Elite Franchise Magazine June 2018 by Elite Business Magazine

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk

Female franchising

Why the franchising industry has everything to win by creating opportunities for women

JUNE 2018 ÂŁ4.50

Beatons Tearooms & Bookstore

After years in Singapore, Patrick Duffy craved running a quintessentially British business

Minuteman

Making the jump across the pond was only the first step for this US franchisor

Winging it Having criticised his own food on national television, Andrew Withers is clearly no stranger to ruffling a few feathers if it means he can expand Southern Fried Chickenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s network of over 700 restaurants in over 70 countries

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

22nd June, Manchester 7th September, Bristol 21st September, Milton Keynes 19th October, Leicester 9th November, York

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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

No fowl play From expanding into an Eastern Bloc still recovering from the collapse of the Soviet Union to launching franchises in Africa, Andrew Withers isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid of going the distance to make Southern Fried Chicken a success. 6 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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contents 06.18

REGULARS 9 Welcome & contributors 11 News & events 97 Franchise diaries

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

FEATURES

Workers, employees and the gig economy

40 On the boil

Beatons Tearooms doesn't want to follow in Starbucks' footsteps

With the gig economy, employment law has become trickier

46 What women want

This is how franchising can boost gender equality

48 New York minute

Minutemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UK expansion was only the beginning

58 Building strong ROI Buying a franchise means more than just name

66 Safety in numbers

Boost your marketing efforts with big data

74 The last percent

Future-proof your franchise by enabling your franchisees to be inspired

78 Not playing around

Helen Naraine reclaimed her work-life balance by joining The Creation Station

40 JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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At Home Instead Senior Care we specialise in delivering quality care to older people in their own homes. Given the market opportunity an ageing population presents, a Home Instead franchise offers a wise investment to build a market leading, profitable business while helping people live a better quality of life. Over 190 franchise offices in the UK First class training and support for owners and their teams A proven management franchise model Award winning support

Each Home Instead Senior CareÂŽ franchise office is independently owned and operated. Copyright ÂŠ Home Instead 2017.

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HOME001 02/02/2018 11/12/2017 11:42 09:57

welcome Volume 06 Issue 06 / 2018 EDITORIAL Zen Terrelonge – Acting Editor zen.terrelonge@cemedia.co.uk Eric Johansson - Feature Writer eric.johansson@cemedia.co.uk Varsha Saraogi Juinor Feature Writer varsha.sagaogi@cemedia.co.uk Angus Shaw – Editorial Intern angus.shaw@cemedia.co.uk

Creating community

DESIGN/PRODUCTION Jenny Allen – Designer Dan Humphris - Designer Lizzie Thurgood - Design Intern Dan Lecount – Web Development Manager production@cemedia.co.uk

ummer has officially arrived – no matter how grey the sky outside may be right now. But given how hot the franchising market is at the moment, we can only hope the British temperature follows suit. Interestingly, it seems as if franchisors are all on the same wavelength for this issue as many discussed the benefits of having a strong community. Patrick Duffy physically placed himself in the centre of his community when he launched Beatons Tearooms in his local village, which has a specific focus on residents rather than tourists, while giving back in the process. Meanwhile, Bob Titus, CEO and president of Minuteman Press, told us how his New York-based marketing franchise was built on developing connections with customers first-hand. Elsewhere, a handful of franchisors explain how open communication with their franchise network can foster creativity. Lastly, community spirit wasn’t great at Southern Fried Chicken in the beginning, admits Andrew Withers, the restaurant’s chairman and our cover star. But him being unafraid of cracking a few eggs to make an omelette has grown the franchise to 700 sites in 70 countries – be sure to chick out his story.

SALES & MARKETING Gemma Campion – Head of Sales & Marketing gemma.campion@cemedia.co.uk Jemma Tonge – Senior Account Manager jemma.tonge@cemedia.co.uk Taylor Blayney – Account Executive Natalie Tyler – Media Assistant Ore Akinniranye - Marketing Assistant info@cemedia.co.uk CIRCULATION Amy Coleman – Data Compliance Administrator amy.coleman@cemedia.co.uk ACCOUNTS Sally Stoker – Finance Manager 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

■ ZEN TERRELONGE - ACTING Editor

Contributors

Varsha Saraogi

Tony Bowman

Jane Maudsley

Dave Galvin

Our latest editorial addition dived in head-first this month to ensure you only received the essential news nibbles. Check them out on page 11. A great start.

While etyres founder recognises the benefits of starting a business with a partner, he warns that it could have horrible consequences if you’re not careful.

Fresh from receiving the Inspirational Woman award at the NatWest EWIF Awards, Maudsley talks this month about allowing yourself a pat on the back.

What ROI do franchisees get from joining a franchise? Why shouldn’t they just branch out on their own? Check out Galvin’s contribution on page 58 to find out.

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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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

Pret gets parented Food conglomerates naturally possess a hunger to make many fruitful acquisitions in their lifetime. Now JAB Holding Company, the food-focused investment firm and parent of Krispy Kreme, the doughnut franchise, has taken another huge bite into the industry through Pret A Manger. Could franchising become a strategic filling for the sandwich chain? In a £1.5bn deal expected to close in summer 2018, JAB will

take the reins of Pret A Manger’s £879m revenue from its current owner Bridgepoint Capital, the private equity firm, by securing a majority stake. In line with its business history, this move will go down as the company’s ninth food-based subsidiary out of ten. With Pret A Manger’s model providing 530 worldwide stores for JAB to get its teeth into, this acquisition certainly won’t have a bitter aftertaste.

BY VARSHA SARAOGI AND ANGUS SHAW

Events

Women win big The more you see females in franchising succeed you realise just how much the industry will benefit from opening its doors to women. Fortunately, that’s what Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) is all about as it highlighted the most successful and inspirational women in franchising at the NatWest EWIF Awards 2018. Among those bagging this year’s highly coveted accolades were Fiona Simpson, franchisor of ARTventurers; Shweta Jhajharia, franchisee at ActionCOACH; Jo Middleton, founder of Dog First Aid; Julie Houston, franchisee at Right at Home; Hannah Drury, franchisee at Caremark; Fiona Boswell of Fraser Brown; Jane Maudsley, founder of Little Voices; Ali Beckman, technical director at Puddle Ducks and Louise Harris, franchisor at Wilkins Chimney Sweep. We’d like to offer our huge congratulations to all the winners as well as the nominees.

Business Franchise VIP Masterclass June 5

Forty Avenue, J/W The Avenue, Wembley Park, London, HA9 9PE

Business Franchise Masterclass June 10

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Faster and stronger

The Northern Franchise Exhibition June 22-23

EventCity, Phoenix Way, Stretford, Manchester, M41 7TB

The fitness sector has exploded in recent years thanks to franchises like Anytime Fitness. The 140 club-strong fitness chain was crowned as the second-biggest private operator in Britain according to a recent report by Leisure DB, the market intelligence company. Commenting on the ranking, Stuart Broster, CEO of Anytime Fitness UK, said: “The franchise model and strength of the brand is allowing us to grow significantly and as well as successfully attracting new franchisees. Over 60% of our franchisees are now multiclub owners.” And it seems as if Anytime Fitness has its eye on nabbing the top spot by planning on an additional ten sites in the UK. Franchising sure seems like a good way to bulk.

bfa Franchise Awards 2018 June 28

The ICC, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA

The bfa annual conference June 28-29

The ICC, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA

National Franchise Exhibition 2018 October 5-8 NEC, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham, B40 1NT

June 2018 | elitefranchise

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Benefit from our trusted, proven model in the UK’s £1billion signage market! • Recognised as a top UK Franchise • World-class training and support • Enviable buying power and instant brand recognition

With over 900 centres in 60 countries, Signarama is the largest sign and graphics franchise in the world. We’re looking for ambitious professionals to join our network here in the UK – is that you? If you’re looking to join an award-winning brand with real vision, then we’d love to hear from you! Call 0208 930 9047 or visit franchise.signarama.co.uk. Untitled-2 1

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Pip Wilkins chief executive bfa

Answering the

conference call

Bringing together your network of franchisees at an annual conference is a perfect opportunity to learn and strengthen the business

hat makes franchising unique compared to many other business sectors is the sense of community at its very heart. Every year franchisors, as well as the bfa, provide a platform through annual conferences for their network to come together, share experiences, build and renew friendships and partnerships, overcome challenges and celebrate success in business. The common theme is collaboration and it’s a crucial part of what makes franchising flourish in the UK. A franchisor’s success is dependent on the franchisees at local level being successful so of course it makes sense to get franchisees together so they can share what is working in their businesses. After all, franchising is all about a proven business model. If a franchisee has an idea or a new marketing initiative that they have developed and proven, then why would a franchisor not want them to share it with the wider network so everyone can reap the rewards? This is the same principle when it comes to overcoming challenges. When a franchisor first sets up their business they go through the pain of making the expensive mistakes so a franchisee doesn’t have to. The joy of franchising is that it isn’t just about having the franchisor help out: there is an entire network of other franchisees that will be at varying stages of growth and may well have faced the same situation. Developing friendships and partnerships in a franchise network at annual conferences and other events is

advantageous to franchisees as many collaborate to get the job done. Many conferences in franchising are structured in the same way and we as an association have followed a similar format. Main sessions are developed using keynote speakers with messages centred on the key theme of the event. The CEO will give an update on the development and direction of the business. Concurrent sessions will feature experts or case studies on the ‘how to’ of different topics and then comes the celebrations: the annual awards. In the case of the bfa, our awards form the centrepiece of the event

and celebrate the success of both franchisors and franchisees against a variety of categories. Many franchisors do the same, celebrating newcomers to their network, growth and many more. The franchise community is always willing and able to share their knowledge and experience for the benefit of the franchising colleagues and the industry as a whole. Being in business can be a lonely existence but being in franchising, you’re not alone. The bfa community shares a common goal – to champion ethical franchising and achieve the promotion and recognition that this industry deserves. June 2018 | elitefranchise

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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 Untitled-1 1

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Sussanne Chambers founder and managing director HomeXperts

Franchising with flexibility

Many people think about working part-time. However, often they’re unable to find a job matching their skill levels – and that’s where franchising could come in

adly plenty of people take part-time jobs well below their skill level as often this is the only work available in a parttime capacity. This can mean parttime workers earn significantly less pro rata than they could expect if they were working at the same level that their skills demand. Another option for people looking to work part-time is to start a franchise which can be operated on a part-time basis. This will take advantage of existing skill-sets and deliver greater earning opportunities. Part-time franchisees get all the excitement of being their own boss and working for themselves while fitting work around other commitments or leisure time. The number of hours and commitment required to operate a part-time franchise will vary according to the franchise chosen. As will the level of financial returns generated from the franchise. Part-time franchises are not just for stay-at-home-parents wanting to get out to earn a few pounds. While

it’s possible to work in a franchise when the children are at school or nursery. There are plenty of franchises available across many different sectors. So how do you choose? Firstly, decide what time commitment you can make to a new business. Bearing in mind the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. Be honest with yourself and about your availability of time. Think about not only the number of hours but also when those hours are in the day and week. Some franchises, such as after-school franchises, have specific hours you will need to work to maximise your business opportunity. Others are based on you getting work when you can such as oven-cleaning or lawn-mowing franchises. Once you have decided on the time commitment, it’s time to think about money. Not all part-time franchises

are low level investment. Be mindful of the potential return on investment. At HomeXperts we recently expanded our franchise package to include a part-time option HomeXperts Xpress. We have recognised the need for parttime options for high calibre people who want to continue to work at a high level with good earning potential. Other franchisors are making the same choice offering part-time franchise options for their franchises. So you do have a choice. Don’t get a low level part-time job, utilise your skills and start your own business with the protection of a franchise system and be your own part-time boss.

JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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Low overheads and high margins; achieve financial success through an online business Why an ecommerce business could be the perfect opportunity for you You can start with a low level of start-up capital Work where you want, when you want No need to store or handle products yourself

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CASE STUDY: Nigel & Glenn

Pet Supplies

April ‘16

£3,500

CATEGORY

DATE JOINED

MONTHLY NET PROFIT

“

Brothers, Nigel and Glenn Chilcott, are no strangers to working together. For the past two years, they’ve been building a property business together after leaving their corporate IT careers in London. But they needed another income stream, and joining an online retail franchise seemed the perfect way to do it and keep them away from the typical nine-to-five existence.

Despite not having any direct experience of the ecommerce world, other than from a consumer perspective, Nigel and Glenn believed they had some valuable transferable skills that would benefit their business. In addition, they both had the enthusiasm and determination to make it work. They decided to join Platinum Business Partners in April 2016. Nigel commented: “We realised that you could probably do this on your own, but that it would take a lot longer, not only to get started but to become profitable too. Being taught by mentors who have been there, done it and made the mistakes, as well as being part of a support network, is hugely beneficial. We like the way that Platinum operates with integrity and in the medium to long-term, the franchise fee will become a very cost-effective investment.”

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Our focus now is on increasing our sales to 100+ units per day at a minimum of a 20% net profit margin. We also have plans to sell our current brand by December 2018 and develop another two.

“

Low start-up costs and unlimited potential made this online retail business a ‘no-brainer’

Glenn and Nigel sold their first product on Amazon on18th September 2016. Within nine months of trading, they’ve achieved a six-figure sales revenue and last month’s net profit was more than £3,500.

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No fowl play

BY ERIC JOHANSSON / photography by emilie sandy

Whether he’s learning the secret of franchising from The Body Shop’s founder or calling his own restaurants’ cooking disgusting on national TV, Andrew Withers isn’t afraid of ruffling a few feathers to improve Southern Fried Chicken’s franchise offering

ndrew Withers is all about great food. Come summertime and you’ll no doubt find him outside prepping the grill for the evening barbecue. “But I’m not allowed in the house,” he laughs. “My wife does all the in-house cuisine.” Fortunately, as the chairman and owner of Fast Food Systems, the company that owns the restaurant franchises AJ’s Piri Piri, Piccolo Pizza and, most importantly, Southern Fried Chicken, he’s never at risk of running out of flavours and ingredients to experiment with. In fact, mixing up his professional and personal lives has proven a hit in the past. “My wife once said our sauces were like ketchup, that they were tasteless,” Withers remembers. When he took this insight to the company and asked to add some spice, it didn’t take long before the sales heated up too. However, no one should be surprised about how closely the two spheres of Withers’ life are entwined. Not only has he spearheaded the growth of the company for over 30 years but being the founder’s son meant he acquired a taste for the food industry at an early age. “My father was very hard-working and taught us that if you want to do

well you have to work hard,” he says. Long before Arthur Withers came up with the concept that would develop into Southern Fried Chicken, Withers Sr worked for a long string of food companies. And during the weekends his son helped out baking doughnuts, frying up hot dogs and learned the basics of the industry he would dedicate his life to. “Catering is definitely in my blood,” he shrugs. By working for one of these companies the older Withers had the chance to go to America and it was there he had the light-bulb moment that would change his family’s lives forever. The pivotal experience was when he was served a plate of fried chicken in a South Carolina hotel restaurant. “He loved it,” Withers says. During the same trip he also had a chance to see a Mississippi steamboat with the sun rising behind it. The scene made a huge impression – it was the first thing that popped into his mind years later when asked what he remembered from tasting the delicious dish. “And that became the logo with the name as we see it today,” his son says. Nevertheless, this success was still years into the future. To begin with Withers Sr had no intentions of opening a chain of fast-food restaurants. “Initially, we were just

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Andrew Withers

There is no school to go to and learn how to build a global brand and there is no school where you can learn how to franchise

mixing spices in a garage,” his son remembers. The aim was to replicate the flavour Arthur Withers had tasted on his US trip and to sell it to traditional fish and chip shops eager to expand their menu in order to compete with quick service restaurants like McDonald’s that were slowly spreading at the time. “There was no name to the brand,” Withers says. “There was just a recipe we sold and that was the beginnings of the business.” One of the key moments came when Withers’ mum asked him to join the company in 1980. “At the time I was in a music studio recording punk rock,” he says. While he loved the music industry and had no intentions of leaving it, his mother eventually convinced him to change his tune. There was just one slight snag: Arthur Withers had no idea about his wife’s plans. “He was a bit shocked,” Withers says. “He didn’t want me to join to be honest. He wanted me to go out and find my own future and career.” Even though his father was less than thrilled, having his son onboard would prove pivotal for the business evolution into an international franchise. By 1986, the younger Withers began to hear about the term franchising. “I didn’t know what the word meant,” he says. At the time the company supplied ingredients to roughly 500 restaurants all using the Southern Fried Chicken brand. Unfortunately, not all of them kept the same high standard. Recognising franchising the business could solve the issue,

Withers set out to transform the chain. Although, that would prove more difficult than expected. “There is no school to go to and learn how to build a global brand and there is no school where you can learn how to franchise,” he says. “You can pay for advice but when you’re a small company, you don’t have the money to pay for it. You can’t afford to pay for it. So little by little we learned from other people.” While hiring a lawyer helped him put the franchise agreement together, Withers learned a crucial lesson in franchising at a dinner where he was sat next to Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop. “She said, ‘the problem with you guys is that you are salesmen that like to sell to anybody,’” Withers remembers. “‘But you can’t sell this to anybody. You have to be selective as the right people will grow your brand and the wrong ones will damage your brand.’” Even though he took her words to heart, being selective in the first years of franchising was a challenge. For one, he struggled to convince the independent business owners using the brand to join the franchise. It seemed as if restaurateurs willing to do so were rarer than hen teeth. “They didn’t want change,” says Withers. Despite his prompts they just couldn’t understand the benefit of it. Still, while unable to force anyone to become a franchisee if they didn’t want to, the budding franchisor could control that they sold the right food. Realising this, the Withers set out to audit every restaurant. “And the ones who weren’t using the genuine product but who were using our name, we took necessary actions to remove signage,” he says. “We stopped supplying many restaurants and removed the branding because it was damaging us.” In the end, 200 stores were forced to stop using the company’s brand. The ones that didn’t opt to franchise were allowed to remain as licensees but without the opportunity to transfer their contracts. Another obstacle to overcome was that his father was initially against the idea of franchising the business. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that Arthur Withers changed his mind when his son hired a Russian member of staff to help expand into Russia, which the founder wasn’t too happy about either. “Although, he didn’t say it that politely,” says Withers. Still, believing the recently collapsed Soviet Bloc presented massive business opportunities for the franchise, his son pressed on. And it didn’t take long before these efforts paid off with Southern Fried Chicken opening the first of what would eventually grow into 70

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Andrew Withers

Russian restaurants. “That convinced my father that having a franchise and a brand that were protected was a benefit and he started to respect what I was trying to do,” Withers says. Key to the success was that this was the first time they’d made an effort to be more selective in picking franchisees. “The first international place we went to was actually the United Arab Emirates and it was purely because somebody visited and demanded it,” he says. “At that stage if somebody came in and said I want to open, we’d say, ‘great, whereabouts?’” A similar pattern had emerged over the years as the company expanded into different European markets. But because the future success of the company was in the balance Southern Fried Chicken was adamant to find the right franchisees during the Russian expansion. And contrary to the franchisor’s UK experience, the Russians saw the benefit. “They understood that if you look after the brand, the brand will look after you back,” he says. “It was easy.” That being said, growing into the Eastern Bloc was far from easy. “Legislation there was very different,” he says. “Getting goods inside the country was quite difficult. Communication was very bad back then, roadwise. Air travel was a nightmare. You’d get on a plane internally in Russia and there would be no safety belts. There were broken windows and all sorts of things.” Moreover, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the country was in turmoil. People weren’t getting paid and the Russian oligarchy was busy grabbing every piece of wealth that wasn’t nailed down. If it was, they brought a crowbar. Still, Southern Fried Chicken’s gamble paid off when the country stabilised. “Because we were there early on the business grew from strength to strength,” he says. Not only did the success finally prove the virtues of franchising to Arthur Withers but the international triumph left budding franchisees peckish for further global expansions. “One country led to another,” says Withers. “There’s a mushrooming effect.” Focusing on global growth came with some side-effects though, particularly given Withers had

kids of his own. “I didn’t get to see them very much because I spent the last 30 years on an aeroplane,” he says. “But that was life. You know, living at hotels and travelling was needed. We were a small business and we needed to sell franchises and open restaurants in order to survive.” Despite these efforts, Fast Food Systems wasn’t doing too well. “We were losing money,” says Withers. And a lot of it was due to Arthur Withers’ reluctance to evolve the business and because of his declining health. By the early noughties he’d started to suffer from a series of mini-strokes but was still unwilling to give up control of the business. “It was his baby he didn’t want to let go of it but physically he was no longer able to lead it,” his son says. Moreover, with both father and son in the business, the company’s pecking order wasn’t clear. “They could either go to me or they could go to my father,” he says. “So it was a bit of a conflict at the time. It wasn’t easy for him and it wasn’t easy for me. Recognising something had to change if the business was to survive the father and son agreed to sell the company in 2006. Luckily, fate – or rather a certain spouse – intervened. “My wife persuaded me that it was a mistake,” Withers says. She convinced him to loan money from the bank and bet their house and everything

they owned in order to match the market value of the company. “My dad accepted it and it helped us tremendously,” Withers says. “He made it easy for us.” Having organised his father’s comfortable retirement, Withers set about turning the business around. “I didn’t want to lose everything I had built up” he says. “It was a difficult time but I think that pushes you and drives you even harder.” Not resting on his laurels, he quickly implemented new management structures to help the business evolve into the 21st century, which included computerising the business – something his father’s aversion for technology had previously prevented. Looking at the business as a whole he also realised that the business needed to slim down its workforce. Sad as this last part was, the combined efforts meant Withers was able to pay off the loan within 18 months. “And ever since then we’ve been profitable,” he says. This triumph also did wonders for his self-esteem. “I’m not the most confident person but it gave me confidence to grow the brand even further and my father was really pleased with the outcome,” Withers says. As a matter of fact, he set up an office for Arthur Withers and hired him as a diplomat for the brand. “I gained his JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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Andrew Withers

“Some of the faces just dropped as I walked into the shops,” he laughs. Some of them bent over backwards to show that they’d cleaned up their act. Others chose to join the franchise network and some wanted to keep being licensed, aware of the fact that their contracts couldn’t be transferred to another person unless it was turned into a franchise. “We also legally removed many, many dozens who were illegally using the brand but not our products,” he says. Still, despite this clean-up, Southern Fried Chicken isn’t focusing on expanding in Blighty anytime soon. “I’m not overly actively pushing the UK,” he says. It’s hardly a secret why he isn’t: the rise of delivery services like UberEats, Just Eat and Deliveroo has meant traditional quick service restaurants face massive problems in more developed markets. “Obviously, convenience being number one where you can have everything home delivered,” he says. “It’s killing off the bricks and mortar business.” Instead, he’s now actively encouraging the franchise’s growth in developing countries. “I am very actively pushing Mongolia, Africa, Russia, China and other places where there’s still a gap in the market,” he says. Unlike Britain, these countries are far from full, providing Southern Fried Chicken with more opportunities to be successful. “People are still going out to eat because it’s about entertainment,” Withers says. “It’s more about meeting their friends than about the convenience of eating.” But no matter if the next generation of franchisees are coming from Britain or are growing their business abroad, Southern Fried Chicken looks for the same qualities across the board. “Individuals are very critical,” he says. “We’re looking, really, for developers.” Particularly, the franchisor looks for people who already run their own business to ensure budding franchisees have the right managerial skills and those who have some restaurant experience. These skills are crucial to ensure the franchisees can develop the number of restaurants needed to make the business profitable. “It doesn’t just work with anybody,” he says. Today Southern Fried Chicken has about 700 restaurants in over 70 countries. But looking five years down the line, Withers is bullish about the prospect of growing this number. “We will be in the thousands,” he says. Although, having learned from his past mistakes, the franchisor is adamant that only the cream of the crop will be awarded a franchise. “I’m holding back growth a bit because if they aren’t going to look after our brand then I’m not going to work with them,” he says. Almost four decades have past since Withers first surprised his father by abandoning his music career to join the company. But it seems as if his own early endeavours have struck a chord in the next generation. “My children have both become quite musical and I let them enjoy the music business,” he concludes.

It was shocking and upsetting to see the conditions that they were working in respect because the company had turned around, got out of a difficult stage and it was profitable, so he was very happy.” While the business was flourishing thanks to its international efforts, things were far from hunkydory in Britain. This became obvious for everyone to see when Withers took part in the Channel 4 show Undercover Boss in 2011. “I had watched the programme and realised it could highlight the faults in our brand,” he says. And it clearly did with the programme including a scene where Withers tasted some foul food and declared it to be “greasy, horrible shit.” But it proved his point that many UK stores had because they weren’t part of the franchise network. There was no consistency when it came to standards of the food and hygiene. “It was shocking and upsetting to see the conditions that they were working in,” he says. Following the show, Withers personally went to the roughly 390 UK shops over a 12-month period. 22 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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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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31/05/2018 15:23

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Finding freedom and fulfilment From 720 hours a year commuting, to a walk down the garden path

n 2002, Lucy Cameron decided to move out of London to a more rural setting where she and her husband would be closer to their families and be ready for starting their own. But the payoff was a minimum three-hour commute to and from work each day. Childcare got increasingly difficult and their only solution was to get a live-in au pair. Her commute continued to be the bane of her life with train delays, strikes and engineering works making her miss precious bedtimes with her children. She explains: “In 2010 my kids were two, five and seven. I felt our relationship getting increasingly distant as the au pair seemed more like a mother figure and a friend to my children than me. I was finding the commute to and from work each day very tiring and finding the energy to enjoy the weekends and go on family trips was getting more and more difficult. At work, I felt a palpable disdain if I asked for time off to watch my children in school assemblies, carol services or attend parents’ evenings - so I just missed them rather than ask. My husband also had to commute for his work so the children were losing out on time with both of us. “Something had to change. I’d never considered running my own business before, but the more I looked in to franchising, the more boxes it ticked. Business coaching pulled together everything I had learnt – business acumen, the theory studied in my MBA, coaching skills, people skills, training, mentoring and coaching. So, I launched my ActionCOACH business in February 2012 immediately saving me 720 hours a year on commuting time alone.”

Lucy Cameron presenting at one of ActionCOACH’s quaterly conferences

Winning as a working mum

Cameron set three clear goals to create a true work-life balance. Having breakfast and dinner with her children, keeping Fridays clear so she could go to school assemblies and growing her business to earn the same as her corporate career by the end of year one. “Mondays is admin and marketing,” she says. “I coach Tuesdays to Thursdays, finishing work by 5.30pm so I can have dinner with the family. I coach from a large office at home which means I am here when the kids come home from school. I keep Fridays free so I can catch up with friends, take the dogs for a walk, and do the household chores which leaves weekends free for family time. Finding time for school events is simple, school holidays are less restricted, my coaching schedule makes it easy to have weekends away. We have now bought a wooden lodge in Norfolk where we go to switch off completely.”

24 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Choosing the lifestyle route

Lucy enjoying family time

Rewarding business

Having found a good work-life balance, Cameron is focused on helping other business owners find that balance too. She has won three Best Client Results awards since 2013 and one of the companies she coaches went on to win a highly-contested industry award. “You can see why I’m so pleased to enjoy a business with so many rewards, not just the flexibility or financial rewards,” she says. “In total, I have worked with over 70 businesses and coached over 130 people in the last six years. “My client income grew from £59,000 in 2014 to nearly £144,000 in 2016 and over £157,000 in 2017. My success is, in part, down to my sales conversion rate which lifted to 100% in 2017. I achieved this by following ActionCOACH’s system, the advice of other franchisees and only meeting with business owners who were serious about investing in growing their business. My sales conversion efforts were recognised by ActionCOACH’s UK support team and I spoke at the 2018 franchise conference to share my successful strategies.”

Many ActionCOACH franchisees are generating well in excess of £250k a year, renting offices away from home and restricting coaching sessions to an hour. Cameron wants her business to fit around her lifestyle but still be effective for her clients. “To make sure I stick to those first goals I set for myself, I coach from my office at home in the garden. I like to make sure my clients get what they need from each session, especially when they’ve made the effort to travel to me, so my coaching is rarely just one hour long. I see my relationships with clients as more than professional, they are also friends. “In the future, I will be looking at bringing on board an employee business coach, ideally another working mum as that will create more role models. I am also building a team of freelance trainers - also mums - so I can provide additional services to businesses around leadership and development. Once I have set this up, the beauty of my business is that this won’t affect my current work-life balance. “As an ActionCOACH franchisee you work with business owners, helping them in areas including how to increase their profits, develop powerful systems and also building a strong team. The results are not only a more profitable and sustainable business, but also a dramatically improved life for my clients. It makes it a fantastically rewarding and fulfilling business to be in.”

If you would like to know more about the ActionCOACH opportunity 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 6-minute overview video at actioncoach.co.uk/overview

Lucy celebrating with her clients at The 2018 Business Excellence Forums

JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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30/05/2018 11:25

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Caremark’s stable of young franchisees The rise of the 30-something professionals choosing a Caremark franchise

he popular television programme The Apprentice has gathered a steady audience of young professionals who, thanks to the dynamic young entrepreneurs featured in the series have inspired more 20 and 30-something professionals to dream about owning their own business. The options for owning and running a successful business in the early part of your career are proving attractive to young and ambitious individuals and never more so than in the field of franchising. As franchising is a viable route for younger entrepreneurs to pursue, carrying less risk than a standalone startup, this option is clearly appealing to professionals who seek the combined benefits of a business opportunity but without the high risks involved with going solo. Having ambition, energy and talent are just some of the attributes needed in any young business owner. Caremark also looks for something else in its potential franchisees, equally as important, and that is passion for the industry in which they will be building their business. Shipra Mehta and Swati Bagwe are just two of Caremark’s clutch of 30-something franchisees who have joined the expanding UK network. Mehta and Bagwe friends and business partners, launched their Caremark homecare business in Richmond-upon-Thames in January 2017 and started trading in May of that year. In less than 12 months they have gone from a standing start exceeding

performance targets, to a business which is building a great reputation in their local community. Their drive and determination to create a high quality and locally based homecare service was rewarded earlier this year at Caremark’s annual conference when they clinched two prestigious accolades: The Rising Star award and the Regional Award for top franchise in the south-central region, which recognised their progress through the last year. Both women come from professional backgrounds: Mehta having worked in the NHS and Bagwe a clinical engineering graduate and former medical insurance underwriter. Despite their different career paths, their common denominator is their shared vision to create an outstanding business, delivering bespoke care and support to the vulnerable people in their local area. “Having ageing parents and seeing their need for care inspired me to do my bit,” says Mehta.

Shipra Mehta & Swati Bagwe receiving their Rising Star Award

26 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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31/05/2018 15:36

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Hannah Drury receiving her 2017 bfa Franchisee of the Year Award

Their business has already attained recognition from Richmond council as a provider of homecare as well as the council awarding one of their care workers with the Dignity in Care accolade. Bagwe adds: “My father’s struggle with memory has been a worry. We decided to do something for others with similar conditions.” The combined talents of both these young professionals is sure to stand them in good stead and will, no doubt, see them collect yet more gongs in the coming years. Also recent to the Caremark network is young businessman Ahsan Sajjad who bought Caremark’s territory of St. Albans & Dacorum in Hertfordshire in early 2017. He wanted a business which

would not only provide a solid income but also make a valuable contribution to his local community. Now he’s keen to work with the local authorities of Dacorum and St Albans to help alleviate the pressures and ever-increasing demand for quality care,” says Sajjad. And he knows, from his own experience, that his new business can do just that. “I decided that setting up my own company was how I could make the most impact,” he says. “I’ve run a care business before so I know what matters most to customers, their families and the care workers who make all of this possible. Our aim is to deliver a homecare service that we would be happy for our family and loved ones to receive, and to help our customers to maintain their independence and lifestyle by supporting them in their own homes.” “I strive to ensure that our care workers are well trained, feel valued and respected for the fantastic job they do day-in, dayout,” he adds. Young franchisees may not have the wisdom and experience of their older counterparts but they bring with them

I strive to ensure that our care workers are well trained, feel valued and respected for the fantastic job they do day-in, day-out

energy, vision and a drive to succeed, all vital components for building a business. Wisdom is acquired with experience, but to get there, first you need the passion and grit to get started and keep going if you are going to get anywhere and even have a sniff of success. Hannah Drury, already a multiple award winner, including the prestigious bfa 2017 Franchisee of the Year award, is one of the youngest franchisees in the Caremark network. The 25-year-old owns and runs a successful business in Sutton. Her success is a great example of what possibilities lie open for young and ambitious professionals. The bfa, the industry’s official selfregulatory body is keen to promote franchising to the younger audience and encourage more success-hungry professionals to explore the vast smorgasbord of franchises available. Waking up each morning feeling excited and enthusiastic at the prospect of another day in the office can only be a good thing, more particularly when you are still at the beginning of your professional life. As for the Caremark Richmond-onThames franchisees, Bagwe and Mehta, they are clearly glad they made the jump. “I can certainly say that now, a year on, that choosing a Caremark franchise has definitely been the best decision I have taken yet,” concludes Bagwe. www.caremarkfranchises.com 01903 266392 franchise@caremarklimited.co.uk

JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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31/05/2018 15:36

nce e

l b a l i Ava

The UK’s No1 dry carpet, upholstery and hard floor cleaners 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: 0800 180 40 20

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

zerodrytime.com/franchise

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29/03/2018 13:52

Frank Milner CEO Tutor Doctor

Why franchisees must overcome their stage fright Many people fear public speaking more than they fear death. However, this is an obstacle franchisees must tackle to be successful hilst I hate to be the one to break it to you, even with the best products and services, your customers aren’t just going to come and break down your door. As a new franchisee, much of your first weeks and months will involve promoting your new business and introducing yourself to prospective clients as well as targeting influencers and your peers. This involves a lot of good old-fashioned selfpromotion and public speaking. And if you suffer from stage fright, this is the cue for the ominous music to kick in. Stage fright, rabbit in headlights syndrome - call it what you will – the fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, is probably one of the most common afflictions. It’s often seen as a secondary hurdle to overcome later down the line. And perhaps that’s why it goes unaddressed or unnoticed in so many cases. But, in my experience, it will lead to problems from day one if not discussed honestly and openly, before you leap into franchising. Self-promotion is vital for getting a new business off the ground and for maintaining visibility and momentum as you grow. So ask yourself if the thought of walking up to a stranger and talking about your new venture fills you with dread or do you relish the opportunity to make a new contact? As a fresh franchisee, you have to be willing and able to put yourself out there and speak with clarity and confidence about who you are and what you do. It’s never about selling on the spot but about being personable, memorable and informative. Take note though: you don’t need to be great at it from day one but you have to do it. The best way to become a confident public speaking expert is to do it. Repeatedly. If you’ve never done it before then it will be uncomfortable and you probably won’t enjoy it at first. However, if you’re not prepared to do it at all then I’m afraid franchising

probably isn’t for you. As well as making valuable connections and building a referral network, public speaking will raise brand awareness, boost your business’ profile and set you as an expert in your field. Why does it matter so much? Why won’t your marketing flyers and adverts and websites and social media activity be enough? Well, ask yourself this: how many times has an in-store assistant put you off buying, the service in a restaurant left you vowing never to return or a pushy salesperson driven you away from a particular brand or product? People buy from people. And so, making connections, building relationships and garnering trust and credibility are crucial for all franchisees. There are just some things that you can’t expect the franchisor to do for you and promoting your franchise locally is one of them. As a franchisee, it’s your responsibility to be the voice, the face and the numberone ambassador for your business. Break a leg. June 2018 | elitefranchise

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31/05/2018 10:49

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Businesses are buzzing with the strength of coffee Following the announcement that the UK coffee market is now worth a staggering £9.6bn following 19 consecutive years of growth, Tom Acland, managing director of Cafe2U UK, looks at the performance of the industry as a whole and specifically what this means for the nation’s largest mobile coffee franchise

he recent Project Café2018 UK report from Allegra UK Coffee Portal, the organisation researching the coffee culture in Britain and beyond, made for some very interesting reading for the whole of the coffee industry when it was released at the turn of the year. Now worth a staggering £9.6bn, the UK coffee market underwent a real ‘coming of age’ year in 2017, recording 10.5% branded market increase, signifying its 19th consecutive year of growth. Whilst the industry has strengthened, so too has its understanding of the UK coffee consumer. The top two reasons determining where people choose to buy their coffee from is the convenience of the location and the quality of the coffee - with the preferred drink of choice still the well-loved latte. All this makes pleasant reading for anybody remotely linked or interested in the UK coffee market - and even more enjoyable for those working and operating in it. As with many coffee outlets, Cafe2U is simultaneously benefiting from the booming franchise market. Over the last four years, the franchise industry has grown 10% and is now worth £15bn to the UK economy, employing more than 621,000 people.

To straddle these two burgeoning markets at a time when others are struggling and futures looking uncertain is a unique and exciting opportunity. As the fourth largest coffee brand in the UK with the largest mobile coffee offering, we are proud of the position we find ourselves in. A career with a mobile coffee franchise can therefore be a profitable one. By their very nature, they offer a less competitive landscape than those on the high street, in shopping centres or at transport hubs, offering a truly unique experience of coffee shop-

quality espresso coffee taken to a workplace or event. This is underlined by the demands of the customer who are looking for a higher standard of coffee than that currently available at their workplace, in the most convenient fashion. There’s nothing more convenient than coffee coming straight to your door. This article is part one of two. Check back next month to learn more about Cafe2U. franchises@uk.cafe2u.com cafe2u.com/uk/franchise-opportunities

30 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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30/05/2018 11:27

IMPROVE LIVES, INSPIRE CHANGE, NURTURE SUCCESS The Kare Plus Franchising story continues to develop as we move closer to total coverage of the UK. As one of the longest established healthcare franchises in the country, we have developed a reputation for quality care, outstanding support and sustained growth. Nowhere is this more evident than in our expansion from a single branch to having sold more than two - thirds of our UK territories.

NOW AVAILABLE

EDINBURGH

70% 60%

NOW AVAILABLE

70%

40%

NOW NOW AVAILABLE AVAILABLE 30%

of Kare Plus UK territories sold

10%

NOW AVAILABLE

This unique franchise model grants business owners a level of freedom and creativity that is unmatched by other healthcare franchises.

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SHEFFIELD SHEFFIELD

20%

With establishment-based care, homecare and the soon to launch, live-in care service to choose from, our franchisees are able to tailor their service offering based on territorial demand.

After almost 30 years of providing compliant and passionate healthcare staff to establishments across the United Kingdom, the Kare Plus network is expanding faster than ever before.

YORK

50%

EXETER

Other key territories include: Harrogate Peterborough Plymouth Newcastle Upon Tyne North Wales

Get in touch with us today: 01952 783338 www.franchising.kareplus.co.uk franchising@kareplus.co.uk

17/05/2018 16:34

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.

SEARCHING FOR A CAREER CHANGE WITH A FUTURE? BoConcept is a successful company in design-oriented furniture and are searching nationwide for: Managing Director Retail store-Franchise Partner - Very high average income potential - A strong brand from a well established company - Transparent processes with open communications - High Level Management Support - Extensive marketing support - Extensive training - Support for the store design and furnishings & Opening

Request more information on this franchise system franchise@boconcept.com www.boconcept.com/franchise

Franchise opportunities only available outside the Greater London area

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30/05/2018 11:31

Nigel Toplis managing director The Bardon Group

A franchisee never forgets If there is such a thing as a secret ingredient for getting ahead in the world of franchising, then it might well be having a good memory good memory helps to remember client details, recall appointments and enables you to keep on top of market issues. But the most important aspect of running a successful franchise is to always remember why clients chose to work with you in the first place. Forget this and you can say goodbye

to any repeat business or word of mouth referrals. It’s vital to maintain focus on customer service levels and your personal presence in your business community. My view is that the key to a successful franchise is to remember a client’s goals and objectives and to ensure whatever is important to your client is also important to you. This way your contact will be continually reminded that you are a business partner rather than just a supplier. Suppliers come and go but business partners are always valued for their advisory or consultancy input. When we recruit franchisees to Recognition Express, Techclean, Kall Kwik or ComputerXplorers we rarely look for experience in the industry because we’ll teach them that. We look for people who we believe will relate quickly to key customers, who are good communicators, who we feel can build relationships and who are organised, ambitious and driven.

To be a successful franchisee you need to have a strong sales drive and a commercial awareness to develop close business relationships with clients – you must be a people person. A good franchisee will need to be ever-present in the local business community rather than stuck behind a desk. They should be doing plenty of networking and client meetings, so any staff must be motivated, informed and capable. Always recruit the best people you can afford, not your brother-in-law simply because ‘he’s my family’. Successful franchisees will ensure that any local marketing matches the corporate positioning of the group and more than that they will be constantly active with regular marketing activity and client communication Excellent client service is the only level that’s acceptable if you want to be a successful franchisee. Repeat and referral business makes up a significant part of the business in a B2B environment and retaining business is extremely cost-effective. There are no trade secrets. If you want to get ahead in franchising then get close to your customers, employ good people, regularly and consistently market and deliver excellent customer service. It’s that simple. JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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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-2 1

As seen on.

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Fifo Capital drives small business success Franchisees with Fifo Capital don’t just build their own successful business, they do it by realising the dreams of other entrepreneurs just like them

n a rapidly growing and global alternative business finance market, Fifo Capital has established itself as an indispensable partner for small businesses across the globe. Their innovative financing products and comprehensive business development and support have made it possible for them to expand rapidly to serve clients in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, through their network of more than 60 franchisees.

Serving a rapidly growing market Businesses need innovative and relevant financing products to meet their needs in an increasingly complex and international economic environment. Often, that means fast and simple access to financing to manage cash flow interruptions and to pursue short-term growth opportunities that traditional lenders simply can’t accommodate. While the financing needs of SMEs have changed, traditional lenders have largely remained the same. Their financing products are primarily designed to serve significantly larger businesses operating at a much slower and more bureaucratic pace,

The UK alternative finance sector is predicted to be worth £12.3bn by 2020

leaving entrepreneurs with relatively few options. The UK alternative finance market grew dramatically from £3.2bn in 2015 to £4.6bn in 2016. 33,000 businesses used alternative finance in 2016 compared to 20,000 in 2015. The UK alternative finance sector is predicted to be worth £12.3bn by 2020. This makes it an exciting time to be a part of the alternative finance industry. Building success with franchisees and clients The secret to Fifo Capital’s success is, in many ways, its franchisee program. The company works closely with franchisees to provide them with the tools they need to succeed and to guide them through each phase of their business development. This practice of intentionally nurturing success also carries over to the way that Fifo Capital does business. Startups and small businesses need financing to establish themselves, to compete and to grow. For those businesses, though, the end goal isn’t just to acquire financing. Rather, they’re trying to apply that financing to drive their own success. Fifo Capital works very closely with its customers not just to manage risk, but to better understand them, to provide guidance, and to help them reach their real, primary goals. This doesn’t just help clients, it helps to ensure the success and sustainability of both the franchisee and the company as a whole. Learn more about the franchise opportunities with Fifo Capital at https://fifocapital.co.uk/join-fifo-capital/

JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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30/05/2018 11:31

Heating up your business prospec t s

UK WIDE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES Aire Serv ® is part of The Dwyer Group®, who look after over 3,100 franchisees across the world, including, Bright & Beautiful ®, Mr Electric ®, Drain Doctor ® and Countrywide Grounds Maintenance ® in the UK. Join this exciting business that will be needed all year round by both commercial and residential customers. As part of one of the world’s largest franchisors, you’re in safe hands.

01527 549 593

LeadingTheServiceIndustry.co.uk

Is education your passion? lo ve Yo u’ll it h w g n i h teac ts Mag iKa

Maths & English Tuition Our franchise opportunity is for people who want to be part of a profitable business that makes a positive and lasting impact on the education of local children. We are… …an already successful operation with thousands of satisfied students …in one of the UK’s fastest-growing market sectors …a business with a comprehensive training and support programme …a business with low investment and potentially high returns

Business should be fulfilling

Find out how at: www.educationalfranchise.co.uk Email: enquiries@magikats.co.uk Tel: 0844 870 9896

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30/05/2018 13:22

Tony Bowman managing director etyres

For better or for worse What’s the worst that could happen when you go into business with a spouse or friend?

here are considerable benefits to be gained by starting a franchised business with a life partner or a close friend. Make no mistake, it’s still an enormous challenge, but there is no doubt that having someone to share the burden with is bound to be helpful from a practical, financial and emotional point of view. Our two longest established franchised branches, both with over 20 years of profitable trading, have been partnerships. One is owned by a husband and wife team; the other by business partners. In both cases the individuals concerned have brought different yet complementary skills to the businesses, which has obviously contributed to their success and longevity. This is probably one of the key factors in establishing a successful business partnership but there are many others. It’s also important that the relationship is built on strong foundations, because all businesses go through shaky times. With so much invested in the success of your joint venture, even a slight disagreement over something as simple as whether to answer calls on a bank holiday Monday can place extra strain on even the strongest relationship. You also have to be on the same page when it comes to key aspects of running the business, such as drawing an income, working hours, future expectations, etc. Being open and honest about financial situations is also imperative. This might be more transparent and straightforward for a couple but you need to be aware of your friend’s financial situation too. Their financial

commitments will shape the decisions they make. For instance, they might say they are willing to reinvest early profits back into the business. However, if their personal overheads are high, they will need to draw a salary to cover them, which could be at the expense of new equipment or extra staff needed to grow your operation. Being in a successful business partnership will invariably confirm to both the parties that the other person is bringing complementary skills that make the whole much stronger than the individual parts. Unfortunately, like most things in life, the partnership route into business is not a guarantee of being trouble-free. It can occasionally go spectacularly wrong. We had this experience a number of years ago when two new recruits joined us north of the border. Both in their early 20s and previously being friends at school, they had great hopes for establishing a successful business. And so it was until after a couple of years one of them propositioned his business partner’s wife. In the space of a few days the business closed and we were left to pick up the pieces. A similar, but less spectacular, failure occurred when the egos of the business partners clashed. In that case the franchised branch was successfully sold and continues profitably to this day. In summary, my experience is that partnerships in a franchise are generally successful. They produce better than average results and often a less stressful working environment for those involved. The key is to find the right combination to unlock success. JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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31/05/2018 10:52

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Make sport your business If you have a passion for sport and physical activity, making a positive impact on the lives of children and running your own business, then a Premier franchise is the perfect investment opportunity for you

remier are the UK’s number one sport and physical activity franchisor and a full member of the bfa. Since 1999, our franchise network has grown exponentially, with businesses now operating in more than 125 territories throughout the UK, employing and developing more than 1,200 activity professionals. Through engaging and innovative sport, dance, drama and health and wellbeing programmes, Premier franchisees had more than ten million visitors on physical activities last year, which means our network got a child active every second of every day, 365 days of the year. Why choose a premier franchise? Premier has been a recognised brand across the UK since 1999

and now has a network of 125 UK franchises with territories expanding internationally. Each franchisee has their own exclusive territory and we provide comprehensive induction training and ongoing operational mentor support. We also run national marketing campaigns to help drive business within your area. A benefit of running a franchise is that it helps to alleviate the risk that starting up a new business alone can incur. Premier also has excellent relationships with banks and government schemes for you to access funding to start your business. We also drive industry standards through government affiliation, which supports you in your area in your business. Due to Premier’s scale and quality we now partner with National Sporting Governing Bodies to increase

participation rates and cater for demands in your area. Premier are a Market leader in the delivery of Sport & Physical Activity within UK primary school, they have been engaging young people in sport for over eighteen years and deliver sport and physical activity in 15% of English schools Premier delivered over 510,000 hours of activity last year and collectively employ over 1,200 qualified activity professionals and instructors with 126 franchises operating in the UK, with worldwide network of 197 franchisees. It’s a great time to join Premier In the last academic year, Premier’s franchise network has displayed incredible growth. Territory revenue was up by over 25%. A Premier franchise offers investors a platform to achieve their personal and professional goals by combining their passion for physical activity and making a positive impact on the lives of children. You can take control of your career by working for yourself, but not by yourself, and doing something you love every day. Why not start your journey today? makesportyourbusiness.com 01953 499 040

38 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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Take control of your future with the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading mobile coffee franchise. CALL 0113 232 0118 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

the best part of your day! @Cafe2ULtd

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facebook.com/Cafe2uUK

www.cafe2u.co.uk

24/05/2018 23/05/2018 15:12 12:14

Beatons Tearooms

On the boil After years in the corporate world overseas, Patrick Duffy felt it was time for change. His return to the UK prompted him to do something quintessentially British and he launched Beatons Tearooms & Bookshop By Zen Terrelonge

f you look up the definition of one extreme to the other, you may well find Patrick Duffy’s past and present career moves there. A seasoned executive within a corporate background, he had his fill of the industry and decided to bow out for something in the complete opposite direction. “I had years in corporate life, the latter part of which was living in Singapore for eight years,” he says. “I came back to my home village of Tisbury in the UK and wanted to do something very English, where I could walk to work and enjoy it, having had enough of corporate telecoms life. That really started me off on the route to a tearoom.” With the business idea sorted, Duffy needed a name and one came to him quite naturally – Beatons, so called after Cecil Beaton, the society photographer, who used to live and work nearby. With the brand name Beatons Tearooms & Bookshop created, Duffy’s vision opened for business. Recalling that moment in 2010, Duffy claims it was phenomenal. “The population in Tisbury is around

2,500. We’re at the heart of the village physically and emotionally and have been very well received. The opening party had people flooding onto the street and it was a big celebration for the whole village,” he details. It was an ideal outcome for Duffy as the goal of Beatons is to engage with the local community as opposed to out-of-towners, executing “gracious hospitality”. “We’re interested in the long-term, residential consumer base, we’re not focused on huge coach-loads of tourists,” Duffy says. And while the age of customers leans towards the older generation, he admits Beatons is increasingly appealing to younger consumers too. Explaining why he thinks that’s the case, he says: “You’re served at the table, which is different to high street coffee shops where you queue, stand there waiting for your order, then try to find a table. It’s very much more of an elegant serviceorientated environment.” For Duffy, his thought process in the beginning was simple – quit corporate life, launch in Tisbury, job done. He quickly had reason to change his

mind. “The day we opened we didn’t have it down as getting bigger than one unit. Three weeks after that, we looked further afield as the success inspired franchising.” Believing that franchising was a good solution for a tearoom because franchisees could truly showcase their passion and enthusiasm through it, Duffy got the wheels of expansion in motion. “Because they’re involved in the success of the business, they can bring their personality to replicate the model,” he says. There was a slow and steady approach to franchising rather than rushing in like a bull in a china shop. bfa consultants and advisors were used to produce a Beatons franchise manual in a process that took the better part of a year. “We decided to do it properly and didn’t hurry, so it was a safe process. We officially started marketing about two and a half years after opening the first store,” Duffy recalls. To be extra certain that everything would run smoothly, a company-owned franchise was opened in early 2014

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We’re not just about selling, it’s a matter of expanding the ethos of what we do

to put the manual to the test, just before the arrival of an official franchise. Discussing why he knew the first franchisee was right for Beatons, Duffy says: “The most important thing is that the franchisee themselves is the right person. They need to fall in love with what we’re doing. We’re not just about selling, it’s a matter of expanding the ethos of what we do.” In addition to mentality, the location of the business must be right, so Beatons has developed a tight specification of the desired territories. Rather than huge city centres where coffee shops sit on every corner, smaller market towns with specific population ranges are sought, in keeping with Duffy’s Tisbury branch, which has been able to thrive within the community. In terms of marketing the debut franchise, the aim was to replicate the success of the first store. “One of the most important things is to get them off to a good footing,” Duffy says, explaining it’s key to capitalise on the launch and make an impact in the first weeks. Indeed, like the original entry into franchising, each Beatons franchise premiere is gradual. “For example, we have a soft opening initially. That’s followed by an elegant soiree for local invitees, which is 70 to 100 people invited to a champagne-style party,” he says. Ensuring each franchise is an embedded and invested part of the community even further, each franchisee nominates a charity that they’ll support, which lasts for a year before selecting another for the next 12 months. That social enterprise aspect of the business includes an open house event to raise awareness. “The launch process is something we hope the franchisee can find as enjoyable as possible, rather than stressful,” Duffy insists. As part of that charitable

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Beatons tearooms

collaboration, certain menu items cost more than others but it means the extra fee goes to the local charity, with matched donations from Beatons. Some of the organisations supported include Helping Older People, an elderly care group, Julia’s House, a children’s hospice, and FitzRoy, a learning disabilities charity. On his franchising journey, Duffy came to learn that franchisees need support to get to where they need to be, which was a crucial part of developing the model. “The first month of operation is probably the most stressful moment of their entire life,” he says. “As a result we now put a manager in place to sit alongside the franchisee for the first month to help them get through and remain sane in the process.” With each franchisee unique in terms of their needs, as some require more help and others less, a system has been put in place to ensure every franchisee in the network follows the procedure. Even the original Beatons owned by Duffy follows the manual thoroughly. Offering insights as to just how comprehensive the support is, Duffy says: “We assume the franchisee has no experience in the industry at all. And we’re comfortable with that. We provide everything from details on cooking and the kitchen, front of house services, back office, bookkeeping and payroll. It really is a beginning to end range of covering every aspect,” he says. That means before franchisees get running at their own branches, they do a couple of weeks of training at an existing unit. Of course, the other component of Beatons is the bookshop. And while it has smaller turnover than the tearoom, it allows stores to connect with customers and champion local writers, switching off from devices for a spell. With six stores open now and the hope that three to four franchisees will join each year, Duffy is keen to stay true to the company roots with sustainable growth to maintain the Beatons ethos. Looking ahead, he concludes: “The importance of eating establishments, or our place in particular, is having heart and a local connection, which will be increasingly important. Huge coffee chains with multiple places on the same high street are fine but we’re offering something unique – and the high street needs to differentiate to survive.” 42 elitefranchise | Junew 2018

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

Additional earning through the SDL Group

Global brand presence

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0115 902 1002 opportunities@century21uk.com www.century21franchise.co.uk Untitled-2 1

17/05/2018 16:28

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Why a children’s franchise? If you’re going to be your own boss and run your own business why not dance your days away with a family-friendly, flexible children’s franchise?

fter deciding that you want to be your own boss and owning a franchise is the right option for you, next decision to make is what kind of franchise to own and operate? With hundreds to choose from in different sectors it can be daunting to find one that is suitable for your aspirations. Have you ever asked yourself “what about running a children’s franchise”? With the children’s sector being a very lucrative and viable option in the franchising industry, we at diddi dance wanted to shed some light on why it might be the perfect opportunity for you. What sets a children’s franchise, like diddi dance, apart from others structured like a nine to five business is that you have the flexibility to determine your own hours. At diddi dance our services run during school hours, usually between 9am and 3pm, so franchisees who have families are able to be there for school drop-off and pick-up but also available during peak business hours. Where you choose to work is also up to you with a children’s activity franchise. Your home

is your office and local halls house your classes – so inevitably you get to choose your days, hours, commute and more. But don’t let that fool you into thinking it will be an easy ride – there is still a lot of administrative work that goes into running the business, which may require working outside those ideal hours to answer customer enquiries, prepare marketing and locally promote the business. With a children’s franchise, like any franchise, you need to look for something you’re passionate about; running your own business will be hard work and if your heart isn’t in it the business may suffer. No franchise is guaranteed success and always comes down to the determination and motivation of those running it. Our head office will support you but in the end you call all the shots. As a diddi dance franchise you are in business for yourself, not by yourself. We give you the tools to succeed but what you do with them is up to you. diddi dance started in 2003 out of founder Anne-Marie Martin’s passion for teaching dance and having noticed a lack of preschool dance classes for children aged 16 months upward that allowed them to freely explore movement in a fun yet structured environment. That then developed into a flexible business opportunity for individuals wanting to find that perfect work-life balance. Martin says: “It is the perfect flexible business opportunity for any parent who wants something within school hours. diddi dance is a perfect example of this. We run sessions that are both financially and personally rewarding, we’re getting children physically active and it keeps you fit too.” So if you are passionate about getting children moving and if you’re looking for a business that let’s you have fun and be active while earning money then a diddi dance franchise could be perfect for you. Whether you’re a parent/ex-dancer/ ex-business employee, our low-cost franchise package of £4,995+VAT can suit anyone who wants to run their own business with the support of a trusted brand.

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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 Over 60 Franchisees operating 130 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

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females in franchising

What women want By Zen Terrelonge

From gender pay gap reporting to campaigns designed to support women in business, we’re heading in the right direction. But what can be done to ensure the franchising sector becomes less of a male-driven environment?

onths have passed since gender pay gap reporting came into force. The legislation meant UK businesses with more than 250 staff were legally required to reveal the wage gaps between male and female workers by Friday April 6 2018. Although 1,500 companies shockingly failed to meet the deadline, the majority of firms did indeed divulge their numbers and some of them were appalling. Ryanair was among those paying women significantly less than men, with a median gap of 71.8%. But what about gaps in the franchising sector? Well, McDonald’s reported a 0% median pay gap, as did KFC. However, they’re just two companies, albeit particularly large ones, so that’s not entirely an accurate representation of the market. We know the business sector is a male-dominated industry and so is franchising – but the latter provides more opportunities to thrive, according to Paul Clegg, co-chair of Encouraging Women In Franchising (EWIF). He points to the support and training female franchisees will receive from the franchisor because it should be the same for all regardless of gender. However, it would seem women aren’t capitalising on the chance to earn more due to various

factors. “There is a gap in the number of women entering higher earning franchise opportunities, compared to men, with the majority of them choosing lifestyle models,” Clegg says. “We have heard EWIF members discussing how they’d lacked confidence to run a business. There is undoubtedly also the time and money restrictions women have placed upon them by their circumstances, which men simply don’t have to deal with, as a result of earning less and having to work around family.” According to research from Access Commercial Finance, the business finance provider, female founders aren’t given the same treatment as men. A review of over 800 startup funding applications from 2016 found the average female entrepreneur secures 44p for each £1 a male counterpart pockets. By comparison, franchising is a “less risky business opportunity” Clegg says, allowing both women and men to adapt it around their lives, which is trickier as an employee. “Instead of being a slave to an employer nine to five, they can choose how to structure their career and their working life around the kind of life they want to live – whether this is to support children and family, travel the world or pursue hobbies.” With EWIF so central to championing what women in franchising are doing,

Clegg explains there’s definitely been an increase in the amount embracing the industry, recognising it as a viable career prospect. “As you look around the franchising sector there are many great women in high-profile roles who are showing what can be achieved,” he says. “More and more women are entering franchising as they see the opportunities it presents. So as franchising grows, so will the number of women who become involved.” Believing it will take time with work still to be done, Clegg says that the franchising industry as a whole needs to promote itself as a route to business ownership with fewer risks. If that happens amidst the rise of an already growing number of female franchisees, we’ll be on the right track, he adds. “We all have a responsibility to share our success stories and inspire others to be a part of what is happening,” Clegg says. World Options, the shipping and logistics franchise, is among the companies promoting franchising and in March a campaign tied in nicely with International Women’s Day. Surveying 558 women across the UK, it was clear that many wanted to end the daily grind of working for someone else that Clegg spoke of. As such, the franchisor found that a quarter of UK women surveyed wanted to work on their own steam within the next ten years. Youth was a factor in the decision, as 57% of those aged 26 to 40 wanted to work for themselves. With youth in mind, Hannah Drury, is one franchisee that has a true passion for the industry and is acting as something of a franchising flagJUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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females in franchising

Franchising already offers a worklife balance to women that many professions can’t

waver. A franchisee of Caremark, the home-care franchise, Drury was named Young Woman in Franchising at the NatWest EWIF Awards 2018 in May and also Young Franchisee of the Year and Franchisee of the Year in 2017 at the bfa HSBC Franchise of the Year Awards. Around the time of International Women’s Day, she said: “We have a workforce that is majority women and we are all about building up the incredible women that we know. So as leaders in our company we spend a lot of time and effort inspiring and motivating all the women. We try and be as flexible as possible, enabling women to work while balancing all the other [aspects of their lives].” Someone who can appreciate the support of an employer like Drury is Ali Beckman, the technical director and head teacher at Puddle Ducks, the swimming lessons franchise. Beckman also took home gold at the EWIF Awards 2018 having won the Woman Franchisee Employee of the Year and Overall Woman in Franchising awards. Offering her thoughts on the UK gender pay gap, she admitted there is work that needs to be done but was pleased Britain has a lower gap than the US. Interestingly, while part of the gender pay gap issue is down to fewer women in senior positions having been met with a glass ceiling, that’s not the case for Puddle Ducks franchisees – quite the reverse in fact. “The majority of our franchisees are women whom have come from a variety of backgrounds, mainly high-level professional roles,” says Beckman. “None have left their role because they felt undervalued or underpaid – they have just

decided they wanted to focus on their own business and gain the work-life balance they deserve.” She notes that running a company around family is a big draw for women as they can still have a successful career while being a mother. “The earning potentials vary from franchise to franchise but there are several Puddle Ducks franchisees who are matching and exceeding their income from their previous professional lives,” details Beckman. Seemingly, franchising has less of an issue around pay but more of an issue to attract women overall. Beckman is pleased with work from the likes of the bfa and EWIF and confident the scene will eventually be less of a boys’ club. “With more focus on gender pay gaps, more women are taking their career into their hands and are determined they can be successful business women,” she says. “Franchising already offers a work-life balance to women that many professions can’t. We encourage our franchisees to have a medium-long term approach – i.e. that they will work hard and lots of hours initially but hopefully with a view to stepping back in time.” It’s certainly an interesting method to ensure franchisees don’t become consumed by their work. But franchising needs to start appealing to younger prospects, Beckman believes, if it is to truly cater to women and meet their needs. “I was at a recent forum where the millennials were under discussion in terms of being potential franchisees but very few franchisors had worked out how to get to this audience yet,” she says. “And education at an early stage and at key career decisionmaking points is important. So in terms of a key measure, I would say looking at the demographic of women in franchising and looking for a broad range within this.”

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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

Law Staff.indd 1

30/05/2018 17:02

Minuteman Press

New York minute By Zen Terrelonge

After launching back in 1973, Minuteman moved into franchising just two years later. The franchisor scaled so rapidly it pretty much ran out of room in the US, prompting it to enter international waters – starting with the UK

he business world was a very different place in the 1970s. There were no social networks or smartphones through which to spread corporate messages and win customers. This is something Bob Titus, the president and CEO of Minuteman Press, the New Yorkheadquartered marketing services franchise, knows well, having been there when the business first started with his father Roy. Aged 21 in 1973 when the first centre opened, Bob Titus says: “The vision was just to run a successful business and expand it to have our own chain.” Little did he know that dream would eventually make Minuteman a global tour de force with around 1,000 franchises worldwide. And while growth happened relatively quickly, it didn’t happen overnight – at least not until the team revised its strategy. Minuteman’s approach to business was passive in the beginning, explains Titus, trusting the signage in the window to be enough to get people through the door. With a slow start for the first couple of months, a marketing programme was drawn up and it’s still used almost 50 years later. “We went out and visited people and told them ‘we’re here, here’s what we do, what we can help you with?’” Although it sounds simple,

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nobody was doing this at the time so it was unheard of. Titus says the public was generally left to to track down printers, so the move paid off. “We started going to the businesspeople and bringing in work every day,” he recalls. “We hired a couple of part-timers and they went out and brought all kinds of samples back for us to quote on and we took off like a rocket.” Offering insight on what’s expected of franchisees, Titus says: “We still use that marketing approach today, that’s what our owners have to do – go out, meet people in the community, get involved in clubs and organisations and be a pillar of society if you will.” While the internet today is used to Minuteman’s advantage, Titus still feels nothing comes close to face-to-face meetings. “You still can’t beat eyeball-toeyeball contact. There’s nothing better than going out and talking to people. Our thinking is when you have a business, you’re excited about it, so tell everybody who’ll listen.” With this game-changing approach

You still can’t beat eyeball-toeyeball contact

working wonders, three centres were opened within two years – and the second broke even the first month. Each site was around three miles apart but serving different communities, including blue collar, white collar and a combination of the two, which gave Minuteman access to local businesses as well as office buildings. Confident in its proposition and performance when 1975 rolled around, Minuteman plunged into franchising, believing it would be a quicker way to expand the company. The team attended a New York franchise show with a plan to conquer the tri-state area, so a manager from one of the three nearby centres would be able to drive out and offer support when needed. “We believed totally in supporting the people,” says Titus. “The franchise makes money on a royalty fee, so we figured the more we worked with people and pushed them to do the right thing, the more money they’ll make and more money we’ll make.” The franchise show in the Big Apple made it apparent that the business had more interest further afield than on the doorstep, however, meaning that driving distance support plan went out the window. “At the first show, one gentleman wanted to open in Boston and another in San Diego,” Titus laughs. “We just said ‘slow down you guys’ and my dad said ‘I’m not putting one of these guys on a plane to go help you print for a day in California, it’s not going to happen’. But they were really persistent.” In the end Minuteman opened centres across the US, recalls Titus, using contacts from his father’s earlier publishing career to helm them. This provided the franchise the foundation it would need to support franchisees further afield.

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Minuteman Press

“We said ‘you open a company store in Boston, get a press operator, build the store up and when you’re profitable, you can put people into business in the New England area’. We did this in six different cities across America. We got the support there first.” This model proved so successful that, to prioritise franchisees, all company-owned centres were sold aside from two on Long Island, which were retained for training purposes. By the mid-1990s Minuteman had almost 700 US locations and was running out of space and that’s when the UK caught its eye. Discussing the reason for crossing the pond in 1995, Titus half-jokes: “We thought, ‘there are different meanings for some words but hey we understand each other’. All US franchise magazines were promoting going to the UK and franchising in the UK.” Building on that, he says: “We were looking at UK magazines and statistics were largely the same as the US. Numbers were a bit smaller but percentage-wise it was

Your franchise is only good as the people you put into the business all the same thing and we said ‘let’s go’.” The first step for Minuteman was to open a UK office and then US representatives visited a local franchise show to get things moving in hope it would work as well as it did in New York. Explaining the pitching process, Titus says: “Everything was like ‘we’re hoping to do this’. Because when you have nothing to show, there’s nothing there. So the first couple of people really got extra support, I’ll tell you,” he laughs. Today the UK operation is a slick part of the overall Minuteman empire, with 70 centres nationwide, which are supported with franchisee officers up and down the country in areas including Scotland, Manchester and London. It wasn’t

all as straightforward though. While Americans are traditionally known for being outspoken, we Brits are typically more reserved. “There were different philosophies,” says Titus. “It was a lot harder to get the majority of the people out marketing with our way to go and say hello.” But some of those who came aboard in the early days are still operational now, with ten original franchisees that joined in 1995 and 1996 still up and running. One franchisee in Poole is now even second generation, as the daughter of an original owner has taken over following her father’s retirement. And across Minuteman’s network on the whole, 100 centres are second generation-owned. With the UK conquered, the franchisor also set out to open in South Africa and Australia and both markets today are a similar size to that of Britain. All new franchisees are required to take a trip to the New York centres to get brought up to speed while the leadership team gets to know them because it’s important to Titus that everyone understands the philosophy of Minuteman. And while the business has evolved with the times, adding SEO, SEM and other digital services to its printing roots, that philosophy is still very much intact. “Your franchise is only as good as the people you put into the business,” he says. “That’s the most important thing in franchising that some people don’t understand or realise. If you put good people into business you have a good company – you put bad people in you get a bad company. And we run a good one.”

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Improve lives, inspire change, nurture success Build your own healthcare franchise with Kare Plusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unique and proven multi-revenue model

stablished in 1989, Kare Plus has gone from supplying nurses in the public healthcare sector to a network of over 90 offices providing qualified, exceptional and passionate healthcare staff across the UK. Our wide reach, and high volume of care hours - over two million in 2017 - have proven that clinical quality and profitability can go hand-in-hand. With establishment-based care, homecare and the soon-tolaunch, live-in care service to choose from, our franchisees are able to tailor their businesses offering based on territorialdemand. This unique franchise model grants business owners a level of freedom and creativity that is unmatched by other healthcare franchises. The level of variety within the model grants Kare Plus franchisees the freedom to build their business around the

demand in their territory. Franchisees will work towards delivering homecare and establishment services, but they are able to tailor the focus of their franchise depending on territorial demand. With the launch of liveIn care also imminent, Kare Plus franchisees will soon have more room for expansion than ever before. No previous experience in healthcare is required: all of our franchisees are provided with training designed to bring them up to speed on everything they will need to know. Our network is comprised of individuals from various industries including; law, accountancy, retail and those with prior business ownership experience. More important than anything else though, we want individuals that are confident, passionate about business and willing to learn. Each new franchisee must undergo a week of training that covers every aspect of operating a Kare Plus franchise. There are also additional training sessions available that correspond to the different services. We believe that offering such training sessions and support empowers business owners to run their Kare Plus business with confidence. Franchisees are supported by a team of experienced individuals at head office as well as a business development manager that works with them on a one-to-one basis. This support is something that every franchisee has access to throughout their Kare Plus journey. Group director of operations for Kare Plus,

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Dominic Rothwell has spent several years refining the Kare Plus support structure: “The support that our head office team provides to over 90 offices across the UK is nothing short of excellent. We want to ensure that each and every business owner is empowered to succeed, because when they succeed, so does Kare Plus.” Group CEO, owner and originally a pilot franchisee, Steve Welsh, envisioned the current model before opening the first Kare Plus franchise in 2007: “The ability to build a franchise around more than one service was something I wanted to instil from the very beginning. In an industry that is always moving forward and developing, Kare Plus is able to offer franchisees a model that is adaptable and profitable.” Current demand for franchise territories, both from existing franchisees and new applicants, is higher than we’ve ever seen before. With such a high level of demand, it’s no surprise that there are only a limited number of locations available, although we do have some premium areas across Yorkshire and the North East. Kare Plus is now also expanding into Scotland with a number of excellent territories available. This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in building an established, multi-revenue Scottish healthcare franchise. After almost 30 years of providing compliant and passionate healthcare staff to establishments across the United Kingdom, the Kare Plus network is expanding faster than ever before. With unprecedented national and international expansion underway, now is the perfect time to become part of the Kare Plus success story.

the cities, towns and communities they work in, inspiring positive change via their work with local charitable organisations. The Kare Plus network is filled with dynamic and interesting individuals with all kinds of backgrounds. The type of person we are looking to represent the Kare Plus brand should be business-focused with some prior business related experience who has a genuine passion for healthcare. An excellent people manager with a willingness to learn and adapt, with great commitment and work ethics would find themselves in their element.

The support we provide

Kare Plus provides a number of bespoke systems and support services to franchisees. We consistently review and audit systems to ensure franchises are receiving an excellent return on investment. Franchise support covers several areas. From contract and marketing support to an in-house IT team with bespoke franchise software. We will also support you with compliance, business development, payroll, recruitment and training. Contact: Sophie Hartley, Kare Plus Franchising, Floor 8, Plaza One, Ironmasters Way, Telford TF3 4NT t: 01952 783 338 e: franchising@kareplus.co.uk w. franchising.kareplus.co.uk Investment: £40,000 +VAT & £50,000 recommended working capital

Who is the ideal franchisee?

Owning and operating a Kare Plus franchise is not just about building a successful business, but also affecting positive change in local communities. Kare Plus franchisees are viewed as positive figures in JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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30/05/2018 14:14

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Rewarding opportunities for smart investors

Would you like the freedom and challenge of running your own business?

etterclean Services offer a rewarding opportunity for smart investors wishing to combine their commercial skills and experience with our guidance and support to build their own scalable director-level franchise in their own local area. Betterclean Services has developed a proven business model in the commercial cleaning industry and offers tailored support to all of our franchisees. Our franchise offering means you can achieve high profit margins with our simple to run yet low risk business opportunity. With Better Clean Services your route to success is tailored around your personal objectives, experience and available resources. Although franchisees share a common goal, it’s up to each individual to choose the route best suited for them. There is a high demand for commercial cleaning; almost every

company requires cleaning of their premises. The commercial cleaning industry is currently worth £69bn. It is this ever-growing marketplace and its continuous need that makes this type of business an excellent choice for the smart investor. The Betterclean Services franchise package starts from just £19,600 and the ongoing management fee is one of the lowest in the industry at just 5.75%. So not only is the business low risk but it also requires smaller entry level investments and ongoing management fees, meaning higher profits for the franchisees in our network. As a franchisee you’re able to have the responsibility and challenge of running your own profitable business. As an owner of a commercial cleaning franchise you’ll employ cleaning staff and supervisors to deliver the service and will manage the day to

day processes involved in making sure the best service is delivered at all times by following our proven methods. Our head office will be in touch with you on a regular basis, tailoring support to your individual strengths and weaknesses to help you develop your business and make high profit margins. Network days are held throughout the year to bring the franchisees together to share in the latest ideas, strategies and exciting opportunities. If you would like more information call Mike our franchise manager on 0800 772 0810 or email franchise@bettercleanservices.co.uk

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Bettercleana adv.indd 1

30/05/2018 14:21

An exciting business opportunity with one of the lowest management service fees in the industry. Enjoy the returns from building your own business in a £6bn marketplace which includes retailers, supermarkets, offices, GP surgeries, schools and much, much more.

WE HELP YOU SUCCEED Average net profit margin 20% - Huge potential - Exclusive Territory - Investment from just £19,600 + VAT

With BCS your route to achieving your financial goal is tailored around your personal objectives, experience and available resources. Although franchise owners share a common goal, the route each takes is entirely personal to them. We work with you to define your plan and then support you in enjoying the journey through our 5 STAR Support package. Business Growth Support - for the duration of your business Training and Development - the knowledge to run and build your business Flying Squad - in territory assistance from out elite support team Head Office Assistance with day to day tasks - HR, Recruitment, Telemarketing etc Exit Model / Buy Back Scheme - planning for the future With a Betterclean Services franchise you get an exclusive territory, a large support network to help you run and build your business and one of the lowest MSFs in franchising.

If you’re enthusiastic, self-motivated and would like to apply to join our network call today on 0800 772 0810. Bettercleana adv.indd 2

30/05/2018 14:22

Return on investment

Building

BY Dave Galvin, head of franchising and senior business advisor, D&T chartered accountants

strong ROI

Peaks and troughs occur in all businesses but to get the best return on investment from your franchise, it’s important to understand the stages of a franchisee’s progression so that you can identify key opportunities and threats.

t a recent franchisor meeting, I was reminded of a great book I once read about the franchise lifecycle. Like all businesses, franchises have a journey – stages of their development as they grow and progress. The franchisor I met was talking about a new and enthusiastic franchisee on board – full of hope and excitement that’s overflowing at the start of a fresh major venture. The franchisor had provided lots of support, reassurance and encouragement throughout the recruitment process and set-up procedures, further increasing the franchisee’s positive outlook. Both parties were feeling confident and positive, enthusiastic about the journey ahead. The book my conversation reminded me of was The Franchise E-Factor, an excellent creation by Greg Nathan. Nathan discusses six distinct phases of a franchise’s journey – and some are definitely more productive and profitable than others. The eager, motivated stage is what Nathan calls the glee phase – a point early in the franchise relationship. The franchisee and franchisor are optimistic, with faith in the new promises both have made. At this early stage, the franchise business model provides much-needed support and guidance for new franchisees, as well as providing established and successful operating systems, branding and marketing. A general rule of thumb of return on investment (ROI) in business is that a company will make a loss in year one, year two it’ll break even, year three and onwards profit will start to appear. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen franchisees, usually around the one-year mark, frustrated and fed up.

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Return on investment

What does being in a franchise give me anyway? This is usually when new franchisees are getting more of a handle on their business finances. A good chat and reflection about the benefits a franchise offers is helpful here. Think where you might be if you hadn’t had the advertising, the marketing, the operations, the support etc. We discuss the usual profitability of businesses in their first year and encourage them to look forwards – this was in the plan, your business will grow and develop. What do we need to do to make sure that increased profitability happens? What can the franchisor do to help you boost your ROI? Based on the results of this, franchisees then either track back into glee, grateful for what’s provided for them, or they can move forwards to the me stage. One standout example of me stage in my experience was with a particularly successful franchisee. He had worked hard and done very well with his franchise for many years. So he was

rightfully very proud of his achievements. He came to me confident and convinced he would be just as successful without the support of the franchise. Why should he stay in the franchise, paying royalties and obeying the rules of the operations manual, when it was his hard work and efforts alone that generated his business’s success? He didn’t need the franchise. He would take his staff, materials, vans and go it alone. As a franchisor, this was time to sit with the franchisee and work out exactly what his fee gets him and whether he really would be better off going solo. We priced it all out – how much the website, branding, advertising, marketing, HR, payroll etc done would cost him if he set out alone. The price of the internal support particularly the business guidance and how much the key and national account work was worth to his business. I pointed out that he’d need to buy 18 new vans and would lose access to key contracts and guaranteed work. He could technically do it perhaps, he had the skills and staff but he had no work lined up, no clients and no reputation of his own. Then there was some serious competition and not just from us. Essentially his business would be an empty bucket. Yes, maybe he could make it work. But with the successful and profitable franchise he was running, would he actually be any better off doing so? Competitive advantage Breaking down the value added by the franchise in this way, he was able to see the franchise contributed far more to his success than he’d accounted for. He soon realised the 7% management fee he was paying was pennies compared to the cost equivalent of paying for it all himself. He realised the competitive benefits of the franchise network and the huge value of an established reputation. Without a doubt, the best stage of a franchisee’s lifecycle with the best ROI by a long way is the we stage. At this stage, they are a franchise network’s greatest asset. They are established and profitable businesses, mature and commercially-minded, committed to the success of their business but also the success of the whole network. They understand the need to work together with their franchisor to make the most of their business and have useful suggestions and ideas to share, thinking not just about their own interests but also the bigger picture. This is where a franchisee should aim and a franchisor should endeavour to help franchisees progress to. For the franchisor, delivering on obligations and appreciating specific needs and desires of franchisees is key to the strength and success of the entire group. For the franchisee, the most successful franchises are those that work with their franchise network and franchisor, not against them. What stage of the franchise journey are you in – and which one are you aiming for? Mindset is half the battle.

JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Retrospective Reward Reaping Maintaining marketing momentum is difficult to do when you’ve hit the top, but at Ovenu it’s always full speed ahead.

e have always worked tirelessly and put in hours of extensive research with franchisees and our expert suppliers to ensure maximum visibility of the Ovenu brand to consumers, both on and offline. Years of fine tuning and constantly evolving these marketing methods are paying off, as most of our franchisees find themselves in a rather pleasant predicament. They’ve hit the ceiling. When you’re at the top of the search results in Google, there’s not really much further to go, but we won’t stop there. 15 years ago, Ovenu pioneered the advertising of the oven valeting service on television on the brand new digital channels of the noughties. This raised general awareness among the public that such a service existed, which was a huge boost for our franchisees’ businesses. Despite other digital distractions, the average number of hours that people watch telly for per day has only decreased by around 20 minutes since our first advert launched 15 years ago. According to barb.co.uk, people spent 3.73 hours a day tuned into the box in 2003, and in 2017 that figure was 3.38 hours per day. The point here? TV is not an old-fashioned media and advertising on it still works. If it didn’t, nobody would do it. So, based on this and our past success on TV, we have worked hard to create a brand new 2018 TV advert which will be coming to a screen near you in June this year. There’s no guess work here. We’ve done the analysis and have

We will never rest on our laurels. a plan in place for the new advert to work in conjunction with and complement our existing marketing strategies to deliver the ultimate value for money for our franchisees. This is all a part of our constant effort to carry on raising the Ovenu brand’s already popular profile even higher. We do not get complacent and will never rest on our laurels even during times of dominant success and market supremacy. Business is a constantly changing and evolving mechanism with which we must be flexible and willing to adapt. We will

always manipulate our business model to accommodate changes. This is just one of the premium benefits of working with a franchise like Ovenu. We have built a solid reputation on being one step ahead of the game and constantly building our brand to ensure the highest possible profitability for our franchisees’ businesses, even if we need to take a retrospective view from time to time.

If you’d now like to discover more about us and our opportunities, give us a call on 01189 743 911 or visit ovenufranchise.co.uk

60 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

Ovenu adv.indd 1

30/05/2018 14:26

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 ‘InSiteSM’ opportunity

01189 743 911

Ovenu adv.indd 2

www.ovenufranchise.co.uk

02/03/2018 09:31

I started my own business with TaxAssist Accountants to fulfil a dream and build something to be proud of â&#x20AC;&#x153;It had always been my dream to start my own business. Becoming a TaxAssist Franchisee has changed my life: I am not only financially well off, with a better lifestyle, but I also now have a purpose. I have a real sense of achievement.â&#x20AC;?

0800 0188 297 Contact us today in confidence

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www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk recruitment@taxassist.co.uk

31/05/2018 16:23

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08/01/2018 10:38

Why choose SW Hair? SW Hair is one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading hair extensions businesses sourcing, importing and distributing high-quality human hair extensions For more information, visit

www.swhairextensions.com The Remy Hair Franchise Package Our franchise offers all of the training and support that you need to help get your business off the ground. Our franchise support services include: P

Full rights to use the SW Hair Extensions brand within the franchise territory

Assistance with producing a business plan and raising finance (if required)

Sub section within the SW Hair Extensions website

Fully exclusive franchise territory with a minimum of 1,000,000 people

Full access to our product range

Copy of our comprehensive franchise operations manual

A comprehensive support package to help you into business P A five-year franchise agreement with a right to renew at the end of the term Full training covering all areas of the business P All sales received to SW Hair for your chosen territory will be forwarded to you Initial supply of stock and stationery P Future purchase of good quality hair with Packaging with your company logo a consistent 30% discount

P P P

We offer a full training and support programme to assist with the development of these skills. You do however, need to be prepared to work hard, follow our systems and be fully committed to getting the business off the ground in your local area.

t: 07729 667402 SW Hair Extensions - JUNE.indd 1

e: info@swhairextensions.com 30/05/2018 11:22

NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR 2017 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. By becoming a franchisee in our organisation you would: * be your own boss * * teach our world famous drama programme * * work flexible hours - in school time only * * gain great job satisfaction * * earn an attractive income * * have an amazing amount of fun! * Territories are available across the UK and we are seeking energetic and enthusiastic people who have regularly worked with children.

01481 200250

nigel@helenogrady.co.uk

www.helenogrady.co.uk

Franchise Opportunity with Exceptional Returns Fifo Capital is a fast growing, global, business-finance franchise. We provide short term, high return cashflow finance solutions for secure small and medium sized businesses. Our USP is to ‘build strong local relationships with network professionals who can refer good quality growing local businesses in need of cashflow support’. The business is enjoying rapid growth and we are in need of new territory franchisees right across the country. The processes are simple to follow so would suit a wide range of business people with varying backgrounds. Talk to us today.

Training and Development

Brand and Marketing

Streamline CRM

Credit, Legal and Process

T: 01344 388 084 E: england@fifocapital.co.uk W: fifocapital.co.uk/join-fifo-capital

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30/05/2018 14:00

Safety

in numbers How can you make the most of your marketing data?

66 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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31/05/2018 13:50

Big Data MArketing

By Paul Stafford, head of communications, Chantry

n the film Minority Report there is a scene where a series of personalised hologram adverts based on retinal scans assault Tom Cruise’s character as he walks down the street. While that’s still science fiction and less likely to become reality after Cambridge Analytica and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there’s little disputing the impact the tech revolution has had on our lives. So how can you best take advantage of data-driven innovations in your franchise marketing? Advertising and leads The first way big data can boost your marketing efforts is in evaluating your leads. Data analysis and refinement should be driving where and how you market your franchise. The days of putting out adverts or adding online profiles on directory sites and waiting for the magic to happen are long gone. It’s of course very easy to track digital marketing lead numbers and work out the cost per lead for each channel you’re using but you need to go much deeper to wring every drop out of your marketing budget. Each stage of your recruitment process, from enquiry through to signing on the dotted line and launch, should be tracked by source of enquiry and not just by numbers. Compare your overall lead numbers with the proportion of prospects engaging after contact, coming through to

meetings, attending discovery days and ultimately becoming franchisees – how does your cost per lead look at each stage? Are the same channels at the top of each step? You may well find that a website providing higher initial enquiry numbers is not delivering people who you can even contact most of the time, so perhaps your time and money are better focused elsewhere, despite what the headline figures might say. New channels should always be tested for a shorter period initially, around three months is usually ideal. If you’re confident you’ve got the right message for the audience, this length of time gives you sufficient information to make an informed decision on whether something’s working or not, without committing excessive resources up front. Emails On your prospect newsletters and any automated email responders you use, even the most basic systems will tell you about open rates and clickthroughs on links. These have long been the standard metrics used to assess email performance. However, this is a situation where being cautious about relying entirely on data is advised as open rates can easily be over or under-reported. They’re calculated through a tracking pixel, an invisible image included in your email and downloaded from the

So how can you best take advantage of data-driven innovations in your franchise marketing?

email service provider’s servers when the message is being read. If someone has their emails set to arrive in the plain text version or to not download images, then they will not be recorded as having opened your message. Similarly, some providers will record an open every time the email is scrolled through in an inbox, which is why you’ll sometimes be told one person has opened your email dozens of times. For these reasons, it’s dangerous to base all your recruitment efforts only on those people reported as having opened your emails because you’re likely to be ignoring decent prospects. It’s better to think of this data as a comparison tool over time, rather than an absolute on who’s engaged and who isn’t. Rather than just looking at the overall number of clicks, look at what’s being clicked and what isn’t. Chances are you’ve published a mixture of case studies, news articles and features in your newsletters. Most email software will show you how many times each link has been clicked. Go back and look through several months’ worth of these figures. Are there any common themes? Do features on your franchisees resonate while your new business developments are passed over? Are your innovations more popular than your financial features or vice versa? Even if the onset of GDPR decimated your database, the historic engagement with your stories can be hugely useful in guiding your future content. Website analytics Analytics is the rabbit warren of marketing data into which one can fall and not resurface for some time. Like Wikipedia, you can easily just keep clicking links and not realise how JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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Big Data MArketing

much time has disappeared. Your analytics reveal a huge amount of useful information about what’s happening on your website, but you need to understand what the numbers mean and what they’re measuring. On a headline level you’ll see the number of visitors, how many are unique and how long they’re spending on your pages. From there, you can dig as deep as you want to on how people arrive to and interact with your site. You don’t need to know everything but franchisors should be familiar with some of the key information. Where are your visitors coming from? Which pages do they land on and view? Where are the people hanging around on-site longer and who read more pages being referred from? Who is going through to completing a call to action or other goals you’ve set up? Knowing your way around web analytics enables you to see which pages of your site are performing best in attracting and engaging visitors and which ones could do better. Regular reviews of this data will allow you to constantly evolve and improve your website’s content, engaging visitors more effectively and turning traffic into enquiries. Social media Numbers of followers and likes have long been considered vanity metrics for social media professionals because engagement is what really counts. It’s better to have 250 followers who get involved in your conversations and read your news than having 25,000 who do nothing but scroll right past. Yes, we all want to feel loved but franchise marketing success isn’t measured by having the largest audience – it’s about reaching the right audience. Fortunately, every social media platform includes powerful analytics tools enabling you to see exactly how people interact with your content. As with your emails, this gives you marketing gold on what type of posts resonate the most with your audience. It’s not just about the main content either: the headline and imagery really matters, perhaps nowhere more so than on social, where the amount of noise you must cut through in seconds as someone scrolls through their feed is amplified to deafening levels. Pay-per-click Data is everything in pay-per-click campaigns. The true power of campaigns, whether through AdWords or social advertising, is unleashed through the refinements made after analysing what’s going on: you can see very clearly which part of the journey is and isn’t working. If you’re getting lots of clicks but few are completing your call to action, then your ads are working but your landing page isn’t – try split testing an alternate. If you’re not getting clicks in the first place, your ads need changing. If you’re getting clicks and conversions, then split testing still allows for further refinements and increases in success rates. In conclusion, big data clearly enables you to boost your marketing effort as long as you know what you’re looking at. 68 elitefranchise | JUNE 2018

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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 but it’s not reflected 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 edownes@techclean.co.uk techclean, Unit 2 Cartwright Court, Forest Business Park, Bardon, Leicestershire, LE67 1UE 01530 513300 • edownes@techclean.co.uk

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09/01/2018 16:01

See the difference. The Deluxe domestic window cleaning franchise is an excellent opportunity for individuals or existing businesses looking to build a very profitable business within their local area offering Domestic Window Cleaning and associated services.

Key benefits: • Credibility and use of the Deluxe Window Cleaning brand and proven business formula • Fully fitted Citroen Berlingo from £287 per month

You also have the opportunity to take advantage of the fully kitted Citroen Berlingo 850 L1 Van from £287 per month. As our business expands and the demand for our service continues to grow we are now looking to expand our existing operations through new strategic franchise partnerships. Using our proven business formula the right person or business will have the potential to build a profitable Deluxe Domestic Window Cleaning business in their local area.

100% FINANCIAL SUPPORT deluxewindowcleaningfranchise.co.uk Deluxe Window Cleaning.indd 1

• Focus on Domestic Window Cleaning to maximise earning potential and cash flow • High income potential • Exclusive territory • No previous experience required – full training given in all aspects of the business • Complete start up package including equipment, training, sales and marketing deliverables and a central and local website • Assistance with raising finance • Low start up and running costs

07531612992 02/02/2018 11:47

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Recruitment franchise opportunity Law Staff Legal Recruitment provides high quality professionals to businesses. Now you can own a part of it

aw Staff Legal Recruitment has operated across England and Wales for over 15 years and has developed a dedicated following of both clients and candidates from top tier magic circle firms and regional heavyweights, right down to the smallest niche companies, each have been awarded the same specialist attention. We are now looking to expand. This exciting opportunity is for you to own your own part of this incredible company. We’re not just selling a standard recruitment package, we are sharing our business with you. Why choose a Law Staff franchise? Law Staff has low set up costs with full, continual support from our dedicated in-house franchise manager. We have fantastic earning potential that could realistically reach up to £100,000 within your first year of trading. A two week on-site training course given from our experienced team will have you ready to start working, and more importantly earning, within two weeks. No need for offices, you can start this flexible working business from home.

What else can we offer you? By joining our network you will have control of your own dedicated region in the UK or Ireland with access to existing clients and candidates. Moreover, you’ll receive a bespoke, easy to use database with full training and continual support offered. Our team is ready to support you with help on sales, purchases and payroll amongst many other accounting areas as well as with management support, helping you to establish your own team of dedicated recruitment consultants. Additionally, we will help you aquire new vacancies and candidates seen on a national level through our experienced marketing teams with access to over 16 leading job boards nationwide. The franchisor will also share warm leads to boost your business growth. Our support will help your business onto top clients’ preferred supplier lists and access to local government and authority Job vacancies. Our complete marketing admin pack with usable templates will ensure your business is seen at it’s highest standard. Our coup de grace is that we also offer holiday cover, allowing you time away without your business suffering.

What we need from you You will need top class communication skills as you’ll be spending a lot of time on the phone negotiating between clients and candidates. Moreover, you must be committed as success doesn’t come overnight. A background in sales, customer services or management isn’t essential but will be beneficial. However, a great personality is a perfect starting block. Lastly, you must be self-motivated. Owning your own business means you are the boss, and you make the rules.

Contact Paul Sweeney 01954 208062 psweeney@law-staff.co.uk www.law-staff.co.uk

JUNE 2018 | elitefranchise

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30/05/2018 17:03

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:

Proven Business Model

1. You should be able to recover your initial franchise fee in the first year

First Class Training

2. You should have a reliable residual income from regular clients

You not only get a lucrative business model for your potential franchisees to follow, you also get a proven Franchise Sales model to follow.

You will be trained in house in the art of franchise sales but also in the core business model you will sell to your potential franchisees.

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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Custom Technology

Part of the package includes bespoke software designed to help you and your franchisees manage their business efficiently.

03/05/2018 15:18

Love fashion, live your passion with Suit the City Join a leading business in a growing market, beating the current trends in retail Supply professional clients with made-to-measure, luxury garments: you will have a high rate of repeat business and referrals Low overheads - no stock, no waste and you can work from a small city centre studio Build your business with the aid of a team of Consultant Tailors all trained by Suit the City Full training and support is given during the first three months and then on an on-going basis For more information please call us or visit our website

www.suitfranchise.com

01494 880790

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 First class training A bespoke territory CALL MICHELLE FENWICK QFP TODAY ON 01325 370707 OR EMAIL MICHELLE@HERITAGEHEALTHCARE.CO.UK WWW.HERITAGEHEALTHCAREFRANCHISING.CO.UK

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31/05/2018 16:26

INSPIRATION

THE LAST PERCENT BY ERIC JOHANSSON

Thomas Edison famously said that genius is 99% perspiration and 1% genius. Franchisors are well-advised to create space for that last percent that’ll enable their networks to flourish

tephen King is a master of suspense. Since debuting with the horror novel Carrie in 1974, the writer has drawn on everything from people’s arachnophobia to their fear of clowns in over 50 books. But his success didn’t come by itself. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work,” King wrote in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. And there’s absolutely something to that. While some light-bulb moments may strike out of nowhere, putting your back into it is the only way to ensure those sparks of inspiration keep on flashing within your franchise.

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For franchisors, finding their inspiration can be as simple as talking with other people who are in the same boat. “We get inspiration by spending a lot of time networking with other franchisors, finding out what has worked well for them and how that could work for us,” says Jo Stone, co-founder of Puddle Ducks, the prenatal and child-swimming lessons franchise. Taking a page out of their book can prove particularly profitable for boosting inspiration in the early days of a franchise. “It helped us to set the way for our business,” says Stone. So start by pricking up your ears around other franchisors.

INSPIRATION

But while everyone should start with themselves when it comes to being the change they want to see in the world, franchisors aren’t alone. Not only are their franchisees pivotal for their business but benefitting from their ideas can help accelerate growth. “No one has a monopoly on good ideas,” says Ian McIntosh, CEO of RED Driving School, the driving school franchise. “So it’s always good to talk to as many people as possible and listen to what they have to say.” In order to ensure no ideas slip through the cracks, franchisors better create ways for franchisees to share their views and ideas. This can be done through annual conferences, internal forums or organising tours around the country with the purpose of the franchisor meeting franchisees face to face. “It’s not always that they come up with good things but

every now and then people do and can contribute to the success of the business,” he says. Puddle Ducks has a great example of this. Back in 2015 two of the network’s franchisees had an idea: they wanted to build their own swimming pool in order to avoid depending on other pool owners. Thanks to the franchisor having already established a culture where creativity could flow freely, the business’s leadership was in the loop from day one. “We agreed with them up-front this was something they should do,” Stone says. Having green-lit the project, the franchisor watched as Suzanne and Gary Horton went to work. Three years have gone by since and the wife-and-husband team’s gamble has really paid off. Not only did they boost their own profits and acquire the bfa HSBC Franchisee Innovation Award 2017 in the process but they also showed the network that creativity was possible. “They spoke at our conference about what they had done and inspired other franchisees to look at other ideas as well,” says Stone. Fair bit of warning though, make sure franchisees have been in the system long enough before they start to change stuff. “It can be in

No one has a monopoly on good ideas Ian McIntosh, RED Driving School

the first week that they say ‘I’ve got a better way of doing it,’” says Shaun Thomson, CEO Sandler Training UK, the personnel training franchise. “I mean, really?” Remember, patience is key whether you’re playing chess or building a business and it’s important franchisees know what they’re doing before they start to rock the boat. “I think I speak for most franchisors when I say that I would be open to adjusting our system and having innovation but we’d ask people when they come through us that they’d try it for at least six months first,” he says. Moreover, just because franchisees have been with you for a while doesn’t mean all their ideas are great. Still it’s paramount franchisors don’t discourage franchisees from having future ideas by rejecting their bad ones. “Communication is crucial here,” says Gemma Tumelty, managing director of The HR Dept, the HR consultancy franchise. “By being open and honest, we can tactfully explain [the] reasons why we are rejecting ideas whilst emphasising that we always remain open to other ideas the franchisee may have.” For instance, it could simply be that the idea wouldn’t work with the company’s business model or that it has been tried in the past without any success. Another argument is that it may pose a conflict of interest with pre-existing partnerships. But whatever the motivation is, the franchisor must avoid stomping out franchisees’ creativity. “We are not afraid to reject proposals, especially when they conflict with our core values, but we appreciate and encourage positive input at all times and conversations must therefore be handled with tact and sensitivity,” continues Tumelty. Nevertheless, creativity is important for any company. It doesn’t take a king of terror to show you that distilling great ideas from your franchisees can make your franchise a force to be reckoned with. JUNE 2018 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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