a Law Staff franchise? Low set up cost

Continual support

Fantastic earning potential

Experienced Training given

Start working from home!

Flexible working

W: www.law-staff.co.uk T: 01954 208062 E: psweeney@law-staff.co.uk Untitled-2 1

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BECOME OUR NEW F R A N C H I S E PA R T N E R

IN THE UK JOI N A GLOBAL F URN I TURE DE SIGN BRAND, OF F ER I NG A STRONG F RANCH I SE CONCEP T From Denmark to the world since 1952, BoConcept specializes in premium quality interior design for the cosmopolitan-minded customer. With over 25 years of franchise experience, and more than 300 stores in 65 countries, BoConcept is an established and proven Retail Franchise system, offering an attractive business model. The strong toolbox, and the outstanding support within all areas of business and retailing, make easy the setup and management of a BoConcept store. Therefore, most of our partners own multiple stores. LO O K I N G F O R F R A N C H I S E PA RT N E R S T O C O V E R T H E F O LLO W I N G A R E A S : North West (Chester, Liverpool) | South West (Exeter) | South Coast (Bournemouth, Winchester) | East Midlands (Leicester, Nottingham)

FO R FU R T H E R I N F O R M AT I O N : B O C O N C E P T. C O M / F R A N C H I S E | F R A N C H I S E @ B O C O N C E P T. C O M

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JOIN US IN PROVIDING OUTSTANDING CARE. At Heritage Healthcare, we focus on providing the highest level of care and support to our clients. Homecare is one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing sectors with over 6.5 million elderly people requiring daily assistance. With an expanding population and ever increasing life expectancy, growth is set to continue. As a Heritage Healthcare franchisee you can expect;

Award-winning support Over 80 years of experience A bespoke territory International Opportunities Now Available! CALL MICHELLE FENWICK QFP TODAY ON 01325 370707 OR EMAIL MICHELLE@HERITAGEHEALTHCARE.CO.UK WWW.HERITAGEHEALTHCAREFRANCHISING.CO.UK

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NIGEL TOPLIS managing director The Bardon Group

Enterpriser or entrepreneur? A critical first step on the road to franchise success is a thorough self assessment to see if you’re up to it y old guv’nor Moshe Gerstenhaber launched Kall Kwik, the business and design franchise, 40 years ago. He always believed each potential franchisee should be an enterpriser – someone who wants to be employed, is looking for the rewards of enterprise and is willing to take some risks. But they shouldn't be an entrepreneur, ready to take on the world with an untried scheme. Effectively, that means more of a damned good mechanic rather than an Elon Musk because, surprisingly, most entrepreneurs rarely make good franchisees. Why is that? Franchising relies on teamwork and working to a successful system, whereas entrepreneurs tend to be completely independent and continually try to reinvent the wheel. If you don’t have the self-discipline to work to a system and don’t want to learn a proven method of doing business, then you’re probably better off looking at something other than franchising. The first step in evaluating whether franchising is for you is a thorough self-assessment, long before giving up the day job. To be a franchisee you must have wholehearted commitment and be prepared for it to change your entire lifestyle. Your passport

to success will rest to a large extent on being realistic about yourself – your skills, attributes, work ethic and financial resources. If you want to become a successful franchisee it really does help if you have an enterprising personality. It certainly is a good thing if you’re outgoing, positive – half-empty glass purveyors need not apply – enjoy problemsolving and have a surfeit of energy. Ideally, you should be a self-starter, goal-orientated and a team player – someone who can be trusted with responsibility and can see things through to a successful conclusion. Moreover, successful franchisees understand the need to work within the system and not waste time trying to fix things that already work. They recognise the value of working with the franchisor, taking advantage of their experience, knowledge and support and they appreciate that working with fellow franchisees and sharing best practice is good for all. So, be honest with yourself. If you’re shy then understand that trait but also recognise you’ll have to go calling for potential business

prospects, so work with the franchisor to develop strategies to do this. By the same token, if you’re not a people person then choose a franchise that doesn’t rely heavily on interaction with people – there’s a wide range of franchises out there. Most importantly though, don’t sell yourself short. Most franchisors want you to succeed as much as you do, so you’ll find plenty of encouragement if you’re still unsure about your chances. SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Is our “fine” business good enough for you Ovenu reveals new Insite option for budding franchisees eager to try the waters

ine” is a funny word. To some people it will mean that something is half-way between being good and to others it’ll mean it’s somewhere between average and bad. Consider the saying “come on in, the water is fine.” Doesn’t it seem slightly unclear wether it’s warm enough to swim in? If you say that, don’t be surprised if some people dip their toes in only to consider the temperature hardly warm enough to paddle in. By keeping this sort of thinking in mind Ovenu has come up with our new exciting Insite opportunity. We want to give more people who’ve been considering working with us the chance to try the waters first before deciding wether our “fine” is the same as their “great.”

Although, we’ve never once in our 24 plus years intentionally set out to do anything for or with our franchisees that could be classed as merely fine. We strive towards excellence in everything that we do, especially our on-going support. And this mindset certainly applies to our Insite option. We’ve created an option to dip your toe before taking the plunge for those who may have reservations about franchising as a business option and might not fully appreciate the benefits of a franchise opportunity. It’s the perfect way to evaluate our business first hand by becoming an integral part of our network in exchange for the minimum financial outlay and contractual obligation. That’s more than fine, right?

The Insite option offers everything by way of startup equipment, training and support that the fully blown franchise does. It just has a lower outlay – an almost unbelievably low £4,995 plus VAT. That’s less than you’d spend struggling to set up as an independent operator. What’s more, you also get the opportunity to upgrade to a full franchise at a later date if you decide that we are a good fit for you. But, if it in your eyes ends up being something you don’t feel comfortable with for whatever reason, you get to walk away after three years having witnessed first-hand exactly how our business works. We’re pretty confident that you’ll like who we are, what we do and how we’ll support you along the way. And in case you missed the logos, we’re founder members of the Approved Franchise Association and we’re rated 5.0/5.0 on the Trustist review platform with almost 20,000 reviews and testimonials. So we’re pretty confident that we’re way better than just fine. But don’t take our word for it. Come see for yourself.

Call today on 01189 743911 and let’s start the ball rolling?

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K ! C V A T B N O

We’ve done the groundwork. You get to build a business on a solid

foundation.

Our franchise opportunity was built on a solid footing nearly 25 years ago. We’ve since developed the business into the UK’s favourite oven cleaning service. As an Ovenu franchisee you’ll get to manage your lifestyle whilst enjoying an excellent return on your investment. You’ll be working locally in a bespoke, protected territory offering a premium quality service to clients. Our choice of options has expanded so that we have an opportunity that’s as individual as you! Our Foundation Franchise: For under £10,000 you will receive the best tools and equipment to build your business and generate turnover from day one. We will provide you with; • Initial business & valeting training to ISO standard • Unrivalled help and support • Marketing on launch and beyond • Your own choice of van • Use of our comprehensive Client Experience System • The potential to turnover more than £1200 a week

Our Foundation Plus Franchise: Extend on your foundations with a higher investment and gain access to; • Increased exclusive territory • Greater earnings & expansion potential

Invest with the best for less with our innovative ‘InSite ’ opportunity SM

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www.ovenufranchise.co.uk

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Today we cleaned 17 homes yet never left our house! Imagine owning your own domestic cleaning franchise, earning over ÂŁ65,000 per year and never doing any cleaning yourself! You can work from home at times that suit you, your children and your lifestyle and your other commitments. AT LAST! A real business that is proven to work and that you can really be proud to say you own.

Ralph and Hazel Watson Franchisees in Fife, Scotland

British Franchise Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice on picking the right franchise: 1. You should be able to recover your initial franchise fee in the first year 2. You should have a reliable residual income from regular clients 3. You can build an asset that can be sold at a profit 4. Totally free access to the existing franchisee network 5. Well proven systems and procedures with ongoing training and support

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TONY BOWMAN managing director etyres

Advertising is advancing but the message must remain the same From Instagram influencers to pay-per-click ads, franchises have more options than ever to create a buzz around their business. But deciding which one is right for you isn’t always easy

apidly evolving new media and technology are really shaking up the advertising world. You’re no longer limited to ads via TV, radio, newspapers, leaflets and business directories to get your name out there. Nowadays you may be tempted to pay a popular Instagram influencer with over 100,000 followers £200 to write about your product or spend a fiver boosting a good Facebook post to reach a wider audience. Plus, with so many online and digital TV channels vying for advertisers, you can even get air time for a few hundred pounds as opposed to the thousands it once cost. However, although the advertising landscape is evolving, one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of ensuring your message remains constant. This is equally crucial if you’re part of a nationwide franchise. The first step towards achieving this is to ensure the franchisor and every franchisee work side by side so they’re singing from the same song sheet. Put simply, everything from the font and colour of the company logo down to the ethos upon which your business is built must be complied with. The franchisor will set out the ground rules for the network to follow. This starts with having a wide selection of advertising materials, which can be personalised for each franchised territory. If a franchisee has plans for their own advertising campaign, it must be clearly understood it cannot go ahead without the approval of the

franchisor. A franchisor will also have a good idea of what advertising methods will be effective and which ones fall on deaf ears. There’s an old saying: “Half the money spent on advertising is wasted. The trouble is you don't know which half.” Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be like that anymore because now there are numerous ways in which the effectiveness of an advertisement can be accurately monitored. Of course, even with the help of precise conversion rate, data advertising is not a precise science. The situation isn't helped by the fact that Facebook and Google are hoovering up gigantic advertising revenues which can burn through your budget very quickly, often without delivering a satisfactory return. Also, there are countless numbers of pay-per-click and internet marketing charlatans out there who talk the talk but don't contribute to sales. Fortunately, being a franchisee gives you the opportunity to avoid these pitfalls and plan effectively. In a well-managed franchise new advertising promotions will be devised and tested long before they are rolled out for franchisees to implement in their area. One thing any new business owner must understand is advertising and promotion are essential and should

be viewed as an investment rather than an avoidable cost. This is not as obvious as it sounds and over the years I have heard every excuse in the book from franchisees for not advertising in line with the company plan. “I can't afford it at the moment.” “I think that I'll wait until I come back from holiday.” “My sales are OK, so I'll leave it for a few months.” When I hear that, my answer is always the same. “Please, please, just follow the plan. That is why you invested into the franchise.”

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Expanding your horizons It’s great to be excited about your future as a franchisee. But don’t allow rewards down the line from ensuring you do your job today

hen you start your new franchise you will likely feel very excited about the future and have all sorts of plans in mind. You may even nurture dreams of being a multi-site business owner. But your early days will require your focus to be totally on your new venture. You have to focus on payroll, invoicing, marketing and public relations activities. This is a good business habit that must be embedded from the start. Focus and a disciplined approach to your growth strategy will help you as you move towards expanding your

horizons. So when is a good time to start looking over the fence into the next door territory? It all depends really on you as a franchisee and how well your business is performing. At Caremark we take care to make sure the timing is right for your next, exciting step and ensure your business is strong enough for you to move your focus away from your existing office before you take on another. When it comes to you taking that leap, we will look to see if you have met our criteria for a second territory, one of which is achieving a minimum of 750 hours of care and support per week without compromising our high standards of quality and compliance. We usually expect this to be in your second year of running the franchise. Some people will get there faster as in the case of Caremark’s Richmond franchisees, Swati Bagwe and Shipra Mehta. This dynamic duo achieved the criteria within 12 months whilst

building a great reputation in their local community. Their considerable achievements early on in their business were impressive and led to them being awarded two key Caremark awards earlier this year at the Caremark annual conference: the Rising Star award and the south central regional award. Annetta Doyle, franchise recruitment manager at Caremark, explains: “From the moment a franchisee joins us we ensure they understand their role in the business. Their focus has to be on business development. This means working on promoting their business in their local community, on networking and building strong relationships with relevant stakeholders and getting the brand in front of decision makers.” She continues: “Second territories are considered on a case by case basis. It all depends on how well the first business is doing and we will guide you throughout your business life with us to achieve those important

Discovering a gap in the market is another reason for expanding

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Second territories are considered on a case by case basis. It all depends on how well the first business is doing and we will guide you throughout your business life with us to achieve those important growth milestones growth milestones. Key criteria still have to be met: good compliance with the Caremark model and significant growth together with a high standard of care, as well as being a great ambassador for Caremark and the brand etc. “Our Richmond franchisees were already ahead of their business plan and were keen to expand their services into another area and keep building on their reputation. As it happened a re-sale opportunity came up in their next door territory which was perfect timing really and the right move for Swati and Shipra.”

Swati Bagwe & Shipra Mehta

Doyle comments: “Discovering a gap in the market is another reason for expanding. Or the franchisee may have a particular interest in more complex care services and knows there is a growing need for this in the next door area.” There may be several factors that can influence the purchase of a nearby second territory: the need for more specialist care services like learning disabilities, children’s services or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG feeding). Other shortages may include live-in care services in the territory of interest and increasing need for re-ablement care following hospital discharge. She adds: “Sometimes a request from their local authority to provide services will be all the prompt they need to start looking at their options.”

people. Providing jobs for locals in your second area is another motivator, as many of Caremark’s care staff live and work in their local communities. With any growth there will be challenges to be worked through and buying a second territory is no different. Simply because you are repeating the same process you went through the first time round does not mean that it will be easy but at least you will be better equipped to manage and negotiate the terrain. Currently 18% of Caremark’s network own more than one territory, with more offices already considering their future options. Two of the younger businesses in this group also won the accolade of the Homecare.co.uk Top 20 Home Care Provider award 2018 in their region, testament to the excellent offices they operate. “Having said all this, you can still build a substantial care business in your existing area, without buying a second territory,” says Doyle. “A mixed income stream of private work, NHS contracts and Local Authority work gives franchisees the chance to grow, through spreading their work across these three areas. This also balances out the risk of only focussing on one area of income.” So when you sign on the dotted line and become a Caremark franchisee you will be encouraged to build a substantial, sustainable business. That could be in a single territory or it could be a multi-site operation. It really all depends on you, how you maximise your growth and what positive opportunities you see on your horizon. www.caremarkfranchises.com 01903 266392 franchise@caremarklimited.co.uk

So what are the benefits of buying another territory? Certainly the increased scope for development and wider recognition of the brand has to be a factor. Plus there are the financial rewards and the satisfaction of knowing you are taking a great service to the door of yet more september 2018 | elitefranchise

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DOG FIRST AID

Woman’s

best friend BY ZEN TERRELONGE

From being a single mum to overcoming a family tragedy, Jo Middleton hasn’t let anything stand in her way to ensure canines get the care they deserve with Dog First Aid

hen speaking on the phone with Jo Middleton, founder of Dog First Aid, the canine first aid franchise for professionals, it’s clear how in demand she is. “I’ve got about ten minutes if that’s alright with you?” she checks politely. It was a case of third time’s the charm as the previous calls had to be rebooked to accommodate her packed schedule. “Franchisees have access to my calendar,” Middleton explains, adding they can book a chat with her whenever they like. It’s plain to see how open she and the team are to those joining the network, with her diary usually being packed back-to-back. That caring disposition was forged prior to launching a franchise when Middleton worked for the NHS in Blood and Transplant as a first aider. But as a single mother, she decided to pursue her other passions. “I left the blood service in 2008 and decided I was going to do something with dogs that would fit around two children, who were young at the time,” she details. The self-confessed dog lover had been involved in rescuing man’s – and woman’s – best friend and this resulted in a dogwalking and petcare business. It allowed her to work around two tikes and furry four-legged friends, while the company grew from just being Middleton working solo to a team of dedicated staff and five vans on the road. Like all good entrepreneurial stories, the Dog First Aid operation was unplanned and something of an accident

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DOG FIRST AID

in 2013. “One of my own dogs came back injured on a walk and despite extensive human first aid training, I couldn’t connect the two to administer first aid,” she says. It inspired Middleton to team a group of veterinary professionals to put together material for a “little” local course for those working with dogs. “I had so much interest that the course was fully booked and I had to book a second one,” she recalls. Interest in Dog First Aid would only grow further following the two courses. “I had an enquiry through Facebook from a rescuer in Cardiff that wanted us to go to Wales and do some training with their volunteers and it went crazy from there,” says Middleton. She explains many people are unaware just how distinctly different human and dog first aid are. “We’re keen to ensure anyone who works with dogs obtains and keeps knowledge current with dog first aid training,” Middleton details. “If you work with children, you have to do paediatric first aid and we’re very much of the view that if you’re looking after other people’s dogs, you should have your dog first aid.”

On the back of the first course, one of the attendees went on to save their dog’s life three months later

However, running both the petcare business and Dog First Aid was increasingly eating into Middleton’s time and she was less hands-on with the animals as a result. “I was breaking myself with Dog First Aid – I was in North Wales on the Saturday and Essex on the Sunday in one weekend,” she says, offering an example of how demanding things had become. “The reason I went self-employed in the first place was to do something that fitted around the kids as a single mum. It was a tipping point where I was like, ‘right, I can’t carry on like this’.” That moment of clarity led to Middleton making a tough call between which business to sell and which to franchise – Dog First Aid was victorious. “On the back of the first course, one of the attendees went on to save their dog’s life three months later,” she reveals. “Once that happens, you’ve got this fire in your belly.” With powerful testimonials like that, it’s easy to see why Dog First Aid became so popular. “I work with lots of different business coaches, sales coaches, franchise experts, legal experts etcetera and over the period of just over the year, we got the business franchise-ready,” says Middleton. With the franchise website and operations manual good to go at the end of 2014, the founder received devastating news. “My dad got given a few weeks to live,” she says. “So I had a bit of a head-spinner and needed to drop everything and be with my dad.” She handed over the reins to her PA, who took leadership on the franchise rollout. Middleton returned after six months and says the business was stronger than ever. “That was the initial test of the operations manual really and we went and got three pilot franchise territories on board,” she details. “We’ve now got 13 franchisees across the UK and 42 territories.” On top of the passing of her father, Middleton faced other challenges when taking Dog First Aid into the SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

DOG FIRST AID

franchising world. “When you go to business networking meetings, Joe Bloggs business owners don’t necessarily understand what a franchise is,” she says. “If you say you’re a franchise business, they presume you’re a franchisee rather than a franchisor.” Becoming part of Encouraging Women Into Franchising (EWIF) was a breath of fresh air as she found likeminded individuals on the same page as her. “When you’re not part of an organisation like EWIF, you feel like you’re mad,” she admits. The other thing she had to adapt to was going from selling a service, which was getting people booked onto courses, to selling pieces of the business. But her biggest challenge was doing all this as a single mother. “It’s very important for me to be able to pop my mum hat on,” she says. The first official franchisee came on board at the end of 2016 and it was unsurprisingly through word of mouth – the key marketing method for the franchise – from a course attendee that brought Dog First Aid to their attention. “The first franchisee is a vet nurse,” Middleton reveals. “She’d used her veterinary skills to travel the world and did all sorts of things in the tropics. She’d come back to the UK and wanted a fresh approach, so came on board with us.” Middleton has been keen to make the experience bespoke for individuals once they join the network. That means a combination of webinars and workbooks bringing them up to speed as well as on-site days, one-to-one training with veterinary professionals and unlimited forum access. “They then get assigned level one, level two and level three support where they can have weekly, monthly or bi-monthly calls,” she adds. “I always say: ‘if you don’t tell us what you need,

If you say you’re a franchise business, they presume you’re a franchisee rather than a franchisor we don’t know’. We haven’t got a crystal ball, so it’s very much two-way communication.” With up to four franchisees brought on at a time, which generally happens quarterly, to ensure they get all the help they need, Middleton expects to have 20 by April 2019. All of the challenges faced and the hard work done by Middleton, paid off this year as she took home the New Woman Franchisor of the Year title at the 2018 EWIF Awards. “For me to have won the award and for my girls to have seen my journey from being on my backside ten years ago when we relocated to today having won the award from the businesses, it’s really lovely for them to see that anything is possible,” she says, adding that the award was very much a team effort. There came a slight downside to this though – Middleton had food poisoning the night before, which meant 24 hours prior to the ceremony was spent “hugging the toilet all night”. Building on that, she laughs: “Where I was so weak from not eating, I literally got my award then dropped it and smashed it into two pieces. It was a good thing because Stephanie, my PA who ran the business when I was dealing with my dads’s death and I got a piece each. It was meant to be.”

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ARE YOU READY TO FRANCHISE? DRIVE THRU

SHOPS

TO GO

KIOSKS

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Building a growth business The Sport4Kids mission is to help potential franchisees build a growthfocused sports business with huge potential. Sport4Kids is all about building a strong network of partners so that each can build a large business of their own

port4kids was founded in 2012 by Dr Mark Gould and Steve Jones. The company merged in 2014 with ActivKids led by James Porter. The franchise is designed to be a multi sports, multi revenue, multi market business network that looks to transform the children sports market and create a network of successful sports entrepreneurs who run growth focused and scalable businesses. “The vision we had from the start of Sport4Kids was to build a business platform that could provide investor leaders with the ability to grow a business, not work in a business and merely become self-employed,” Jones explains. “Creating the potential for scale and market domination in our business platform is a key part of our DNA.” Multi service line business model Sport4Kids’ strategy is to maximise the market opportunity and have a multi-service line and multi-product business model. This allows the franchisees to address a much bigger share of the market to secure a larger percentage of parents’, schools’ and nurseries’ wallets. “Many franchise models are limited in their offering to the market and therefore

limiting the opportunity for the franchisee,” says Gould. “We are all about growth and provide our franchisees with several service lines to go to market and many different products in each service line to give even more opportunities to build revenue streams.” 364 days per year Sport4Kids operates 364 days per year. Continuity of service to the market allows franchisees to earn consistently throughout the year. “We even open up on Boxing Day, which is one of our most popular days as parents and kids escape the indoors and come out for some much needed exercise,” explains Porter. “Operating all year round gives our franchisees the ability to build full time team and to be able to build a local set of support services to customers. Without operating all year round our franchisees just could not build their sales, customer services and service line teams locally.” Operating all year round enables the franchisees to build local teams to grow the business. Without full time work a franchisee could not afford the overheads required to maximise quality and growth in the service. Products for competitive advantage and scale Sport4Kids has utilised advanced service industry techniques to develop a series of products that can scale. This level of quality has not existed in this sector before. It’s their belief that only with this level of quality can franchisees scale with confidence. “The key for a franchisee is being able to scale with confidence,” Jones says. “You can only do that if you can control quality. In the service industry you can only control quality by codifying and defining every aspect of the service delivery and the customer experience. We take it a stage further and productise everything we do to release the franchisee to focus on growth with peace of mind on quality”

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Sport4Kids uses its service lines and products to provide a differentiated service and experience for parents and children. Currently Sport4Kids has 14 service lines and that number is growing. This provides a competitive advantage on the ground for franchisees to see off their competition. “The Sport4Kids way delivers an unprecedented level of quality and experience for both children and parents,” Gould adds. “Innovation underpins the entire methodology and allows us to inspire, entertain and transform the progression of children in sport.” Support from the core Sport4kids controls and automates the maximum it can as part of the franchise business system. This enables the network to take advantage of economies of scale. Sport4Kids releases the franchisee from the burden of business administration to focus on investing and scaling their business. “We know it is vital for our franchise network to focus on the customer, growing their business and maintaining the highest of quality standards,” Porter explains. “To support them and help them focus on key growth levers we provide streamlined digital marketing, administration, online coach training and customer services. We have reviewed the whole value chain of the business and boxed all these growth levers in the Sport4Kids business system.” Network partners not franchisees Sport4Kids has a view that each and every franchisee is a partner in their team. It’s therefore targeting highly capable and highly commercial candidates that are fresh from their own successful corporate careers. “We are looking for network partners, not franchisees and people that have the same passion and talent as the Sport4Kids leadership team,” Jones says. “We understand the challenges from

a franchisee’s perspective. Our ideal network partner is someone who is also looking to escape corporate life and build a business of their own. We are looking for business builders not operators. We put everything in placed for talented senior executives to build a big business of their very own.” Explore more The Sport4Kids Network is designed for like-minded people to build a big business of their own. If that sounds attractive to you, why not get in touch and explore more of how the Sport4Kids leadership team can help you build a big sports business for you and your family.

T: 0300 303 3866 W: www.s4kfranchising.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

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WORKING PARENTS

Back to school BY YOANA CHOLTEEVA

As summer ends and kids return to school in September, this is the perfect opportunity for franchisors to scoop up budding franchisees among the parents looking for a change

eptember doesn’t merely mark the return to school causing a reshuffle of routines in households across the nation. No, this month is also notable in the franchise world, because franchising and parenting have proven to be quite a winning combo over the years. This trend has profoundly impacted the life of Charlotte Headington, a mum of four and franchisee of World Options, the logistics franchise. “I think the reason I wanted to take a franchise as a single mum is that I can still be there for my children,” she says. Headington is positive being part of a home-based franchise, together with her sister Emma, was a good shout. The model maximises her time with the franchise and reduces the stress of being away from her parenting schedule. “I can sit here in my sweats if I need to and still work on my franchise,” she continues. “I don’t have to get up, 46 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

WORKING PARENTS

put on a suit, sit in a car and waste an hour in traffic. I’m actually using that time to work on my franchise.” Setting up a franchise is especially appealing since it allows parents to juggle family responsibilities, such as school drop-offs and pick-ups while growing a business at their own pace. As many franchisees will tell you though, the job isn’t child’s play. Parents still have to hit the books in order to fully develop their franchise’s potential. “It’s still education, it’s still hard work, it still takes a lot of effort because you only get what you put into it,” Headington explains. But at the same time, it undoubtedly grants parents the freedom to order priorities in a way favourable for them. “I think this is very inviting for single mums because they’re looking for opportunities to be the provider but still stay the nurturer of the home,” she believes. Elsewhere, the back to school concept among franchises hasn’t gone unnoticed by Matt Fiddes, founder of MF Franchise, the martial arts and fitness franchise. “People normally look for a change of job or a new career around January, after Easter and September,” he says, detailing what he’s witnessed with his network. “As these are our biggest recruitment times of the year, I think it’s child-related.” This shouldn’t be a surprise – the flexibility of the franchising field has turned it into a family-friendly territory. As a result, Fiddes keeps on good terms with all his franchisees and stays up-to-date with their family lives. “I know the people, how they’re doing, I know their kids,” he details. “We’ve grown up with them. So the whole franchise network is very much one big family.” As one can imagine, spreading the franchise to four continents – Europe, Asia, North America and Australia – has cost Fiddes over two decades. He even admits the business took over his personal

“We’re able to offer recruitment to our angels that suits them as well, so they can be at the school gate just like we are” Samantha Acton, founder of Domestic Angels, the home cleaning franchise SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

WORKING PARENTS

“I can sit here in my sweats if I need to and still work on my franchise. I don’t have to get up and put on suit, sit in a car and waste and hour in traffic. I’m actually using that time to work on my franchise.” Charlotte Headington, a franchisee of World Options, the logistics franchise life at some point. “I worked very hard,” he says. “I worked too hard that I even damaged my first marriage.” But acknowledging his mistakes and personal battles, he has learnt how to maintain a work-life balance and wants the same for his franchisees. For that very reason, Fiddes advises parents make some important considerations before joining a franchise. “They need to decide what their main goal is – can they really throw themselves into it?” he says. “Then they can buy a franchise, work six days a week and have a full-time job. Or, as it is for MF Pilates, they can work twice a week at whatever pace they want it to be. It’s down to them.” He shares that many of his franchisees are mums and housewives who were looking to secure a reasonable income or people who joined in order to “earn extra money to support their full-time job”. Whatever their dreams and targets, franchising seems to be a parental promised land. This was the dream for Samantha Acton, founder of Domestic Angels, the home-cleaning franchise, who set up the company with the intention to run a home-based business while being a mum. However, she wasn’t just looking for work for herself but she also wanted to solve the employment issue for other like-minded parents. “We’re able to offer recruitment to our angels that suits them as well, so they can be at the school gate just like we are,” she says proudly. Over the 48 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

years, Acton has realised her routine as franchisor and parent hasn’t always been the same but the business has found its natural equilibrium. “When [the children] are small you might not have so much time during the day but when they get older and they’re teenagers, you have more time,” she explains. “And the teenagers want more money so it kind of balances itself out quite well.” Having been there and done it, Acton realises the advantages for people willing to take over an already successful model rather than build one from scratch. “You’re not trying to invent things from a blank piece of paper or guess what the law might be,” she says. “You also have a full team, a business family who want you and need you to be successful.” But more than anything, what passionate franchisors will tell you is it’s not just about business – franchising is actually very personal. “This is about something that lasts longer and it takes a family to its lifespan so you grow your business with your kids with the time you’ve got available,” Acton continues. “There’s a really great future for those who want to have their own businesses but don’t want to be alone.” Franchising proves learning comes in many different forms and embarking on a new career is not a closed road – especially for parents with childcare responsibilities. So if you’re looking to join a franchise this September, the bell is ringing and class is in session.

the

boss

Long to wake up and do something you believe in?

We grow the veg, you grow your business! Partner with an innovative, established brand. Run an ethical home delivery business to be proud of Share your passion for outstanding organic veg

Want to find out more?

Call 01803 227 380 or email franchise@riverford.co.uk or visit www.riverford.co.uk/franchise

MAD SCIENCE

Enriching future

Einsteins BY VARSHA SARAOGI

With the rise in technology, kids today must know how to program a robot. Fortunately, Canadian franchise Mad Science is achieving this mission globally through its hands-on and NASA approved science classes

teve Jobs once said: “Everyone should learn how to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think.” And it’s fair to say the late Apple co-founder was on to something. Today, knowledge in robotics and programming is more essential than ever. Understanding this, Mad Science, the Canadian science enrichment franchise, is teaching kids as young as five how to code and has grown to an international teaching powerhouse with a footprint in 28 countries and counting. And for Shafik Mina, global president of the company, the chance to help children succeed more in life is what drives him to constantly push the company towards excellence. “To be a part of the Mad Science mission is exciting for me,” he says. However, the franchise’s prospects haven’t always been this optimistic. While the company had enjoyed a long successful stretch since it launched in 1985, by 2013 it suffered from abysmal franchisee satisfaction and staff motivation as well as a lack of vision, which all hampered the franchise’s growth. At the time Mina had served as an in-house legal counsellor for five years. During that period he’d gone from being excited about Mad Science’s future to being disappointed about the leadership. “I was

fairly frustrated so I went to see the owners and told them ‘I don’t see my future here so I want to leave,’” he remembers. Fortunately, owners Ariel and Ron Shlien shared his sentiment and revealed they were actually looking for someone new to come in and take over. “And I immediately said ‘I would love to throw my hat into the ring,’” he recalls. “They said ‘we’ll hire you as an internal president for a year and in that year there can be two outcomes – either we’ll be happy with what you deliver and if not we’ll hire a president from outside and you can go back to your in-house counsel position if you want.’” How did it go? Well, Mina is still spearheading the company, isn’t he? Today Mad Science has partnerships with NASA and the Kennedy Space Centre but it didn’t start like that. After stepping into the president’s shoes, Mina had to tackle various issues. For instance,

Just because a recipe works in the US and Canada doesn’t mean it will work in the UK

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franchisees globally were frustrated due to lack of communication and support from the franchisor. “You gotta listen to your franchisees,” he says. “The good and the bad. That to me is worth its weight in gold.” To make the challenge even greater, he had several international markets to consider – the UK market being one of the biggest. “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t challenging,” he says. The company had set foot on British soil in 2005 and by the time Mina took over, it was clear the route had to change, even though the value proposition was on point. “We entered with the wrong model,” he says. At the time area developers or mini-master franchisees, bought a territory with the capacity of three or four franchises and would own and operate the first franchise and support the others. “The problem was the developers would

focus more on growing their own franchise and had less time for the whole territory,” he says. “It just wasn’t focussed. We want our franchisees to be successful and it made more sense for them to focus on the business which paid their bills.” This change strengthened Mad Science’s franchisor-franchisee relationship. However, it wasn’t easy for Mina. “The whole process required time – we worked with our local partners and it was a work in progress for a while,” he adds. “Since the UK is a very important market for us, we give it all the love and care it needs.” But Mina faced another challenge in the UK. “We weren’t adapting ourselves to the local market,” he says. To better understand it, his team started to be more present at regional franchisee meetings where they realised Mad Science had totally forgotten about British children’s school uniforms. However,

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MAD SCIENCE

Looking forward there will be a strong demand for tech education and we have a program which not only teaches the how’s but also the way tech will affect lives none of the kids in their marketing material did. “Our franchisees told us that parents couldn’t relate to these ads since it wasn’t their reality,” he explains. Since then, he ensured all photo shoots include school uniforms. It also brought home an important lesson. “Just because a recipe works in the US and Canada doesn’t mean it will work in the UK,” he says. “We assumed you could cut and paste around the world. But you have to be conscious of the local culture and the local particularities.” Fast-forward five years and the company is experiencing an upward trajectory. “The UK comes in our top five regions globally along with the US, Canada, Netherlands and China,” Mina says. “In terms of critical mass, the UK is becoming a serious player.” The key for a successful network lies in finding the best franchisees even if that means being picky. “As a mature franchise we can afford to say ‘maybe you’re not the right partner for us,’” he says. To be in the Goldilocks zone, budding franchisees must have a passion to make a positive impact on children. “And that’s what I look for while recruiting apart from strong business acumen,” Mina explains. Once chosen, the franchisees kickstart by spending a few weeks at the headquarters in Montreal where they familiarise themselves with the Mad Science brand and tricks to scaling a business. A support staff member is then sent with the franchisee to the new region for a week where all the operations are put in place. With regular webinars, trading videos and manuals, franchisees are hand-held through any challenges they might face. “This wasn’t given priority in the management

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before,” Mina says. This forced him to be adamant about the changes to be made even if they are difficult. “But that’s what my journey has been about,” he says. “We are still in the transforming stage. Not where I’d like to be. But we are sailing in the right direction.” With 160 franchisees worldwide in total, 13 of which are in the UK and five more are in the pipeline, Mina is set to change the way children view technology. “Looking forward there will be a strong demand for tech education and we have a program which not only teaches the how’s but also the way tech will affect lives,” Mina concludes. “After having made the ship steady when I became president, we are now aiming to grow further, tread into new lands and educate little brains about manmade machines.”

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If you have a passion for fashion, make Suit The City your next step Reach your full earning potential running a successful management franchise the same time, they are thoroughly bored with throwaway fashion. Suit the City are perfectly positioned to benefit from this evolving environment, to change the face of retail. Bespoke formal and casual wear is the way forwards and without the rocketing costs of stock or high street premises you can reap the financial rewards, whilst offering a premium service to your clients. Expert tailors based in Europe Your clients’ garments will be made in Europe to the highest standards by our tailoring team, using luxury Savile Row cloth. Due to our efficient measuring and production processes, our garments cost a fraction of the prices charged by designers and the Savile Row tailors. No previous experience of tailoring is required You and your team will receive comprehensive training to ensure that you understand how to service your clients. This includes our easy-to-learn processes, including measuring, styling and fabrics, plus all our in-house systems are there to help you get up and running quickly. On-going coaching and support helps you achieve your objectives.

uit the City has just entered its 12th year in business and the company is bucking the trend with a completely new approach to retail. With growing demand, low overheads and healthy margins, the opportunity bypasses the crisis on the High Street with a business model that is designed to benefit both you and your clients. The Business Suit the City offers a bespoke tailoring service to professional men and women. In fact women provide 50% of our business. Moreover, our reputation has enabled us to grow a following of loyal clients across the UK. We are now searching for forward-thinking, professional people to join us and build their business with our support. New franchisees can start their business with either men’s or women’s made-to-measure and expand in due course.

Your role Your communication skills will be employed to grow your client base and develop your team, which together with specialised knowledge that you will learn during training and throughout your time with Suit the City will ensure that you can offer five-star service. After all we have built our strong reputation through service excellence. If this has provoked some thoughts, please feel free to contact us to discuss your next career move with Suit the City. You can find us on the web or phone directly. w. www.suitfranchise.com t. 01494 880790

Growing Market The market for bespoke tailoring is increasing every year, with clients excited by personalisation and individuality, at 54 elitefranchise | september 2018

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The Entrepreneurial Franchise Opportunity 10 REASONS TO INVEST IN A CASH GENERATOR FRANCHISE Excellent Return on Investment * Proven business model Established since 1994 58 Franchisees operating 121 stores across the UK High growth opportunity, recession proof business model Single store and Multi-site opportunities available Multiple revenue streams including online and in store Exclusive franchise territories awarded for 10 years Ongoing training and support packages tailored to your needs Bespoke EPOS and website ecommerce platforms * More information is available in our franchise prospectus, download from our website now

www.cgfranchising.co.uk

Could you help ﬁx the ‘Catch up Crisis’? Mathnasium Learning Centres use a unique method of assessment and teaching designed to help children catch up, keep up and get ahead in maths. It’s a huge opportunity in a rapidly growing market, and this could be your chance to get involved. Owning your own Mathnasium Learning Centre Franchise could be the most rewarding move you ever make.

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Do something you believe in If you share Riverford’s passion for organic food, then partner with us. Our franchisees are our brand ambassadors, building relationships with and delivering to thousands of loyal customers each week.

iverford, the multi-award-winning franchise and full member of the bfa, began in 1987 when founder Guy Watson left behind his management consultant career in London to return to his parents’ South Devon farm and started growing organic veg. Early days saw the produce grown and delivered using only three acres and a wheel barrow. Fired by a determination to find a better way of getting healthy, sustainable produce from grower to consumer, Watson launched the home delivery scheme. “For almost 30 years, I have aimed to use the business to make the world a slightly better place, one veg box at a time,” Watson explains. “Put simply we want to give people good, fresh, flavoursome, ethically-produced food they can trust, produced and delivered in a way that gives a fair deal to farmers, animals, customers, staff and the environment.” Now Riverford is the UK’s largest and leading vegbox scheme. Delivering approximately 50,000 boxes of fresh organic produce each week across the UK directly from our farms, to customers homes, via our network of franchisees. Our customers care about where and how their food is produced and as a result they trust Riverford to grow and source fresh, tasty, ethical food without the use of pesticides. What sets us apart from other veg box companies is our commitment to reducing food waste and packaging and ensuring animal welfare is of the highest standard. We also support small farmers and ensure they get paid a fair price. 56 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

Good food, good farming, good business Sustainability is one of the main reasons Riverford has successfully farmed organically for over 30 years now. Since day one the business has believed in a better way of producing food. We look to develop long-term relationships based on trust, both with our growers, suppliers and with our franchisees. Riverford’s success relies on all elements of the supply chain working perfectly together.

How does it work? Our model is simple: Riverford grows, sources and packs the orders then distribute to collection hubs where our franchisees or their drivers ensure the deliveries reach customers’ homes safely. Working together, we promote the brand, engage with existing customers and encourage new clients to shop with us. The majority of sales come via online transactions from regularly ordering customers. Our franchisees pride themselves on delivering exceptional customer care that in turn generates high customer loyalty and increased

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product knowledge, retaining customers and accounting. Once launched, we support our franchisees through a wide range of central marketing activities and back office support. A designated business development manager is also assigned to mentor new franchisees to better grow their business. Support is also available from our strong network of existing franchisees, who share ideas and best practice. With continuous support and guidance, Riverford’s most successful franchisees have built their businesses from scratch to achieve a turnover of over £1m a year.

“For almost 30 years, I have aimed to use the business to make the world a slightly better place, one veg box at a time” Guy Watson, founder, Riverford order values. The business benefits from a positive cash flow from day one. What we’re looking for? Our franchisees come from all walks of life and backgrounds so there’s no Mr, Miss or Mrs Right. That said, we’re very selective and hope applicants are too. Investing in a business is a big decision and the fit needs to perfect for both parties. Running your own business is hard work but it should be fun and rewarding. Our franchisees are certainly testament to this and share our passion for fresh, ethically produced food. As well as sharing our brand values, there are three key areas we look for a strong alignment. Firstly, we look for transferable commercial skills that we can provide the support to develop further. Secondly, it’s very important candidates have the right values as

it is a key component in order to be authentic and authoritative. Thirdly, you need a strong foundation for a good relationship that’s based on honesty, openness and trust. All Riverford franchisees are guided through our structured application process. During this process, we encourage them to fully discover what life as a Riverford franchisee is like and help them compile comprehensive business plans to deliver a robust and realistic growth strategy. It’s important to fully understand the business they are investing in. Support Once awarded a franchise, we ensure franchisees receive the required training. This includes a week’s induction at our South Devon farm. This training covers all aspects of running the business from our extranet system to marketing,

Live life on the veg Riverford has proven its success and remained loyal to its ethical values and ethos of good food, good farming and good business. We’re constantly striving to make life easier for both our franchisees and customers, from changing the way we pack our boxes to adding new products, like our Vegetarian Society Vegan approved, recipe boxes, and providing inspiration and tips for cooking with our Riverford recipe channel on YouTube. A Riverford franchise offers a sound investment for the right person and a profitable, dynamic and rewarding business opportunity. The organic market continues to grow year on year and Riverford has a clear five-year growth strategy to make the most of this. The latest Soil Association Organic Market Report tells of a 6% growth to the organic market in the last year. This is the sixth year of growth for organic products with sales rising to a record £2.2bn. Proving that it’s a great time to invest in a Riverford franchise.

To find out more, call us on 01803 227 380. Email: franchise@riverford.co.uk or visit: riverford.co.uk/franchise

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR 2018 For the first time, it is now possible to operate your own part-time Helen O’Grady Drama Academy Business (2/3 days per week) for an initial outlay of only £2,000

Contact for a FREE brochure NOW Visit www.helenogrady.co.uk Call: 01481 200250 or email: nigel@ helenogrady.co.uk

Join the most recognised brand within the home cleaning industry. At MOLLY MAID you’ll always have the support you need from people who are not only experts within the sector, but genuinely care for you and your business. Find out more today 01628 583765 aaron.watson@mollymaid.co.uk www.mollymaid.co.uk/franchise

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31/08/2018 15:32

CHRIS ROBERTS DIRECTOR FRANCHISE FINANCE

Skills to pay the bills Whether you’ve just started out as a franchisee or have been running a business for some time, you need to ensure you have the skills to succeed

t’s hardly a secret many franchisees from time to time require a helping hand to build and expand the skills needed to start and run successful businesses. It’s vital to recognise that whether you succeed or fail is often influenced by external factors, some of which are beyond your control and some you can guard against. However, the one key internal factor that determines whether or not you’ll leave your competition shrinking in the rearview mirror is you – the owner of the business and the skills you have. People sometimes assume they can start their franchise journey simply using the skills they already have or believing their franchisor will provide them with everything they need. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case and a reasonable amount of selfdevelopment will nearly always be required, particularly if you haven’t run a business before. Thankfully there is a lot of help at hand for those looking for it. There are many good business books with most being available to download from the likes of Amazon and some very informative videos on YouTube. I think a great place to start is a book called The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber where he explains that a business owner needs to have the characteristics of three different people: a technician, a manager and an entrepreneur. Having only the skills

of one or even two of these people is likely to lead to failure. You need all three to be really successful. The technician knows the detail of the service or product supplied by the business and can roll up their sleeves, deliver, improve, repair and develop the company. They are very much at home doing the job, making the goods or delivering the service. The manager is the detail-oriented one, who dots the Is and crosses the

Ts, the one who remembers to pay the bills, does the book-keeping and understands the accounts. Managers want a well-organised world with no surprises, where things happen in an orderly and predictable manner. The entrepreneur lives in the future and not so much about the now, thinking about what could be achieved. He or she is a marketer and is prepared to reach for the stars and bring everyone else along for the ride. In other words, your self-help journey will involve you in learning more about marketing, networking, selling, finance, accounting, managing, monitoring, motivating, health and safety, communication and negotiation, leadership and delegation as well as the extremely important skill of time management. Business is a fascinating world and by studying these topics you will not only help you in business but many of these skills will also be useful to you in your private and family lives as well.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY DAY

Is your franchise a democracy? 60 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY DAY

processes and software continually improve and the franchise’s offering is reviewed and renewed regularly. Both franchisors and franchisees must be open to change, spotting and taking opportunities in order for the franchise to move forwards, rather BY JAMES THOMAS, FRANCHISE RELATIONSHIP MANAGER, D&T CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS than just doing what you have always done. The key to a profitable, successful ome of the more discerning franchise is staying relevant and adaptive to the world around you. among you may already be So, let’s jump forward a few years – the franchise is booming, the network aware Saturday September 15 is has several successful franchisees and many more are in the pipeline. International Democracy Day. While The business concept is still relevant and turnover is exceeding what the you may not be planning to celebrate forecasts have predicted – that means you and the network are safe, right? into the wee hours of the morning, Not necessarily. this seems as good a time as any to Peaks and troughs are an unavoidable part of business life – markets consider the policies and environment change and a business should be sure to avoid becoming too comfortable within your franchise to ensure they’re and stationary. So where do we turn for inspiration? Our franchise contributing to its success. democracy of course. Having a positive, cooperative attitude across the So why am I bringing this up now, network helps create the right environment for franchisees – to flourish. you ask? Well, a franchise network, It’s no secret that some of the greatest developments of well-established is in essence, a democracy. Whether franchises, ahem, Big Mac, ahem, have come from those within the network, franchisors will admit it or not, is delving deeper into the current offering and coming up with a new improved another matter. way to run the business. The entire concept of a franchise Now this idea may well concern a franchisor – the fact franchisees are is based on a core framework of a moving away from the original brand and business model. However, successful business model, which has done with permission carefully, it can be a powerful way of growing proven its success over years and in and developing a franchise. A positive, progressive environment is vital some instances, decades. As such, for a franchise’s success, longevity and profitability. After all, what if a at first glance a franchise could be franchisee’s new idea works? What if, like the Big Mac, it became an icon of seen as a dictatorship. After all, the the franchise and propel it to new heights? Well, who would say no to that? franchisor makes the big decisions So how do we get to this point? The answer obviously isn’t just for all and isn’t far removed from running franchisees to run off and do whatever they want – that would invite chaos. the business – they may even still be But if the right environment and culture is created within a franchise, running their own territory, so why franchisees are then enabled to put their insight and ideas forward. Working would it be anything but? together with the franchisor, these ideas can not only be taken on board but However, as time and the world tried out too. progresses so must the franchise And hey, if the trial is a great success, then you can bet your hard-earned and this is where many fail. Pressure pounds it’ll work for another territory. The new idea may even become the on the franchisor to develop and backbone of the business’s longevity and help keep the franchise relevant maintain the business can be a and ahead of the game. destructive and somewhat fruitless The best part about this whole process is not only will the brand develop endeavour in some franchises. but it also means the emphasis lies with the network as a whole, not just Change for change’s sake can solely at the franchisor’s feet. If all goes well, then it not only credits you be a costly exercise – however, if and encourages great ideas from other franchisees, it also helps the entire considered carefully, evolution can network. Big pat on everyone’s back. be incredibly valuable to a franchise. Of course for every great idea, there will always be a couple of stinkers but It can mean the world of difference as long as it’s rolled out in a controlled, manageable way, then there’s no against competitors for a franchise to reason why this would hurt your business. And who knows, maybe your Big invest time and effort into ensuring Mac is lurking out there within your network.

As great as your franchise may be performing today, there’s no saying how it will be tomorrow or the day after. And that’s where the franchise democracy comes into action.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

Betterclean Services is one of the lowest cost Business Management Franchises on the market with a hugely successful business system. Enjoy the returns from building your own business in a £6bn marketplace which includes retailers, supermarkets, offices, GP surgeries and much more.

• Average net profit margin 20% • Huge potential • Exclusive territory • Investment from just £19,600 + VAT

WE HELP YOU SUCCEED

With a Betterclean Services franchise you get an exclusive territory, a large support network to help you run and build your business. We work with you to define your plan and then support you in enjoying the journey.

If you’re enthusiastic, self-motivated and would like to apply to join our network call today on 0800 772 0810 or email franchise@bettercleanservices.co.uk

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We provide everything you need for success - we just need YOU

THE SMARTEST OPPORTUNITIES ARE AT VERISMART • • • • • • • •

Industry leading brand Established business, significant track record Permanent support team Lucrative and transferable business Exclusive territory Innovative and cutting edge technology Full training, no industry experience needed Proven, scalable and flexible opportunity

“Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart, but I did so in the knowledge that in VeriSmart I was buying into a well-established brand with a strong market presence and powerful selling points of unrivalled technology and outstanding product quality. It was the best business decision I’ve ever made.” Tristan Wainwright, Oxfordshire

Visit www.verismart.biz to register your interest

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Is énergie the perfect fit for you? It’s no secret that fitness franchising is a top choice for those looking to become their own boss. But why is the idea of opening a gym such a tempting business opportunity?

here are hundreds of franchise opportunities out there for entrepreneurs who are keen to invest their money into a new business. However, exploring your options and choosing the industry that’s right for you is the first hurdle you must overcome on your way to making some serious franchising gains. As a leading fitness franchisor, énergie is part of an exciting industry that’s bulking up faster than ever. Year on year, new gyms are popping up all over the world and, with 7,038 in the UK alone, it’s clear to see why the health and fitness industry is an increasingly popular choice for entrepreneurs. But why is this industry such an increasingly attractive option for people regardless of their background, experience and passions? Health and fitness is an evergreen industry that isn’t slowing down According to the 2018 State of the Industry report, the UK health and fitness industry is now worth £4.9bn, holds just short of ten million members and has a penetration rate of 14.9%. These numbers have jumped significantly in recent years, confirming both that the demand for gyms is at an all-time high and that there are plenty of opportunities for prospective franchisees willing to open them. Of course, every franchisee has their own reasons for investing in a fitness franchise, but they’re often enticed by the simple fact that fitness is a trend that isn’t going out of style anytime soon. In fact, it’s still growing. Thanks to the consumer, fitness franchising has become big business, and there’s never

been a better time to get involved as we enter the period LeisureDB is calling the golden age of fitness. Looking closer at the spike in numbers, it’s the low-cost market that’s taking the industry by storm. This year, 38% of the industry and 3.7% of the UK population are now represented by the low-cost sector. Fitting perfectly into the low-cost fitness franchise market with our costeffective club model and affordable membership offer at énergie Fitness, we are the only fitness franchisor to operate exclusively in this sector of the market, experiencing first-hand how this new direction for fitness encourages a surge in investors.

Owning a gym gives you the flexibility for the work-life balance you’ve always wanted Running any business is a demanding role requiring endurance and determination but it doesn’t mean you can’t achieve a level of flexibility that’s previously been out of reach. A combination of the support of the franchisor, the work that you put in from day one and the key decisions that you make for the benefit of your business are all part of the process. Although, it’s also important to remember the health club industry allows an extra slice of flexibility in the form of your very own team who delivers the service on the ground.

64 elitefranchise | SEPTEMBER 2018

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Occasionally franchisees will choose to manage their gym themselves but those who decide to hire a club manager often see the greatest level of flexibility. By supporting yourself with a club manager you’re able to successfully operate your business with another pair of hands, spend more time focusing on using your power as a franchisee to take your club’s success to the next level and dictate a reasonable level of flexibility for yourself to make time for your personal life. This is one of the reasons why franchisees, Jo and Peter Gunter chose to make their move into the fitness market with énergie. Jo Gunter says: “One of the great things about the énergie’s franchise is the flexibility. Our club managers are able to run the clubs themselves and can develop within énergie’s support framework.” Gym franchising brings in dependable revenue from day one The beauty of owning a gym is that your members are paying by monthly direct debit. Unlike other businesses that may have a never-ending stream of income uncertainty, you can reasonably predict your future income and never have to unexpectedly chase the next big sale. The best part is that you can lockin this recurring income from day one with a successful club launch. This was the case for énergie Fitness

franchisee Josh Waters. “We turned a profit from day one and hit our original five-year business plan within our first month,” he says. “Our highest turnover in a single month has been just shy of £63,000 and I’m now actively looking for my second site.” In addition to keeping you in a secure position as a business owner, a dependable revenue also means you can set new goals for your business. Some franchisees choose to focus on making their club as profitable as

possible, while others look to go one step further and expand their portfolio to open additional sites. Why franchise with énergie Fitness? When you franchise a gym with énergie Fitness, you’re partnering with a brand that has been empowering people to transform their lives since 2003. From business planning and property acquisition through to ongoing marketing and operational support, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive gym franchise package that gives our franchisees all the tools they need for success. Best of all, you don’t need a previous interest in health and fitness to be a success with énergie.

Visit www.energiefranchise.com or call 0845 363 1020 for more information on our franchise opportunities.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

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WEEKLY REPEAT BUSINESS WITH VIRTUALLY NO COMPETITION Global leader with over 20 years’ experience Exclusive Territory with huge customer base High demand allowing for multi van operation Last few remaining territories in the UK!

WE’RE STILL RECRUITING THROUGHOUT THE UK

OVER 350

FRANCH ISES WORLDWIDE

01788 550100 www.filtafryplus.co.uk | dslater@filtagroup.com

Do you have a passion for customer service? Do you have personal drive and energy? Join award winning and highly successful brand and the elite in glass and acrylic repairs. National account customers Franchise 500 ‘Best of the Best’ 25 UK franchise areas operating (320 globally) Exclusive single & multi van territories available Multiple revenue streams New Consistently ranked Franchise 500 listing to business? No worries we’ll Full training included give you all the No industry experience required coaching and support you need.

superglassukfranchise.com

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phil@superglassuk.com

31/08/2018 12:09

ADVERTISING FEATURE

SuperGlass, the UK’s premier glass and acrylic repair specialists, puts the needs of its customers above anything else

evoting all of your efforts to creating a customer experience that’s second to none is challenging and expensive in the short term. The rewards, however, for both customers and your business, including of course the franchisees, are both rich and longstanding. Every advancement that underpins a strong service ethic and helps engender trust should be regarded as a worthwhile investment. The above describes SuperGlass UK’s brand values and customer service strategy perfectly. The UK operation is mirroring the outstanding, award winning success and growth of its cousin across the pond who boast 26 years at the top of its industry. UK franchise director Phil Wells explains: “It’s never enough that we create the best repairs on the market we also need to exceed the customer’s expectations in terms of service delivery.” SuperGlass offers its customers lifetime guaranteed repairs backed

Every advancement that underpins a strong service ethic and helps engender trust should be regarded as a worthwhile investment.

by digital records which creates an unparalleled and risk-free proposition. In addition, the customer will only pay if they are 100% satisfied with the repair. Now that’s unbeatable. Wells remarks: “Developing our points of service differentiation provides both clarity and personal assurance to our customers. We are prolific at closing sales through repair and service demonstrations as we know that for the customer seeing is believing. We have brought that special US style customer service to our market in the UK. It is literally at the core of our success. “At SuperGlass UK we’ve invested heavily in the development of our digital

platforms designed to support high end customer service. However, it’s our fantastic franchisees who consistently deliver on our promises. Together we’re building sustainable business relationships creating a powerful network and is rapidly becoming the go to brand for glass and acrylic repairs.” If you are looking to make the move of your life or for more details please contact SuperGlass on 03333446606

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

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31/08/2018 17:34

SET UP YOUR OWN SUCCESSFUL SHOWROOM DĂŠcor Walls & Flooring are one of the leading distributors of PVC wall and ceiling panels and Luxury Vinyl Flooring (LVT) in the UK. Our products provide homeowners and commercial clients with an attractive and cost-effective way to update their walls and flooring offering a genuine alternative to bathroom tiles. Our panels are easy and quick to fit and hygienic, dispensing with the need for grout, and deliver a beautiful, low maintenance finish.

Commercial markets including hotels and restaurants, offices, clubs, gyms and sports venuese Potential is enormous with limited competition Increased turnover by over 70% in last 24 months No previous sector experience is required Opportunity to open multiple showrooms in their exclusive territory

DECOR WALLS & FLOORING

07557 900840

harryc@directordealflow.com

Cup the Cake is about a challenge where the sky is the limit Start your business from the comfort of your own home with no monthly royalties to pay out, what you earn is yours to keep. With three packages to choose from there is something to fit everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and skill level!

To learn more about the business options available contact: t: 07799 453621 e: hello@cupthecake.com w: cupthecake.com

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Five things you didn’t know about SMART repair O

ne. Lets start at the beginning with the explanation of the acronym SMART. It stands for small medium area repair technique, which is a repair process in the vehicle body repair industry designed just for repairing small damaged areas on a vehicle without having to repair and repaint large parts such as full panels or the blending of paintwork into adjacent panels which is the way that traditional body shops have always repaired minor cosmetic vehicle body repairs in the past. That’s not to say the traditional way is wrong but there are now new technologies that provide alternative repair methods. Two. SMART repairs can often be carried out at your location. If the damage sustained to your car is fairly minor such as a small bumper scuff, a minor scratch to the bodywork of your car or even small door dents picked up in supermarket car parks, then there’s a good chance this repair method could be the better choice for you. Most SMART repair companies offer a mobile service coming out to your location to carry out the repair work so you can continue on with your day whether that be at work or getting the housework done.

Three. Most SMART repairs are actually cheaper than your insurance excess and nearly always the cheaper option when compared side by side with a traditional body shop. In a regular garage there are usually much larger overheads to meet before a repair job becomes profitable. Even the smaller garages have rent to pay, building insurance, staff wages, commercial rates and utility bills whereas a mobile smart repair company can operate from a van that’s fully equipped with much lower overheads therefore the same repair service can be offered but with less overheads the smart repair companies can reduce the retail price and still run a profitable business.

Four. Car sales companies use SMART repairers everyday to sell you damage free cars. Even the big main dealers such as Vauxhall, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Peugeot use SMART repair companies to tidy up sales cars before they are lined up the forecourt. Most second hand cars are purchased at auction sites and then sold on for profit at car sales forecourts but nearly all of them have a scuff, a dent, a stone chip or a scratch that is repaired before it is up for sale. It is inevitable that cars that are used regularly will pick up minor wear and tear marks and these can put off potential buyers so the damage will be fixed quickly and affordably onsite. Five. Traditional body shops even use SMART. Sometimes this can be in house if the garage has invested in the equipment needed and training needed to complete this type of repair, and although a lot of bodyshops and car dealers are now training their own staff on how to carry out these repairs sometimes body shops will still use an outside SMART repair company to come in and complete small paint jobs or dent repairs because it’s quicker and although they may make less profit on the actual repair bill they can turn a repair around in a shorter time allowing a higher flow of repairs to go through.

For more information visit restorefranchise.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Reviving British elegance with a proven business A 21st century tearoom franchise bringing back the very best of English traditions with a modern spin

n today’s high streets, packed with chain restaurants, eateries and coffee shops, Patrick Duffy, founder of Beatons Tearooms and Bookshop saw something most people didn’t – an opportunity to bring back English elegance while making the most of the burgeoning interest in and market for quality tea. Inspired by royal fashion photographer and icon Cecil Beaton, Duffy embarked on a journey to get tearooms back onto our high streets, incorporating all that we know a tearoom to be but with a modern twist. Founded in 2010, Duffy opened Beatons’ first tearooms in Tisbury, Wiltshire, where it was an instant success. Beatons’ 25 loose-leaf teas take pride of place. But combined with a contemporary menu for every time of day, great coffee and an elegant afternoon high tea menu for special occasions all topped off with a curated selection of books to browse and buy, it quickly became the place to go. Offering its own brand of gracious hospitality, customers embraced Duffy’s vision that Beatons was more than just a tearoom but an experience, one that they wanted to be part of – bringing the refinement of a London hotel to Tisbury. The ethos at the core of the passionate owner’s heart can be summarised in three words: elegance, attentiveness and sparkle. This combination ensures customers leaving the tearooms restored and looking forward to their next visit. Recognising the success of Tisbury, Duffy opened another Beatons in Blandford Forum, Dorset, where it was equally well received and the journey into franchising began, bringing the proven model to several new locations. Focusing on organically growing the 70 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

brand over an instant expansion, Duffy took his time to carefully develop the Beatons franchise model, using bfaaccredited consultants and advisors, building the reputation of the group with the existing successful units. This has enabled potential franchisees to truly see and understand Beatons as a proven brand. Tearooms are not new in the UK, their history goes back to Victorian times, but what makes Beatons a Tearoom for the 21st century is the philosophy underlying everything they do – providing elegance with a beautiful and contemporary environment, attentiveness in great table service and that sparkle to set them apart and build an all-important recurring customer base. This combined with a financial and operational model that works. With franchises in Crowthorne, Petersfield and New Milton making a

total of five units already, two further franchisees seeking property further north, national expansion is now well under way. Duffy says, “Franchising is an increasingly popular choice for many people, Beatons offers something a little different and with that, I believe, the opportunity to turn an entrepreneur’s dream into a reality and playing their own part in taking the Tearoom concept into the 21st Century.” 01747 871819 opt. 2 www.beatonstearooms.co.uk

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Franchise Finance Limited is a credit broker and not a lender. Finance is subject to status and terms and conditions. Franchise Finance Limited is authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority, number: 627385 and acts as a credit broker sourcing credit for franchises from a carefully selected panel of lenders. Registered Office: Hitachi Capital House, Thorpe Road, Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, TW18 3HP. Registered in Cardiff no. 07285150. Franchise Finance Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC. Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC is a finance provider

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31/08/2018 10:41

FRANCHISE MARKETING

Ending and beginning

the year on a high BY PAUL STAFFORD, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS, CHANTRY

2019 may still seem like a long time away but the end of the summer is the perfect time to ramp up your marketing to source new franchisees

e’re already into that time of year when leaves start turning, nights get longer and – depressingly early – Christmas decorations start to appear on the shelves. Three-quarters of the year has zipped by – nine months that included snow storms, heatwaves and Gareth Southgate becoming a national icon albeit for a few weeks. It’s a sure sign of my advancing age but the year has marched at a ferocious pace – and that’s only set to turn into a sprint during Q4. The last part of the year is one of the most fertile and frenzied periods of franchise recruitment. September onwards sees plenty of activity as people returning from summer breaks and the school holidays are longing for something different than the routine they left behind pre-summer. And at the same time, it’s the period in which marketing and recruitment strategies and budgets for 2019 must be drawn up – no small task at the best of times. It’s fair to say there will be a lot going on this autumn. Closing the year on a high The first priority of course is making sure you’re capitalising on the rush of leads. Advertising and eshot slots are already getting booked up during the coming months, so if you’re looking for a spike then the time to act is now. You should also be pushing out regular content and news on your website and other advertising channels 72 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

to increase visibility, SEO juice and showcase your network’s dynamism. Speaking of content, the next few months are a great time to try out new things: there’s a hungry audience awaiting and you can get insights for the new year period as to what’s engaging them. If you’re still holding out on video, then take your first steps. Something simple recorded on a modern phone – preferably with a tripod to keep things still – works well and can be easily shared on social media and in newsletters. Mix that in with healthy doses of successful franchisees to remind people what they’re missing out on. And of course, always keep your target audience in mind. If you seek parents as franchisees for example, then speak to their post-summer mindset and how your business opportunity can deliver something better for them. Looking forward Despite record levels of employment and ongoing Brexit concerns, franchising is flourishing. The buzz at the bfa conference in June centred on the word busy and since then more franchisors than ever seem to have become immune to the traditional summer slowdown, with enquiries flowing freely. Where August was once a time to catch a breath and take stock, that doesn’t broadly seem to have been the case for the 2018 vintage of lead handlers and marketeers.

FRANCHISE MARKETING

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

Despite record levels of employment and ongoing Brexit concerns, franchising is flourishing. Planning ahead in such circumstances can be difficult but it’s essential to maximise your budget for 2019 – proactivity is a must if you’re to increase your potential in the new year. A marketing plan needn’t be overly complex but it’s crucial to have one if you’re to start the year on the front foot and build an active and effective pipeline. Doing the same things you’ve always done will likely lead to diminishing returns, so put some excitement back into your recruitment. Take a two-stage approach, beginning with reviewing the year to date, what’s worked well and what hasn’t, followed by brainstorming new initiatives for January onwards. For the review, don’t just look at headline numbers of received leads because the devil’s in the details. Delve deeper, analyse where your new franchisees first found you as well as where those who are really interacting with your recruitment process came from. If you’ve got data on the proportion of leads you could contact from each marketing activity, then how many came to meetings, discovery days and so on? You then have a clear picture of which channels are worth keeping and which can be jettisoned. Divert your budget from the poor performers and make room for something new in 2019. To determine what that might be, set aside time for 74 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

a no-holds-barred session with every member of your team or outsourcers involved in your franchise recruitment this autumn – the more minds involved the better. You’re looking to create an atmosphere where no ideas are stupid and everything is up for consideration. Are your messages still on point for your target audience? What are they watching, reading and listening to? What does your collateral say about your franchise? Involving the team gets everybody engaged and invigorated and you’ll have perspectives from different parts of the recruitment process to ensure you’re maximising your business’s collective knowledge. If you undertake a review and refresh the process during the final few months of the year, then you’re giving yourself time to put together revamped messaging, a new marketing plan and book in activities for January onwards. In doing so, you’ll be ahead of many of your competitors, securing the advertising dates and deals you want and having a structure to follow. Q4 is a time for pipeline-building as well as forward-thinking. Getting both right isn’t easy but will lead to a very happy new year.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Your recruitment franchise opportunity

aw Staff Legal Recruitment is an awardwinning legal recruitment firm with a network of connections spanning local, regional, national and international law firms as well as in-house legal departments. Law Staff acts for legal professionals at all levels, whether they are climbing the career ladder or looking for a change, and works with employers who are looking to recruit the best people to join their organisations. Law Staff’s aim is to fill each role with the best available candidate in the marketplace. From our head office situated in Cambridgeshire, we currently work with a wide variety of clients from across the UK. Established in 2002, we have provided exceptional recruitment solutions for a wide variety of private practice, in-house and magic circle clients. Adapting our proven technique to support all manner of recruitment, our clients’ needs are at the very heart of our business. As we expand into the future, we are looking for exceptional people to help build on our success, broadening our brand into new frontiers across the globe. Are you a top-class communicator who thrives in a self-motivated work environment? Then this could be the perfect opportunity for you. A background in sales, customer services or management isn’t essential, but it will be beneficial, although a great personality is the perfect starting block. As a franchisee, you will receive invaluable, continual business support, including training, marketing, access to new technology and more. Our franchise management team will assist you in developing your business plan,

“Offering much more than just an ‘off the shelf’ package” learning the best ways to hire and manage personnel, and how to profitably manage your facility. At Law Staff, we share our success. We ensure that you are well equipped not just to start but also to grow your business. Training, continual business support and a wide range of resources are available when you become a Law Staff Legal Recruitment franchisee. We want to make you part of our journey of success. Our exclusive franchise offer is limited in number, which means you are buying the right to develop your business in a defined geographical area, as each region or territory is sold as a package. Meaning that you are not fighting for vacancies from inside our company for business.

W: www.law-staff.co.uk T: 01954 208062 E: psweeney@law-staff.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

I’m fed up with other people taking credit for work I’ve done

I’m not appreciated at all

I want to be my own boss

I put in the hard work in what I earn

Running your own business doesn’t have to be a pipe dream With a Techclean franchise you can be up and running in weeks. Techclean are the UK’s leading expert in specialist IT cleaning services. With franchises available in your area, we’re looking for good communicators with an aptitude for sales and marketing to run their own locally based business.

• WORK FROM HOME • TERRITORIES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE UK • NET MARGINS OF OVER 55% • HUGE AND GROWING MARKET • REPEAT BUSINESS • EXTENSIVE ON-GOING BUSINESS SUPPORT

Request a free information pack at techclean.co.uk/contact or email jmatthews@thebardongroup.co.uk techclean, Unit 2 Cartwright Court, Forest Business Park, Bardon, Leicestershire, LE67 1UE 01530 513300 • jmatthews@thebardongroup.co.uk

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09/01/2018 31/08/2018 16:01 10:38

BE PART OF THE WORKPLACE REVOLUTION We are recruiting franchise partners to join the revolution in the UK Regus provides a network of 3,000 locations, in 120 countries and 900 cities globally, with over 300 centres across the UK. We are looking to grow rapidly, in response to massive changes in the way in which people are working and the growth in demand for flexible workspace. We are now looking for partners across the UK to help us increase the pace of our growth, to keep up with demand. Our partners will find, set-up and operate Regus centres under franchise. You will benefit from our proven business model, established back-office systems and infrastructure, along with our world-class marketing and sales tools. You will have the opportunity to open multiple centres in a defined geographical area, which can deliver an excellent return on investment. Gain access to a world of opportunity and become part of a recognised global brand.

If you have the drive, resources and commitment to be part of a global growth story, call our franchise team on +44 (0)7823 445061 Visit regus.co.uk/franchise or email franchising@regus.com

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29/06/2018 16:58

ALCOHOLISM

Bottling up BY ERIC JOHANSSON

Franchisors and franchisees alike must be ready to help employees suffering from alcohol addiction

illions of Brits, 29.2 million to be specific, drink alcohol. And for many, it’s simply something to do socially or to relax after a hard day at work. For others, drinking booze is far more serious – impacting both personal and professional relationships. Demonstrating the latter of the aforementioned consequences is a tribunal witness statement that smacks home the severity of the situation. The witness argues that a colleague wasn’t just drunk – she was “hammered.” However, this didn’t stop the worker from attending a business event where she allegedly kept forgetting the names of people she knew, disappeared into the ladies’, spoke over speakers and behaved erratically in general. When the colleague reported the incident, the worker was suspended and eventually sacked for gross misconduct. Still, when the case was brought before an employment tribunal in March 2018 the judge found the dismissal to be unsubstantiated as the employee hadn’t been given a fair investigation into the events and a fair chance to respond to the accusations. Whether you agree with the judge’s decision or not, it highlights one important point: franchisors and franchisees must know what to do if employees’

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ALCOHOLISM

drinking habits cause problems. “[It’s] likely all employers will face this issue at some point,” says David Price, CEO at Health Assured, the wellbeing network. Indeed, the numbers don’t lie. In 2017, 80,000 people in England were treated for their drinking habits, according to the latest government figures. In the same year there were 337,000 alcoholrelated hospital admissions and over 5,500 alcoholspecific deaths in England.“Alcohol abuse, like any other form of substance abuse, has a ricochet effect which touches everyone around the user, including employers and colleagues,” argues Price. But spotting the signs is far from easy. “Alcoholism can go unnoticed for many years with the employee behaving like any other until a stressful event causes the alcoholism to become known,” says Price. Still, there are symptoms to look out for like mood swings, scruffy appearances, appetite changes, tremors, rapid weight gain or loss, failure to focus on work, declining performance and sudden withdrawals from social events. However, it can be difficult to act even if an employee ticks these boxes. “If an employer notices an employee may have a problem with alcohol or substance abuse they’re often very unsure what they should do and end up doing nothing out of fear of doing something wrong,” says Jacob Demeza-Wilkinson, employment law consultant at the ELAS Group, the business support provider. Unfortunately, doing nothing isn’t an option. “The more lenient you are the more the employee may try to get away with,” he argues. If you suspect a worker suffers from dependency, you should refer to your handbook. “In most cases the action the employer can take in relation to alcoholism will be outlined in an alcohol and drugs policy,” says Price. The best policies dictate the support the employer should provide as well as the responsibilities of the individual employee. Moreover, policies should advise on potential disciplinary actions and the process of dealing with alcoholism at work. If your franchise doesn’t have a policy, you’re advised to put one in place. Importantly, while some employers may be tempted to make the alcoholic employee redundant, sacking suffering staff must be outlined in the policies as a last resort. “A dismissal can be expensive,” says Robert Maddocks, associate solicitor and specialist employment lawyer at HRC Law, the legal firm. Sure, it may be costly to support someone through an addiction but so is recruiting a replacement. Moreover, showing you care

about employees can boost your retention and ability to source new talent. “It helps spread good morale among the people in the organisation,” says Maddocks. So don’t go for the nuclear option if possible. Additionally, letting someone go could potentially land you in legal hot waters. Even though the Equality Act 2010 doesn’t protect addiction itself it may protect the underlying causes. “[The employee will] be protected against discrimination where they have a physical or mental impairment which is caused by the addiction or arises as a result of [it],” says Price. In other words, conditions like depression or being bipolar could protect the worker even if they result in alcoholism. “This means the employee shouldn’t be treated any less favourably because of the disability or something arising from the disability,” says Price. As a matter of fact, it’s your duty to care for staff and not to remove them because it seems like the easy way out. “Employers have a legal responsibility to look after employees’ wellbeing, health and safety,” says Janice Haddon, founder and managing director of Morgan Redwood, the HR consultancy. Given their responsibility isn’t just to the single employee struggling with the addiction but to the wellbeing of their entire workforce, it’s clear franchisors and franchisees can’t afford to put their heads in the sand. “Ignoring an employee’s abuse is putting the individual and others at risk,” says Haddon. So what should you do? “The first step for most employers will be support to help the employee recover from their alcohol addiction,” says Price. The support could take the form of employee assistance programmes and counselling as well as putting them into contact with a GP, the NHS or support networks like Drinkline, Smart Recovery Groups and Alcoholics Anonymous. Franchisors and franchisees can also help by removing stressful work. That being said, in cases where you can’t avoid firing an employee due to their drinking habits, having followed your own policies could help you in a potential employment tribunal. “That gives [you] a strong starting point,” says Maddocks. Because staff usually agree to the handbook when they join a business, it’s easier to prove dismissed disgruntled employees wrong if a franchisor or franchisee can show they’d done everything in their power to help. “So from that perspective it’s important the employer has got stringent and good policies,” argues Maddocks. Clearly, it’s never easy to find out your employees have a drinking problem. Fortunately, having good procedures in place to help them overcome it could save your franchise a lot of costs and could even be beneficial in the long term. SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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bl a l i a Av

The UK’s No1 dry carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaner Earn in excess of £50,000 per year If you’re looking for an exciting career change that will bring you financial security without the constraints of working for someone else, a zerodrytime franchise could be the right choice for you. Our franchisees come from all backgrounds: Armed Forces • Police • Fire • Advertising Printers • Sales People • Carpet Fitters and many more...

Franchise areas available near you

Call: 0191 580 2993 zerodrytime.com/franchise

Key Benefits 4 Great earning solutions Full training & support On job training in customers homes Online videos & information Dedicated area Domestics & commercial Man in a van or management roles Great earning potential Repeat customers

ADVERTISING FEATURE

A unique flexible franchise opportunity A

t Cup the Cake we certainly understand that in today’s financial climate it’s important for both mum and dad to work. So what better opportunity than to put in hours at home, have fun and still be with your children? What’s more we don’t breathe over your shoulder or ask for any of your profits you make. Your earning potential is completely set around your own time management. Cup the Cake offers a delightful opportunity to start your own business from the comfort of your own home with no traffic, no travelling expenses, no boss to answer to and, best of all, no monthly royalties to pay out. What you earn is yours to keep, you deserve it, you earned it. An idea inspired with your children in mind. Your business will be set up for you from scratch with your own website, online business portal which will capture your orders, bookings and online payments, Cup the Cake email address, business cards, car magnets, Facebook Page and initial online marketing boost to get you soaring. Included with your startup is a comprehensive kit which will equip you with all the basics needed to get those orders out to your customers. Comprehensive initial training is included with the option to advance with ongoing training offered. Cup the Cake is about a challenge where the sky is the limit. We’re all about being different, creating cupcakes with a

unique splendour, whether it’s wedding cupcakes with flair or something quick and simple to take to the office for your birthday, no two designs are the same for your celebration. Cup the Cake have three business options available depending on your goals and preferred starting price: Fairy, Cherub and Angelic. Setting aside the fact that you can still be with your family and work from home, you will be in a position to earn a cash income directly corresponding to hours you invest into your venture.

There is nothing stopping you from achieving your dream, life is a journey, it’s all about how we steer forward

The harder you work, the higher your profits will soar. Whether it be part or full time, the choice is up to you. At Cup the Cake, you are not limited to just baking and creating cup cakes the scope of adventure is limitless. Our unique selling point is that we create cup cakes with unconditional love and enthusiasm for our customers, regardless of the occasion. We thrive on our creative abilities and each and every customer is special to us. It’s this ethos which we pass on to you, with your own Cup the Cake franchise. Cup the Cake would be delighted to assist you further with your journey.

t: 07799 453621 e: hello@cupthecake.com w: cupthecake.com

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

Cup The Cake Advertorial - September.indd 1

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Buy a coffee franchise. Coffee is big business: 2.2 billion coffee cups are consumed every year in coffee shops. It makes lots of money: Industry turnover is approx. £7.9 billion and sales have increased 10% since 2015. And it’s growing: Analysts predict the coffee shop sector will exceed 30,000 outlets and produce £15 billion turnover by 2025.

Visit FranchiseSales.com to find out more about buying a coffee franchise – and more! Untitled-1 1

02/08/2018 17:31

Due to increased demand for arts & crafts classes, parties and events, the award-winning Creation Station are looking for proactive and friendly people to run their own successful franchise.

Rated 5-Star by customers on Trustpilot and in an independent survey, franchise owners rated the franchise as 5-Star.

Would you love to be your own boss, doing something you love with the backing of an established, tried and trusted brand? Request your free information pack today.

Over 120 people already enjoy running their own rewarding franchise.To check if your area is available and for more info call Maggie today on 01395 29700.

s so pleased my area was still available as The Creation Station really ticks all the boxes for me and my family.â&#x20AC;? Inspiring imaginations in North Watford, Hertfordshire

thecreationstation.co.uk/run-your-own-franchise Creation Station FP.indd 1 new tcs ad.indd 1 Untitled-1 1 Untitled-2

As seen on.

01395 239700 07/12/2017 11:44 10:51 02/02/2018 03/08/2018 12:18 12/01/2018 17:48

MARK CHENERY

Safe as houses

The recession spelt disaster for many across Britain. But it couldn’t have come at a better time for Mark Chenery’s thriving Northwood Lancaster estate agency franchise BY ANGUS SHAW

ew business owners were helped by the 2008 financial crisis like Mark Chenery, franchisee at Northwood Lancaster. And his continued success saw him branch into dual-branding this July after acquiring a rival – a feat most franchises wouldn’t allow – which sees his franchise in its best shape yet. Considering his previous job nearly killed him, that’s saying something. Before joining Northwood, Chenery ran a picturesque country inn sporting a golf course and eight rooms for a decade. Although it conjures up an image of a fantastical retreat, he felt the job’s indulgences would one day take his life. “It

encouraged lots of things that would eventually lead to me dying, I felt, due to massive weight gain and a love of alcohol, food and cigarettes,” he says. Being located just outside Stonyhurst College meant business was unrelentingly booming with 18-year-old students once the bell rang. And when tenants wanted to crack open a bottle or two, Chenery pulled up a stool whatever the hour. “The downside was that I was up at six every morning and went to bed at three the next morning,” he reveals. “And if anyone wanted to stay up drinking, I would always oblige them that.” A healthy work-life balance wasn’t even on the horizon. But he threw in the towel when he found himself weighing 20 stones. Swapping his hectic workload for a year of playing golf he was very susceptible when a friend proposed entering a business partnership. Although initially unsure what kind of business they’d develop, Chenery’s experience of letting out rooms at his inn led the pair to the late Nick Cooper, then-managing director at Northwood, at a franchise exhibition in Manchester. “You kind of go for a franchise because you want someone to hold your hand,” he says. “I knew a vast amount about the licence trade, I knew a little bit about lettings and selling commercial leases. I just wanted someone to direct me on what’s right and what’s not.” However, after jetting off to Southampton to sit down with Andy Goodson, then-owner of Northwood, sparks flew when an argument erupted between Goodson and Chenery’s business partner. “I don’t know where the row came from but they went at each other, so we flew back up north,” he recalls. Although, feeling at home with Northwood, it wasn’t long before he booked a flight back. For better or for worse, his friend lost his passport while heading down for round two and once Chenery was ready to seal the deal after a solo meeting without a grudge match taking place, the pair parted ways. Having worked for himself, Chenery hadn’t been told what to do since his school days, so when Northwood’s training came around he described it in a way a student may think of their lessons. “Some of it was pretty interesting,” he says. “Some of it perhaps could have been done better at the time but it wasn’t gruelling.” It only got better though. “I think we were office number 50 to open for Northwood,” he recalls. “As it was progressing over time, the training certainly improved.”

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MARK CHENERY

The landlord-turned-newbie franchisee borrowed £100,000 and splashed out £50,000 from his personal pot for the venture. And when the summer of 2007 rolled around, he was ready for action – only to find the town of Lancaster wasn’t. “It’s like anything when you open any new business: you kind of open your doors and people don’t flood in to start with,” he says. “There are a lot of evenings spent at your desk thinking ‘have I just squandered £150,000?’” But with funds on the line, he was quick to remedy the lack of footfall. Pouring his own cash into radio advertisements was Chenery’s strategy but while “the business came pretty quick” after three months of it, nothing could have prepared him for the silver lining of the 2008 recession. Renting rocketed nationwide when customers lost confidence in buying property outright. And thanks to Chenery’s focus on lettings for sustainable income, Northwood Lancaster was riding high off the recession’s shockwaves. “We just pushed and pushed on lettings while everybody else ignored them,” he says. “So we went from zero to a lot pretty quickly in the first couple of years of the recession.” Chenery had certainly tapped into a gold mine other estate agents were clamouring for once houses stopped selling but the competitors were too late. “We’d stolen the march from most of them,” he declares.

We went from zero to a lot pretty quickly in the first couple of years of the recession Creative thinking worked in the favour of Chenery then and still does. Acquiring Fisher Wrathall, the estate agency, this summer with the help of Northwood added a new sales focus to Northwood Lancaster’s lettings. “Acquisitions are quite a big thing at the moment because the market’s pretty static,” he says. “Buying out somebody else gave us a prestige sales brand.” The takeover was made simpler thanks to Northwood’s experienced legal aid. After all, court dates with unruly tenants is routine when it comes to lettings. “I’d never taken anyone to court in my life before I started doing this for a job and now it seems relatively commonplace,” explains Chenery. So a franchisor’s help couldn’t be more appreciated in this industry. “Certainly, in the current market where legislation is constantly evolving in lettings, we’re in a fortunate position that we get updated constantly as a franchise, so we’re always legally compliant.” Looking back, Northwood has been more than a welcome change from Chenery’s countless hours behind the bar. “Work-life balance is 100% better than what I used to do,” he opines. “Now, normally I’m home for tea-time to go and see my partner and child and I can drop the boy off at school in the mornings.” Mastering sales through Fisher Wrathall is the next frontier. “The lettings with what we’ve acquired probably makes us the biggest agent in town by some way now,” he concludes. And for that he thanks his loyal team. “You can’t run a business without having good staff.” SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

ADVERTISING FEATURE

A truly unique

franchise opportunity U

nique is a word that is misunderstood and misused. People often refer to “quite unique” or “very unique” but it can’t be either because unique means one of a kind and therefore there can be no other. The reason for impromptu grammar lesson is that the word unique undoubtedly applies to Games2Hire’s latest franchise opportunity – The Incredible Ice Cream Company. Obviously ice cream isn’t in itself unique but the Incredible Ice Cream Bar story and services unquestionably are. It began in 2007 when two event organisers, Mike and Chloe Fidler, needed to hire an ice cream seller for a major corporate party that they had been hired to organise and manage. They researched what was available but the choice was limited to the very common ice cream van or the ice cream bike, so often emblazoned with the slogan “stop me and buy one”. The Fidlers decided to combine their designer and eventplanning skills to fill the gap in the ice cream market for something different. So, copying a similar tactic followed by Steve Jobs, the late co-founder and CEO of Apple, they started work in their garage to set about creating something completely different. The result was the Wonka style Incredible Ice Cream Bar. This wasn’t just a dispenser of ice cream. Oh no. Starting at the left hand end of the bar, you select a cone or a cup. You dispense the icecream into your container and then ooze unctuously warm chocolate sauce on top, followed by a choice of colourful sprinkles and complete the unique experience with the inevitable Cadbury’s Flake. Ignore the calories

and excess sugar take – this is all about pure unadulterated pleasure. They launched the bar to an unsuspecting public in January 2008 and during the following six years they had bookings from such illustrious locations as Madame Tussauds, The Dorchester Hotel, Claridges, Tower Bridge, The Port of Dover, Center Parcs and Wembley Arena to name but a few. Those who booked the unique bar for these locations were a plethora of event organisers and party planners throughout the UK. In 2014 the founders decided to sell the company

in order to follow a new opportunity in the States and it was bought by Games2Hire, a well-established games hire company that already had many corporate and private UK clients. In the four years since, Games2Hire have been promoting the Incredible Ice Cream Bar and has had enormous success in siting the bar at events with the Metropolitan Police, Marriott Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Haven Holiday Villages, Nationwide Building Society and even the British Army. One concern that the new owners had was whether they could get

86 elitefranchise | SEPTEMBER 2018

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

bookings outside of the months between April and September. There is no question that ice cream sells incredibly well during the summer and this year’s extended heatwave in particular has been an amazing year for sales. But it didn’t take long before their worries were calmed. During the half of the year that between October and March events unsurprisingly tend to be indoors and whatever the weather is like outside, people are still very happy to eat ice cream indoors. The new owners soon found two major opportunities – corporate events and high end private parties. In the real world, from January to December companies have to entertain their clients and keep their staff happy, whatever the weather is like. Therefore there are as many presentations,

conferences, exhibitions and parties during autumn and winter as there are in spring and summer. The only difference is that they’re held inside, whereas in spring and summer they might be outside. One of the other big areas of opportunity discovered was the existence of numerous private parties. That included weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs and obviously a great number of Christmas and New Year parties. The way it will work for a franchisee of the Incredible Ice Cream Company is that they will be awarded a territory that is exclusively theirs. They can source and book any corporate or private event that is taking place in their territory and they can also book a pitch at any public event and sell ice creams directly to the public. What is almost certain is that the audience might have seen hundreds of ice cream vans and dozens of ice cream bikes but they’re unlikely to have ever seen the unique Incredible Ice Cream Bar.

The profit margin on an ice cream is very high as the cost of ingredients is relatively low. The franchisor will give full details to any potential franchisee of the money-making opportunity that exists, but suffice it to say that a very decent income can be earned without the need to work every day. This unique franchise opportunity was only launched this month, so it is very new, but there are 11 years of successful history behind it that support and confirm just how successful it can be for a franchisee.

For further information please visit incredibleicecream-franchise.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2018 | elitefranchise

The Incredible Ice Cream Company - September Advertorial.indd 2

31/08/2018 10:52

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

We all own it

Employee ownership isn’t just a succession option but an extremely useful tool to improve your staff retention and boost morale BY GARY DAVIE, PARTNER AND HEAD OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, SHAKESSPEARE MARTINEAU

t’s a common misconception employee ownership can only be used to form part of a succession plan. Whilst that’s true in many cases, franchises shouldn’t shy away from this innovative business model but instead carefully consider the benefits it could bring. Employee ownership has become the fastest growing business model in the UK. As well as many other benefits, the structure, commonly known as the John Lewis model, can help engage and retain employees by offering a meaningful stake and voice in the business. Franchise businesses rely on loyal, hardworking employees to ensure the operation runs smoothly. This is especially true of franchisees who own multiple locations and cannot be everywhere at once. Yet finding and retaining employees can be fraught with expense and frustration. It’s important to remember that the way employees are treated will mirror the way they treat customers. Employee ownership may well provide a solution for franchisees wishing to improve their culture or performance. The structure inspires a cohesive approach while improving customer service levels which encourages long-term employee commitment and productivity, with the added bonus of setting the business apart from the crowd. At a point where levels of trust in businesses are an all-time low, research conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the Employee Ownership Association, found employee-owned businesses are perceived as more trustworthy than businesses not owned by their staff members. Furthermore, employee ownership is proving to directly support the government’s priorities around its industrial strategy, with the business-led The Ownership Effect Inquiry suggesting the model is increasingly recognised as a key contributor to regional economies.

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EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

With new franchisees coming on board all the time, it may be possible for franchisors who believe employee ownership to be beneficial to the business to persuade them to adopt the model from the outset. However, given brand consistency is of upmost importance to franchisors, it may prove difficult to roll out the scheme across the board. For instance, franchisees may be reluctant to give up ownership stakes or not wish to enter the scheme to the same extent or on the same terms. Therefore, making the model mandatory is unlikely, instead it may be better to take a flexible approach, offering franchisees the choice based on each individual scenario. Whilst employee ownership normally involves having a significant stake in the business, this can take a variety of forms, judged on a case-by-case basis. It may be decided direct ownership is best suited to the business and employees will own shares in the company, on the other hand indirect ownership may be more suitable, with shares owned by a trust set up and run for employees’ benefit. Alternatively a combination of both may be most suitable. Whilst direct ownership may seem daunting for a franchisee, it’s possible to adopt a hybrid model on a smaller scale. For instance through the creation of a trust which can own a meaningful stake, whilst the owner maintains operational control. Yet it must be noted the model is not purely about ownership and financial returns but also about behaviours, being open with communications and involving employees in the business process. Whilst the same tax breaks that come with other types of employee ownership would not be available in a hybrid approach if the owners do not relinquish control, both the owner and the employees can still benefit from many rewards. When considering employee ownership there are a few essential factors franchises should address firstly. In order to decide whether the opportunities outweigh the sacrifice of losing an equity stake in the business it’s necessary to

Employee ownership has become the fastest growing business model in the UK consider two key factors, even just from a purely financial standpoint. Firstly, how much of the business growth is dependent on the workforce and, secondly, whether the value of the expected productivity gains outweigh the loss of equity. These are not easy issues to address and no calculation will determine the correct answer but the economic benefits which can flow from this model should not be underestimated. Imagine, for example, the customer goodwill that could be generated across a wide franchise operation with the right marketing of this message, especially in the current climate of distrust within the large corporate establishment. For franchises wishing to pursue employee engagement, it’s necessary to check the terms of the franchise agreement and confirm whether consent is required before arranging a discussion with the franchisor. Additionally, it’s wise for owners to get advice early on, not only from experts but also from other businesses who have adopted the model in the same sector. Employee ownership can be a powerful move. With proper planning to manage both customer and employee expectations, the model can be an attractive option for franchise owners who wish to provide business continuity with the added benefit of engaging the workforce.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

AFFILIATE MEMBER

EF 100 - Now Open.indd 1

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ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN! Summer may be over but things are just heating up at Elite Franchise â&#x20AC;&#x201C; celebrating the finest franchises found in the UK, the EF100 is back! Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitive league table flying the flag for franchising finesse returns for its second year. With everything from support to innovation taken into account for the judging process, franchisors small and large will be rounded up in a glossy printed publication and highlighted to our combined audience of 15,000 print subscribers and digital network of over 250,000 readers. Consider your franchise among the best in the land? Then enter today for free!

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£: 22,500

cafe2u.com/uk

coffee-bike.com/en

esquirescoffee.co.uk

art-K

Clever Tutors

ComputerXplorers

£: 10,000

£: 3,000

£: 29,500

art-k.co.uk/become-a-franchisee

clevertutors.com

computerxplorers.co.uk

diddi dance

Helen O’Grady

Kiddley Divey

£: 4,995+VAT

£: 15,000

£: 5,997+VAT

diddidance.com

helenogrady.co.uk

kiddleydivey.co.uk/join-our-team

COFFEE

CHILDREN

SPONSORED BY

WWW.FRANCHISESALES.COM

FRANCHISE FOCUS

CHILDREN Kumon

Mad Science

Magikats Maths and English

£: 3,000

£: 23,500

£: 10,000+VAT

kumon.co.uk

madscience.org

educationalfranchise.co.uk

Mathnasium

Monkey Music

Popkidz

£:40,000

£: 12,975+VAT

£: 25,000

mathnasium.com/franchise

monkeymusic.co.uk

popkidz.co.uk

Puddle Ducks

Spaghetti Maths

Sport4Kids

£: 18,975

£: £10,750

P.O.A

puddleducks.com/franchising

franchise.spaghettimaths.co.uk

www.s4kfranchising.com

Stagecoach

Swimtime

The Creation Station

£: 14,995+VAT

£: 18,000+VAT

£: 7,999+VAT

stagecoachfranchise.com

swimtime.org

thecreationstation.co.uk

The Detective Project

Turtle Tots

Tutor Doctor

£: 9,995

£: 13,000+VAT

£: 49,700

thedetectiveproject.co.uk

turtletots.com

franchise.tutordoctor.co.uk

ENERGY Gas-Elec

Green Square

£: 16,500+VAT

£: 75,000

gas-elec.co.uk/franchise

greensquare.co.uk/renewablefranchise

FASHION & CLOTHING Mobile Workwear

Noa Noa

Suit the City

£: n/a

£: 40,000

£: 19,950 - 22,950

mobileworkwear.com/Franchise

noanoa.com

suitfranchise.com

BBX

DNS Accountants

Fifo Capital

£: n/a

£: 25,000

bbxuk.com

dnsaccountantsfranchise.co.uk

fifocapital.co.uk

Rosemary Bookkeeping

TaxAssist Accountants

The Interface Financial Group

£: 16,970

£: 36,950+VAT

£: n/a

rosemaryfranchise.co.uk

taxassistfranchise.co.uk

interfacefinancial.co.uk

Beatons Tearooms

Broccoli Pizza and Pasta

Chopstix Noodle Bar

£: 55,000

£: 100,000

£: 59,000

beatonstearooms.co.uk

broccolifranchise.com

chopstixgroup.com

FINANCE

rosemary an altogether friendly bookkeeping experience

FOOD & DRINK

SPONSORED BY

WWW.FRANCHISESALES.COM

FRANCHISE FOCUS

FOOD & DRINK Cup the Cake

Gallone’s Ice Cream Parlours

Harry Ramsden’s

£: 377+

£: 14,999

£: 150,000 - 250,000

cupthecake.com

gallonesfranchise.com

harryramsdens.co.uk/franchise

Incredible Ice Cream Company

Maston’s

McDonald’s

£: 25,000+

£: 25,000

£: 400,000 - 800,000

incredibleicecream-franchise.co.uk

marstonscareers.co.uk

mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising

Papa John’s

Riverford

Southern Fried Chicken

£: 100,000+

£: n/a

£: 125,000+

papajohns.co.uk/franchise

riverford.co.uk/franchise

franchise.southernfriedchicken.com

Subway

Warrens Bakery

£: 86,000 - 222,000

£: 18,500

subwayfranchising.com

warrensbakery.co.uk

HOME IMPROVEMENT & GARDEN Aire Serv

BoConcept

Countrywide Grounds Maintenance

£: 18,000+VAT

£: 100,000

£: 44,950+VAT

leadingtheserviceindustry.co.uk

boconcept.com

countrywidegrounds.com/franchise

Decor Walls & Flooring

Just Shutters

Mr Electric

£: n/a

£: 25,000

£: 26,238

decorcladdingcentre.co.uk

shutter-franchise.co.uk

franchise.mrelectric.com

Schmidt

Shuttercraft

TruGreen

£: n/a

£: 25,000

£: 28,000+VAT

www.home-design.schmidt

shuttercraft-franchise.co.uk

trugreenfranchise.co.uk

Concept Building Solutions

Concordia

Moreland Insurance

£: 32,995+VAT

£: n/a

concept-solutions.co.uk

concordia-employment.co.uk

morelandinsurance.co.uk

Diamond Logistics

InXpress

Mail Boxes Etcs

£: 14,997+VAT

£: n/a

£: 25,000+

diamondlogistics.co.uk

gb.inxpress.com/franchise-opportunities

mbe.co.uk/franchise

Pack & Send

The Original Poster Compay

Two Men And A Truck

£: 29,500

£: 15,000

£: 30,000

packsend.co.uk

originalposter.com

twomenandatruck.co.uk

INSURANCE

MAIL & COURIER

World Options £: 29,995+VAT worldoptions.com

SPONSORED BY

WWW.FRANCHISESALES.COM

FRANCHISE FOCUS

MARKETING Signarama

Vibe Marketing

£: 25,000 - 45,000

£: 14,995+VAT

franchise.signarama.co.uk

vibemarketing.co.uk

PET SERVICES Barking Mad

Now Boarding Pet Hotels

OSCAR

£: 10,000+VAT

£: n/a

£: 8,995+VAT

barkingmad.uk.com

nowboardingpethotels.co.uk/franchise

oscar.co.uk

Trophy Pet Foods

We Love Pets

£: 13,995+VAT

£: 9,999+VAT

trophypetfoods.co.uk

welovepetsfranchise.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY ABC Photography Limited

Photography for Little People

White Box

£: n/a

£: 15,000

£: n/a

abcphotography.co.uk

photographyforlittlepeoplefranchise.co.uk

whiteboxphotography.co.uk

Kall Kwik

Recognition Express

Signs Express

£: 50,000 +shop fit +VAT

£: 35,000+VAT

£: 40,000+

kallkwik.co.uk

recognition-express.com

franchise.signsexpress.co.uk

Voucher Packs £: 10,000 - 12,5000 voucherpacks.co.uk

PROPERTY Agency Express

Belvoir

Century 21

£: 24,500+VAT

£: 22,500+VAT

£: 23,500

agencyexpress.co.uk

belvoirfranchise.com

century21franchise.co.uk

HomeXperts

Martin & Co Estate Agents

Platinum Property Partners

£: 19,995+VAT

£: n/a

£: 41,450+

home-xperts.co.uk

propertyfranchise.co.uk

platinumpropertypartners.co.uk

Redstone Lettings

Surelet Property Rental Services

VeriSmart

£: 14,995+

£: 9,500+VAT

£: 9,000+VAT

redstonesfranchise.co.uk

SureLetFranchise.com

verismart.biz

SPONSORED BY

WWW.FRANCHISESALES.COM

FRANCHISE FOCUS

RECRUITMENT Driver Hire Nationwide

Law Staff Legal Recruitment

Select Appointments

£: 35,000+

£: n/a

£: 24,750

driverhirefranchise.co.uk

law-staff.co.uk

selectfranchising.co.uk

Award Leisure

CeX

Cash Generator

£: 77,000

£: 150,000 - £250,000

£: 80,000

awardleisurefranchise.co.uk

webuy.com/franchising

cgfranchising.co.uk

Local Appliance Rentals

One Stop

SW Hair Extensions

£: 50,000+

£: 92pw+VAT

£: 5,500

localappliancerentals.co.uk

openaonestop.co.uk

remyswhairextensions.com

RETAIL

SPORT & FITNESS A-Star Sports

Anytime Fitness

Be A Better You

£: n/a

£: 110,000

£: 20,000

a-starsports.co.uk

anytimefitness.co.uk

beabetteryou.com

Busylizzy

Energie Fitness

Fitness Space

£: 17,000+VAT

£: 95,000

£: 24,950

busylizzyfranchise.co.uk

energiefranchise.com

fitnessspace.com

Premier

YourZone45

£: 14,950 ex. VAT

£: 60,000

makesportyourbusiness.com

yourzone45.co.uk

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE Eazi-Apps

Fone Doctor

Project M Asia

£: 7,995

£: 58,000

£: from 25,000+VAT

eazi-apps-business.co.uk

fonedoctoruk.co.uk

projectmasia.com

Trivaeo Cloud Services £: 14,995 trivaeo.com

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Auditel

Challenger Mobile Communications

£: 37,950+VAT

£: n/a

auditelfranchise.co.uk

challenger-mobile.co.uk

TRAINING Pitman Training

Sandler Training

£: 22,500+VAT

£: 55,000+VAT

pitman-franchising.com

sandlerfranchising.co.uk

SPONSORED BY

WWW.FRANCHISESALES.COM

DISCOVERY DAYS

01527 549 593

LeadingTheServiceIndustry.co.uk

Heating up your business prospec t s UK WIDE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES Aire Serv ® is part of The Dwyer Group®, looking after over 3,100 franchisees globally; Bright & Beautiful®, Mr Electric ®, Drain Doctor® and Countrywide Grounds® in the UK. Join this exciting business, needed all year round by commercial and residential customers. As part of one of the world’s largest franchisors, you’re in safe hands.

SEARCHING FOR A CAREER CHANGE WITH A FUTURE?

Arrange a meeting with us today and ﬁnd out if we are right for you!

Request more information enquiries.uk@boconcept.com

BOOK A DISCOVERY MEETING WITH US BY EMAILING: opportunities@century21uk.com or call 0115 902 1002 A meeting is a chance for you to ﬁnd out more about the CENTURY 21 team and whether it is the right ﬁt for you. 0115 902 1002 opportunities@century21uk.com www.century21franchise.co.uk

100 elitefranchise | september 2018

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DISCOVERY DAYS

UK’S NO.1 FRYER MANAGEMENT SERVICE WEEKLY REPEAT “MAN IN A VAN” FRANCHISE HIGH-DEMAND, EXCLUSIVE TERRITORY VIRTUALLY NO COMPETITORS

Call us on 01788 550100 to find out more www.filtafryplus.co.uk | dslater@filtagroup.com

Could YOU be the next UK Franchisee?

make their

Ready to take on a new challenge?

FUTURE your

Over 190 franchise offices in the UK

BUSINESS

First class training and support for owners and their teams

• the UK’s largest supplementary education provider • proven business model • marketing support • comprehensive training

A proven management franchise model Award winning support

RELAUNCHED FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

Discover how to MAKE MONEY and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

STRICTLY B2B

With a Mathnasium Learning Centre franchise you have the opportunity to build your own business, be your own boss and make a great living whilst making a difference.

EXCELLENT SUPPORT AND TRAINING

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Robust marketing framework

Call us now on 0800 854 714 or visit kumon.co.uk

ROBUST MARKETING FRAMEWORK

Join us for a discovery day and experience the Mathnasium Method and Model, held in Manchester and Hertfordshire.

Book your place at mathnasium.co.uk or call 0161 791 0686 Standard call charges apply

t: 01530 513300 e: edownes@kallkwik.co.uk w: kallkwik.co.uk

september 2018 | elitefranchise

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DISCOVERY DAYS

taimoor taimoor milkmilksheikh sheikh I am a franchisee & this is my McDonald’s I am a franchisee &

Come and talk to us us at at our our this is talk my McDonald’s Come and to Insight Day Day in in Manchester Bristol Insight 7th September 2018 2nd March 2018 ‘The best part of being a franchisee

is the responsibility that comes with www.mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising looking after a large workforce. www.mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising Giving local people a chance to develop their skills, grow in conﬁdence, progress their career – it’s something I ﬁnd really rewarding.’ Taimoor, operates four restaurants in South East London

Your Discovery Day Invitation

To join us on our next webinar or ﬁnd out more about Platinum Business Partners go to:

http://bit.ly/PBPDiscovery Register your interest:

01202 652 103

platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk info@platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk

Butcher, baker and cabinet maker... our franchisees come from all works of life! But they all have one thing in common. They all wanted to take control of their own destiny and become their own boss.

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF INSIGHT SESSIONS To provide awareness and understanding of the SW Hair Extensions Training Mentor Programme

Come and talk to us at our Insight in Elstree ToDay provide awareness of the value and importance of the role of the Training Mentor opportunity with SW Hair Extensions or support your current independent business only To provide an introduction to the training and business support available for both new and existing Training Mentors

“The teams that perform the cleaning tasks are always very thorough, professional and quick. I would certainly recommend using them”

Call us to learn about our Discovery Days

Fund Management group

Why choose Techclean? + Experience and credibility + Work from a home environment + Low cost, high margins + Operate in an ever growing market

BOOK ONLINE: remyswhairextensions.com/training-mentor-day.html

t: 07729 667402

e: info@swhairextensions.com

Our Discovery Days provide the perfect opportunity to investigate what MOLLY MAID can provide and decide if it could be right for you! We hold one to one Discover Days to ensure we can tailor the meeting to focus on your specific requirements and circumstances. Our meetings are held at MOLLY MAID House in Maidenhead, Berkshire, that way you can experience our professional and family feel environment, whilst meeting other passionate members of the team. Aaron Watson Director Business Development, Tel: 01628 583765 Email: aaron.watson@mollymaid.co.uk Web: www.mollymaid.co.uk/franchise

102 elitefranchise | September 2018

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DISCOVERY DAYS

PREPARING CHILDREN FOR THE FUTURE Home-based, management franchise Flexible, family-friendly commitment Generous territories with at least 600 prospects

Love fashion, live your passion with Suit the City Join a leading business in a booming market, beating the current trends in retail. Work from a small studio and build your business with the aid of a team of Consultant Tailors all trained by Suit the City.

www.suitfranchise.com

Dynamic support programme Rewarding and fulfilling

t: 01530 513308 e: edownes@computerxplorers.co.uk w: computerxplorers.co.uk

Apply for up to ÂŁ2,000 to run your own FLexible fun and rewarding Creation Station franchise Run your own educational, fun and flexible arts & crafts Creation Station franchise. Choose your hours, have fun and create positive differences within your community with your own successful business.

Discovery Day We want you... The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No1 Dry carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaners

0800 1 80 40 20

zerodrytime.com/franchise september 2018 | elitefranchise

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v2-Daltons business - full page ad - 196x270 with 3mm bleed CMYK 300dpi.pdf 1 05/10/2017 16:55:02

Buy or sell a business or franchise today...

• Search over 30,000 businesses for sale • Franchise opportunities to suit every budget

• The UK’s favourite place to buy or sell a business

www.daltonsbusiness.com Untitled-3 Untitled-12 1 1

12/01/2018 05/10/2017 17:53 17:14

JANE MAUDSLEY founder & managing director Little Voices

The

gospel truth

The prospect of feedback can be a scary thing – especially if it’s not what you wanted to hear. But successfully evolving a company can only be done by accepting the truth

ow do we keep improving and developing? We must answer that question constantly in business. And while mistakes, challenges and complaints help us grow and develop, I believe honest constructive

feedback is the route to progress and constant learning. When we need help and want to move forward in our personal lives we talk to our most trustworthy

friends. They try to give us an unbiased viewpoint on our situation and work with us to find the right path by being truthful. Their feedback and advice is crucial, so in business look to those who know your operation best and get some honest feedback. The term feedback is often used to describe all kinds of comments made after the fact, including advice, praise and evaluation – but none of this is feedback, strictly speaking. Feedback is information about how we’re doing in our efforts to reach a goal. We all have goals of different sizes and a target keeps us moving forward. One of the ways to achieve success, reach your goals and fulfil your business potential is to listen to your most loyal customers and seek their feedback. Every year I meet with our franchisees and most months I’ll have conversations with the majority of our network. My role is to support franchisees but it’s also to develop the brand and this is only possible by goal-setting, having a strategy, overcoming challenges and listening to feedback. We’ve just received our report back from the Smith

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

105

& Henderson Franchise Satisfaction survey. It’s an anonymous survey of our franchise network, which makes for very interesting reading and how we choose to develop as a result of this feedback is the key. The report was superb but there were areas that needed attention where we could clearly improve. To ensure improvement was achieved I had to dig deeper into some of the questions and to better understand how we could develop. Asking questions you want to know the answers to is one thing. However, asking questions that might give you true feedback and challenge you and your business is the best kind. If we ask a better question we’ll receive a better answer. Some of the questions needed clarification so after the results of our survey I dug deeper to better understand the answers and get improved solutions for our network trends. Brands that surround us every day seek our satisfaction. It’s common to receive surveys and questionnaires in our inbox after we buy a product or service. I encourage you to survey your customers but don’t just do it and tick it off your list – really listen to the answers, analyse the responses, look for trends and then you’ll highlight areas of improvement. Your customers will witness development and change that’s come about because of their feedback and naturally trust in your brand will increase. As a network the people who believe in our brands are best placed to help answer more detailed questions and I’ve started fact-finding with earnest to better appreciate our network’s needs so we can strengthen it. Helpful feedback is goal-referenced, tangible, transparent, user-friendly, specific, timely,

106 ELITEFRANCHISE | SEPTEMBER 2018

ongoing and consistent. Comments received need to be actioned for development to happen and satisfaction to increase. So, there’s an interesting month ahead for me as I pull all of the insight received together and add to the strategy from our brand development. Do you survey your customers? Do you ask the right questions and get answers that help you grow and develop? Do you seek further clarification to ensure you understand the feedback? I suggest that you do. Get your staff to sit down and be honest with you. Get them to walk in your shoes and ask what they would do with the business if they were you? The best way to achieve this is to be in face-to-face and hear feedback verbally. I really encourage you to take the time to listen, not just talk, as you’ll learn so much more.

Checkout Your Checkout Your Dream Franchise Dream Franchise

At the One-Stop-Shop for Franchise Recruitment, Profiles, Latest News, Success Stories, Upcoming Exhibitions and Dates for Your Diary. At the One-Stop-Shop for Franchise Recruitment, Profiles, Latest News, Success Stories, Upcoming Exhibitions and Dates for Your Diary.

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www.franchisesupermarket.net www.franchisesupermarket.net

26/01/2018 15:16

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