Elite Franchise Magazine April 2017

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk

VapeStore

APRIL 2017 £4.50

Brand Britain

It’s full steam ahead for the UK’s first vape franchise

Being associated with the UK can help franchises expand overseas

Fantastic Services When the sharing economy meets franchising

A cut above After inheriting his father’s business, it was only natural for Ben Dellicompagni to place charity and good oldfashioned family values at the heart of his franchise.

Today, the Francesco Group is swooping up awards and has 39 salons across the UK

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03/04/2017 11:22

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“Setting up my own business was straightforward. I found it very easy with the support and backing of Optic-Kleer.”

On my first day I couldn’t believe how much income I had made with the amount of windscreens I repaired.

I have been a franchisee with Optic-Kleer since 2015 and operate my franchise in and around the areas of Swindon, Newbury, Marlborough and Oxford.

Previously, I worked for many years as a parts manager for a well-known German car manufacturer.

At the training OpticKleer show you how to repair a windscreen. It is fairly straightforward.

Every chip is different.

You have to think about every chip and what the outcome of it may end up being.

You need to be fairly disciplined. You need to get up in the morning even when it’s cold, wet and horrible. You need to get yourself up, jump in your van, get to your site, set all your stuff up and be there with a friendly face.

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OPTI003 31/03/2017 15:35

cover star

A CUT ABOVE 16

Having grown up with the Francesco Group, Ben Dellicompagni is certainly well placed to take the family business into the 21st century

6 elitefranchise | APRIL 2017

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contents 04.17

REGULARS 9 Welcome & contributors 11 News & events 89 Franchise diaries

COLUMNS 13 Paul Stafford 15 Sussanne Chambers 25 Frank Milner 27 Nigel Toplis 31 Tony Bowman

FEATURES 34 Out of the mist

With VapeStore, Brett Horth has established the UK’s first vape franchise

46

At your service From walking pikachus to cleaning carpets, Fantastic Services is always there to help

40 Rule Britannia?

Playing on their British heritage can boost international franchises

54 Getting real about rates How will the change in business rates affect franchises?

60 Franchise on film

Video marketing is a golden opportunity for franchises

40

66 Daring to lead

Leading a business requires skill and a lot of courage

72 Lovin’ the franchise life

McDonald’s franchisee Jane Blackwell is strengthening her community ties

34

76 A question of ethics

Exploring the franchising sector's moral compass APRIL 2017 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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28/03/2017 09:41

welcome Volume 05 Issue 04 / 2017 EDITORIAL Josh Russell – Editor josh.russell@cemedia.co.uk Maria Barr – Web Editor maria.barr@cemedia.co.uk Eric Johansson - Feature Writer eric.johansson@cemedia.co.uk

A moral compass

DESIGN/PRODUCTION Leona Connor – Head Designer leona.connor@cemedia.co.uk Jenny Allen – Junior Designer jenny.allen@cemedia.co.uk Dan Lecount – Web Development Manager dan@cemedia.co.uk

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o matter how successful you are, I firmly believe that the real measure of a business leader is how they treat other people. Being ethical shouldn't just be a box-checking exercise; it should inform everything you do.

One of my favourite examples of this concerns a small garden snail. When Rune Sovndahl started Fantastic Services, he wanted to create a platform that would help people and make their lives easier. So when the company received a call about babysitting a kid's pet snail while the family went on holiday, nobody at Fantastic Services HQ hesitated in stepping up.

And a strong sense of values is evident in Francesco Group: a hairdressing franchise that’s been passed down from father to son. When Ben Dellicompagni took the helm, he ensured those family values ran through the company and they can be seen in everything from its training to charity initiatives. Given Francesco Group’s stellar performance and growing collection of awards, doing what’s right is clearly good for business.

SALES Gemma Campion – Sales Manager gemma.campion@cemedia.co.uk MARKETING David Thomas – Group Marketing Manager david.thomas@cemedia.co.uk CIRCULATION Paul Kirby – Circulation & Data Manager paul.kirby@cemedia.co.uk ACCOUNTS Sally Stoker – Finance Manager sally.stoker@cemedia.co.uk ADMINISTRATION Laura Hyde – Administrator laura.hyde@cemedia.co.uk DIRECTOR Scott English – Managing Director scott.english@cemedia.co.uk Circulation enquiries: CE Media Call: 0124 567 3700 Elite Franchise is published by CE Media Conference & Exhibitions Limited, 1st Floor, Regency House, 16 Victoria Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1NZ Copyright 2017. 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 CE Media Limited cannot be held responsible for such variation. cemedia.co.uk

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk

■ Josh Russell - Editor

Contributors

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3

4

Jane Maudsley

Frank Milner

Paul Stafford

Jessica Shears

Having been nominated for the Encouraging Women into Franchising Inspirational Woman in Franchising 2017 award, the Little Voices franchisor reveals how she stays inspired, even when the going gets tough.

Tutor Doctor president Frank Milner believes in making things personal.

In his maiden column for Elite Franchise, Milner argues that even in the age of digital communications, people should be at the heart of every business.

As head of communications at Chantry, Stafford appreciates the importance of a clear return on investment.

This month, he explores how digital marketing is making it easier to measure cost per lead.

With the new business rates coming into effect this month Dennis & Turnball's head of accounts explains what the furore was all this spring and highlights the support that franchises could be eligible for.

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APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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02/02/2017 18:53

news EVENTS bfa Prospective Franchisor Seminar Oxford April 5-6

85f Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY

Scottish Franchise Week: Prospective Franchisor Seminar April 25 Harper Macleod LLP, The Ca'd'oro, 45 Gordon Street, Glasgow, G1 3PE

Coconut Creatives: How to Motivate Your Franchisees Workshop April 26

Honiley Court Hotel, Meer End Road, Honiley, Kenilworth, CV8 1NP

Domino’s trials robot deliveries Next time you're in Hamburg and fancy ordering a pizza, you might find yourself answering the door to a six-wheeled robot. Pizza franchise Domino’s has announced that it’s looking into using land-based autonomous robots to support its delivery drivers in Europe.

Partnering with Londonbased robot-development company Starship Technologies, the trials will start in selected cities in Germany and Holland.

The franchise has revealed that it simply doesn't have enough delivery drivers to fuel its ambitious expansion plans. “Robotic delivery units will complement our existing delivery methods – including cars, scooters and e-bikes – ensuring our customers can get the hottest, freshest-made pizza delivered directly to them wherever they are,” said Don Meij, CEO and managing director of Domino’s Group.

BY MARIA BARR

Bio-Rite is spreading to Scotland

Scottish Business Breakfast 2017 April 26 Radison Blu, 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL

EWIF London Regional Meeting April 27 Under 1 Roof Kids, Unit 9 IO Centre, Skeffington Street, London, SE18 6SR

Finalists announced for 2017 NatWest EWIF Awards To celebrate the hard graft of Britain’s thriving franchise community, you can't beat awards season. And the industry’s best and brightest had better get their glad rags dry cleaned: the finalists for the 2017 NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) awards have just been announced.

The awards celebrate the achievements of women in the franchise industry who have gone above and beyond. This year, Anne-Marie Martin from diddi dance, Jo Stone and Tracy Townend from Puddle Ducks and Louise Harris from Wilkins Chimney Sweep have all been

shortlisted for the Woman Franchisor of the Year gong.

Meanwhile, Toni & Guy’s Claire Slorach, diddi dance’s Natalie and Dawn Edwards and No Letting Go’s Rachel Farr-Drejer are contenders for the Woman Franchisee of the Year award.

The awards also recognise the efforts of a franchise’s employees, with Barking Mad’s Rachel Stewart, diddi dance’s Rebecca Horrell and Magical Maths’ Sarah Mayhew all up for the Woman Franchise Employee of the Year award.

The winners will be crowned on Tuesday May 16 2017, so get it into the diary now.

While political relations between Scotland and the rest of the UK might be a tad frosty right now, it’s clearly not stopping franchises from showing a united front. In fact, Bio-Rite, the infection control service, has announced that’s it’s venturing north of the border.

Simon Grey and Graeme Sim have been named as the new Bio-Rite franchisees for Scotland and will be introducing the company’s decontamination services to Scottish hospitals and care homes. “We were surprised that outsourced infection-control services were not already readily available in the area,” said Sim. “We anticipate our rapid ward decontamination will be of interest to infection control managers within the NHS. However, in addition, we also look forward to working within care homes to help ensure infection free environments for residents too.” It certainly sounds like they’ll be cleaning up nicely.

APRIL 2017 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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PAUL STAFFORD head of communications Chantry

A numbers game: applying data analytics to your lead generation campaigns Measuring the returns on your franchisee recruitment efforts can help you avoid wasting valuable time on chasing lowquality leads

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ood marketing is all about putting the right message in front of the right people to encourage them to take a certain action. And when it comes to recruiting franchisees, getting bang for your buck comes down to two main things: making sure you’re getting leads that are more likely to result in conversions and measuring the return on your promotional activity accurately.

Many established franchisors actively work on reducing the volume of people they target and shy away from a spray and pray approach. Instead, they pinpoint the people they believe will make successful franchisees, reaching out to them with marketing messages that match their desires and requirements with laser precision.

The result of a more precise approach is that less time is spent on filtering through poor-quality leads, allowing you to focus on pursuing genuine prospects. This ups your chances of converting leads into franchisees and will also reduce your cost per lead and cost per new franchisee. Prioritising quality over quantity makes economic sense and can ultimately help you build a stronger network.

The great thing about marketing in the digital age is that there’s a whole host of data available to track your success and the cost-effectiveness of each channel you’re using. Between Google Analytics, socialmedia reporting and tools that show you how many people are reading your emails, it’s never been easier to have a firm grip on the efficiency of your efforts. And while offline tracking can be trickier, tactics like including a unique email address on your print collateral or simply asking leads where they heard about you can provide you with similarly strong insights.

Once you have the numbers, it’s a simple task to measure your cost per lead: by assigning each prospect to a different channel, calculating how much that channel cost you and then dividing one by the other.

This will provide you with your cost per lead. However, if you really want to up your game you should go deeper than this toplevel information in order to uncover the strategies or platforms that are giving you the biggest returns.

And after you’ve calculated your cost per lead on each of your marketing activities, focus on only the quality enquiries you received: leads that eventually resulted in a new franchisee being taken on, regardless of the cost. You can then compare it to your low-cost leads and work out whether there are some channels that are eating up your time with low-cost but consistently lowquality prospects. Equally, you may find that a more niche platform is providing you with really relevant leads.

Technology is taking the guesswork out of where to invest your time and money and franchises that dig a little deeper into their data will be in a better position to use these insights to their advantage.

APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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30/03/2017 09:47

Sussanne Chambers founder and managing director HomeXperts

Ensuring you choose a franchise that’s beyond compare When weighing up which franchise is the right fit for you, it’s important to see how they stack up against their rivals hen you're thinking of investing in a franchise, there are many things to consider, such as taking stock of your experience and transferrable skills or identifying which sectors most interest you. But once you've chosen the right industry for you, it's time to make the most difficult decision: choosing a franchise. According to the bfa NatWest Survey 2015, there are over 930 franchise systems in the UK. Defining which franchise is the best investment is difficult with so much choice available.

W

Create a comparison chart Another critical step is to really interrogate what's included within the franchise package. Some franchises will include all the equipment you need to run the business; with some others you will need to buy additional items. So add up the cost of these items and then compare the fees again. Also it’s also a good idea to ask for a schedule of training so you really can compare what's included. If one training academy offers one week of training and another franchise has two, this speaks volumes and demonstrates they’re investing twice as much in their franchisees.

Do your research First, narrow down the field. Some brands you will dismiss Listen to your gut instantly: this could be based on investment levels, the Lastly you should listen to your intuition: what feels product, training, support or other reasons. When you have right? Think about the people you would be working three or fewer contenders, it's time to start some serious with: are you comfortable with them? Next, think research. Google the business rather than just looking at the about the softer elements of the official company website and look beyond the business. What are the franchisor’s first page of results. What else is on record about growth plans? How are they developing the business? Research the business owners and If you’re franchise to take advantage of see what you can find out about them. going to buy the changing markets? If you’re going to Feel out franchisees a franchise, it buy a franchise, it should pass the smell test and intuition will often protect you Talking to franchisees is an important part of should pass from making a bad decision. the discovery process. However, to get the most the smell test Given that you'll be signing an out of this discussion, do your preparation in agreement for five to ten years and advance. Write a list of basic questions around committing a significant chunk of the training and ongoing support provided your life to the business, buying a franchise is a big by the franchisor. Additionally, it’s worth creating some decision. But follow these tips and you’ll be able to scenarios and asking the franchisee what would happen in invest with confidence. these specific circumstances.

APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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Taking care

of your roots Having inherited the Francesco Group, a family business more than half a century in the making, no one better understands the importance of staying true to where you came than Ben Dellicompagni BY josh russell / photography by emilie sandy

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Ben Dellicompagni

hether it was folding towels to ensure the Francesco Group brand was on the outside or shampooing people’s hair for tips, some of Ben Dellicompagni’s happiest childhood memories are of working in his father’s salon. “I loved being in the salon and loved the energy of it,” he says. But the smell of conditioner and feel of terrycloth aren’t the only things that have stuck with the now managing director of the franchise: perhaps the most indelible impression Frank Dellicompagni left on his son was the importance of working hard and being self reliant. “As a young man, I saw the blood, sweat and tears that went into building the company,” he says. “Our family had an incredible work ethic. That’s the building blocks of who we are: it's in our DNA.” This is no hyperbole: the Dellicompagni family has never shied away from hard graft. As a prisoner of war during the second world war, Dellicompagni’s grandfather was billeted to a farm in Staffordshire and impressed the farmer so much that he was invited to come back and work as a labourer. “And he was so enamoured of the English lifestyle and the potential of the education for his children he said yes,” Dellicompagni says. “After being repatriated to Italy, he worked his way across war-torn Europe.” Once he was situated, he sent for his wife and infant son and through his efforts was able to eventually buy his own home. This inevitably had a strong influence on Dellicompagni’s father. “We’re a hard working, immigrant family, so my dad was of course brought up with that work ethic,” Dellicompagni says.

At age 14, Dellicompagni Senior was given the option of either coming to work with his father – who by this time was working in a factory – or learning a trade.

He chose the latter. “He’d been brought up in a very rigid catholic family so there weren’t many opportunities for selfexpression,” says Dellicompagni. “But he liked fashion and the thought of working in a culture where he could express himself.” Settling on hairdressing, Dellicompagni’s father went to train at a private college before heading over to Italy to refine his skills working under his uncle, a prestigious hairdresser. On his return, he travelled around in a Morris Minor cutting hair until he had enough clients to open a bricks-and-mortar salon. “Nan and Grandad remortgaged their house and helped him get the lease for his first unit,” says Dellicompagni.

By this stage, Vidal Sassoon was making waves in the capital and Swinging London was well under way: Frank Dellicompagni could sense that the country was in the midst of a cultural shift when it came to coiffures.

“The fashion moved from women sat in dryers having a shampoo and set to cutting, styling and finishing,” says Dellicompagni. “It was a boom time in the hairdressing industry.” Joined by his brother Peter, Dellicompagni Senior studied at one of Sassoon’s academies and, with the help of several external partners, the brothers grew their portfolio of salons to eight.

However, in time their plans diverged from those of their partners and so the entrepreneurs decided to go their own way, taking just one brand with them: the Francesco Group.

Over the next few decades, the Dellicompagnis built the Francesco Group back up to eight salons but by the 1980s they were looking for something to help them accelerate the business’s growth. Fortunately, franchising provided the perfect fuel. “They’d seen franchising come over to the UK and realised it was the key to unleashing the potential of their own people,” he says. Typically a limiting factor for APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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Ben Dellicompagni

hairdressers is that a salon manager advances so far and then, when they have the required level of expertise, they leave and set up in competition. Switching to a franchise model was a win-win for the Francesco Group because it allowed it to capitalise on this built-in talent pool and at the same time incentivise salon managers to stay in the business. “It worked for us because we had the people to franchise with: we didn’t have to go out and find them,” says Dellicompagni.

Over the following two decades, the Francesco Group doubled in size and the young Dellicompagni graduated from folding towels to finding his own way in the capital.

“Living and working in London was a great experience but at times it was a ruthless one,” he says. “I ended up working for some cut-throat companies but all those things that my father had ingrained in me saw me right.” Despite having some bad experiences with media sales companies, Dellicompagni eventually landed a job selling training packages for Video Arts, the e-learning provider, something that he feels taught him invaluable skills for later in his career. “I learnt what it meant to be effective in sales and what a good culture felt like to work in,” he says. “That stood me in good stead.”

By this time, Dellicompagni’s father had stepped down from the business and when Peter announced his intention to follow suit, it wasn’t hard for him to choose his successor.

“When it’s a family business, you’re of course really proud of what they’ve achieved,” says Dellicompagni. “To be asked to come and work with them on it, it was absolutely a nobrainer.” After quitting his job in London, Dellicompagni came to learn the ropes from his uncle, serving as the business development manager and helping to hire and

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develop new franchisees. And when Peter stepped into a chairman role in 2002, Dellicompagni took the helm of Francesco Group. “I can’t sit here and say there was a sea change when I took over,” he says. “It was more a progression of the culture of family and training.”

And it's precisely this culture that Dellicompagni believes has helped set the business apart in what is quite a crowded market. “If I went to my competitors – Rush, Toni & Guy, Saks and Hobbs – and asked them what their point of difference is, they’d all say similar things,” he says. “They’d say: ‘we’ve got a great brand, great imagery, great education and a proven method.’” But while the Francesco Group also has all of these things in its corner, the 50 years it has spent being shaped by the Dellicompagnis has meant that their belief in family now permeates the business at every level.

“Anybody from an apprentice to a franchisee can phone me or the director of hairdressing and we’ll be there,” Dellicompagni says. “Because while we own the business as a family, we care.”

Given every franchisee that enters the business is effectively joining the family, inevitably a lot of attention is paid to ensuring they are the right fit. “It’s not just about finding someone who can put money in the till,” says Dellicompagni. “Often we know they’re an owner operator and a good hairdresser: what we need to see is what they’re like with their people.” This is why Francesco Group takes a close look at how franchisees fit in with everyone around them, from the head-office team to their own employees. “We want to get to know them and make sure that they’re absolutely right for us,” he says. “Because getting the leadership and management right is what gives us the longevity.”

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I ended up working for some cut-throat companies but all those things that my father had ingrained in me saw me right However, this isn’t just a one-way street and Francesco Group puts a lot of effort into ensuring it can offer franchisees what they need in return. In light of the fact that opening a bricks-and-mortar salon can be an expensive affair, one of the first areas the franchise offers support is with finance. “If they haven’t got a penny in equity to put up against a loan, we’ll underwrite it for them,” says Dellicompagni. “That’s a 0% loan over five years and it will stay at 0% until the Bank of England’s base rate hits 5%.” Not only this but the franchise provides comprehensive training tailored to each franchisee’s needs: in total it spends £200,000 a year delivering subsidised training to get its recruits up to speed. “We work together with them to give each of them what they need to be truly successful,” he says.

Focusing on leadership and providing comprehensive support has certainly benefited the Francesco Group. But this doesn’t mean that it has been completely impervious to setbacks: as with many other high-street businesses, the recession bit hard for the franchise. “In October 2008, the tap got turned off and suddenly sales dropped,” says Dellicompagni.“From 2009 until 2012 they shrank by between 1% and 2%.” But rather sitting back and licking his wounds, Dellicompagni decided to use this as an opportunity to up the franchise’s game. He began getting stylists trained up as technicians– allowing them to colour as well as cut hair – to help boost productivity and started marketing more aggressively, using direct marketing to increase footfall in salons. “It has sharpened everyone’s pencils,” he says.

“We actually grew through the recession and expanded from 29 salons to 39.”

But it hasn’t only been economic pressures that have helped Francesco Group keep its edge: franchisees and staff are also encouraged to demonstrate their prowess by entering hairdressing competitions. “Whether you’re a new apprentice at sixteen or my director of hairdressing who’s been in the game for 20 odd years, you have to put your work under the microscope and prove you are the best,” says Dellicompagni.

The franchise has picked up gongs at WELLA Trend Vision 2016, the British Hairdressing Awards 2015 and the British Hairdressing APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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Ben Dellicompagni

No matter how busy or hectic things get, we can’t take from the community and not put something back in

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Business Awards 2015; on top of this, it's been nominated for Afro Hairdresser of the Year so many times it's been inducted into the hall of fame. And this has been invaluable in ensuring the franchise remains competitive. “In terms of recruitment and proving our quality, awards are crucial,” Dellicompagni says.

“But it also keeps us moving forward: fashion doesn’t stand still.”

However, Francesco Group isn’t only concerned with prestige: one of its biggest priorities is ensuring it reinvests in the local area on which it relies. “We earn our money from the community,” says Dellicompagni. “And no matter how busy or hectic things get, we can’t take from the community and not put something back in.” Over the years the franchise has backed a range of charities. In 2010, Dellicompagni ran two half marathons as part of a wider Francesco Group effort to raise funds for Stafford’s Katharine House Hospice. More recently the team was part of a nine-day cycle ride from Silverstone to the Italian city of Monza that helped raise over £22,000 for charities including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Cancer Research UK and the Multiple Sclerosis Trust. And this spirit of philanthropy is something Dellicompagni feels is hard-coded into the business. “That’s the moral compass of a family business: you don’t need to even set a formal policy,” says Dellicompagni. “It just happens that way.”

This commitment to giving something back isn’t distracting from Francesco Group’s core goals though: Dellicompagni has some grand plans for the future of the franchise. “We’ve settled down the acquisition of our southern group, rebranding it from Scissors to Francesco Group,” he says. “FG is set to grow by two salons a year and so is the southern division, so we’re looking at four salons a year.” But despite this, Dellicompagni doesn’t want to get bogged down in the numbers: more important is maintaining the business’s reputation for quality, something that will be bolstered by the recent opening of a new training academy in Poole.

“It’s not about a number of salons for us,” he says.

“It’s about achieving a level of sustainable growth.”

And regardless of where the next few decades takes the Francesco Group, you can be sure that family will remain at its core. “My personal ambition is to hand over a franchise that has stayed true to its values,” he says. Dellicompagni is nowhere near ready top relinquish the reins just yet but when he does, preserving the legacy his father created with the Francesco Group will be his top priority. “Whatever the future holds, it will remain a high-quality organisation with highquality franchisees that has that culture of family and care intact,” he says.

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“I felt that it was a business model I could excel in .”

Jyoti Kohli, Franchisee Bluebird Care Haringey

Be part of the most experienced care franchise in the UK Bluebird Care has revolutionised the way care is delivered by concentrating on high quality customer service, whilst at the same time upholding the very best in professional care provision.

With over 200 offices across the UK and Ireland, Bluebird Care is fast becoming the nation’s foremost provider of homecare.

Bluebird Care boasts over 40 years care provision and franchise experience and is part of the Interim Healthcare Inc. Group, one of the largest care franchise groups in the world.

We have the knowledge and experience to support franchise owners at every stage of their business, which has led to the enormous success the brand has achieved.

Please contact our franchise recruitment manager, Carole Stubbs, to find out more about our proven business model.

bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk 01730 260 026 franchises@bluebirdcare.co.uk Bluebird Care Franchises Ltd, Charles Street, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 3EH BLUE003 Untitled-3 1

23/03/2017 13:58

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Life as a Shuttercraft franchisee S

huttercraft is no ordinary franchise opportunity. We’ve redefined the franchisor-franchisee relationship so that franchisees get the perfect combination of control and collaboration, with all the support they’ll need to build a successful and profitable business.

From a business point of view, Shuttercraft franchisees benefit from positive word of mouth and high levels of referrals. In fact, the average franchisee is seeing up to 60% of their business coming from referrals, as shutters have the wow factor for visiting friends and family of customers.

This is a management franchise opportunity that enables people to launch their business and hit the ground running with exceptional marketing support and training, which starts on day one. There’s a strong focus on customer service and lead generation

From building customer relationships to managing your accounts, owning your own franchise is demanding but also rewarding and franchisees can expect to receive expert training on everything from sales and marketing and logistics to customer service, IT and accounts.

This isn’t about fitting shutters: franchisees can expect to lead the charge in their territory and will be empowered to drive the direction of their business. It’s a franchisee’s role to build long-term customer relationships, manage the business on a day-to-day basis and lead a small team of staff.

Shuttercraft is looking to develop relationships with franchisees who share its goals and belief that strong relationships are what make the

difference between a good business and a great one.

Because Shuttercraft offers a premium product with a promise of a premium service, it’s looking to partner with people who have the same passion to deliver on that promise.

Getting any business off to a good start is critical to its success and this is especially so for franchisees, who may even be starting their own business for the first time. A franchisee may have invested their life savings into buying the franchise and have household bills to pay. Recognising this, Shuttercraft has put a lot of thought into its business model. It’s been designed with franchisee needs in mind to offer them fast-track entry into a growing market and low operating costs (since franchisees are home-based while fitters are mobile). The low capital investment cost makes the franchise package affordable to buy and operate.

With a proven business model and an excellent supply chain, franchisees have a unique opportunity to run a business that has a healthy cashflow and high profit margins from the outset.

To learn more about this exciting franchise opportunity, visit shuttercraft-franchise.co.uk If you feel ready to take action today, contact us by filling in the form at shuttercraft-franchise.co.uk/contact-us/

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03/02/2017 18:21

Frank Milner CEO Tutor Doctor

Why all franchises should be customer-centric While technology can make interactions less personal, it’s also making it even more important to prioritise keeping your customers happy

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n an age of digital conversations and online automation, you would be forgiven for thinking that personal interactions are less important. Most businesses have a digital strategy and a social-media policy that guides their online engagement, which makes complete sense. But there’s potentially a danger that business: someone with a vested interest in ensuring this is making customer service become too focused that their experience is a positive one. on processes rather than being people-driven. A And when the customer is treated well and franchise only exists because customers buy from establishes a rapport with the brand on a personal them so ensuring they’re being served well is crucial. level, they’re far more likely to share their positive And often the human touch goes a long way. experience with their friends, family, work colleagues Just think about the last time you had to complain and social-media contacts. Technology has empowered to a company or even just wanted to ask a question. the average customer to become roving Did you wait on hold or have to punch in reviewers and rate their experiences on social numbers on a call handling system, only to be Happy media, their blog or a dedicated reviews referred back to the FAQ page on its website? like TripAdvisor. Savvy franchises Technology is a wonderful thing but the best customers website recognise that recommendations or reviews way of providing a brilliant service to people tend to from peers can be hugely influential and that is by letting them deal with your company’s it makes business sense to see to it that every best assets: your people. buy more customer interaction is outstanding. But One of the reasons that franchising is frequently single of course this can work in reverse too and it’s such a successful business model is that frequently said that bad experiences are often it attracts franchisees who are motivated, shared far more than positive ones. engaged and professional. They’re also closer to the At the end of the day, placing people at the heart of customer on a local level. This creates a win-win-win your business and investing in delivering exceptional scenario. The franchisee benefits from contact with customer service across all touchpoints affects how their customers, allowing them to directly influence loyal your customers are and your reputation. Happy the growth of their business. At the same time, the customers tend to buy more frequently, after all. franchisor wins because the passion and enthusiasm So any franchise that wants to grow should always a franchisee has for delivering customer service consider how they can ensure the human touch is builds massive brand loyalty. And the customer also there in every interaction. wins because they get to deal with the owner of the APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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31/03/2017 18:30

Nigel Toplis managing director The Bardon Group

Why you shouldn’t be afraid to bring in the professionals Seeking the help of professional advisors can prove invaluable when preparing to buy a franchise

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elieve it or not, there is a time when you do need accountants, lawyers and other consultants. You need people from strict disciplines to help you develop the business plan, explain the franchise agreement and even offer objective advice as to which of your chosen franchises they feel might suit your circumstances best. So once you've selected your preferred franchise – and even when you're down to the last couple – it's time to call in the professionals All franchisors want successful, highly motivated franchisees because it's good for the franchisees, good for the franchisors and good for the credibility of the brand. To this end, a good franchisor will recommend that you speak to the professionals. When it comes to finding the right support, the bfa can advise you on who's affiliated.

One of the key areas it’s worth seeking the help of an advisor is when it comes to the ins and outs of the franchise agreement. As this is a legal document, you need to understand exactly what obligations you're taking on: to do that you need an experienced franchise lawyer to advise you. In light of this, please don’t

use a lawyer who specialises in divorce law, property law or, heaven forbid, is a mate – they will almost certainly know little about franchising. With the complexity of the modern franchise agreement, you really do need a specialist.

Another area where professional advice can prove invaluable is when you’re putting your business plan together. My advice would be to do this in conjunction with an accountant – and one who has experience of franchising. It's always useful to have somebody with you who can make sure your projections are sound and that you can achieve the income levels you aspire to. Running a successful business requires experience, skill, drive and determination and a decent accountant can help you to generate a better return – even in a successful franchise system.

However, it’s important to remember that advisors can only advise: ultimately it's up to you to decide how to proceed.

So once you’ve spoken to a lawyer and an accountant, this will be the time to step back and review all the information you’ve gathered. In light of all the advice and guidance you’ve received, are you up to the challenge? Can you afford it? Can you take the pressure? Are you confident in the franchisor? Most importantly, can you see you and your family enjoying it?

Professional advisors will help you understand the small print, they can assess the investment objectively and they will prepare and evaluate business plans.

But remember that advisors are only as good as the brief you give them: ultimately the decisions and the consequences are yours and yours alone.

APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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1 Franchise - 4 Solutions Dry Carpet Cleaning

1

Hard Floor Cleaning

2

Upholstery Cleaning

3

Sandless Wooden Floor Restoration

4

Ceramic • Stone • Vinyl

Leather • Suede • Fabric

The UK’s only dry carpet & upholstery cleaners - Now with hard floor cleaning...

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s 1 Great Opportunity

If you’re looking for an exciting career change that will bring you financial security without the constants of working for someone else, a zerodrytime franchise could be the right choice for you.

Don’t be confused, running a dry carpet & upholstery cleaning business may not be what you think new technology and products have changed the way we work forever. The zerodrytime system will enable you to give people what they want. Dry carpets and upholstery ready for immediate use.

You will not have to keep the heating on, windows open, and let no one in the room for hours. Behind every door is a potential new customer.

Dry carpet cleaning is not only environmentally safe but leaves carpets and upholstery smelling fresh and clean. Customers are always amazed with the results, and can’t believe how good things look without using lots of hot soapy water and harsh chemicals.

Both dry and low moisture cleaning use state of the art equipment, including custom made products developed over the years by our own in-house chemists. With such a strong combination, it’s possible to clean almost anything anywhere, in any situation.

www.zerodrytimefranchise.com ZERO001

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Over 45 vans on the road Setting up a new business can be difficult, it’s taken years to develop our franchise model that to enable you to build a fabulous business and make the most out of the cleaning sector we operate in.

Zerodrytime is a successful business and wants to attract like-minded individuals who want to do and be the same as our existing franchises…

Believe success attracts success.

You will learn to run your own successful business with great long term repeat customers.

The earning potential is unlimited with a zerodrytime franchise. What you make from this business is up to you. Are you going to stay as the man in the van, or have multiple vans?

• Uncapped earning potential • Regular loyal repeat customers • Complete ‘Lifestyle’ business

• Man in a van options • Management options • Carpet Club creating a residual income

£19,500 +vat Call today to secure your area...

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Call: 0191 270 9202 zerodrytimefranchise.com Zero 3 page.indd 3

ZERO001 31/03/2017 18:34

Tony Bowman managing director etyres

High five: top ways a franchisor should provide a helping hand There are certain things you should look out for when deciding if a franchise’s support is up to snuff f all the platitudes bandied around to reassure franchise owners that they'll be given continued guidance and support, “help is always on hand” is arguably one of the most empty promises. Yet support is one of the key reasons many decide to invest in a franchise rather than starting their own business from scratch. So exactly what sort of help can and should a prospective franchise owner expect to receive from their franchisor? There are five key areas where support is vital.

First and foremost, it's the franchisor’s duty to ensure that any potential franchisee is making a sound and informed choice. Strong financial projections and forecasts are all very well but if you join a mobile franchise when you actually want to remain relatively

office-bound or end up choosing an industry you have no interest in, your venture is hampered from the start. An honest appraisal of whether you’re right for the brand – taking things like age, health, location and available finance into consideration – should be one of the franchisor’s first responsibilities.

Raising funds for your venture can be a daunting hurdle to overcome but a good franchisor will be able to walk you through the process, potentially having strong links and a good track record of securing finance with banks. Despite this, it's important that the application and business plan are unique to you and are not just a standard document that's been produced by the franchisor.

It should go without saying that a comprehensive training and ongoing support programme is essential in order to help the franchise get off to a good start and grow the business. Also, while franchisees get on with running their business, it's reassuring for them to know that the head-office team is driving forward new sales initiatives or focusing on marketing campaigns.

Having a designated head-office team member to liaise with directly is invaluable and is something every franchisee should look out for. Our own operations manager is known affectionately as ‘The Nanny’ by many of our franchisees: he is often their first port of call if they need help with day-to-day issues, outside the remit of the finance, marketing, IT or sales teams.

Finally, it's worth exploring the willingness and effectiveness of a franchisor to help you find a successor and sell the business you've built up. We’ve done this on numerous occasions and recently helped one of our teams to sell their going concern for several hundred thousand pounds.

This is the kind of tangible evidence that you can find out from the moment you consider signing up with a franchise. If your franchisor provides support in these five areas, you know you'll be in good hands.

APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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EWI F

encouraging women franchising

into

NatWest EWIF Awards 2017 Tuesday, 16th May 2017

NatWest Auditorium, 250 Bishopsgate, London

Join us in celebrating the success of women in franchising!

At this year’s annual NatWest EWIF award ceremony, keynote speaker, Melody Hossaini, described by Lord Sugar as “a woman of exceptional ability”, is sharing her experiences. As a member of the prestigious CEO Champion’s Group of FTSE 100 companies we guarantee Melody’s achievements will inspire you!

Visit www.ewif.org/natwest-ewif-awards/ to find out more and to book your FREE ticket.

This event is open to anyone involved in franchising.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

A force for good in the world B

usinesses thrive when they value other people and keep clients at the heart of what they do each and every day. And for a franchise, it’s important that franchisees share the same vision.

At Radfield Home Care, the care franchise, qualities such as empathy and caring for others, coupled with a drive and desire to own their own business, are key.

With guidance and support, franchisees can unlock the potential of the private domiciliary care market by supporting elderly people who want to keep on living in the comfort of their own homes.

And since Britain has an ageing population, the need for at-home care services continues to grow. This is creating a huge opportunity for franchisees who genuinely want to provide a high-quality service to their clients and position themselves as the private home care provider of choice in their local community.

Radfield Home Care launched its franchise opportunity last year and the level of interest has been overwhelming. The appeal lies in the

concept’s simplicity: by specialising in elderly care, it’s able to focus on offering franchisees access to the UK private care marketplace.

As a relatively young franchise, many territories are still available.

There are also opportunities for early, ambitious franchisees to become key influencers in the network, expanding their areas of operation into adjacent territories to create a larger and more profitable business for themselves.

By joining the family, franchisees also become part of a social movement that aims to be a force for good in the world.

Radfield Home Care is the first and only UK healthcare company to have been awarded B Corp Certification, which demonstrates to employees, clients and franchisees that it’s an ethical business that looks after its people and the planet.

If you have a desire to work hard at your own business but also want to do something truly worthwhile that benefits your local community, then the franchise would love to start a conversation with you.

To learn more, get in touch with our franchise team: Email: franchise@radfield.co.uk Tel: 01743 548550 Web: www.radfieldhomecarefranchising.co.uk Contact: Dr Hannah MacKechnie National office: Radfield House, Austin Friars, Stafford, ST17 4AP APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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VAPESTORE

Out of the mist

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

Brett Horth has never missed out on a great business opportunity. Now he’s using his keen entrepreneurial talent to turn VapeStore into the UK’s first vaping franchise

Even before Brett Horth launched VapeStore, Vapouriz and Vapour Labs, his keen business acumen played a huge part in his life. “I’ve always been very entrepreneurial,” he says. “I set up my first business when I was in my mid-20s.” The idea to launch the company in question came to him when he was looking to buy his wife an opal for her birthday. Having been discouraged by how expensive regular jewellers were, Horth decided to find an online supplier instead. And when he did, Horth was surprised by how cheaply he could buy precious stones. Sensing a lucrative opportunity, he decided to invest in an opal-cutting machine of his own and began buying and selling gemstones. “That went on for a few years before the supply dried up,” Horth says. “Then I went on to the next thing.”

The next enterprise Horth founded was a recruitment business. “I did that for about three

years before it sadly came to an end in 2008,” he says. With the recession claiming companies left, right and centre, it wasn’t long before the recruitment industry started to contract, ultimately forcing him to close his business.

“Estate agents may have been the first to suffer but recruitment agencies like mine weren’t far behind,” explains Horth.

Not one to give up easily, he soon launched a third business: the search engine optimisation firm Evolve Digital Media. While he only ran the company for a few years, it would ultimately lead him to the founding of the UK’s first vaping franchise. “I was introduced to electronic cigarettes when I received a call from a prospective customer,” says Horth. The man was running a company selling gadgets that vaporised nicotine: having never tried or even seen an e-cigarette before, Horth was keen to give it a go. “At the time I smoked 20 cigarettes a day and within a few weeks of trying vaping I had

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switched completely,” he says. “I haven’t had any tobacco since 2011.” Given his entrepreneurial inclinations and how much he found himself enjoying the product, it’s hardly surprising that Horth quickly embarked on a mission to launch a vape company of his own.

However, setting up the business would prove easier said than done. “The bank wouldn’t even lend me £500,” he says. Fortunately he was able to bootstrap the business, investing £15,000 of his own savings before convincing his godfather and a friend to invest £25,000 and £12,000 respectively. Armed with the necessary funds, Horth quickly ordered 10,000 e-cigarette kits, placed a full-page ad in the Sun and set up his own online vape store, dubbing it Vapouriz. “I made it all back within two days of the launch,” says Horth.

Riding high on the success of Vapouriz, it didn’t take long for him to look for a way to expand his enterprise. “I always wanted to set up my own shop,” says Horth. “And customers were already travelling from miles around to visit our headquarters to purchase products.” Not one to rest on his laurels once he’d spotted a business opportunity, he launched VapeStore in 2013.

We’re not searching for hobbyists While Vapouriz by this time was focusing on manufacturing its own liquids under the brand name Vapour Labs, Horth’s new venture stocked products from a wide range of manufacturers.

Within a year of opening its doors, the first store in Guildford had a turnover of £720,000. “It was phenomenal,” says Horth.

Following the success of the first shop, Horth launched four more company-owned stores before deciding to turn his hand to franchising, recognising that it would allow the company to grow quickly without losing control of the purse strings. “We wanted to scale but there is no way that we would be able to open 100 stores by ourselves,” says Horth. “It would be too capital intensive for us.” Additionally, franchising has another benefit: it ensures that new stores will be run by people who are committed to ensuring the

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VAPESTORE

The bank wouldn’t even lend me £500 success of business. “Speaking from experience, I know that running your own business rather than being employed makes people more careful and a lot more focused,” he says. “Sadly, you don’t get that with regular staff members because that’s just the nature of the role: they come and go.”

Understanding the benefits franchising can provide, Horth set out to find his first couple of franchisees. But given his commitment to making VapeStore a success, it’s not surprising that he is quite particular about the kind franchisee he wants to recruit. “We’re looking for business people and entrepreneurs,” says Horth. “We’re not searching for hobbyists. A lot of people would love to own a store because they enjoy vaping but it’s not as easy as that. We want people who share our vision.” Like many other franchisors before him, Horth’s first step was to roll out his offering to as many franchising shows as possible. But the entrepreneur didn’t stop there: his next step was to utilise his tried and tested SEO skills to attract talent for his enterprise. “We have claimed the number one spot on Google,” says Horth.

To make certain that high-quality candidates apply, the VapeStore is offering a compelling franchise package. This includes not only comprehensive management training but also the equipment required to launch the store and help with the initial marketing campaign. “We want our people to do well,” says Horth.

Nevertheless, running a vape company isn’t without challenges. “The main worry at the moment is the new tobacco products directive,” says Horth. This particular piece of EU regulation came into force in 2016 and introduced a new standard for e-cigarettes. For instance, this means that refill containers can’t be larger than ten millilitres, packages must provide health

warnings and the maximum nicotine content per 20 millilitres of e-liquid can’t exceed 2%. Failing to meet the new requirements would mean that a retailer like VapeStore wouldn’t be allowed to sell its products within the EU. “The one-year grace period is running out in May and if we don’t sell our stock by then we have to either write them off or sell them in a non-EU country,” he says. “Fortunately our expertise in stock forecasting has meant that we’re on target to sell the majority of our non-compliant products.”

This keen understanding of the market has certainly provided VapeStore with a great start for 2017. Not only did the chain sign up its first two franchisees last year but it has already been nominated for the prestigious Emerging Franchisor of the Year Award at the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year awards. And building on this success, Horth plans to expand the network even further over the upcoming months. “We plan to have ten new franchisees by the end of the year,” he says. “In the future the majority of our stores will be franchised.”

Looking back on his journey from cutting opals to running a multimillion-pound vaping business, Horth’s story certainly proves the success you can enjoy when you have a healthy dose of entrepreneurial flair and the courage to pursue your dreams.

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OWN YOUR PART OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ESTATE AGENCY ORGANISATIONS. Join Century 21 UK as a franchisee and benefit from; Global brand exposure Strategic local & national marketing Continuous support & development Additional earning opportunities 1500+ days worth of training

Contact us; 0115 902 1002 opportunities@century21uk.com UNITED KINGDOM

www.estate-agency-franchise.co.uk CENT004

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

A customer-centric cleaning franchise Having been in business since 1983, Techclean has plenty of experience in supporting franchisees and helping them find customers

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echclean, the franchise that offers specialist cleaning solutions, has a diverse range of customers, including FTSE 100 companies, the government, local businesses, charities, schools and medical establishments. The franchise cleans equipment such as PCs, laptops, printers, photocopiers, fax machines, scanners, phones, EPOS and ATMs. It also provides a host of computer room, data room and communications room cleaning services, using a tried and tested approach – not to mention products that are unique to the franchise – for carrying out this specialised cleaning.

The company is ISO 9001 and safe-contractor accredited – an internationally recognised quality system which provide customers with immediate credibility.

Customers are placed at the heart of the business and franchisees take pride in offering specialist advice and practical solutions to their customers.

“Techclean is a customer-centric company that offers a broad range of specialist services to a wide range of customers,” says Nigel Toplis, managing director of the franchise. “We need franchisees with the ambition, communication skills, drive and energy to maximise the business opportunity in their own territory.”

And given the fact that the partnership between a franchisee and their franchisor is critical to the long-term success of a business, Techclean recognises that this relationship is like a marriage in the sense that budding franchisees must trust the franchisor.

Franchisees also receive all the support they need to make their business a success. The Techclean team has extensive knowledge of franchising and are well-versed in sales, marketing, procurement, finance and business planning. What’s more, franchisees will be able to tap into the marketing expertise of The Bardon Group, a multibrand franchisor that has years of

We need franchisees with the ambition, communication skills, drive and energy to maximise the business opportunity in their own territory Nigel Toplis, managing director of Techclean

experience in creating marketing tools, programmes and collateral that are effective and practical for franchisees to follow.

All new franchisees will benefit from centralised direct marketing support, which is at the heart of the franchise’s approach. For example, lead-generating emails are sent to the person with the money, authority and need for Techclean’s services. This is followed up by phone calls through a specialist agency to secure appointments for the franchisee to attend.

Beyond email, Techclean’s marketing support includes a range of proven activities and franchisees are given a comprehensive range of brochures, leaflets and other marketing collateral to help them start drumming up business in their area.

If you’d like to learn more, contact Emma Downes: t: 01530 513300 e: edownes@techclean.co.uk Total cost: £19,500 + VAT

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Tech

Techclean are proud to provide a comprehensive range of specialist system cleaning solutions to a diverse range of customers from FTSE 100’s to government to local businesses, charities, schools and even medical establishments amongst others.

Who does Techclean need? + ‘People people’ + Disciplined and well organised + Prepared to put in the hard work to build a business + Able and willing to follow a business system + Good communicators and enjoy building relationships with customers

Support includes: As your franchisor, we believe in supporting you fully in your marketing efforts, The Bardon Group have years of experience creating excellent marketing tools, programmes and collateral, that are effective and practical for franchise owners to follow – alongside the other demands of the business. This activity is backed up by regular email marketing, a comprehensive range brochure, product leaflets and other relevant collateral.

DETAILS: Investment level: £19,500 +VAT Business type: Specialist system hygiene Franchise contact: Emma Downes Techclean Unit 2, Cartwright Court, Cartwright Way, Forest Business Park, Bardon, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 1UE Tel: 01530 513300 Email: edownes@thebardongroup.co.uk Web: www.techclean.co.uk

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Brand Britain

Rule Britannia?

BY MARIA BARR

How being associated with brand Britain is helping franchises take their concept global

From the inside, the United Kingdom And one of the areas the nation is most respected in many ways looks like it’s having an for is its education standards, as Water Babies, identity crisis. Scotland is once again the kids swimming lesson franchise, found out gearing up for a referendum to decide when it cracked China. Its franchisees in China if it should go it alone, London often seems like make a point of playing up their brand’s UK roots, a foreign city state to the rest of the country and holding classes in English and decorating their Britain as a whole is wrestling with the question of centres with images of red buses. In a country what its place in Europe and the rest of the world where British educational institutions are still should be after Brexit. But overseas, brand Britain highly regarded, the fact that Water Babies is able appears to be going strong and there’s a lot of to offer franchisees the chance to obtain a British love for our exports, whether it’s music or highdiploma during their induction has also played in quality manufactured goods. This is the nation of its favour. “Education is everything in China so our Edinburgh university. Of Kate and Wills. Of the diploma has been lapped up, as has the research Harrods Green Man. Of Adele’s dulcet tones. And we produced by partnering up with universities,” for franchises that have their says Paul Thompson, the sights set on entering a new company’s co-founder. “Being market, tapping into the soft a British brand has been a huge power Britain still wields could advantage – I’ve actually been help smooth the landing. taken aback by just how big a In fact, according to a study role it’s played.” for the Centre of Economics Even our sense of humour and Business Research, just can play in our favour. While having a claim to being “made we might like to think that in Britain” could help UK James Bond is the embodiment exporters earn a premium of our national identity, it turns up to £2.1bn. There’s certainly out that Mr Bean is one of David Paulson, TaxAssist Accountants something about having our biggest soft-power assets British roots that people to date. When the British overseas seem to trust. “Being a UK brand and Council asked 5,000 people from the US, China, having the consulate on our side opened doors, India, Brazil and Germany to name one person got us past the gatekeepers and accelerated the they associate with British culture, it was Rowan process when we were first going into places like Atkinson’s bumbling character who emerged Canada and Australia,” says David Paulson, senior victorious. And franchises that are able to capture manager for international franchise development some of the quirkiness that Britain is loved for at TaxAssist Accountants, the accountancy may find it helps them with their international franchise. “The British brand has proven to be push. “The British sense of humour is one of our extremely powerful wherever we’ve gone and it’s best traits: we don’t take things too seriously meant people trusted us to be professionals from and keep our tongues firmly in our cheeks,” says the start.”

Paul Hurley, founder of Dum Dum Donutterie,

You can't just copy and paste your franchise and expect it to catch on

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Brand Britain

the international doughnut franchise.

Though it has a global feel, Hurley believes the franchise’s playful doughnut creations and tone of voice stem from its British origins.

But what’s perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of Brand Britain in 2017 is its ability to produce fresh ideas and unusual business concepts.

“The UK’s got a reputation for being cutting edge and because we’re such a multicultural country new ideas are always cropping up,” says Hurley.

His franchise may have begun life in Shoreditch but its take on doughnuts, which are baked rather than fried, attracted interest from people all over the world. And the reason why many of these locations are so hungry for novel ideas is down to the fact that their cultural identity is still in the process of being formed. “Young countries are open to fresh ideas, perhaps because they’re almost creating a new identity for themselves by plucking the best from around the world,” he says.

And Dum Dum Donutterie’s story is by no means unique: London’s Cereal Killer Cafe, which charges people £5 for a bowl of cereal with a side order of 1990s nostalgia, soon found itself receiving interest from would-be franchisees overseas. Although the owners are reluctant to call themselves

Being a British brand has been a huge advantage Paul Thompson, Water Babies

hipsters, the spread of hipster culture across the globe – and particularly in Asia – undoubtedly played a big part in the franchise’s international appeal.

As an expanding Asian middle class is using its disposable income to assert its individuality, it’s no surprise that savvy business minds are actively looking for franchises that do things a bit differently.

Another thing that Dum Dum Donutterie and the Cereal Killer Cafe have in common is that they both have a presence in London. “The London shop-window effect is powerful,” says Nick Williams, managing consultant at Ashtons Franchise Consulting. “People from around the globe – but particularly from the Middle East – come to the capital for either business or pleasure and that’s when they may spot a new concept or idea they want to bring back.

“Many people from the Middle East are actively seeking out new franchises that have worked in London or have some sort of novelty factor. They have an insatiable appetite for something different.” Whether it’s China’s respect for British standards and qualifications or the Middle East’s penchant for a quirky franchise concept, Britain’s appeal clearly lies beyond crusty stereotypes. Franchises that can get in front of foreign investors in London and show them something new could find their concept taking flight.

But once a business has successfully courted franchisees and got its foot in the door, how British should it remain?

While TaxAssist Accountants is proud to fly the flag and acknowledges that being from the UK helped it enter new markets, it knows that once franchisees are on board it’s important to localise.

“You can't just copy and paste your franchise and expect it to catch on: it’s important to have the look and feel of an indigenous brand,” says Paulson. And

while being the only doughnut brand to be stocked in Harrods may have helped Dum Dum Donutterie make a name for itself, Hurley doesn’t deliberately play up the brand’s Britishness and encourages his international chefs to come up with local recipes.

That being said, every market is different. While Thomson’s initial instinct when taking Water Babies into China was to be modest about the brand’s Britishness, his consultants – and enthusiasm from locals – persuaded the franchisor to shout it from the rooftops and place Britain front and centre in the franchise’s marketing collateral. “Brand Britain is in good shape overseas and there’s this idea that the Brits do things properly, so our franchisees like to advertise that connection,” he says.

Clearly, being associated with the UK can be a selling point but what makes Britain so appealing today could shift in the future. While Michael Gove thinks Brexit offers an opportunity for an “empowering moment of patriotic renewal,” there are worries about how the negotiations might affect Britain’s reputation for being an open and even capable nation.

What’s more, the number of overseas undergraduate acceptances fell last year for the first time in five years according to education organisation UCAS, prompting some concerns about the future appeal of the UK’s higher education institutions overseas. But at the end of the day, a strong franchise concept will always win, regardless of its Britishness. “You can over-egg the impact of brand Britain,” says Williams. “It’s a bonus but at the end of the day whether your franchise comes from Timbuktu or Britain, it has to be reputable and the relationship with the franchisor is what will always matter most,” he concludes.

42 elitefranchise | APRIL 2017

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Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1

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Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1 Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1 Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1 Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1

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Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1

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HOME003

02/02/2017 16:14:10 02/02/2017 16:14:10 02/02/2017 16:14:10

02/02/2017 16:39 02/02/2017 16:14:10

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Taking advantage of the dot.com opportunity Online retail franchise Platinum Business Partners reveals the questions to ask before starting a digital venture

F

for anyone who’s exhausted by their daily battle on public transport or finds themselves dreaming of having a healthier worklife balance, online-based franchises are a popular solution. You can choose to work from wherever you want, whenever you want, as long as you have an internet connection. And as an added plus, your premises costs are also kept reasonable because you don’t usually need any.

And with the explosion of interest in e-commerce in recent years, an online retail franchise offers people the chance to build a profitable and sustainable business. If you’re considering starting an online business, Platinum Business Partners shares some of the key considerations to take into account.

Picking a marketplace The beauty of most online businesses is that you don’t have to be based where your customer is. You can work from one part of the world while selling to customers in another. The question, is where do you start?

Platinum Business Partners has already conducted extensive research in terms of which countries have the most online shoppers and people’s spending patterns. Its specialists can advise you on where to start selling your products and how to expand into other marketplaces. With the right strategy, the sky’s the limit.

Creating your own brand Whether you choose to sell supplements, hair accessories, potato peelers or dog leads, you won’t be the only one. This means that having a strong, distinct brand identity can help you really stand out from the crowd.

Platinum Business Partners can help you position yourself as a reputable brand in the eyes of your target customer and come up with a brand name, logo, design and brand values that can be used across a broad range of products.

Sourcing, storing and shipping When you know what and where you’re selling and have your brand nailed down, you need to work on finding good suppliers.

In some cases, it makes financial sense to import products by buying from one country and getting it shipped to the country you’re selling to. This means dealing with international providers. But whether you choose to

use an overseas or domestic supplier, both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Platinum Business Partners can help you decide what’s best for you by considering factors like costs, efficiency of communication and service, the company’s track record and business credentials, such as accreditations or stamps of approval.

Choosing a platform The great news is that while you will need your own website to get started, it doesn’t necessarily need to be set up as an e-commerce site from day one: it can simply act as an online shop window that directs customers to other sales platforms where they can buy your products.

There are many existing and trusted platforms available that can act as a springboard for your e-commerce venture. Amazon, eBay and Etsy are just three examples but there are hundreds of online marketplaces out there.

Select the right products at the right price It’s important to identify market trends, categories and products that are in high demand and understand how these factors can differ from country to country.

What might sell well in the UK could flunk in Europe or North America.

44 elitefranchise | APRIL 2017

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Setting up and staying compliant Making money is an important skill but knowing what income you generate and how to keep it is another. How you set up your business today may affect how you can grow, sell or pass it on at a later date.

With an online retail business, you might be based in a different country to where you’re selling. This means that things like income levels, taxes and legal requirements can differ. But with the right support, it can be a smooth transition and you’ll make sure you’re doing things by the book when it comes to setting up your business, becoming VAT-registered and meeting all of your insurance and limited liability requirements.

Getting digital marketing right Once you’re all set you might feel ready to start selling, but you should never assume that customers will simply come knocking of their own accord. It’s important to invest in smart online marketing strategies to drive the right kind of traffic to your site.

Platinum Business Partners knows what images and keywords to use, how to position your brand or products, how to attract more online shoppers and of course, convert them into buyers.

From five star reviews and excellent customer service to online adverts and remarketing strategies, its team of mentors can show you how to maximise traffic to your product pages and keep buyers coming back.

on a one-to-one basis. This isn’t a one-off course: the training is continuous as your business develops.

You’ll join more than 100 other people who are currently taking advantage of the growth of online shopping.

And the beauty of this business opportunity is that you don’t need physical premises or staff and you won’t have to manufacture, store or ship a single product. If you wanted, you could work in your pyjamas at home or in your swimwear by the beach.

Platinum Business Partners promises to help franchisees turn £20,000 of working capital into a monthly net income of £2,000 to £4,000. And much more is possible and already being achieved, of course. Ultimately, you’ll be in control. how much you earn and how much time you commit to your business will be entirely up to you, as will deciding how much and how fast you want to grow your business.

To find out more about Platinum Business Partners and how its model can work for you, why not get in touch: Tel: 01202 652 103 Email: info@platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk Website: www.platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk

About Platinum Business Partners These are just seven of the hundreds of steps involved in building a successful online retail business. By joining Platinum Business Partners, you’ll have access to a step-bystep training programme that’s delivered online, offline and APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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FANTASTIC SERVICES

At your service

A dirty carpet spawned Fantastic Services: an international venture that takes the best from both franchising and the sharing economy

BY MARIA BARR

ost people would probably attempt to make a discrete getaway if someone they’d just met at a party started going on about a stubborn carpet stain and how hard it was to find a cleaner to tackle it. But when Rune Sovndahl started relaying his troubles to Anton Skarlatov, the duo hit it off, agreeing that there was clearly a gap in the market for an ondemand cleaning service. And given his background as a systems engineer and the fact that he was employed as a digital marketer for travel booking site lastminute.com at the time, Sovndahl was particularly puzzled as to why booking a holiday was so much easier than finding a cleaner.

Within weeks, they’d launched Fantastic Services: an easy-to-use, online platform that connects people with cleaners. But while they knew they had a strong concept, the timing could have been better from a financial standpoint: Britain was in the midst of a recession and the entrepreneurs couldn’t even get an overdraft, let alone a bank loan. “We just worked hard and did everything ourselves the lean way: I built our website and in the evenings we would hand out flyers,” Sovndahl recalls. “And, as it turns out, we haven’t needed the funding so far.”

Fantastic Services made its debut in 2009 when the sharing economy was just emerging. However, Sovndahl

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FANTASTIC SERVICES

believes that, unlike some of its peers, the company has always managed to find the right balance between catering to the interests of customers and workers. “There were some startups that were trying to be the Uber of cleaning but they weren’t thinking about the long term: they weren’t supporting the people doing the labour,” he says. “We believe that it’s important to compensate people for their work, even if that means that we’re not the cheapest on the market. You won’t find us spending billions on executive pay packets either.”

As the concept started to take off and more and more cleaners came on board, Sovndahl incorporated new technology as and when it became available. “Tech has played a huge role from the start, allowing us to create a transparent bookings system that was easy for everyone to use,” he says. Although it started with a backend built with Google Docs, the company went on introduce real-time booking functionality that adjusted the quoted price depending on demand. And then in 2014 the Fantastic Services app was launched. “The technology wasn’t quite there when we first launched but it’s really evolved since then and we’re now able to offer a much more streamlined and simple interface,” Sovndahl adds.

And while it may have started as a cleaning service, Sovndahl soon realised that the model could be applied to other areas. A man-and-van service was a natural add-on for cleaners to offer, since many people would book cleaning and house-moving services together. The company soon began introducing even more spin-offs, which were often borne out of problems faced by customers or occasionally Sovndahl himself. A suitcase-packing meltdown ahead of a business trip prompted a new packing and decluttering service, while a phone call from a harried parent

The technology wasn’t quite there when we first launched but it’s really evolved since then

saw the company babysit a garden snail. “The kid’s pet had just died and he’d grown attached to a little snail that had been crawling over the pet’s grave,” Sovndahl explains.

“So when his family had to go on holiday the boy wanted to make sure his new friend was taken care of. We were happy to help and just let the snail hang out in our office for a bit.”

Whether it’s babysitting snails or helping people manage their Tinder profiles, Fantastic Services is open to trying new things if there’s a chance they may make people’s lives easier. Not everything pans out of course: a service that promised to walk your Pokémon GO characters for you only resulted in ten bookings, for example. But that’s okay. Sovndahl has established a culture where all ideas are welcome and failure is not a dirty word. “If something doesn’t work then we simply won’t roll it out,” he says.

“We like to have fun and many of these ideas require minimal investment to trial. It’s important for people to feel comfortable saying ‘hey, I have this idea, what do you think?’ even if it doesn’t turn out to be brilliant.”

This try-it-and-see attitude is also behind the company’s international growth. When a handful of contractors moved down under, Sovndahl was reluctant to see them leave the family and so helped them set up a modest outpost in Melbourne. And seeing the concept mushroom and APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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Franchising offers a more professionalised and fair alternative to businesses operating in the sharing economy

spread across Australia confirmed to Sovndahl that his model was scalable and had global potential.

The entrepreneur started to take a more strategic approach, picking new territories based on factors like transport links, demand and competition. Fantastic Services now has a presence in the US and Australia and a turnover of over £32m, though entering Europe has proven to be slightly trickier. “We halted our plans to enter Europe largely because of Brexit but that’s set to change very soon,” he says.

Going global also prompted Sovndahl to finally go down the franchising route. Since the company was already giving contractors training and marketing support, it resembled a franchise in many ways. But the entrepreneur also wanted to ensure that his business was rolled out consistently. “It wasn’t until we signed up our first franchisee in 2015 that we were able to formally productise some of the things we were doing,” he says. As workers moved from being self-employed to becoming franchisees with a bigger stake in the business, Fantastic Services stepped

up the support system around them, investing more in scheduling software and launching the Fantastic Academy: a training programme that helps franchisees grow their businesses.

Since launching in English, the courses have now been localised and can be taken in Polish and Bulgarian, while Sovndahl plans to introduce more languages soon. Franchisees are also encouraged to use the portal to swap ideas and learn from peers in other territories, whether it’s discovering a new cleaning tool or finding the confidence to launch a new service entirely.

With all its checks and balances, Sovndahl believes franchising is an effective way of ensuring that everyone’s interests are catered to as a business expands into new territories. “Franchising offers a more professionalised and fair alternative to businesses operating in the sharing economy,” he says. “Your pace may be a bit more slow than some highly funded, fast-growth startups but you’re also less likely to find yourself caught in a bubble. Franchising – or perhaps some form of sharing-economy-franchising hybrid like ours – is the future.”

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Smashing targets and improving lives David Haimes has a just go for it attitude when it comes to life and his positive approach means his ActionCOACH business is improving lives after just a few months of launching

I

‘ve held several CEO positions within the restaurant and hospitality industry in London that had morphed into consultancy roles. Over time, the consultancy grew but I was travelling three hours a day from my home in Henley-on-Thames. I wanted something that would keep me closer to home while allowing me to keep broadening my client base.

I looked at a few franchise opportunities in business support services but ActionCOACH was the most comprehensive of them all and offered the best support. In fact, its whole culture is supportive, with franchisees helping each other as well being able to get assistance from the UK support team.

Getting started I was really keen to get started, so I booked on to the initial five-day training just three days before it was due to start at the end of September. All the training sessions and content were excellent but the sales and marketing elements were most useful for me. In my previous roles, I won clients through recommendations so learning the tools for direct marketing and selling on a one-to-one basis was essential.

When I launched my business in October 2016, I decided to rent office space as I wanted to coach clients at my office or via online conferencing but keep my work life separate from my home life.

I implemented a number of the franchise’s suggested marketing strategies, utilising ActionCOACH’s exclusive client generation centre, social media marketing support, and

David helping others to succeed

If you’re spending good money on buying a franchise then all I can say is you get your money’s worth with ActionCOACH.

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business networking opportunities.

All this paid off when I got my first client on the back of an event organised by Business Network International, the networking organisation.

Networking in general has proven to be my most profitable lead generation activity so far. The sales process moves much faster because you can build relationships faster. People buy from people they know and trust.

Going over and above I’m six months into my new business and I’ve achieved a big target for client income. I have eight one-to-one clients and nine group coaching clients. My focus is on making my clients successful because, after all, it is life-changing for them and both the UK and global support team help to make that happen. I recently took one client to Las Vegas for Brad Sugars’ strategy course and most of my clients will attend ActionCOACH’s two-day Business Excellence Forum in the UK. My clients use these events to fast-track their learning from world-renowned guest speakers but they don’t always have to travel to reap the benefits: something as simple as a free webinar or a book can make a big difference.

The first company I worked with found their business could be greatly improved with a more effective team. My coaching enabled them to profile their employees, retrain some people and recruit to fill any gaps in the team. With a great team in place, they rebuilt their sales process and trained the team, giving the business owner the confidence to test and measure sales activities. They’ve raised their game, upped their goals and their motivation is at an all-time high.

Their success is my success too and they’ve recommended me to other businesses.

A fulfilling experience My ActionCOACH business gives me a fulfilling experience as well as good earnings. My personal development was always going to be substantial with a company like ActionCOACH but I also get more family time too. I have four children, although only one is still living at home with me and my wife, Annie. She owns an interior design company and attends many of the ActionCOACH events with me.

It’s been hugely rewarding seeing my clients improve their businesses. Most business owners’ lives are intricately connected to the welfare of their company – if you improve their business, you improve their lives and those of their teams.

I also have big plans for the future. In six more months from now, I’d like 14 one-to-one clients (an average client invests £1,500 a month) and grow my group coaching client numbers as well.

I’d like to be seen as the go-to guy for business

ActionCOACH’s annual Business Excellence Forums

improvement in my town. The more improvements I can make to businesses in my local area, the greater my contribution will be to the local economy. My plan is to run the one-to-one fortnightly coaching sessions while my team manage the Luv4 Marketing seminars, PlanningCLUB and the Engage and Grow programme. That way, I’ll be able to service different types of clients and offer multiple specialist services to all my clients.

I find that the more I learn, the better I get and the more value I add to my clients. It’s only when you experience how much is available to franchisees that the quality of the franchise support really dawns on you – at least three weekly webinars, regular MasterCLASSES, annual Business Excellence Forum and a host of other things. If you’re spending good money on buying a franchise then all I can say is you get your money’s worth with ActionCOACH. It’s all there for you but at the end of the day, it’s what you make of it that really counts, so just go for it.”

If you, like David, have a positive attitude, get a buzz from helping others succeed and love learning and developing yourself, find out more by watching the six-minute overview video at actioncoach.co.uk

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Making life-changing decisions How a FiltaFry franchisee, Dean Martin turned redundancy into an opportunity to own his own business and start a new life.

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n September 2006, 33-year-old Dean Martin from Norwich was shocked when he found out that his employer, a local printing firm, was closing down for good. Having already faced redundancy once before in his life, Martin was at a crossroads in his life and didn’t know what to do next.

At this point, he decided to take matters into his own hands by making some life-changing decisions and began looking into franchises.

And this is when he came across FiltaFry, a fryer management service. Following an initial phone call to find out more, Martin was invited to its head office for a chat with the franchise manager, Damian Slater.

After several sleepless nights, Martin decided to take the plunge and used his redundancy money as a deposit. For the rest of the franchise fee, he took out a business loan.

Within four weeks, Martin had completed his training and was out on the road with his own development manager, who helped him to grow his business. In the first two months, he acquired 16 customers. And 11 years on, he now has over 42 customers, an employee and a second van on the road – all of which provides Dean with an average monthly turnover of £7,000.

In the next few months, Martin hopes to take on another employee and get a third van out on the road. “I’ve not even scratched the surface of

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend FiltaFry to anyone looking for a profitable opportunity

my NR postcode yet and there’s an unlimited amount of work if you’re willing to look for it from restaurants, schools, hotels, museums and factory canteens,” he says. Martin goes on to say “the business has been a life-changing decision that’s allowed me to spend more quality time with my family and two children while making a comfortable living.”

The work is also rewarding, giving him the chance to establish strong relationships. “I have a fantastic rapport with my customers and we’re like a big family,” he says.

“They love the time and money the service saves them.”

No job is 100% safe in this day and age but FiltaFry provides its customers with a service that saves them time and money while empowering franchisees to determine their own success. “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend FiltaFry to anyone looking for a profitable opportunity that allows them to be their own boss and change their lifestyle while enjoying the support of an experienced franchisor,” Martin concludes.

01788 550100 www.filtafryplus.co.uk

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31/03/2017 17:10

Business rates

Getting real about rates

BY Jessica Shears, head of accounts, Dennis & Turnbull

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Business rates

%

2010, this assessment usually happens every five years and the values used are always taken from two years earlier. So the last time rates were set, they were based on the resale value of properties in 2008. The final figure that businesses need to pay is determined by multiplying the rateable value from two years ago by a figure set by the government.

The rates they are a-changing The new business rates that came into effect at the start of April are based on property values from April 2015.

This recalculation has caused a stir because it should, in theory, have happened two years ago. The government With new business rates controversially delayed it to help businesses avoid any sharp changes to their business rate bills at that point and coming into effect this prevent disruption to the 2015 general election. But since businesses have been paying the same rates since 2008, a month, Dennis & Turnbull’s lot has changed when it comes to property prices and many Jessica Shears unpicks what businesses are now going to have to adjust to a significant in their costs. In London and the South East, for it could mean for franchisees change example, there have been steep price rises in many areas while some less prosperous areas have had property values fter rent and staff costs, business fall dramatically. This, of course, is going to affect the rates are often the third biggest business rates bills for many. outgoing for many franchises. Just But the changes won’t necessarily mean your rates will go about any building used for nonup. The concern about these changes is that a large number domestic purposes is liable for business rates, of companies in the UK that have so the recent changes to rates are a significant properties with a rateable value consideration for many franchisees, both big of over £15,000 could face rising Many and small. as rents have risen since the businesses are bills, Business rates are essentially a tax charged recession. That said, unless you’re on most buildings or parts of a building that in an area that has experienced a now going to are used for non-domestic purposes, such as huge amount of change in property have to adjust prices, such as in London, the offices, shops, pubs and warehouses. Basically, if you use a property for your business, you – is that you probably won’t to a significant likelihood or your franchisor – will probably have to pay be affected too drastically. change in business rates.

For franchisees, the impact of The rates are primarily based on a property’s the rates review on your business their costs rateable value. This is an estimate of what it depends on what’s in your franchise would cost if it were to be rented on the open agreement. Some franchisees market and is determined by the government are responsible for paying rates through an assessment of property values. This themselves while for others head office takes care of it. But value can go up or go down, depending on how even if business rates are paid centrally by your franchisor, the property market has changed in that area. it’s still worth making sure you stay informed about the And although rates were last reviewed back in rates for your property.

A

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Finding some respite Different relief options are available in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some properties are eligible for discounts from the local council and you – or your franchisor if they pay your business rates – should contact them if you think you’re entitled to a relief you’re not getting. For example, if you’re based in England, then from April 2017 if your property has a rateable value of less than £15,000 – or if you only use one property – you could be eligible for a small-business rate relief package. If you have only one building and your rateable value is less than £12,000, you won’t pay business rates at all and you can claim a 100% refund from your council. For properties with a rateable value between £12,001 and £15,000, the rate of relief

For franchisees, the impact of the rates review on your business depends on what’s in your franchise agreement

will start at 100% and gradually go down to 0%.

And depending on the sector your business is operating in and the value of equipment and machinery on the property, you could be eligible for other types of relief. If you’re a charity or sports club, for example, you might be able to shave off up to 80% of your bill. Similarly, if your business is in a rural area with a local population of below 3,000 you can get anywhere from 50% to 100% off your business rates bill.

Even if you don’t qualify for the small business rate relief or if you have more than one property, you’re still considered a small business if your property has a rateable value below £51,000 or £25,500 in London. In this case, your bill can be calculated using the new small business multiplier which will be 46.6p from April 1 2017, instead of the standard 47.9p, which can save you money.

And if you acquire a second property after April 1 this year, you’ll continue to get any existing relief on your main property for 12 months.

After this, if the total rateable value of all your properties is less than £20,000 – £28,000 in London – and none of your other properties have a rateable value above £2,900, you may still be able to get small business rate relief on your main property.

On top of these measures, the government is providing a transitional arrangement to help businesses adjust to new rates, which limits the amount bills go up each year. Businesses facing higher rates will see their bills go up in steps over the next five years and those set to benefit from lower rates will watch their bills gradually fall over the same period. And in response to widespread backlash against the suddenness and severity of the latest rates review, chancellor Philip Hammond unveiled a relief package in his spring budget that gave councils powers to distribute £300m worth of discretionary relief to businesses hardest hit by the rises. If your franchise is being affected, this is worth exploring. So while some franchises will undoubtedly be left harder off from this month onwards, there are plenty of relief options that should help smooth the transition.

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Extra Help

A rewarding franchise opportunity with all the support you need to succeed

Flexible Hours * A Rapidly Growing Market * High Earning Potential * Simple to Manage * Immense Job Satisfaction Extra Help is a national home-help and domestic cleaning franchise network that provides assistance with a variety of day-to-day tasks, such as cleaning, gardening, dog-walking, meal preparation and mother’s help services.

Extra Help Business Franchise magazine ad 121x170mm.indd 1

If you’re serious about running your own, profitable business, backed by an unsurpassed level of support, please contact our franchise team today.

Extra Help

Home-help and domestic cleaning services

Web: www.extra-help.co.uk Email: info@extra-help.co.uk EXTRA HELP Phone: 0845 618 2904 a helping hand TM

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Back to business

W

hen I joined Business Doctors in 2013, I had a two month old baby.

Before the franchise agreement was signed, I made the commitment to my partner that once her maternity leave ended, I would take responsibility for taking my son to and from nursery at least two days every week.

And this family-friendly framework that I built my business around has proved to be a very successful one.

It gives me a much better work-life balance than I ever had in previous employed positions and it’s allowed me to be around much more for my third child than I was for his older siblings, who are now 16 and 18.

Having graduated as an engineer, my background is nothing if not eclectic. I’ve had stints working with Shell, Texaco, Air Miles, Capita

and, since 2000, heading up various established digital businesses. My work took me all over the world and I was often away for extended periods.

Late nights and working over the weekend became all too common.

When I discovered Business Doctors at the Franchise Show at Olympia London, I quickly felt a strong values match with its owners Rod Davies and Matt Levington. I liked the passion they expressed about helping small and medium-sized business owners to reach their goals.

There was genuine care behind their intentions and a real ethical commitment to providing practical, hands-on support.

Once I joined the network, I was pleasantly surprised by how collaborative it was. And a new regional clustering structure is set to bring the franchise even closer

together. Everyone at Business Doctors works together to talk through ideas, share expertise and experience, support each other with exhibitions and seminars and collaborate on tenders or large contracts. As a fundamentally sociable person, I need to feel connected to others and being part of a franchise has given me the human contact and support I would have craved had I gone it alone.

Another thing I love about being a Business Doctor is the variety of clients I work with. The definition of a small to medium-sized business is much broader than many people realise, taking in everything from one-man-bands to companies with up to 250 employees. I tend to work with clients on the upper end of the scale but that’s just because the manufacturing and construction

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businesses that I’m drawn to are usually that size. I also enjoy working with smaller digital, marketing and publishing businesses.

My real working high comes when I get a business owner to realise that they’re working in their business and not on it. We call it the owners’ trap and it’s often a small to medium-sized business’s biggest growth barrier. Many entrepreneurs benefit from external help when it comes to understanding what they can and can’t do or what they should delegate. We often work with them to see the bigger picture and help them get to where they want to be. This is at the core of Business Doctors’ work and it’s a lot more satisfying than anything I’ve done before.

Business Doctors’ low-key approach to selling really appeals to me and I believe this point of difference comes about because of the franchise’s homegrown nature. Established in the north of England in 2004, British sensibilities are at the heart of the company culture. In-your-face selling just doesn’t come naturally to British people. As Business Doctors, we do a lot of networking and run free business growth seminars but we’re trained to adopt a softly, softly approach to relationship building. This gentle approach works and within three years of joining the company, I was able to pay off the five-year bank loan I took out to cover my franchise fees and working capital.

There are many ways to be a successful Business Doctor and you’ll be encouraged to be yourself. We don’t conform to a type or stick to a script. Again, I think it’s an inherent part of our Britishness to understand that it takes all sorts. We are introverts and extroverts, risk takers and risk averse, travellers and homebodies, stoics and epicureans.

Three and a half years on, I’ve reached the stage where I actually have to turn contracts down. It’s never easy – and sometimes I say yes when it should be a no – but I try to make sure I’m spending quality time with my partner, my children and on my work.

Maintaining a healthy balance between the three is my ultimate goal while but I also want to leave a little room to satisfy my appetite for going kayaking and taking part in marathon running and triathlons. In fact, I met my partner when she picked me up and carried me to the first aid tent at an Ironman triathlon and it’s still an important shared passion.

And with more control over my working hours, I’m also able to study part time for an MA in English literature. I’m already halfway through and I’m currently planning my 15,000 word dissertation on Dickens and the railways.

Buying a Business Doctors franchise has allowed me to broaden my horizons and enjoy a much higher quality of life while still turning over six figures. And with its top-notch training programme, sociable company culture and ability to give people the freedom that comes with self-employment, it really should be available on prescription.

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Video marketing

Franchise on film Thanks to the rise of social media, now is the perfect time to press play on video

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

T

here are a few lines scratched into the bottom of Mark Llewellyn’s TV screen. “It’s from where my son used a pen to try and make the video fast forward,” he explains. “He’s so used to using an iPad that he couldn’t understand why the TV didn’t work the same way.” This left the managing director of Revive!, the vehicle repair franchise, with two things: a slightly disfigured TV set and the understanding of how much the way people consume visual content has changed in recent years. “The proliferation of tablets and smartphones means that everyone has gotten accustomed to watching videos everywhere,” Llewellyn says. And for franchises, there has never been a better time to get on board.

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While some franchisors may be hesitant about using the medium in their marketing, it represents an opportunity they can’t afford to pass up on. “If they aren’t using video then they’re missing a chance to communicate and get their message out,” he says. The numbers certainly back him up. According to data from Insivia, the digital agency, 74% of all online traffic is expected to come from video this year and 54% of senior executives share work-related videos with colleagues every week. “There’s far more interest in video than in blogs,” says Llewellyn. Given the popularity of the medium, it certainly makes sense for franchises to tap into it to connect with people.

Video is also a great way to demonstrate what a franchise has to offer to both its customers and franchisees. “The general public has no idea what smart repairs are and by using video we can easily explain what we’re doing and capture the essence of our brand,” says Llewellyn. Additionally, franchisors can use the medium to

educate their own franchisees and record testimonials from clients. “We’re even thinking about turning our weekly newsletters into a weekly video update instead,” says Llewellyn.

However, just because video is an extremely powerful tool doesn’t mean that franchises should jump in headfirst without a second thought. “Never make a video just for the sake of it,” says Jack Smithson, senior content marketing executive at Curated Digital, the online marketing agency.

Instead, he advises franchises to carefully consider what the objective of the video is and how it fits in with the rest of the company’s marketing efforts. “The goal will help you define the style and the stories you need to tell,” says Smithson. Establishing this beforehand will help you decide which formats you should be using alongside your video – such as blogs or email – to get your message across.

And given franchisees are the face of the business on a local level, it makes sense to involve them as early as possible in the planning process. “For

Everyonere has gotten accustomed to watching videos everywhere Mark Llewellyn, Revive!

capturing key insights into businesses, video production crews need to have access to the people inside it,” says Alex Cavell, PR and marketing manager at Bluebird Care, the care franchise.

“That being said, while this approach often results in better footage it can be disruptive to people’s working day.

Along with plenty of advance notice, this disruption can be mitigated through thoughtful communication with everyone who’s involved or impacted by a video shoot.”

Your videos also need to be consistent in quality, even if they don’t originate from your central marketing team. “That includes ensuring all franchisees use the same design elements and that they’re on brand,” says Smithson. In other words, franchisees should be provided with the right templates, guidelines, colour schemes and logos to include in their videos. “This should all be nailed down before you even start filming,” says Smithson. “This doesn’t mean that you APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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Video marketing

Never make a video just for the sake of it Jack Smithson, Curated Digital

shouldn’t make spontaneous videos, it just means they should follow the pre-agreed guidelines.”

But perhaps the best way to ensure this consistency is to constantly educate franchisees on how to get the right message across. “We constantly train and talk to our franchisees about videos because it’s one of those things that keeps coming up in marketing and on social media,” says Llewellyn. “We don’t just say it once but five, six or even seven times. We put it into our guidelines and we try to talk about it a positive way to make it more likely that people take it on board.”

Providing training and guidance for each franchisee can also minimise the risk of embarrassing incidents occuring and causing reputational damage. Getting the message right, whether it’s from franchisees or the franchisor, is especially important considering how fast an ill-advised video can spread across the web. “If it’s already shared then we’ve lost control of

it,” says Llewellyn. “Social media is a really powerful beast and it’s folly to attempt to control it. That’s why it’s so important to have strong video guidelines to demonstrate what’s acceptable and what isn’t.” Revive!’s franchisees were recently reminded of this fact when an old video resurfaced on a popular car site. It showed the franchise’s employees not being “perfectly health and safety conscious” and the comments section included a fair amount of criticism.

But while the furore died away in a few days, an ill-advised video can end up hurting the brand. For instance, back in 2013 a video ad from the surfer fashion brand Roxy’s got attention for all the wrong reasons.

Intended to tease the brand’s new collaboration with the up and coming professional surfer Stephanie Gilmore, the video maker seemed more interested in filming her body than showcasing her ability to hit the waves. The end result was that rather than attracting new customers, Roxy found itself lambasted by its fans who thought the ad was sexist.

Nevertheless, provided that franchisors have planned their video campaign adequately and avoid committing a major faux pas, video marketing can be an effective tool in their arsenal. And given the huge numbers of people watching online video all over the world, franchises really can’t afford to ignore the medium.

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03/02/2017 18:18

ADVERTISING FEATURE

The benefits of being an early bird Many businesses are started by entrepreneurs who have spotted a gap in the market that competitors aren’t yet filling. And if you’re able to get there first, there can be a huge opportunity for growth.

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lliot Walker, former Murad UK managing director, and Charlie Thompson, chairman of the UK Spa Association and former head of health and beauty at Virgin Active, have spotted a gap in the British market. While membershipbased massage companies are thriving in the US, thus far theirs is the only one in UK, making it an area that’s ripe for disruption.

Having launched The Massage Company, a membership-based massage offering, in Camberley last year, the team has created a strong brand identity and honed the company’s sales and marketing strategy. The owners have also invested in developing a rigorous training programme for all staff members, making sure clients receive

a consistently excellent level of service when they book a massage. And now that the model’s been proven to work, the company is set to expand across the UK and is looking for the right people to come on board and join its first franchisee.

Once franchisees are able to sign up 1,500 members, they can expect to earn a guaranteed monthly income of £75,000. With each centre projected to turn over revenue in the region of £1m and be generating a profit of over £200,000 per year after three years, this franchise opportunity is suited to ambitious investors who are excited by the prospect of taking advantage of being an early entrant.

The joy of franchising is that it appeals to people who have an entrepreneurial hunger who also want

support and the assurance that they’re buying into a model that works. The Massage Company’s franchisees will receive one-to-one support from the company’s owners in everything from management techniques to getting to know the industry. More than that, they’ll have the opportunity to help shape the direction of the company as it prepares to take off in the UK. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact The Massage Company at: t. 01276 819 588 m. 07507308434 e. elliot@massagecompany.co.uk w. www.themassagecompany.co.uk

64 elitefranchise | APRIL 2017

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31/03/2017 18:48

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31/03/2017 18:49

Leadership skills

Daring to lead

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

To successfully run a franchise, franchisors must possess not only the right leadership skills but also a healthy dose of bravery

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orporate chieftains like Elon Musk, Richard have to remember why franchisees signed up to the Branson and Steve Jobs have all proven how network in the first place. “They have a desire to be steered important strong leadership is in business. But by some sort of central leadership,” says Allison. “So you successfully mimicking these entrepreneurial can’t be too subservient to your franchisees because then icons and spearheading your own enterprise isn’t without you may end up with the tail wagging the dog.” difficulties – especially if you’re There may even be times when running a franchise. “Franchisors the company’s head honcho has to face huge challenges,” says Adrian remind franchisees who the leader Knight, CEO and founder of Knight of the business is. “The franchisor Franchises, the franchise broker. will often be accused of sitting in an “Not only do they have to lead their ivory tower and not understanding internal team but they also have to the coalface of the business,” says inspire a network of franchisees Allison. Franchisors are advised to who are independent business accept the criticism when offered owners. And given that some of these but not to let it discourage them systems include over 500 people, from leading the business. “If your that’s an incredible task.” So anybody organisation lacks the conviction considering franchising their business to lead from the top down and must make sure they’re up to the job. provide direction, you’ll find your Paul Callow Cartridge World UK and Ireland The size of the undertaking also franchisees filling that void,” says means that being a franchisor Allison. “When the franchisor isn’t isn’t for the faint of heart. “You need to have courage to leading, franchisees will start to wonder what they’re lead,” says Robert Allison, managing director at Expense actually getting for their money. When that happens, you Reduction Analysts, the procurement franchise. While know the franchise is heading for trouble.” this advice may seem rather self-evident, any franchisor The trick to acquiring the courage to lead lies in a who’s come up against opposition from franchisees knows second important skill: knowing where you want to take that demonstrating grit is easier said than done. However, the business. “Unless you’ve got a strong vision for your Allison advises that when faced with dissent, franchisors franchise you probably shouldn’t be running it,” says

Unless you’ve got a strong vision for your franchise you probably shouldn’t be running it

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Leadership skills

Paul Callow, CEO of Cartridge World UK and Ireland, the ink-cartridge franchise. And intimately linked to being able to envision a brighter future for the business is having an ability to make it a reality.

“The last thing I want to do as a leader is to present my people with a vision that may sound great but that my franchisees don’t know how to achieve,” says Callow. “If I do that, they’ll quickly become demotivated.”

But it’s not always what a franchisor says that counts: being able to listen is just as important. “I would be mad not to listen to my franchisees,” says Callow. Failing to take franchisee concerns into consideration may have negative effects on the network as a whole. “If they can’t give feedback, you risk ending up with disengaged franchisees who don’t buy into your vision because they don’t feel like they’re a part of it,” says Callow. “The flipside is that franchisees have a responsibility to contribute to the vision and to help shape the strategy.”

Of course taking advice is not the same as having franchisees leading the business but there are clear benefits to being open to receiving input.

Strong leaders also recognise that franchisees should have some autonomy to lead their own businesses. “Striking the right balance with franchisees is hard because on the one hand you want them to be leaders and entrepreneurs in their own right but on the other you need them to follow the franchise model,” says Knight. While training can certainly sharpen whatever leadership skills franchisees have, Knight advises franchisors to ensure that franchisees have most of those skills when they’re being recruited. “Look at their careers to see if they’ve spearheaded projects that have proven to be successful,” says Knight. “You want to see evidence that they’ve taken the initiative and demonstrated that they have the energy to make a business successful.

If they’re only used to taking orders then I’d seriously question if they

You need to have courage to lead Robert Allison, Expense Reduction Analysts

really understand the realities of business ownership.”

However, franchisees aren’t the only people a franchisor should rely on to ensure the network’s profitability.

It’s equally important for franchisors to seek guidance from people who have found themselves in similar situations. “Luckily, the UK has a strong franchising community,” says Allison. Organisations like the bfa provide business bosses with plenty of opportunities to hear from their peers.

By hearing how other franchisors have dealt with their leadership challenges, newer leaders can learn to spot perils and pitfalls.

But even if they take all of this on board, business leaders should recognise one vital truth: no one is perfect. “Successful franchisors are aware that they don’t have all the skills that they need to run the business,” says Knight. “What they should do is recognise the three or four things they’re exceptionally good at and then make sure they establish a team who can deal with the rest.” In the end, all businesses are about people working together. So while a franchisor is tasked with the burden of running the network, daring to rely on their team and franchisees may be the most important skill they can learn.

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BUSI002 24/03/2017 11:42

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31/03/2017 18:51

Jane Blackwell

Former police constable Jane Blackwell has become a record-smashing McDonald’s franchisee in Banbury – and a pillar of her new community

Lovin’ the franchise life

BY MARIA BARR

R

unning a restaurant and being a bobby on the beat might seem like two polar opposite career choices but McDonald’s franchisee Jane Blackwell is evidence to the contrary. Having joined the police force in south Wales aged just 21, Blackwell went on to have a successful nine-year career. And during her stint as a constable she realised what she loved most about the job: meeting people and being a part of the community.

Wanting to spend more of her time focusing on being part of the local neighbourhood, Blackwell left the force and, after honing her business skills as a Post Office franchisee, started hunting for a new business opportunity. And there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that it would be another franchise.

“I wanted something I could step into that came with a structure and allowed me to be out there meeting people,” she says. As Britain was recovering from a recession, Blackwell decided to focus on food service, figuring that it would be one of the most resilient sectors.

Over the course of a year, Blackwell threw herself into her search for the right franchise, doing online research, attending every exhibition going and talking to as many franchisees from the food space she could get hold of. One name stood out, one she was already more than familiar with: McDonald’s. “Because it had a reputation for being a family brand and I’d been to McDonald’s with my kids, I trusted it,” she says. Blackwell was also drawn to the brand’s reputation for consistency: whether you’re in a McDonald’s in Banbury or Bangkok you know what to expect. “It’s all about systems and processes, which appealed to me because I’m a very systematic person.”

After plucking up the courage to apply online, Blackwell was delighted when she was asked in for an initial meeting.

But she was also somewhat intimidated by the golden arches and everything they stood for. “I was just a woman from a small village in south Wales and it was this massive brand so I was really nervous,” she recalls. “I kept thinking about all the other applicants and how much more corporate experience they probably had.”

But as she progressed through the application process, Blackwell’s confidence grew and, in 2011, she officially became a McDonald’s franchisee.

However, the hard work was just beginning.

Blackwell was offered a location in Banbury in Oxfordshire, which meant uprooting her entire family from their lives in Wales. “Relocating was definitely the hardest part,” she admits. “If you’re considering buying a franchise you should realise that it may involve moving so you need to ask yourself if you’re really prepared to do that.”

Even after moving day had been and gone, there was still plenty of hard graft ahead. The next step was an intensive, nine-month induction that immersed Blackwell into every aspect of

72 elitefranchise | APRIL 2017

Profile.indd 1

31/03/2017 20:27

Buy a sandwich franchise.

It’s the humble that sandwich tops the list of Britain’s favourite foods.

The British ‘on the go’ sandwich market is currently valued at £4.4bn.

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DYNA001 Untitled-7 1

03/03/2017 17:34

Jane Blackwell

what makes a McDonald’s franchise operate like clockwork. Joining an outlet that was already up and running, she was right there in the thick of it, making fries, serving customers and cleaning toilets. “It was a thrill putting on the famous cap but it was also really demanding: everyone worked so quickly and I didn’t want to slow them down,” she says.

When she was finally ready to set her cap aside, Blackwell began building up her own team and launched her restaurant in Banbury. “I was like a deer in headlights,” she says of her first day. But she got into the groove of things soon enough: within six months the franchisee had broken a string of sales records, some of which hadn’t been touched in 17 years. And Blackwell reveals that her secret weapon was her team. For this reason, she makes a point of being a hands-on franchisee, being present during shifts and checking in to see how people are doing. “It’s important to invest in people and help them feel like the owner has their back,” she says. “You can’t treat people like they’re just a number.”

But this isn’t the only area Blackwell uses the personal touch: as well as investing in her people, the franchisee has thrown herself into community initiatives. “People see us as a local business now

It’s all about systems and processes, which appealed to me because I’m a very systematic person and they know me personally,” she says. Blackwell has sponsored the local children’s football team, is a member of the Banbury and District Chamber of Commerce and is especially committed to supporting other women through her work with Banbury Women in Business. “Women can be reluctant to put themselves forward but I’m always saying: ‘come on ladies’,” she says.

And these community links came in handy when Blackwell embarked on her next big challenge: opening a second restaurant in Banbury and recruiting 70 people in a town that had very low unemployment rates. “I used every trick in the book, including placing ads in the local paper, attending job fairs and flyering,” she says. “I basically became a recruitment consultant.” Blackwell’s standing in the community helped her create massive awareness for her recruitment drive and in 2015 she was able to open her second restaurant with a full team behind her.

This new restaurant was also one of the first in the UK to be kitted out with McDonald’s new self-serve kiosks, which allow customers to view digital menus and pay with their smartphone. And though it took some adjustment for her customers, Blackwell welcomes the franchise’s investment in tech.

“People want more digital experiences and McDonald’s is moving with the times,” she says.

In fact, whether it’s a new ordering system or a new burger, Blackwell has total faith in the franchise’s research and development team. “I trust that they’ve thought through and tested any changes, so while I might give feedback if something wasn’t proving popular I would never refuse to implement it,” she says. And since one of the things that attracted her to the franchise was its famed consistency, it’s not surprising that she’s staunchly against franchisees thinking they can rip up the rulebook. “That’s when you’re going to start seeing cracks appear and it would be detrimental to everyone,” she says. “We have to move forward together.”

And with two restaurants under her belt, Blackwell’s not stopping there. “I’d love to open new restaurants and build up a team under me,” she says. And of course she plans to continue playing a role in the community and keep being an advocate for women in business. “That will never change,” she says. “This is what I want to do for the rest of my working life.”

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

MANAGING YOUR FRANCHISE IN THE CLOUD Keeping everyone on the same page starts with giving your franchise network easy and secure access to the information they need

C

loud-based systems have become increasingly popular in recent years among franchises that want to manage all aspects of the franchise network from one centralised, secure system.

Franchise Infinity is the all-in-one tool that allows you to manage critical aspects of your franchise – such as compliance and communication – securely and efficiently.

It’s been built by experienced practitioners who understand the intricacies of running a franchise.

This is achieved through effectively addressing the biggest franchisor and franchisee pain points.

When it comes to managing a large network spread across multiple locations, upholding consistent standards requires high levels of organisation. Giving your franchisees and operational support teams easy access to data in the cloud through a smart device drives higher levels of operational efficiency. This means you spend more time working on your business and not in it.

Franchise Infinity can be downloaded onto an Android or iOS phone and used on any desktop or iOS device. The platform is also 100% customisable so you can brand it with your logo and colour palette. You can customise the modules, choosing what each one contains, how it operates and who can access it.

Every franchise is unique in its setup, so it’s important that the tools you use to keep everyone on the same page are customised to your needs. Franchise Infinity offers a comprehensive suite of franchise tools to assist both the franchisor and franchisee. These include compliance audits and checklists, operational support team access and support, learning management systems,

cloud storage, task management and analytics measuring performance at all levels.

Thanks to the cloud, franchise management is becoming easier, more efficient and, importantly, scaleable.

Using the software as a service model, subscriptions to Franchise Infinity can be taken out on a per person basis so you only pay for what you need. To find out more, email sales@franchiseinfinity.com or register your interest at www.franchiseinfinity.com

APRIL 2017 | elitefranchise

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31/03/2017 18:57

CODE OF ETHICS

A question of ethics Ethical franchising is a term often used in the industry but what does it actually mean?

BY Kate Legg, CEO, Komerse

ost people try to ensure their behaviour adheres to a certain ethical standard. But the problem with deciding whether something is ethical or not is that everyone has a different view of what ethical conduct looks like, depending on their own standards and judgements.

And this is only exacerbated in the case of franchise agreements, which are inherently biased toward the franchisor. Fortunately, the European Franchise Federation (EFF) and British Franchise Association (bfa) have issued codes and guidance that set a minimum standard of ethics in franchising and which all bfa members are required to comply with.

The overriding principle in both the European and bfa codes is that the franchisor and franchisee should act fairly in all dealings with each other: they set out obligations for both franchisor and franchisee that make it clear that ethical behaviour is a two-way street. For franchisors, the obligations include that the franchisor must have a track record of operating a successful business. Attempting to franchise a concept that’s not been properly tested and proven wouldn’t pass ethical muster. Similarly, the franchisor must provide initial training and ongoing support throughout the term of the agreement. Failure to provide that would breach the code of ethics.

This is still quite subjective. While most people would agree that it wouldn’t be ethical to collect ongoing fees from franchisees

without giving something in return, most people will have different views on how much support should be given. Things become even more complicated when you consider that the needs of the franchisee are not consistent over time. Most franchisees need a lot more support when they’re just starting out and are new to the network than they do when they’ve been operating for some time and have become very familiar with the business.

On the franchisee’s part, ethical conduct includes endeavouring to grow the business and to maintain the reputation of the brand and their network. Similarly, it would be unethical – not to mention a breach of contract – for a franchisee to disclose the franchisor’s know-how and confidential information. On top of this, franchisees are also required to provide management data and accounts to the franchisor to enable

Complying with minimum, ethical standards is not just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense

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CODE OF ETHICS

them to monitor performance and provide ongoing support and guidance.

But it’s not all about protecting existing franchisees: ethics are also vital when recruiting new ones. Both the EFF and bfa are hard at work preventing franchisors from exaggerating claims about the profitability or turnover of the business. It’s easy to include figures and projections in advertising material but unless they’re supported by a very clear explanation, potential franchisees can easily be misled by the information. Operating a franchise, as with any business, carries a risk and future performance can never be guaranteed. Any claims that appear to suggest otherwise would be misleading and breach the ethics test.

When a franchisee indicates they’re ready to sign on the dotted line, the franchisor must make responsible choices in selecting only those individuals they believe possess the skills and personal qualities needed to run a successful franchise. Selling a franchise without regard to whether the budding franchisee has the wherewithal to be able to operate the business successfully is a breach of the code.

Occasionally, it may not become apparent that a person is

unsuitable until they attend the initial training. In that case, the franchisor is expected to be fair both in terms of deciding whether to terminate the franchise agreement and, if they do, in respect to refunding the initial fee paid by the franchisee – although they are allowed to retain part of the fee to cover their reasonable costs.

Whilst the law and ethics are often not the same, franchise lawyers who are bfa members are required to uphold the code of ethics and ensure that any franchise agreements they draft comply with it. It goes without saying that the franchise agreement must comply with all applicable laws, as well as clearly setting out the rights and obligations of the parties and all material terms that govern the franchise relationship. Those rights and obligations must also comply with the overriding requirement of fairness.

Generally speaking, there’s no legal obligation to comply with the ethical practices, although there are lots of good reasons why you should.

Complying with minimum, ethical standards is not just the right thing to do but it also makes good business sense. For example, recruiting somebody the franchisor knows doesn’t possess the right talents or character to be successful fails the ethics test and will inevitably cause problems for them further down the line. Similarly, a franchisee who fails to protect the brand not only breaches the ethics test but also damages their own business.

For anyone, franchisee or franchisor, who’s serious about building a successful and sustainable business over the longer term, ethical conduct is a must.

april 2017 | elitefranchise

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Franchise Resales

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An opportunity has arisen to purchase one of our franchises based in North Manchester.

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The franchisee started in 2007 and operates from a prominent shop front location so any purchaser would be walking into a readymade business with a fully fitted shop, complete with furniture, IT and telephone systems along with experienced, well qualified staff. The business has Gross Recurring Fees of circa ÂŁ170K and services around 175 clients.

The training has been very good and the initial training allows you to form excellent relationships with other new franchisees. Having more than one visible shop front increases the growth potential significantly.

This represents an excellent foundation upon which a new franchisee can further develop an already established business. The business has enjoyed regular growth with the majority of new clients coming from recommendations, walk-in business and inbound leads generated from the support centre.

Phil Marriott - Franchisee

The Franchisee is selling the business because he is wishing to retire.

The business is offered as a successful going concern within the TaxAssist network and the purchaser will become part of that network of accountancy practices.

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FRANCHISE RESALES

Making a decision to better control your future? Our franchisees did, they now care for life.

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Greater Manchester Investment: TBC Established: 2006 Turnover: ÂŁ240,000

TaxAssist is a proven business model. If operated correctly it does produce the desired results thanks to a team that provides good support and strong leadership.

Gill Hutchings - Franchisee

A resale opportunity has arisen in one of our franchises based in the Greater Manchester area.

The franchisee operates from a shop front so any purchaser would be walking into a readymade business with a newly refurbished shop complete with furniture, IT and telephone systems along with experienced, well qualified staff.

This represents an excellent foundation upon which a new franchisee can continue to develop a substantial business which is very well known in the local area.

The business has enjoyed regular growth with the majority of new clients coming from recommendations, walk in business and inbound leads generated from the support centre.

The business has gross recurring fees of ÂŁ300,000 and the franchisee is now looking to realise the asset built.

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

Barking Mad

Barking Mad established in 2000. We have a track record in profitability with franchisees relying on the business as their main income stream. It’s not at all seasonal and takes a cash flow positive approach to business. Pet ownership across the UK continues to grow with 24% of all UK households now owning a dog.

Our franchise businesses are achieving greater re-sale valuations due to the on-line accounting and CRM Systems which clearly demonstrate the current financial and operational situation.

• Highly profitable • Growing market • Recognised professional service • Innovative systems • Dedicated customer service team • Unbeatable support • Online brand presence

015242 76476 lee@barkingmad.uk.com www.barkingmad.uk.com FRAN003

Bluebird Care

Enjoy a fulfilling career you have always dreamt of, by supporting your local community.

Are you searching for a tried-and-tested business opportunity, which gives you the opportunity to create a work/life balance, Bluebird Care offers you that and more. One of the UK’s leading providers of domestic homecare to the elderly and those with specialist needs. Experience in the care industry is not essential as full training and support is given, franchisees manage a team of highly-trained carers to provide Bluebird Care’s renowned care services.

• Leading the sectors digital revolution • Growth market • Over 200 businesses across our network • A scalable business model • The UKHCA’s largest member • Created in the UK for the UK market

01730 260026 franchises@bluebirdcare.co.uk www.bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk BLUE003

Business Doctors

It is well documented that buying a franchise is cheaper, quicker and safer than self-start but choosing the right franchise is a very important decision. Business Doctors is a business support network, dedicated to helping small and medium sized businesses achieve their vision.

We have helped over 7,800 businesses with our ‘hands on’, ‘no-nonsense’ approach.

This rewarding opportunity provides business professionals with an opportunity to use their experience to give something back.

• Full suite of marketing collateral • Lead generating website • Ongoing training and support • Collaborative network • National PR opportunities on a weekly basis • Social media managed by head office • All included in the price - no hidden fees!

01744 833778 franchising@businessdoctors.co.uk www.businessdoctorsfranchise.com BUSI002

Century 21

Join CENTURY 21 UK and become part of one of the world’s largest residential estate agency organisations. Reap the benefits of our global estate agency network which spans 78 countries and comprises over 6,900 offices worldwide. Receive comprehensive training, help with launching your business and ongoing strategic marketing support.

Seize your opportunity to become an estate and letting agency professional with unlimited earning potential today.

• Benefit from global brand exposure • Continuous support and industry advice • 1,500+ days worth of training per year • Access to all of the major UK property portals • Your own website • Tailored marketing strategy • Additional earning opportunities through the SDL Group

0115 902 1002 opportunities@century21uk.com www.estate-agency-franchise.co.uk

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

CPA Online

The Credit Protection Association plc (established in 1914) with a very long record of providing innovative and effective credit management systems applicable to all businesses who offer their goods or services on credit account. Accounts are paid quicker, reduced write-offs and customer goodwill maintained.

CPA also has the solution to address late payment; carefully crafted approaches, which guarantee results, prompt slow-payers to settle their overdue accounts direct to their suppliers.

• Exclusive territory • National and regional support • Repeat business • Full ongoing training • “Test Before You Invest”

Contact: Peter Uwins 020 8846 0000 franchise@cpa.co.uk CEUK001

ChipsAway

Join ChipsAway, the brand leaders and originators of SMART car body repair technology, and get the lifestyle you’ve always wanted.

Part of Franchise Brands plc, ChipsAway gives its franchisees unrivalled training, with no experience necessary. Furthermore, through our national advertising schemes, franchisees benefit from national TV advertising, and circa £75,000 worth of enquiries annually as a result.

Contact ChipsAway today and find out more.

• Proven demand • Fantastic earnings potential • Expert knowledge from Franchise Brands plc • Regular national advertising (TV, SEO, PPC etc) • Unrivaled training and ongoing support • Brand leader as confirmed by YouGov statistics • Management expansion opportunities

Kathryn Painter 0800 731 6914 www.chipsaway.co.uk

Investment Level: £29,995 FRAN003

Extra Help

Do you want to run your own business offering valuable home-help and domestic services to your local community? Extra Help offers cleaning, shopping, meal preparation, gardening, dogwalking and more, to elderly and vulnerable people, new and working parents, busy professionals and just about anyone who needs a helping hand.

Extra Help’s comprehensive package enables franchisees to easily manage a recession-proof business within a huge growth market, which comes with the added bonus of helping others.

• Flexibility to provide a wide range of services • A rewarding, profitable business • A proven, successful yet simple business model • No employees’ PAYE or NI to manage • Peace of mind with full training and ongoing support • Full or part time hours to suit your lifestyle

0845 618 2904 info@extra-help.co.uk www.extra-help.co.uk EXTR001

Filta Fry

FiltaFry Plus describes our line of innovative services that inherently preserve the environment wherever food is fried.

There’s an altruistic reason why everyone should care about eco-sustainable services; there’s an ever mounting attention towards reducing our footprint and impact on the environment. Now, what if you could help foodindustry businesses achieve that while saving them money, reducing injuries and enhancing food quality at the same time?

• Internationally recognized • Franchise is yours to resell any time you like • Mobile, can be based from home • On-going support & advice • Environmentally-friendly • Exclusive territory(s) • IFA and AFA member

0500 060706 dslater@filtagroup.com www.filtafryplus.co.uk THEF002

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Home Xperts

The innovative HomeXperts franchise model enables you to start your own estate and letting agency working from home or a small serviced of ce. You will be trained to industry standards, whilst receiving continuous, comprehensive support and receive access to the award- winning HomeXperts Franchisee Hub. By working hard and following the proven franchise model, you could secure your nancial future by earning more than £25,000 in invoiced commissions in a month.

• Industry leading training package • iPad, Wide-angle lens camera, Digital measurer • 24/7 access to the award winning HomeXperts Hub • Access to all of the major UK property portals • Local website and a national branch page • Full back of ce support

01905 678853 franchise@homexpertsuk.com www.home-xperts.co.uk HOME003

McDonald’s

Have you ever considered what a life-changing opportunity a McDonald’s franchise could offer?

Being a McDonald’s franchisee means owning your own business – working for yourself, but not by yourself. It’s about setting your own goals, managing your own restaurants and reaping your own rewards.

McDonald’s franchisees are hands-on, businesssavvy and ambitious people who are ready to make a long term commitment to a business.

“I didn’t know anything about the food industry, so coming in and getting all that training gives you a lot of confidence and comfort.”

Jane Blackwell - McDonald’s franchisee, Banbury

www.mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising MCDO002

Optic-Kleer

Optic-Kleer is the largest windscreen repair franchisor in the UK. We offer high quality repairs to private customers, small and large corporate market customers and have won a well-deserved reputation for excellent customer service. We’re looking for the right people to join our team, provide quality repairs and support our long-term relationships with customers. You will receive full training and enjoy comprehensive business support.

There’s no need for premises, stock or staff. This is a rewarding opportunity working with a industry leading customer-focused company.

• We’ll get you up and running • Realistic management fee • BFA registered • Full training given • We drive opportunities to you • Very low stock purchase • No previous experience required

01205 311132 info@optic-kleer.co.uk www.franchise.optic-kleer.co.uk OPTI003

Ovenclean

At Ovenclean we provide a business opportunity with a leading brand that will generate a great living - right from the start. Part of Franchise Brands plc, Ovenclean is the UK’s original oven cleaning specialist, and the only oven cleaning brand currently advertising on TV. With Ovenclean, you can be assured of the highest standard of training and ongoing business support. With low overheads and high profitability, Ovenclean is a simple to manage, proven cleaning franchise with fantastic earnings potential.

• Unlimited earnings - earn more than £1,000 per week • Proven demand - regular, repeat business • Potential for expansion to multi-van operation • Massive domestic marketplace • Unique cleaning system and fully equipped vehicle • Comprehensive training and ongoing support • National marketing campaigns including TV advertising!

Kathryn Painter 0800 988 5434 www.ovenclean.com

Investment Level: £14,995 FRAN003

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Platinum Business Partners

Platinum Business Partners (PBP) has a proven business model for creating a successful ecommerce business selling products online without having to make, handle or ship them.

Our franchise model gives you a unique blend of expert training and support and all the tools you need to start and grow a profitable and enjoyable business of your own. Earn £2,000 to £4,000 per month, net profit - much more is possible, but we prefer to under-promise and over-deliver.

• Replace or supplement your income • A tried, tested and proven system • Work where you want, when you want • Extensive one-to-one mentoring • Benefit from ongoing training • Build your business into a sellable asset

01202 652 103 info@platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk PLAT003

Radfield Home Care

Radfield Home Care is an established brand in the Home Care sector and we have created the Radfield Home Care Franchise opportunity for others to replicate our success in their local area. A Radfield Home Care franchise offers a recession resistant business providing vital services to the elderly care market for which demand is outstripping supply. This is a perfect opportunity if you are looking to set up a business that enhances your local community, has the feel good factor and can generate sustained and substantial business success.

• No previous care experience required • Full training provided and unlimited support • Highly experienced management team • Affordable initial investment level • High growth market sector • First Certified B Corp in the UK healthcare sector • Named in the Top 5 Care Companies in the UK

Contact Hannah MacKechnie at franchise@radfield.co.uk or call 01743 548550 RADF001

TaxAssist Accountants

TaxAssist Accountants is the UK’s largest network of accountants servicing the needs of small businesses and the self-employed. TaxAssist takes on both accountants and business/ nance professionals as franchisees can employ accountants while they concentrate on building their business. With an established brand and known for breaking with tradition in an industry that has not experienced this before, TaxAssist Accountants stand out from the crowd operating from highly visible and welcoming shop front premises.

• 5 star franchisee satisfaction award for three years running • Awards from franchise and accountancy arenas • Accountancy fee banks are a saleable asset • In demand services • 1st class support and training

0800 0188297 daren.tillson@taxassist.co.uk www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk TAXA001

Techclean

Are you ambitious to run your own business?

Customer driven and well organised?

Can you follow a proven business system?

This is an ideal opportunity to own a business with access to a huge and growing market Techclean territories are generous –each catchment area includes at least 10,000 business.

No premises are needed, making the franchise a perfect business to run from a home office with minimal outlay and low operating costs.

Current franchisees report net margins of 55%-65%

• Marketing and promotion tools • Group purchasing power • Internet and web support • Business management and planning • Ongoing marketing programmes • Day to day troubleshooting

01530 513300 edownes@techclean.co.uk www.techclean.co.uk

Investment Level: £19,500 THEB002

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

The Massage Company

The global spa and wellness industry is now valued at over 3.4 trillion dollars. AND, its still growing!

With an opportunity to have a Massage Company facility on every high street in every town in the UK. There has never been a better time to get involved in a fast growing section of the wellness industry.

What’s even better, for franchisees and their customers, it is affordable, convenient, reliable and allows franchisees to be their own boss, open multiple locations and join the next exciting opportunity in the franchise marketplace.

• Regular income stream from monthly direct debits • Quick return on investment • Highly profitable business • No experience necessary • Full training in all areas given • Experienced board level team supporting franchisees

07507 308434 elliot@massagecompany.co.uk http://www.massagecompany.co.uk THEM004

Tutor Doctor

At Tutor Doctor, we believe that success isn’t just measured by profit – it’s also about making a difference.

If you’re a motivated, people-oriented person who wants to own a business that enables you to have more flexibility in your life, work from home, make a difference in your customers’ lives and have control over your income, then we want to talk to you!

Join the #1 one-to-one tutoring franchise in the world and the fastest growing educational franchise in the UK!

• Low start-up cost • Minimal overhead • Ability to generate income in 60 days • Comprehensive training, tools, systems and support • Excellent earnings potential • Work from home • Provide a rewarding service to your community

020 8133 3525 http://franchise.tutordoctor.co.uk/ TUTO001

Zero Dry Time

Join a Zero Dry Time Franchise and join a business community that earns you money.

A flexible way to make a real income is on offer with Zero Dry Time. We offer a sustainable business model with fantastic prospects running and managing your own Dry Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Company.

You will build a fantastic business “Providing dry carpet, upholstery & hard floor cleaning solutions that deliver a fantastic service whilst giving great value” to the home & business owner alike.

• Fantastic earning potential • Low running costs • Management options • Regular loyal repeat customers • Carpet Club creating a residual income

0191 270 9202 info@zerodrytime.com zerodrytimefranchise.com ZERO001

Zip Yard

Are you ambitious to run your own business?

Customer driven and well organised?

Can you follow a proven business system?

All Zip Yard franchises are finished to a distinctive specification and you are presented with a fully operational and fully supported business with trained staff and comprehensive brand marketing from day one.

The exact shop fit cost will be determined by the size and standard of the premises.

• Marketing and promotion tools • Group purchasing power • Internet and web support • Ongoing training programmes • Continued concept and product development • Day to day troubleshooting

01530 513307 edownes@thezipyard.co.uk www.thezipyard.co.uk

Investment Level: £38,500 THEB002

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ch n toue i t e G or for m ation m inforou are if y sted in e inter ing with k r o w dogs

Leading UK Pet Franchise Barking Mad is a highly enjoyable, profitable and flexible self employed business opportunity operating within a sound, recession proof marketplace.

We are a dynamic and exciting management franchise business which is a home-based, professional alternative to traditional dog kennels. The flexibility of this business allows for a thoroughly rewarding, family friendly business opportunity.

Take control of your own destiny with an established brand and enjoy giving something back!

Our multi award winning franchise stands out from the crowd in terms of brand exposure, professionalism and the support provided to our network of highly motivated franchisees.

015242 76476 lee@barkingmad.uk.com www.barkingmad.uk.com

Book your Discovery Day now!

Use your business experience to empower others with a Business Doctor franchise.

Attend one of our discovery days and find out how we have helped over 7,800 businesses achieve their vision.

We will introduce you to our proven business model, collaborative network, delivery and marketing tools.

FRAN003

Like cars? Like the idea of running your own business?

Discover Unlimited earnings with the UK’s automotive repair franchise

Become your own boss and take control of your life, backed by full support, training and national advertising from Franchise Brands plc.

Get started for just £29,995+VAT

0800 980 5074

Take your first step and call us today.

BUSI002

Test the water before taking the plunge with this unique opportunity.

TEST

!

BEFORE YOU

INVEST

To discover more contact us!

Call: Peter Uwins 020 8846 0000 Email: franchise@cpa.co.uk

www.chipsaway.co.uk FRAN003

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Would you love to run your own business providing valuable services to your local community?

We can put you on the road to tried-and-tested success with an Extra Help franchise.

Extra Help’s comprehensive franchise package enables you to easily manage a recession-proof business within a huge growth market, which comes with the added bonus of helping others.

Why invest in an Extra Help franchise?

A discovery meeting will explain the innovative franchise model in full, helping you to decide if HomeXperts is right for you.

Discovery meetings are held around the country on a weekly basis, including London, Manchester and Worcester.

• A rewarding, profitable business within a huge growth market • Proven yet simple business model • Takes away the pain and uncertainty of starting your own business • Peace of mind with full training and ongoing support • Full or part time hours to suit your -lifestyle/commitments • Immense job satisfaction with a -healthy return on your investment Book your place at one of our discovery meetings today to find out if Extra Help is the right opportunity for you.

0845 618 2904

info@extra-help.co.uk

To find out 100% of the information about the award-winning HomeXperts model, book your discovery meeting by emailing franchise@homexpertsuk.com.

If you have any initial questions, call the HomeXperts Franchise Recruitment Team on 01905 678853.

EXTRAHELP

TM

a helping hand

www.extra-help.co.uk

taimoor milktaimoor sheikh milksheikh

Phone: 01905 678853 Email: franchise@homexpertsuk.com www.home-xperts.co.uk HOME002

EXTR001

OWNING A FRANCHISED BUSINESS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE Speak to us about the availability of a franchise in your area and arrange a due diligence day in Boston for a face to face interview and to receive further information about Optic-Kleer.

I am a franchisee & this is my McDonald’s

We are happy for you to speak to other franchisees about their experiences, in fact with encourage it. We also recommend that you seek professional business and legal advice so you are sure that you fully understand your responsibilities.

‘The best part of being a franchisee is the responsibility that comes with a large workforce.

Ilooking am aafter & franchisee & Giving local people a chance to this is McDonald’s my develop their McDonald’s skills, grow in confidence, progress their career – it’s something I find part of being ‘The best being aa franchisee franchisee really rewarding.’ is the responsibility that that comes comeswith with Taimoor, operates four restaurants a large workforce. looking afterLondon workforce. in South East Giving local people aa chance to chance to develop their their skills, develop skills, grow grow in in confidence, progress confidence, progress their their career – – it’s career it’s something something II find find really rewarding.’ rewarding.’ really Taimoor, operates operates 4four restaurants Taimoor, restaurants in South South East East London in London

Come and talk to us at our Insight Day in Cranfield 21st April 2017 www.mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising

Come and talk to us at our Come to us at our Insightand Daytalk in Elstree

045116-250x148-CityAM.indd 1

MCDO002

01205 311132 info@optic-kleer.co.uk www.franchise.optic-kleer.co.uk

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No.1 ecommerce franchise

OUR DOORS ARE OPEN TV

AS SEEN ON

Earn between £2,000 - £4,000 net profit, per month. Find out if you qualify to attend one of our Discovery Days: 26th April - London, Heathrow 9th May - Bournemouth

OVENCLEAN IS AN EASY TO MANAGE FRANCHISE, WITH LOW OVERHEADS AND UNLIMITED EARNING POTENTIAL. Take the first step towards your new future and book an Ovenclean Open Day today. Learn all the benefits of an Ovenclean franchise at our West Midlands based HQ, and you can even hear from our existing franchisees on the day!

Get started for just £14,995+VAT (funding available) FRAN003

25th May - London, Heathrow

Limited spaces available.

Book your place today:

01202 652 103

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

PLAT003

Butcher, baker and cabinet maker... our franchisees come from all works of life!

But they all have one thing in common. They all wanted to take control of their own destiny and become their own boss.

Deciding to start your own franchise is a big decision and there are many things to consider and weigh up.

Our core values and company culture are extremely important and we are looking for franchisees who can replicate these values in their own Radfield Home Care branches.

At Radfield Home Care we care about all of our people, and believe passionately that by treating our carers as a trusted family we can empower them to treat our clients with the same warmth and respect.

If Radfield Home Care is for you then we would love you to get in touch and come and meet us.

Call or email us to book a 1-2-1 meeting.

We look forward to meeting you.

franchise@radfield.co.uk 01743 548 550 www.radfieldhomecarefranchising.co.uk

“The teams that perform the cleaning tasks are always very thorough, professional and quick.

I would certainly recommend using them” Fund Management group

Call us to learn about our Discovery Days

Why choose Techclean? + We have been in business since1983 so have experience and credibility. + Franchisees can work from a home environment. + The operating cost base of the business is very low, consequently profit margins are high with current franchisees are making 55%-65% NET MARGIN. + We operate in a huge and ever growing market.

t: 01530 513300 e: edownes@techclean.co.uk w: www.techclean.co.uk

RADF001

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Are you ready to be your own boss?

The franchise to beat stress

Franchising in the UK today offers you security and piece of mind that your investment is on a tried and tested business model.

Zero Dry Time franchise offers you this stability that not only is your money well invested but you can build a sustainable business for the future with endless earnings.

Zero Dry Time provide dry carpet, upholstery & all hard floor cleaning solutions that deliver a fantastic service whilst giving great value to the home & business owner alike.

Call 07507308434 elliot@massagecompany.co.uk

THEM004

Think our franchise is for you?

Then contact us, come and see us in Newcastle and see how it’s done.

0191 270 9202 info@zerodrytime.com

ZERO001

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Become a ZipYard Franchisee

See yourself Butcher, baker and cabinet maker... our franchisees come from all works of life!

But they all had one thing in common. They all wanted to take control of their own destiny and become their own boss.

Why did they choose The ZipYard?

We are the most successful garment alteration business in the UK. They were presented with a fully operational business from day one. It’s a recession resistant high street franchise.

Let potential franchisees discover your Discovery Days

“The Altrincham ZipYard has exceeded all of our expectations.

We’ve now opened a second centre in Wilmslow.”

Richard McConnell (former Driving Instructor)

Make a lasting impression on the readers of our magazine and boost your Discovery Day attendance

Call us to learn about our discovery days

Speak to our team for more information

The ZipYard Unit 2, Cartwright Way, Forest Business Park, Bardon, Coalville, Leicestershire, LE67 1UE t 01530 513304 sales@thezipyard.co.uk www.thezipyard.co.uk

01245 673 700

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Jane Maudsley founder & managing director, Little Voices

Staying inspired as a leader To spur your franchisee network on, you have to make a concerted effort to stay motivated and unlock your drivers ast month, I was lucky enough to be nominated for Encouraging Women into Franchising’s Inspirational Woman in Franchising 2017 award.

It really made me think about where I seek my inspiration from and how I keep going, even when times are tough both at work and at home.

The word inspiration actually forms part of our strapline at Little Voices, as we’re committed to providing “inspirational education for the next generation”. As I thought about what makes a lesson inspirational and what inspires children, I realised that for me it’s largely down to the tutors themselves and how they deliver the class.

We can all remember the teachers we liked at school, the ones who seemed to have an ability to spur us on to do better. Inspiring teachers keep things fresh and fun, have patience and help us learn from our mistakes. And many of the same principles apply to leadership.

But, to inspire others, you have to stay regularly inspired yourself and actively look for motivation. I’m committed to learning every single day from how other people achieve their goals and lead their lives to prime themselves for success. The likes of entrepreneurs like Jim Rohn, Richard Branson and Duncan Bannantyne are a constant source of inspiration, as are people who have survived in the face of adversity such as Oprah Winfrey. There are also countless sportspeople who have a winner’s philosophy that anyone in business can learn from. The list is endless but their individual stories really help me stay motivated.

It's not just famous names though: other business owners and franchisors I meet on a day-to-day basis are equally influential.

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Mentors aren't just for when you’re starting out: even established franchisors can have a lot to learn from each other challenges she faced and what she would or wouldn’t do again was fascinating. As a leader, being able to hear from somebody who's been in your shoes and enjoyed fantastic success is invaluable. If you haven't already, I suggest you seek out some of the most successful people in your market and ask them all the burning questions you have. Mentors aren't just for when you’re starting out: even established franchisors have a lot to learn from each other.

I also take huge satisfaction from the fact that our drama and singing lessons make a real difference to children.

Some students go on to work in the arts while others find it helps them cope with anxiety or use what they've learned later on in their professional lives. As a franchisor, you have to believe in your product completely.

There are plenty of other sources of inspiration, which can help when you need an extra dose. I read books, have a selection of mantras on hand, meditate, keep a journal full of inspirational quotes and make a note of all the things that I want to achieve. The last one is really crucial: it's so

important to write down what your goals are and remind yourself of the reasons behind them every single day.

Which leads me onto my next source of inspiration: my family. Growing up, my grandfather – a successful businessman and one of the first hauliers in the UK – would always highlight where there was room for improvement as he went through my homework with me. I credit his influence for giving me my ability to learn from my mistakes and drive to continually improve. Finally, my daughter. For me, success isn’t really about money, fame or fortune. Instead, it’s about setting an example for my daughter and the next generation. They say that strong women raise strong daughters and I certainly intend to. I want her to know that she can be or do anything she wants.

Whatever sparks motivation in you, nurture and develop it because you'll need it when things get tough. And when you're brimming with inspiration, you can bet that it will rub off on your franchisees and their teams too: inspiration can be infectious.

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