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Welsh Digital Marketing Group activ win top honours at UK Franchising Awards 2023

activ Marketing Group scoop two Gold Awards and a Bronze in the UK wide 2023 Virtual Franchising Awards, announced today.

The digital marketing company received the prestigious UK’s first virtual franchising awards- hosted by the Quality Franchise Association- in the company of hundreds of entries Hundreds of nominations were received across eight categories of excellence with activ claiming the top honours with a Gold Award for New Franchisor of the Year and Gold Award for Marketing Excellence, as well as claiming Bronze Award recognition for Best Adaptation to Change.

Managing Director Katie Bullon was delighted to receive the awards, “To be recognised as a new franchisor within such an established industry at an uncertain time, where many people are seeking franchisee opportunities , is really exciting. “Myself and my team have worked really hard for the past two years since I became the franchisor of activ to ensure the company is a really attractive franchise to make running a successful business easy for budding entrepreneurs,” she added

“These awards are particularly significant because they include the whole franchising community and we were in successful company within our categories.”

“We firmly believe that franchising is a fantastic opportunity for those in business to expand and grow whilst maintaining the freedoms that come from being your own boss, however, having that team support from the franchisor I believe creates the best of both worlds of self-employed and employed.”

“I bought the business after being a successful franchisee, so I’m passionate about offering a low cost option for businesses with myself as a mentor, knowing what makes a successful franchisee.”

The Marketing Excellence Award recognises exceptional franchising marketing skills, whilst the Best New Franchisor of the Year Award recognises New Managing Director Katie Bullon’s huge efforts since she took over the activ franchise in 2021.

“Since I acquired the company I have worked hard to recruit a talented team at Head Office who have all the required experience and skills to drive the business forward.” added Bullon

More and more small businesses are requiring digital marketing support and activ are fast becoming a go too Plug-In Marketing Box for those wanting to develop and grow their business in the future Bullon is preparing for an equally successful rest of the year, “We are prepared for many people to seek franchising opportunities this year and look forward to welcoming a new wave of franchisees in 2023.” The digital marketing company has also been nominated for another award in the category of Cardiff Life’s Business Services Award

Cardiff Life Awards recognise activ Marketing group as one of the top Business Services Companies in the area in their January Awards nominations. But activ will have to wait until February to see if they can add to their awards cabinet

A Part Time Franchise For Additional Income

ArticlebyRichardPakey

A Part Time Franchise for Additional Income

Maybe some of you reading this are under increased pressure financially and looking at options to generate additional revenue, options might be limited if you are already working part or full time, with family constraints too, there is a lot that can get in the way isn’t there!

There is some good news for you though, and one that is often overlooked, this is by way of investing in a part-time franchise, you might think this is a myth that does not even exist, but let us explore the options in this short article.

What Is A Part-Time Franchise?

There will be a franchise for just about any sector and investment level that you can think of, and this will help you because there will almost certainly be something suitable somewhere that fits whatever capital you have and within your desired field

When you get to signing almost any franchise agreements, this will often mean you commit to attend to the business full-time, this is because franchisors rarely want sleepy franchisees, and most of the time, you as the franchisee would not want to limit your own time to dedicate to the business as it would also limit the earning potential, that all said, it can be recognised by both parties that some businesses can take some time to get established, this can be because of the nature of the business, or indeed, an agreement that you, the franchisee, needs to come into the business on a parttime basis, due to other commitments, and as long as you start the relationship with this mutually agreed understanding then you are good to go, sometimes all parties understand that there is no one size that fits all and agreement can be designed to suit everyone

You must then think about you do when the business becomes more successful, if you can then morph from part-time into full time and whether you do this yourself or bring in extra team members, this decision might be a little easier as it becomes more profitable of course!

What To Look Out For In A Part-Time Franchise

You will need to think about a franchise that you can personally manage yourself, often referred to as an ‘owner operator franchise’. This does not limit you to it just being you in the business, you might want an employee to take some of load, especially given that you can only focus on certain days or times in the week, they might be able to fill the void when you cannot!

In addition, look for a franchise that is repeatable and scalable, you will note reference to this statement if you have spent some time researching franchise options too, typically a franchise that requires huge skill sets or knowledge banks can be too limiting for what it is that you are aiming to achieve.

Is Low Cost Good For You?

Low-cost franchises are by that very nature, quite appealing if you are looking for a part-time option, often simple business modelling that requires little initial and ongoing support, and are the reasons for the low cost, do check out how profitable these might be compared to your desire to create additional income and you might see something that suits that does not break the bank!

Franchisor led promotions might help you, it’ll be one task that you wouldn’t need to commit time to, this might come at additional cost to you though, so there might be a balancing act for you between your time and money, but for sure, one way to help the business along its way

Types of franchise to look for might include, sales roles, advice or consultancy types, perhaps mobile options as you can often chose your own hours, you will find many such examples of these on the very platform that you are reading this article on, go and have a look for yourself now and see what might be of interest!

Discover What Is Your Own Motivation

Why is it that you are looking for a part-time franchise? Is it to spend more time with family, or friends? Perhaps to fill your time between school hours? Do you just desire the additional income to keep things afloat?

Think carefully about this because whilst you might want a business to commit part-time hours to, your obligation in timeframe could be as much as five to maybe even ten years, so not a short-term solution!

Is A Part-Time Franchise Worth The Effort?

You might have heard individuals talking about how buying a franchise is just buying a job, and that might suit you in you have uncertainty in employment or the threat of redundancy, everyone makes these life decisions for different purposes and yours will be no exception, however, be realistic with yourself that investing small sums will probably impact on the earnings potential, franchising in general is no get rich scheme, but a sound business should be delivering the additional income you crave in exchange for your time or commitment.

One final comment to make your aware of is that you could well be building an asset that you might well have the ability to sell on at a later date, maybe this is a topic for an article for another time!

About Lime Licensing Group

Lime Licensing Group is a full service franchise consultancy firm that has been the advisory team behind some of the UK’s most successful business format franchises

With offices in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and South Wales Lime Licensing recruits hundreds fo franchisees for it’s clients every year through it’s outsourced franchisee recruitment service. The company also provides overseas franchisors with a UK presence and manages the resale process of dozens of established franchise brands every year.

Richard Pakey is a franchising expert and Regional Director for the award-winning Lime Licensing Group and can be contacted below:

Article By Richard Pakey Lime Licensing Group

Face for Business provides Telephone Answering and Manned Live Chat Services for Franchises across the UK Recently Face for Business have been working with loft ladder installation franchise Access4Lofts – delivering fantastic results

Quality Franchise Association spoke to Face for Business to learn more about the challenge, the approach and the result delivering success for Lindsey and her franchise business

The Challenge

When Access4Lofts first approached Face for Business back in 2021, they already knew they needed support and had been using another telephone answering provider for their call handling Unfortunately, the level of service they were receiving was below an acceptable standard, and this was concerning them and their franchisees

As a responsible franchisor they were keen to ensure that the opportunities created for each franchise area were captured quickly and efficiently and they did not want to be wasting valuable marketing funds to develop opportunities that maybe missed

Additionally, they had many enquiries going through to HQ rather than straight out to the franchisees and that this was costing them time to forward on appropriately.

Lastly, they were concerned, with all the above in mind, were they getting value for money from their current provider.

Our Approach

We met with the Access4Lofts senior management team at our offices in Lancashire, where they were invited to ask anything, they needed to know, about our business, our service levels and how we partnered clients

Having deemed that we were a good fit, we set about getting to know their business, the team, their values and their expectations from a telephone answering service.

We then put together a solution that was not only right for Access4Lofts as a franchisor but also a model that would enable closer interaction with the local franchisees

With their input, we designed a bespoke solution around the business that captured everything they need from a caller; all the specifics about the property enabling the franchisees to quote confidently.

Having agreed on the information they wanted capturing we then integrated with Access4Loft’s CRM system enabling all the leads to go straight through to the franchisee and reduce dramatically the number of leads requiring HQ input before reaching the franchisee.

All agreed and ready to go, we then provided several Access4Lofts franchisees a trial, giving them their own Face for Business login and app details, which could also be viewed by HQ As well as receiving the lead details through their CRM, they were easily able to view their messages in our app, and immediately listen to our PA’s do the job for them providing invaluable feedback as the trial progressed. This, and our feedback function, has proven paramount in building our relationship with the franchisor and network of franchisees

Lastly, we extended their opening hours by 75% from Monday to Friday 9 00am to 5 30pm to 7 days a week and up to 8.00pm in the evening.

The Results

Pleased with the outcome of the trial, Access4Lofts moved every Franchisee across to Face for Business Once all franchises had moved across it was clear to see the benefits that partnering Face for Business gave them: -

• Improved ROI on marketing spend - 25% increase in opportunities captured immediately

• Happier franchisees with a more personal touch and the ability to interact with us directly.

• Better value pricing overall with the addition of evening and weekend call answering at no extra charge, but deliver them an addition 11% in opportunity capture

Our relationship with Access4Lofts has continued to flourish; we meet regularly with the team via Zoom and help onboard all new franchisees to explain exactly what we do and what support we offer them. Their lead PA’s, Jeanette and Kerry, both play an integral role in the day to day running of the account. They are in contact with the franchisees with regard to their schedules and holidays, so callers really see us as part of their business.

Lastly, at Face for Business are delighted Access4Lofts had the faith to move from the country’s largest telephone answering provider, and that they are continuing to reap the benefits of our service

Triple Two Coffee Serve at Chinese New Year Event Ahead of New Store Launch

Triple Two Coffee were delighted to serve at Green Park Village’s Chinese New Year Event over the weekend

Over 160 free coffees and hot chocolates were served to the residents of Green Park Village in Reading throughout the exciting and colourful event that was filled with dancing, music and traditional Chinese food! The brand new Green Park Village store is currently undergoing it’s fit out and is set to open in the Berkley Homes development in a matter of weeks, so the event was a great opportunity to get to know the community and for new customers to try their new favourite brand of coffee!

As the store is not quite ready for customers, coffee and cakes were served via the Triple Two Tuk Tuk which houses a fully functioning professional standard coffee machine and coffee grinder – the perfect vessel for an event like this.

The Green Park Village store in Reading will not just be your standard coffee shop. It will be known as a hybrid coffee shop and cocktail bar, serving specialty coffee and freshly prepared brunch by day, and hand-mixed cocktails and indulgent tapas by night. However, both menus will be served simultaneously meaning that customers can enjoy their preferred favourites at any time of the day, no matter what the occasion. This concept is the third of it’s kind from the Triple Two brand, and follows on from the successes of Triple Two Coffee Royal Wharf and Triple Two Coffee Soho The concept was born when director, David Hodgetts, saw a huge gap in the market for those that want to meet up to socialise, but perhaps enjoy different beverage choices

Triple Two don’t have any plans to slow down their growth - with more franchises lined up to open in the coming year, the brand plans to have 30 stores up and running by the end of 2023 and projects 300 stores by 2030

LMI UK Client Case Study – William Lamb Group

William Lamb Group is a 150 year-old family business based in Harrogate, providing production, product design and delivery for footwear and accessories brands.

LMI UK Franchisee Neale Carter has worked with

William Lamb CEO Jane Wilson over many years, helping her to develop her own leadership skills, as well as those of her team members

In 2022, Jayne asked Neale to coach 7 members of the William Lamb team through LMI’s Effective Personal Productivity Programme.

Words from Jane Wilson, CEO

“The reason I wanted to do the LMI programme with this group of people in the William Lamb organisation was because I've worked with Neale before and I've worked with the programme before, and I knew that it had the content that I needed, So William Lamb is an old company, 150 years old, and I had a lot of new young people in the organisation who had a lot of talent but weren't necessarily getting much of a voice in the organisation.

And what I wanted to do was use an LMI programme to open up them as individuals to open their own eyes to their own potential, develop themselves and understand that they could develop a voice in the organisation And I think it's worked It's been brilliant

So if I talk about how I think the individuals have grown and developed, I've seen a huge change

As it's kicked in through modules three and four and then beyond, it's just sort of roller-coastered as they have literally flourished as individuals, learned about themselves, grown in confidence, grown in understanding of how team dynamics work, how to work with other people in the organisation who they were struggling with because they weren't the same sort of people as they were

And just watching them bed in, find their own inner selfconfidence and flourish has been wonderful.

And so I am really delighted with the outcome It's been fantastic. I think the individuals who've been involved in it have been amazed at their own results and still pinching themselves with how different they are from the outset. We’re feeling the benefits and the difference every day as an organisation And I'm sure they themselves are feeling the benefits every day too ”

Participants

I think I was quite surprised at how fun it was. It wasn't just a learning experience it wasn't like being in school It was quite eye-opening It was a really feel good kind of a course.

Each lesson left you with something to take away in your work life and your home life. It really left you feeling empowered and motivated and then that enabled you to take that to your team members and help everyone else grow alongside you.

So what surprised me about the program was that even though it was all about personal productivity, there was actually a lot to do with teamworking and how you communicate with your members within the team

I also really enjoyed understanding communication styles of all of our team members because it opened up and answered my questions of how I could effectively communicate with them

I gained a lot of confidence from the program, just learning new skills in general learning the importance of planning and dedication, and not just the fact that you want to do a task ‘cause you think that it's easier and quicker yourself, but empowering your team and developing your team to gain their skills as well to not just bring yourself on, but you're bringing all your whole team on and helping them.

Above: Neal Carter is a franchisee of LMI UK and has been working with William Lamb Group

Below: Neal coached 7 members at William Lamb Group Participants found the courses considerably positive and they gained a lot of confidence.

LMI is one of the world's oldest and most successful leadership development organisations and offers the #1 global leadership coaching opportunity When you join LMI-UK you not only join a business that offers a proven concept and a globally recognisable brand, you also join an active and supportive team with a vast range of life and business experience that is continually sharing ideas and offering practical support. You'll won't ever feel you're in business alone.

HR Director leads the way in global online business

HR Director finds freedom and dream lifestyle with online business

Julie Spring (nee MacDonald) knew she wanted to travel from an early age, spending many years backpacking and working in hospitality and nannying jobs around the world, including South Africa, the USA and Australia.

Settling down to a job wasn’t really on her agenda but life happens and she found herself working for an iconic British brand of restaurants who were on the way up. Julie’s natural leadership, tenacity and authenticity led her to become a very successful HR director for many years, within the same brand, and for a while the freedom to travel was not an option.

She reached a turning point when her Aussie husband was offered a post abroad and moved to the Middle East for a few years, setting up a successful consultancy there, only to be posted again to her dream destination – Australia!

Julie saw an opportunity to create her ideal lifestyle but was reluctant to reinvent herself and her consultancy all over again. She wanted to find a way she could achieve the flexibility and freedom to travel more as well as return to visit family and friends in the UK regularly. The consultancy business model didn’t fit with this vision

Julie set out to find a business solution that would replace her exec salary, that she could work part time, and that would afford her the freedom to indulge her passion for travel and for spending quality time with family Which is how she stumbled on this online business solution.

‘I was a bit worried as I had no tech skills, the most I could do was send an email, so the concept of working online was challenging to say the least!’ Julie reflects ‘But I was attracted to the fact that the business centred around personal development – as HR Director with 10000 people to train and develop, leadership and personal growth was close to my heart. I figured even if I couldn’t manage to operate the business I could at least benefit from the personal development!’

Initially Julie invested at the entry level of $2285, and having seen the quality and depth of the personal development and the comprehensive support and training given, decided to invest in all the programmes soon after joining

She discovered she’d joined a global community of likeminded people, all looking to explore their own potential, to help others succeed and open to an alternative to the grind and frustrations of more traditional business models

A sudden and devastating personal bereavement in Julie’s early days of starting her business put things on hold for a few months, but Julie tapped into the learning and personal growth the business offered, which helped her work through her loss

Starting the training when she was ready, Julie discovered that everything she needed to be successful was right there, the products and the simple business system All she needed to bring to the table were her own unique self, her work ethic and self belief.

‘Within a few weeks I was able to qualify to become a professional marketer of our programmes, and within a few months I was earning an average of $10000 profit per month in my business. Bearing in mind I had never marketed anything before and I had limited tech skills, to have acquired the skills to create my own website and to be able to put out professional ads on various platforms that attracted the right clients to me – well it was mindblowing! It’s also testament to the amazing training and mentoring our partner company offers ’

Julie became a partner in 2018 and knew immediately she’d found the place to hang her hat She fits the business around her life, often ‘on the run’ ie travelling to some exciting destination, or a Michelin starred restaurant, or vineyard (another passion is fine dining & wine), or hosting family and friends from around the world in her beautiful Brisbane home

Despite her lifestyle Julie is committed to her business and it continues to run wherever she is, even if it’s just 2 hours a day Her results are proof of her diligence and ability to follow the business system, her business nets profit upwards $30k a month and last year she hit a personal milestone of $100k in a single month Her professionalism and leadership are recognised consistently within the community and she’s attracted a successful team of clients and partners in the UK, Canada, UAE, Australia, NZ and Europe into her organisation.

‘What I love about our business is that it really is a level playing field; there’s no hierarchy, no politics and literally anyone, with the right mindset and work ethic, can succeed’ remarks Julie

I asked her what her goals for 2023 are:

• To be working alongside and mentoring a successful team of partners

• To travel with my nephews to Lapland for Christmas

• To explore Papa New Guinea and more of South Africa

I have no doubt Julie will achieve all of this and more!

Discover a turnkey business solution for leaders looking to create freedom and flexibility for themselves and their family, representing award winning personal development programmes As a partner you will join forces with an established leader in the fast growing multi-billion dollar personal development sector and tap into a simple 3 step business system, benefit from 121 mentoring, and a wider support and training infrastructure available 7 days a week.