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What Franchise Issue-16.3

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ISSN 1744-6988

0 3

9 771744 698037

What

Franchise

£3.99 | VOLUME 16 ISSUE 3 what-franchise.com

EXPERT

ADVICE

WHAT A LAWYER

CAN DO FOR YOU

Plus 10 top UK legal

professionals

WORKING WITH

YOUR PARTNER

Secrets of success revealed

JACKIE GILLEN

Franchisee in the front line

NIGEL DAWSON

easyStorage:

“You can bring our brand

to a wider audience”

POWERBRANDS

MOBILE AND

VAN-BASED

FRANCHISES

21-page special

EXCLUSIVE

INTERVIEW

Emma Jones, founder

of Enterprise Nation

PAGE

11 GROWING

PLACES

8 emerging sectors with

proven profit potential

PAGE

53 FRANCHISEE

RECRUITMENT

4 ways to stand out from

the competition

PAGE

60 ESSENTIAL

SUPPORT

How a franchisor helps

you to prosper



JOIN ONE OF THE MOST

EXPERIENCED AND DEDICATED

MANAGEMENT TEAMS

IN THE FITNESS

& FRANCHISE WORLDS

easyGym is looking for the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs to

take its technology-driven franchise gym model across the UK and global.

The fitness industry is in the midst of major disruption. Although COVID-19 has created the

perfect storm for legacy gym owners, the pandemic is offering a huge opportunity for those

looking to enter this fast-growing space.

The demand for fitness and wellbeing has skyrocketed during the pandemic.

Fitness equipment is virtually sold out everywhere

Paul Lorimer-Wing, CEO of easyGym, explains: "Opening an easyGym is an exciting

opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors, who are looking for the potential of strong

returns and are ready to take full advantage of the post COVID-19 world the industry has

woken up to.”

Not only that, but the UK government has recently modified

planning regulations so that empty properties in great locations

with major footfall can be converted to gyms.You can now

open and operate a gym very quickly. There has never been

a better time to join the fitness industry as the world emerges

from lockdowns with a newfound focus on health and wellbeing

IF YOU HAVE

A PASSION

FOR FITNESS,

FRANCHISING AN

easyGym

COULD BE THE RIGHT

SOLUTION

FOR YOU.

Furthermore, easyGym comes with a high energy, but fun, studio concept called PACK45

that customers love. PACK45 studios provide functional kit to strengthen the entire body

through real-life movements in just 45 minutes, and are especially popular with busy

professionals and those looking for a little guidance in a workout.

www.easyGym.co.uk /franchise



CONTENts

HIGHLIGHTS

Mobile & Van

Franchises

Want to invest in a

brand that provides its customers

with the ultimate in convenience?

Take a look at this in-depth

opportunity overview

Front Line

Franchisee

17 44 60

Read how Radfield

Home Care franchisee Jackie Gillen

has been helping the elderly and

vulnerable during the UK’s battle

with coronavirus

Franchisor

Support

Knowing you have

the backing of a proven brand is

one of the major benefits of

investing in a franchise. Find out

what you get for your money

COVER STORIES

11 GROWING PLACES

8 emerging sectors with proven

profit potential

22 NIGEL DAWSON OF

EASYSTORAGE

You can bring our brand to a

wider audience

40 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Emma Jones, founder of

Enterprise Nation

53 FRANCHISEE RECRUITMENT

4 ways to stand out from the

competition

56 WORKING WITH YOUR PARTNER

Secrets of success revealed

82 WHAT A LAWYER CAN DO

FOR YOU

Plus 10 top UK legal professionals

OPINION

13 LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN

How to ensure your business

prospers in the long term

14 A MEETING OF MINDS

Why franchisee councils are

becoming increasingly popular

98 BREXIT, COVID-19 &

NEW NORMS

Franchising has demonstrated its

resilience this year

FRANCHISE

OPPORTUNITIES

38 TRUSTED TO PERFORM AN

ESSENTIAL ROLE

An X-Press Legal Services franchise is a

low risk proposition

42 AMBITIOUS EXPANSION

PLANS

Miss Millie’s has multi-unit franchise

opportunities available

50 ACTIVELY RECRUITING

Ableworld seeks new franchisees to

satisfy demand

52 DO GOOD AND MAKE MONEY

No previous care experience is required

to join Seniors Helping Seniors

54 PROUD TO HELP LOCAL

BUSINESS OWNERS

ActionCOACH’s Billy Smith is

putting his expertise to good use

66 RAZZAMATAZ RETURNS

The theatre school brand reacted

swiftly to the coronavirus crisis

68 ACCOUNTING FOR SUCCESS

TaxAssist Accountants’ Charlie Walker

is positive about the future

74 GOING PLACES

Wok&Go is the UK’s fastest growing

healthy fast food franchise

78 MAKE MONEY FROM

PROPERTY

You can build a profitable HMO

portfolio with Sourced Partner

80 FIT FOR PURPOSE

easyGym franchisees enjoy

strong returns

92 MOTIVATED

COMMUNICATORS WANTED

There are two ways to join

Maplebrook Wills’ expanding

UK network

95 FORWARD LOOKING

FRANCHISE

Schmidt franchisees have a

bright future

INSIGHT

70 THE TRUTH ABOUT FRANCHISING

Industry insider dispels six common myths

72 WHY RUNNING A MANAGEMENT

FRANCHISE IS DIFFERENT

How to choose the right type of franchise for you

96 A JOURNEY WITH MANY TWISTS

& TURNS

Most franchisees achieve a certain degree

of success

72

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 5



FROM

THE EDITOR

here’s been acres

of coverage given

to the brave key

workers who

battled coronavirus as it swept

the UK this year.

Many of these selfless

individuals put themselves in

harm’s way as they cared for

those infected with the disease.

Radfield Home Care franchisee

Jackie Gillen was one of them

on the front line and is our main

interview feature this month.

Demand from the elderly and

vulnerable in her Wakefield

and Dewsbury territory for

the services provided by Jackie and her team of carers rose almost

50 per cent at the height of the pandemic, but determined to provide

the safest possible service, their hard work has paid off. Despite the

emergency, all her clients remained safe and happy.

Before COVID-19, home care was already one of the fastest growing

parts of the UK franchise industry. Since the outbreak, mobile and

van-based franchises have also seen a surge in popularity. Find out

why in our 21-page Powerbrands report in this issue, which includes

editorial profiles of companies in such diverse sectors as vehicle

repairs, pet care services and estate agency.

Elsewhere, Andy Knights of Stagecoach Performing Arts goes

in-depth on what assistance franchisees should get from their

franchisor before, during and after launching their businesses.

This support is one of the main advantages of buying a franchise

instead of going it alone and goes a long way to explaining why over

90 per cent of franchisees in the UK run profitable businesses.

It can also prove crucial in a crisis, as Gareth Southard explains in

this issue. He was set to launch his My Window Cleaner franchise in

South Wales before lockdown was declared. Gareth reveals how his

what-franchise.com

T

17

franchisor helped him not only successfully launch his

business, but achieve record sales for a new franchisee

as well.

What can a franchise lawyer do for you? Help to

avoid any nasty surprises before committing what can

sometimes be a substantial amount of time and money to

a franchise, according to a leading lawyer who takes part

in a Q&A session this month.

As well as interviewing Andy Fraser, founder of Albany

Fraser Solicitors, we’ve profiled 10 franchise lawyers

actively involved in UK franchising.

It’s vital every aspiring franchisee consults with

a solicitor who’s familiar with franchising. We can’t

emphasise this enough before you go into business.

Jeff James

Editor, What Franchise

editor@what-franchise.com

NEXT ISSUE

ON SALE:

November 26

@whatfranchise

linkedin.com/company

/what-franchise

facebook.com/whatfranchise

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Richard Davies Tel: 01323 471291

Email: richard.davies@aceville.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Millie Hall. 01323 471291

millie.hall@aceville.co.uk

CREDIT CONTROL

Sue Carr Tel: 01206 505903

FROM THE

PUBLISHER OF

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Rachael Wenham. 01323 471291

rachael.wenham@aceville.co.uk

Luke Elliott. 01323 471291

luke.elliott@aceville.co.uk

Matthew Gilley. 01323 471291

matt.gilley@aceville.com

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Joseph Gibbons Tel: 01206 505912

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tel: 01795 414667

PUBLISHER

Matthew Tudor

HEAD OF CONTENT (FRANCHISING)

James Fell

EDITOR

Jeff James

DESIGNERS

Adam Barford, Luke Rogers

PRINTED IN ENGLAND

NEWSTRADE SALES

Marketforce. Tel: 0203 1483300

INDUSTRY

CONTRIBUTION

WINNER

British Franchise

Association

Professional

Affiliate and Supplier

Awards 2019

Published by Aceville Publications Ltd

Pacific House, Innovation Business

Park, Eastbourne BN23 6FA. Printed

in England © Aceville Publications Ltd

ABC certified circulation:

12,580 January-

December 2019

© Aceville Publications Ltd

No part of this publication may be copied, broadcast, interpreted, or stored, in any form, for any purpose, without the written permission of the publisher.

Every effort is made to ensure the veracity and integrity of the companies, persons, products and services mentioned in this publication, and details given are believed accurate at the

time of going to press. However, no responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted for any consequence or repercussion of responding to any information or advice given or inferred.

GLOBALFRANCHISEMAGAZINE.COM 7


In the know

Facts and figures from the world of franchising

Number crunching

£400-£750 (plus VAT)

What you should expect to pay to have

a franchise agreement reviewed by

a lawyer. Find out why it’s money

well spent on pages 82-83.

QUOTE ME ON THAT

“If one of us has had a

tough day, the other one

is there to support,

which is so nice.”

Petpals franchisee Sally Ann Gray describes

one of the benefits of working with her

husband. Read the full

interview on pages 56-57.

TRENDING ONLINE: DELIVERY

AND COURIER BUSINESSES

If there was one sector that boomed during lockdown, it

was delivery and courier businesses.

Whether consumers

had Amazon Prime

accounts or were online

grocery shopping

addicts before March,

one thing’s for sure:

there were a lot more

courier vans on

the roads than ever

before and the online

shopping lifestyle

switch appears to

have stayed.

Naturally, this

uptick in reliance on

online delivery and

courier services has

prompted many ambitious

self-starters to jump into

action and start their own

logistical businesses.

Our data underlines this

growing interest, too: over the last

two months we’ve received nearly

1,000 enquiries requesting information about just

Amazon and DPD alone.

Interested in starting your own delivery

business? We have over 800 exciting franchise

opportunities to discover at what-franchise.com.

8 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


NEWS IN BRIEF

HSBC WINS

BANKING AWARD

HSBC UK has been named the Best

Franchisee Banking Provider 2020

by finance data specialist Business

Moneyfacts for the second time in

two years.

All the finalists at the awards

“continued to offer value,

choice and innovation across

the commercial finance sector”,

according to Business Moneyfacts.

Andrew Brattesani, HSBC’s

UK head of franchising, says:

“Winning Moneyfacts two years

in succession is a real honour

and a reflection of the hard work

and dedication from all areas of

the business that support our

franchise offering.

“We are acutely aware of our

responsibility in the current crisis

and will do our utmost to maintain

this dedication to service and

support our clients.”

Lloyds Bank was highly

commended in the category, while

Allied Irish Bank was commended

for its work in the franchise sector.

GYMGUYZ

appoints first

UK franchisees

The American mobile personal

training business will open its

first two franchisee locations in

Brighton on the south coast and

Kingston, Surrey.

Established in 2008,

GYMGUYZ has 250-plus

franchises worldwide, around

230 of which are in the US.

UK managing director Laike

Mantori says: “We take pride in

providing convenient, customised

and creative workouts.

“GYMGUYZ takes away

the need to be in a gym

environment and brings

the equipment and provides

the flexibility of training

whenever and wherever

clients want.”

A recent study by Anglia

Ruskin University found that

the UK has seen a 10 per cent

increase in adults meeting the

recommended levels of

physical activity since

lockdown in March.

Around 75 per cent are

now doing at least 150

minutes of physical activity

per week, providing further

evidence that, more than ever,

people are recognising the

importance of improving

their fitness levels.

REVEALED: BEST UK CITY TO START A BUSINESS

Dream Doors

breaks sales

record

Kitchen makeover company

Dream Doors turned over a

record £7 million in July, despite

the ongoing coronavirus crisis

in the UK.

It saw a large increase in

online enquiries and sales, as

customers were forced to spend

more time in their homes.

Dream Doors’ previous

monthly turnover record was

£5.5 million, which was achieved

in January of this year.

Managing director Ed Brewer

says: “Achieving this record £7

million monthly turnover during

such a challenging period is

mainly due to our sustained,

strong investment in digital

marketing throughout the

COVID-19 lockdown.

“Several showroom owners

have told me that their

customers have had holidays

cancelled and refunded, so

they’ve decided to makeover

their kitchens this year instead.”

Canterbury is the number

one location in the UK to start

your own business, a study

by StartupsGeek.com has

revealed.

The website for

entrepreneurs placed Kent’s

cathedral city in the top spot

based on an analysis of the

cost over five years of starting

a business, broken down into

cost of salaries and office

space.

Other factors were also

taken into account, including

graduation retention rate,

five-year start-up survival rate

and average internet speed,

among others.

The top 10 cities for starting a

new business are:

1. Canterbury

2. Sunderland

3. Liverpool

4. Swansea

5. Belfast

6. Salford

7. Norwich

8. Leicester

9. Plymouth

10. Edinburgh

Keep up to date with the latest

news at what-franchise.com

Follow us on Twitter

@whatfranchise

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 9



OPINION

An abundance of opportunities

Franchisors have a wide variety of proven businesses for sale in a

multitude of industries

WORDS BY PIP WILKINS

THE AUTHOR

Pip Wilkins is CEO of

the British Franchise

Association

T

hink of franchising and

the first businesses that

typically spring to mind

are fast food chains and

coffee shops.

But other sectors are ripe for

growth using the franchise model,

including:

Domiciliary care

There has been significant growth in

the number of franchises providing

home care for the elderly and

vulnerable in recent years.

It works as a business model, as

the franchisor can oversee, train

and support you with the complex

compliance structures needed in

this heavily regulated arena.

This gives franchisees the chance

to shape their business to the needs

of their local communities. If you

have a caring spirit, this sector

could be for you.

Pet-related businesses

Opportunities range from dog walking

and boarding to pet food delivery.

Whether you’re a groomer, walker

or boarder, trusted customer

relationships will need to be

developed, while a passion

for pets is key.

“Providing a great customer

experience is essential if you want

to prosper in health and beauty”

Property sector

There will always be a need to buy

and sell houses or to rent them,

which means there are many

franchised businesses in the sales

and/or letting market.

You need to be good at employing

and managing people to be a

success in this industry.

Children’s services

There are a large number of

children’s services franchises,

ranging from swimming schools,

dance classes and theatre arts to

football and rugby coaching.

Some can be run flexibly around

family commitments, while others

are full-time, so it’s about finding

the right balance for you.

Food and drink

From burgers and pizza to coffee

and organic vegetables.

While many of these businesses

can be found on the high street,

some can be mobile.

Health and beauty

More brands with a focus on our

well-being are entering this market.

Whether someone wants a

haircut, a massage or to have

their nails done, providing a great

customer experience is essential

if you want to prosper in health

and beauty.

Commercial and

residential cleaning

Demand for cleaning services

remains strong.

As a cleaning franchisee, you

can choose whether you want

to have a hands-on role in the

business or employ teams to clean

on your behalf.

Health and fitness

There’s an eclectic mix of brands

expanding in the UK market and

franchising is allowing them to

open far more quickly than if they

invested in company owned outlets.

If fitness is your thing, there’s a

choice of opportunities to pick from.

More than 710,000 people are

employed in franchising, which

demonstrates its importance to the

UK economy.

Because franchising

encompasses a variety of

industries, it’s not dependent on

any one sector, which perhaps

goes some way to explaining why it

has been so resilient to economic

pressures over the years.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 11


Behind the Brand - The Creation Station

BEHIND THE BRAND

Inspiring

the nation’s

imagination

There has never been a better time to become a

Creation Station franchise owner

E

stablished by Sarah

Cressall in 2002 to

provide her three

children with creative

opportunities to explore, discover

and develop, The Creation

Station’s purpose is to make

positive differences through

creative experiences.

Over a million children and

adults have been inspired by the

company’s family of more than

120 franchise owners and more

than 5,000 customers have rated

the activities as five star. The

Creation Station was one of three

finalists out of 5,000 entrants in

Richard Branson’s prestigious

Impact Award, which promotes

and rewards companies for the

difference they make.

GROW AT YOUR PACE

The Creation Station’s wide range

of award winning classes, clubs,

parties and events allows you to

maximise the opportunities in

your exclusive territory. Activities

“I’m proud

to run and be

part of this

amazing ethical

and successful

business”

include creative afterschool

clubs and workshops, birthday

parties, adult well-being and

crafting events, preschool, family

fun classes, senior citizens

‘crafternoons’ plus

event entertainment.

The company’s franchise

owners come from a wide range

of backgrounds - from banking

and management to stay at

home mums and health care

professionals. They are friendly

and proactive and share The

Creation Station’s ambition to

make positive differences.

Before joining the company,

few of its franchise

owners had run their

own businesses or had

experience in delivering

creative experiences.

The Creation Station

provides comprehensive

ongoing training, a

regional support manger

for one to one support

and regional meet ups,

as well as detailed, tried

and tested activity plans,

cutting edge mobile

technology systems,

sales, marketing and

technical support. Your

AT A GLANCE

THE CREATION

STATION

Established: 2002

Number of outlets: 120

Location of outlets: nationwide

Investment range: £10,000-£20,000

Minimum capital required: £2,000

Contact: franchise team.

franchise@thecreationstation.co.uk

thecreationstation.co.uk

support plan is tailored to achieve

the success you want at a pace

that suits you.

ETHICAL MARKET LEADER

The Creation Station has been

ranked number 15 in the top UK

franchises and its commitment

to making positive differences

has been recognised by numerous

recent awards.

Emma McCallum John, a

franchise owner for over four

years, says: “Running my own

Creation Station has given me the

opportunity to be my own boss

with all the support and help I’ve

needed. Bringing creativity into

children’s lives and inspiring

adults is hugely rewarding. It’s

hard work, but also great fun.”

Another happy franchise owner,

Mark Hugh-Jones, who runs The

Creation Station Braintree &

Dunmow, explains: “I researched

many franchises before finding

the right one. The reason why

The Creation Station stood out is

because of the huge potential in

an emerging market.

“The people at Creation

Station are driven to help all

franchise owners to achieve

the success they want. They are

very responsive, proactive and

innovative. I’m proud to run and

be part of this amazing ethical

and successful business.”

12 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


ADVICE OPINION

Life after lockdown

Making astute financial decisions can ensure your business prospers

in the long term

WORDS BY PHIL ARCHER

THE AUTHOR

Phil Archer is asset

finance manager

at d&t, an award

winning chartered

accountancy and

business advisory

specialist

T

o bounce back from

lockdown successfully,

franchise businesses

must take full advantage

of all the support that’s on offer.

Franchisees and franchisors will

need to ensure they have enough

funds in the bank to weather any

further storms, plus be well positioned

to develop new promotions, ramp up

marketing, increase communication

and drive sales.

Payment holidays

and deferments

Have you taken advantage of all

the support you qualify for?

Check if you’re entitled to

payment holidays or deferments on

any existing loans or finance. This

is usually a quick process, which

can buy you time and free up cash

flow to focus on positive, proactive

marketing activities until business

is back on track.

New and established

solutions

Secondly, find out if you would

benefit from any of the new

schemes that have been introduced,

as well as the more established

funding solutions.

This may be in the form of a

bounce back loan, the coronavirus

business interruption loan scheme

(CBILS), asset finance or maximising

bank and other facilities.

The special deals currently

available won’t be around forever,

so make that decision now on

whether you’ll need new equipment

or vehicles in the near future.

Taking advantage of a bounce

back loan’s preferable rates to

purchase equipment, for example,

doesn’t mean you won’t be able to

leverage additional funding later

by perhaps refinancing on asset

finance, therefore releasing the

bounce back funds back to you as

additional working capital.

Here it’s important to take

professional advice. A trusted

adviser will consider all your needs

and provide information about the

best options for your franchise.

Restructuring

existing finance

Thirdly, look into restructuring

any existing finance, as with the

current interest rates and special

deals available this could result in

significant savings.

For example, in some circumstances

it’s advantageous to pay off a CBILS

loan or any other type of loan or asset

finance facility through the bounce

back scheme because the rates and

terms are very attractive.

Plan for the future

Fourthly, consider where your

franchise is going. How much

has your business needed to

change and what further changes

will be required in the short

and long term?

Will you need to invest in more

technology to future proof

your proposition?

Funding an acquisition could

increase efficiencies, improve

economies of scale and build a

stronger, leaner more resilient

business. There are also research

and development tax relief benefits

offered to organisations that

deliver new solutions that meet

predefined criteria.

An independent adviser can

tell you about any other options

out there. Having an adviser

with a long-term view can

help you move your business

onwards and upwards.

At d&t, our friendly, experienced

team are always happy to

advise and help franchisees and

franchisors navigate the best way

forward. Our team add value not

just numbers and are trusted to

provide the most appropriate

advice dependent on individual

circumstances.

“Find out if you would

benefit from any of the

new schemes that have

been introduced”

13 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 15.5

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 13


OPINION

A meeting of minds

Franchisee councils are becoming increasingly popular among franchisors

wanting to encourage positive relationships

WORDS BY SUZIE MCCAFFERTY

THE AUTHOR

Suzie McCafferty

is CEO of franchise

consultancy

Platinum Wave

T

he franchisorfranchisee

relationship

is different in every

brand. At one end of

the scale, franchisees may be left

almost entirely to their own devices,

while at the other some might feel

stifled by an overbearing franchisor.

If 2020 has taught us anything,

it’s that the brands with the most

open communication and positive

relationships between franchisees

and the support team are the

ones who are best placed to deal

with adversity.

It’s no surprise then that we

have recently taken more calls

from franchisors asking for advice

on setting up or reinstating

franchisee councils than

ever before.

“In an ideal world, a council

would have members who

are entirely representative

of the network”

Valuable role

For anyone thinking of joining a

franchise, you will be aware that part

of what you pay a franchisee fee and

ongoing royalties for is the training

and support you get throughout

the life of your business. Effective

franchisee councils can play a

valuable role in this ongoing support.

So what are they?

They exist to represent the views

of the franchisees in a network, but

there’s nothing that dictates how a

council is set up.

It’s easy to assume the most

democratic process is always the

best way to go, but if a network is

either small and new or large and

established many of the franchisees

won’t know each other very well, if

at all - certainly not well enough to

vote on each other’s suitability to

represent the group.

Who should join?

It’s good to rotate members

annually, but some franchisees will

undoubtedly shine in the role and

both the franchisor and network will

want to see them reinstated.

In most cases, the franchisor will

invite franchisees to join the council.

Often, these are the best performing

and most positive members of the

network. They will probably be

the most engaged members of the

group - happy to work for everyone

positively, rather than use the time

to air personal grievances and

resist progress.

In an ideal world, a council would

have members who are entirely

representative of the network. In

reality, however, this isn’t always

feasible, but an attempt to secure

a reasonable cross-section should

be welcomed.

Topics for discussion can include

new products, pricing, reporting,

marketing strategy and branding.

A franchisor might think that

by filling the council with their

strongest advocates they will have

a much easier time introducing new

initiatives. However, franchisors

have a duty to all their franchisees

and deliberately cutting out

challenging voices can be a recipe

for disaster.

Creating cohesion

The existence of a franchise

council should tell you that a

franchisor wants to create a

harmonious, cohesive network that

will strive together to achieve great

things. Even if you aren’t in it, it

represents a chance to get closer

to the business, shape decisions

and affect change.

A franchise council

should therefore be a

wonderful place for cooperation

to grow between both parties.

The franchisor may well have

the ultimate say, but the

benefits of fostering open

communication and positive

relationships between franchisees,

franchisor and support team

become abundantly clear when

everyone has to pull together.

14 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

+

MANAGING DIRECTOR SAM

LANGRICK GIVES US THE

LOWDOWN ON LAWNKEEPER

AT A GLANCE

LAWNKEEPER

Established: 1994 (franchised 2007)

Number of franchised outlets: 14

Location of units: Airedale, Aylesbury,

Barnsley, Cheshire, Clayhall, East Leeds,

East Yorkshire, Hull, North Leeds,

Nottingham, Peterborough, South

Glamorgan, Stafford, Wakefield,

Worcester, York

Investment range: £25,000

Minimum required capital: £10,000

Contact: Sam Langrick. 0800 073 5252.

franchise@lawnkeeper.co.uk

lawnkeeper.co.uk

Behind the Brand - Lawnkeeper

WHY SHOULD SOMEONE

INVEST IN A LAWN

CARE FRANCHISE?

Lawn care is a relatively new service

in the UK. so there’s lots of untapped

potential. There’s a good stream of

domestic and commercial customers

all year round and our franchisees

are seeing continued growth in

their customer bases.

The service is inexpensive - it’s

cheaper than doing it yourself - so

anybody who enjoys spending time in

their garden is a potential customer.

You might think the economic

downturn would have affected the

industry’s growth, but Lawnkeeper

hasn’t experienced this at all. In

fact, there’s an argument that says if

people cut down on foreign holidays

they will spend more time in their

garden and so want to make it look

as healthy and attractive as possible.

That’s where we come in.

WHY CHOOSE

LAWNKEEPER?

We believe we have a number of

unique features. With a Lawnkeeper

franchise, you’ll get a territory of at

least 110,000 households - and with

some considerably more.

Each territory has been

designed to have a good

proportion of high income

households, so it’s possible to be

generating a turnover of £250,000

per annum within five years.

In addition, we believe in

working less and earning more.

Our philosophy is based on

providing a high quality service

that delivers the best results, rather

than being the cheapest. As a

result, we concentrate on making a

greater return on each customer, so

that our franchisees need to service

fewer customers to generate a

good level of profitability.

“What is

essential is a

liking for people

and a desire

to succeed”

Also, customer service is vitally

important in the lawn care sector

and it’s an area in which we excel.

It’s one of the main reasons

why we enjoy such high levels of

customer retention and why sales

are booming, with a 40 per cent

increase last year.

WHAT DOES A

FRANCHISEE GET FOR

THEIR INVESTMENT?

As well as a large protected

territory and a full, industry

leading equipment package,

the Lawnkeeper franchise

includes a proven sales and

marketing package, which allows

franchisees to win business time

after time; a bespoke franchise

management system, which means

franchisees can spend more time

earning money instead of doing

paperwork; and a comprehensive

two-week training course, which

covers all aspects of the business.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR

LAWNKEEPER?

We have taken on three new

franchisees in the past year and

are on target to do at least that in

the next 12 months.

Prospective franchisees don’t

need a background in lawn care, as

we provide all the training. What is

essential is a liking for people and

a desire to succeed.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 15



POWERBRANDS

MOBILE & VAN-

BASED FRANCHISES

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS

IF YOU’RE DRIVEN TO SUCCEED, CONSIDER THESE

OPPORTUNITIES ON WHEELS

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 17


MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS

FRANCHISING’S

DRIVING

FORCE

Providing the ultimate in convenience for customers, there’s been a

surge in interest for mobile and van-based franchises of late

WORDS BY LINDA WHITNEY

THE AUTHOR

Linda Whitney writes

about franchising for

the Daily Mail, What

Franchise and many

other publications

C

ould you ride to the

rescue as a mobile

franchisee? The idea

of being a knight in

shining armour, delivering goods or

services to delighted customers, is

not just a fairy tale.

Mobile franchisees commonly say

that they love being on the road,

speaking to new customers and

leaving them happy.

Mobile franchises are not limited

to working from a van, though.

There are management franchises,

where franchisees run teams

of drivers who deliver goods or

services. This can be rewarding,

because happy customers may

contact head office to say thanks.

WHY ARE MOBILE

FRANCHISES WORTH

CONSIDERING NOW?

Internet ordering of goods and

services has been growing for years,

but the pandemic has got people

ordering online like never before. It

means a huge surge in business for

mobile franchises.

At DPD, volumes have surged

to levels normally seen during the

Christmas peak season.

Dan Turner, associate director

of DPD’s Owner Driver Franchise

scheme, says: “Figures for deliveries

from February to July 2020 are

almost twice as much as for the same

period last year.

“On Easter Bank

Holiday Monday

alone the

number of deliveries we handled

was double that of 2019.”

FOOD DELIVERY

For many people, especially the

shielding group advised to stay at

home for 12 weeks, food delivery was

essential.

Franchisees with Wiltshire Farm

Foods, which has been delivering

frozen ready meals to customers’

doors since 1991, were suddenly

inundated with new orders and a

corresponding increase in interest

from prospective franchisees. It’s a

management franchise that means

running a team of delivery drivers.

Wiltshire Farm Foods managing

director Ian Stone says: “We’ve

experienced a significant uplift

in requests from prospective

franchisees who want to capitalise

on the growing trend for home

delivery services.

“They also appreciate our business

proposition and the commercial

value of investing with a company

that yields high returns combined

with the social value of making a

difference to people’s lives.”

WILL THE DELIVERY

BOOM CONTINUE?

“We expect so,” Dan says. “Many of our

customers say that consumers who

tried home delivery for the first time

during lockdown will continue, having

experienced the convenience.

“Coupled with ongoing concerns

surrounding shopping in person,

18 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


every indication is that the current

levels of deliveries are likely to

remain.”

As a result, DPD is recruiting more

Owner Driver Franchisees (ODFs).

“We have recruited around 3,500

new ODFs since the beginning of 2020

and are on track to recruit 3,000 more

this year,” Dan says.

The franchise fee is £400, plus a

£1,000-£2,000 refundable deposit.

You can supply your own vehicle

or lease from DPD. Previous delivery

experience is not essential, though

franchisees must focus equally on

providing an exemplary delivery

service alongside running a

successful business.

OTHER MOBILE

FRANCHISES ARE

BOOMING TOO

John Graham, managing director

of oven cleaning franchise Oven

Wizards, says: “Demand for oven

cleaning post-lockdown has been

like the run-up to Christmas, our

busiest period.

“More home cooking has meant

dirtier ovens and people have realised

the value of oven cleaning services.

The increase in demand shows every

sign of continuing.

“We have seen an increase in

interest from prospective franchisees.

Some suspect they may be made

redundant and want to get into

business for themselves. We are

expecting about six new franchisees

to join us.”

NEW MOBILE FRANCHISES

ARE APPEARING

Claire Harris, founder of the pet taxi

franchise Pets 2 Places, is seeking

her first franchisees.

She says: “Demand soared by 30

per cent over lockdown from people

looking for animal transport to vets

and holidays and from the RSPCA.

We’ve even had the children’s TV

programme Blue Peter looking

for transport for their pet

beagle.”

According to the

company, to become a

Pets 2 Places franchisee

you must have good

driving and customer

service skills, but need

not have worked with

animals before. However,

you will need to take manual

handling and animal first

aid courses and be willing

to generate business through

networking.

IT’S MORE THAN

JUST DRIVING

You need more than driving skills to become

a successful mobile/van-based franchisee,

although franchisors provide training in

the necessary practical skills, plus business

training and support such as route

scheduling and customer relationship

management software.

You will need people skills too. Successfully

interacting with customers generates

repeat business and increased customer

recommendations.

MOBILE FRANCHISES

CAN BE INEXPENSIVE

Hands-on mobile franchises are usually

relatively inexpensive - often under £15,000.

On top of that, you may have to supply

your own van, but you may

be able to access lease

finance for that.

POWERBRANDS

“Hands-on mobile

franchises are

usually relatively

inexpensive”

MANAGEMENT FRANCHISES

IN THE MOBILE SECTOR

You don’t have to be a driver. Many franchises

in this sector are management franchises,

where you run teams of drivers.

These franchises cost more than

hands-on mobile franchises and you

typically need people and business

management skills, making them

attractive to people changing careers.

Many mobile franchises encourage

hands-on franchisees to build teams of

drivers and move into management.

ONLINE ORDERING BOOM EQUALS MORE BUSINESS

FOR MOBILE FRANCHISEES

Since lockdown, online ordering has soared. Every order needs

someone to deliver it.

The survey COVID-19 and the Consumer by digital commerce

agency Astound Commerce found that online shopping

surged by 129 per cent week on week during lockdown and

that 31 per cent of global consumers are increasing their

online expenditure.

In the grocery sector alone, consultancy company Kantar

found that online ordering now accounts for 11.5 per cent

of all grocery sales and that the channel has attracted

more new shoppers in 2020 than in the previous five years

put together.

Market research specialist Nielsen puts the online share of

the grocery market in the four weeks to May 16 even higher at 13

per cent - nearly double its share for the same time last year.

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 19


MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS

Mobile franchise

services that may

surprise you

ALL THESE SERVICES - AND

MANY MORE - ARE DELIVERED

BY MOBILE FRANCHISEES:

• Pet food deliveries

• Foot health services

• Tree stump removal

• Gutter clearing

• Pet care

• Vehicle paintwork repair

• Window cleaning

• Shutter installation

• Property cleaning and restoration

• Coffee and snack supply

• Loft ladder installation

• Oven cleaning

• Dog washing

• Estate agent signboard erection

• Pest control

• Greetings cards to shops

• Window repairs

• Automotive tool sales

• Hygiene products sales and services

Before buying a

mobile franchise

1Choose your area carefully. How many potential

customers are there and how scattered are they?

Scattered customers mean more time driving, but the

value of each order may mean it’s worth it.

Check the franchise offers good route scheduling

2 software to maximise your time earning and minimise

fuel costs.

Go out on rounds with existing franchisees. It’s a big

3 change from an office job.

Understand that you need to be on time every time or

4 risk disappointing customers.

Check safety measures to minimise the risk of

5 COVID-19.

“We’ve even had the children’s TV

programme Blue Peter looking for

transport for their pet beagle”

Anita Amesbury-Page: Wiltshire

Farm Foods

Delivering business growth with the

feel-good factor

“My client numbers grew 48 per cent

during lockdown and we’ve retained about

two thirds of them,” says Anita Amesbury-

Page, who owns the Blandford, Dorset

franchise for Wiltshire Farm Foods, the

home meal delivery service.

She bought the franchise as a resale

in September 2019 and uses her past

experience as a team manager in banking

to run her current team of 18 staff.

Her drivers deliver food to over 1,500

customers a week across a large territory

that stretches from

Wimborne, Dorset to Axminster, Devon.

“We had four drivers when I bought

the franchise and I plan to expand that to

eight by the end of this year,” Anita says.

“Currently, we run five to seven rounds a

day, but I plan to increase that to eight, so

I’m buying an extra van and remapping the

rounds to make them more efficient.

“Expansion was always my plan, but then

lockdown made it essential.”

However, Wiltshire Farm Foods is about

more than business growth.

“The biggest reward comes from making

our clients feel good,” Anita says. “Most

of our customers are elderly, vulnerable

or disabled and have been in the shielding

group expected to remain in their homes

for three months. Now that is over, but

many are going outdoors less often than

in the past, so meal

deliveries are a lifeline for them.

“A visit from one of our drivers means

they see a friendly face and I schedule the

drivers’ rounds so they have time for a

quick chat, even if it’s only from a distance.”

Anita manages the team and the overall

business rather than doing deliveries

herself, but says she would happily do

so if necessary.

“This is a management franchise, but

going out with the delivery drivers is part

of the franchisee training, so I know what

value our drivers bring to our customers’

lives,” she says.

“It’s great to be growing the business,

but the biggest reward is customer

feedback. We get cards and calls in the

office all the time from customers who

are grateful for our service. It gives me a

nice warm feeling.”

20 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


POWERBRANDS

Dani Hickman:

Dog First Aid

The franchisee

that helps save pets’ lives

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS

Every time Dani Hickman takes to the road, dogs’ lives get safer.

Dani is the owner-operator of the Derbyshire and East

Staffordshire Dog First Aid franchise, delivering dog first aid

training courses to dog owners and canine professionals.

She says: “I took a Dog First Aid training course in 2018 and

was so impressed that I decided to invest in the franchise.

“After 20 years in the corporate world, I can now indulge my

love of dogs and the flexible hours mean I have time to be ‘mum’

to my rescue dogs Ian and Mally, three cats and three hens and to

support my local dog shelter.”

After training with members of the Royal College of Veterinary

Surgeons and work experience in a veterinary practice, Dani

started travelling to venues to deliver courses that provide

the skills and confidence to help dogs in emergencies. During

lockdown, the courses have been delivered online from

Dani’s home office.

Clare Adrian, one of Dani’s course attendees, says: “My

nine-month-old puppy started choking on a training treat

while we were out on a walk, so in the middle of a field I put my

training into practice. It took a while, but it came out. I’m so glad I

knew what to do.”

Jo Middleton, managing director and founder of Dog First

Aid, says: “You don’t need a background in the veterinary world

to become a Dog First Aid franchisee, but you must be a dog

lover with ambition to grow a business.

“Our franchisees get training with registered members of the

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and unlimited ongoing

support from our in-house veterinary team.”

Ray White:

Oven Wizards

Mobile oven cleaning

drives a secure future

“About a year before I joined Oven

Wizards, I began to realise the company

I was working for could not guarantee

me a secure future,” Ray White says.

He decided to look for a business

of his own and since 2012 has been

the Oven Wizards franchisee covering

Watford and the surrounding areas.

“I’d been a production manager

in a factory and decided on a mobile

franchise because it meant going to

different places and meeting new

people each day - and I still love that,”

Ray says.

“Since lockdown lifted, we have been

exceptionally busy. Partly it’s regular

bookings held off over the lockdown,

but we’re also seeing many new

customers because people have

been cooking at home more so

their ovens are dirtier.

“I expect many of these new

customers to become regulars

because we know from customer

feedback that we do a good job.

Customers are delighted with the

results, which always puts a smile

on your face.”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 21


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Great service

at low cost

Popular in the south, easyStorage says there’s pent-up

demand for its offering in the Midlands and North. Could

you help bring the business to a wider audience?

e

asyStorage is the only

mobile storage franchise

in the UK.

By the clever use

of technology and a streamlined

operation, easyStorage brings a

reliable, secure storage system

to a wider public. The price to the

customer makes it hugely

appealing when compared to

traditional self-storage and the

support offered to customers is

invaluable for them. Moreover,

they are guaranteed no price rises

during their storage period.

The easyStorage franchise idea

was pitched to Sir Stelios in 2017.

The first pilot was run in 2018 and

in 2019 the first franchisees joined.

Since then the business has evolved.

The essence of any easyGroup

operation is great service at

low cost. There’s been a huge

investment in technology to achieve

this and customers can now book

completely online at their

convenience and a customer service

team is there to support customers

and franchisees alike.

Today, easyStorage believes that

it is the only storage operation to

allow the customer to book end to

end online, which means the user

knows that they are getting the

same, fair deal. (Many past users

of self-storage feel that they don’t

get the same, fair pricing when

they have to call a sales person

to negotiate.)

With the backing of the easy

brand, customers know what to

expect. People in the easyStorage

‘family’ try to understand the

customer, to empathise with them.

There is an open culture and the

public trusts the easy brand to be

honest with them. In the event of

any issues, we work together to

find a resolution.

HOW THE EASYSTORAGE

FRANCHISE MODEL

WORKS

easyStorage franchisees are

awarded specific territories, with a

minimum of 600,000 dwellings.

They manage their own

businesses with easyStorage’s

technology, support and procedures,

AT A GLANCE

easyStorage

Established:

2017

Number of franchised outlets:

17

Location of units:

London, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex,

Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire,

Worcester, South Birmingham, Liverpool

and Manchester

Investment range:

£100,000-£130,000

Minimum required capital:

£50,000

Contact:

Louise Harris, Head of Strategic

Partnerships. louise.harris@easystorage.

com

easystorage.com/franchise

ensuring a consistent experience

for the customer. The key is

business management - although it

would be easy to assume that this

is a ‘man with van’ type franchise,

it’s far from it. While some

franchisees enjoy getting hands

on, the franchise is based on good

management skills and a focus on

business development.

To organise themselves well,

franchisees need to manage

staff and manage the ‘back office’

functions like accounts and

ultimately property management.

And although some franchisees

prefer to, they don’t need a property

for storage to start out.

This is one of the many things

that easyStorage helps with.

THE IDEAL FRANCHISEE

easyStorage has taken out a lot

of the risk for storage operations

with the support and processes it

offers, so for someone ambitious this

represents a fabulous opportunity.

It is looking for business savvy

franchisees: commercially aware, but

who recognise the added value of the

easy brand and way of working.

This is a youngish franchise,

but with the easy group expertise,

brand and people behind them -

successful, ‘easy’, well established

ways of working. People joining the

franchise now will help shape the

easyStorage of the future. There

will always be constant innovation

and investment in technology that

helps all franchisees and the ideal

franchisee is someone who would

love to be part of that.

The franchise has already proved

very popular in the south, with

only Herts and Cambridge, South

22 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - easyStorage

“The self-storage sector is proving

more resilient than many other

industries in dealing with the fallout

of the COVID-19 pandemic”

Nigel Dawson, Franchise

Director at easyStorage

Wales and Cornwall territories

still available. However, franchise

applicants from the Midlands

and the North are very welcome,

especially Birmingham, Sheffield and

Leeds where the company believes

there is a pent-up demand.

easyStorage franchisees vary

hugely in their background.

easyStorage Manchester, for

example, was started by Graham

Howard. Committed, experienced

and professional, Graham has vast

experience of the self-storage market

and saw the lower cost entry into

the market as appealing, as well as

seeing the advantages to customers

of mobile storage. He believes

that once people wake up to the

advantages of mobile storage rather

than self-storage, there will be no

looking back.

By contrast, Gavin Duke recently

started up easyStorage Croydon.

His background is marketing. The

appeal of easyStorage to him was

the variety of work involved in

the franchise and being out of the

office a lot. The appeal of Gavin

to easyStorage is his creativity in

marketing and understanding of

the brand.

Both franchisees have a good

understanding of business. They

understand the need to follow

the easyStorage processes and

guidelines in order to succeed,

while having freedom within those

parameters to build the businesses

they want.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 23


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

It’s easy, therefore, to see (if you’ll

pardon the pun!) that there is more

than one way to join easyStorage.

The company is evolving and

adaptable and the essence is that

franchise and franchisee add value

to each other.

The start point for this is a

one to one. From there, financial

disclosures are made and a solid

business plan developed by the

franchisee in conjunction with a

specialist franchise partner. This

is then presented to the

easyStorage team.

Tim Slesinger, easyStorage

CEO, with Sir Stelios

TRAINING AND SUPPORT

To see whether the ‘marriage’ of

franchise and franchisee is a good

one, potential franchisees are

invited to a Discovery Day, where the

inner workings of the franchise and

investments are discussed, along

with both sides’ expectations.

Once franchisees are on board,

training is free and can be repeated.

It’s open to both the franchisee

principle and their team members.

Top up training is organised as

required and telephone support

is available.

The training covers everything

from set up and resourcing, through

to customer service, sales and

marketing. Operations and accounts

are an essential part of the business

and vehicle management and

practical skills are also offered.

A FRANCHISE IN DEMAND

Statista estimates that by 2024

the global self-storage market is

forecast to be worth $49.24 billion,

up from $37.33 billion in 2018.

However, the US dominated the

market, accounting for 90 per

cent of self-storage inventory

worldwide. This simply shows

how underexploited the markets

are elsewhere.

With a looming recession and

people downsizing or combining

households for numerous reasons,

there is every reason to believe that

the UK self-storage market will

continue to grow.

According to a Cushman &

Wakefield report in May 2020, the

self-storage sector is proving more

resilient than many other industries

in dealing with the fallout of the

COVID-19 pandemic. The reasons

for this vary, but notably include

movements in the housing market as

people downsize or undertake home

improvement projects rather than

“The franchise is based on good

management skills and a focus on

business development”

move. Around 45 per cent of people

use self-storage simply because

they lack space.

Annual turnover for the UK

industry increased to £766 million

in 2019. Add to that ‘removals’

storage, which accounts for around

£350 million, the UK market is

worth in excess of £1,116 million.

With the saturated US self-storage

market remaining buoyant, it is

clear that the UK, which accounts

for around 41 per cent of European

self-storage income, still has traction

- the concept of self-storage is an

established one.

Mobile storage like easyStorage is

an exciting market development, a

relatively new concept. Its simplicity

and pricing will take self-storage

to a new market looking for more

affordable options.

Previous economic downturns

have presented opportunities for

the sector. There is every reason to

believe that this will continue. As the

concepts of both mobile storage and

end to end online booking gather

popularity with consumers, along

with the additional price benefit

attraction, and topped off with a

brand that they trust, there is every

reason to believe that easyStorage

will make a huge dent in the

traditional storage market and

help bring it to a wider audience.

24 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3



MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - Cafe2U

BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Showing its

true colours

CEO Martyn Ward reflects on how Cafe2U has

navigated its way through unprecedented times

CAFE2U

Established: 2004

Number of franchised outlets: 90-plus

Location of units: nationwide

Investment range: as low as £15,000

(subject to status)

Minimum required capital: £10,000

(subject to status)

Contact: Teresa Fowler

cafe2u.co.uk

“I’ve been

humbled by

the grit and

determination of

our franchisees”

I

remember having a

conversation with the event

planner managing our 2018

conference: “You need to

start planning your 2020 conference

soon, as dates are already selling out,”

he said.

He was eluding to the fact that

2020 would be the year when many

companies were planning to make a big

splash about their plans for the next

decade. ‘2020 vision’ was surely going

to become an early contender for most

overused phrase of the decade.

We took heed of his advice and in

February this year held our annual

conference, where we did exactly that.

Our conference was indeed focused

around our 2020 vision, as well as

unveiling our refreshed branding,

electric technology in our mobile coffee

shops and a new mobile app.

THE WORLD CHANGED

Nobody could have predicted what would

transpire shortly after. An entirely new

way of life was set to unfold and previously

unheard of phrases were about to

become the norm.

People would clap for the NHS

every Thursday evening. Joe Wicks

would inspire millions to exercise

every morning. The list could go on.

However, it’s safe to say that the

happenings over the last five months

were not in anyone’s plans - business

or otherwise.

On March 23, when Boris Johnson

announced an initial three-week

lockdown, it was clear the world was

about to change, potentially forever.

This was going to be the time when

people and organisations showed their

true colours and where a sense of

community had not been so important

since the Second World War. The

irony of the 75th VE Day anniversary

celebrations taking place during

lockdown was not lost on me.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

The franchise community,

specifically, has been nothing short

of brilliant. Franchisors shared

best practice on regular Zoom calls,

the British Franchise Association

hosted weekly web meetings with

industry experts and the team at

Coconut Creatives held Franchise

Fest online. Simply amazing.

‘Focus and Clarity have never

been more important’ was the

leading line in our group newsletter

on March 24. This sentiment has

played a tremendous part in our

ability to navigate our way through

these unprecedented times and

has enabled us to get through the

pandemic.

There has been a strong focus

on the well-being of our franchise

partners as we formulated our plan

to relaunch the business as well as

exploring - and piloting - a major

new profit centre for our existing

franchisees.

There will be more on this in the

coming months, but never has the

benefit of a mobile business been

more prevalent.

The nature of our business

presented us with unique

opportunities throughout lockdown

- my personal highlight being the

fact we were able to deliver more

than 15,000 free cups of coffee to

NHS front-line workers.

I’ve been humbled by the grit and

determination of our franchisees

- always looking for ways to pivot

their businesses and help in their

communities. We’re so lucky to

have a franchise network full of

truly amazing people and are

delighted to see a number of

them breaking records for sales

since starting back.

26 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Employees

to business

owners

Irmina and Michal Kowalska postponed

buying a house, instead putting their money

into a Revive! franchise

T

he world of cars and mobilebased

car repairs has

traditionally been almost

exclusively male, with few

women making it their career of choice.

However, franchisee Irmina Kowalska

of Revive! Basingstoke is not phased at

all by being one of a handful of women

operating in the sector.

NEW WORLD

In 2013, she and her partner Michal

decided to postpone buying a house

“One of the best moments

was winning an award for

business growth at the last

Revive! conference”

and instead put their savings into

starting their own Revive! franchise.

It was a new world for Irmina, but

she threw herself into it, taking

up the training opportunities

with Revive!

Irmina deals with a wide range of

customers, from local and national

car dealerships to the general public,

and has been instrumental in driving

sales growth for Revive! Basingstoke,

gaining the Developer Gold award at

last year’s annual Revive! conference.

She says: “Like many people

starting a business, we wanted to be

in more control of our future. Being

part of a network really helps. We

have other franchisees around us

who will help if we need it, as well as

support from head office.

“One of the best moments was

AT A GLANCE

REVIVE! AUTO

INNOVATIONS (UK)

Established:

2004

Number of franchised outlets: 55

Location of outlets: nationwide

Investment range: £32,000

Minimum capital required: £20,000

Contact: franchising@revive-uk.com

revivefranchise.com

winning an award for business

growth at the last Revive! conference,

something I’m very proud of.

“The money we saved over the

years we could have invested in a

house, but we decided that investing

in a business would be a better idea.

“Head office have been there for

us since day one - they help us with

everything. It’s not just a phone call,

it’s all the training and other support

they offer to help build the business

with you.”

DEDICATED TO SUCCESS

Irmina and Michal say they

wondered how they were going

to get customers, how to answer

phone calls, how to talk to

customers and get more jobs.

“It was all new territory for us,”

she admits. “But everybody at head

office was so dedicated to us, from

helping us call and win customers

to guiding us in our first week. Most

of our customers are regulars and

many we gained in that first week

are still with us, so obviously the

support we got from Revive!

meant a lot.

“We won the Developer Gold

award and it meant we felt that

all the work and effort we’ve put

into our business was recognised

by head office. It made us proud

and want to go further with the

business. It’s really rewarding.”

EXPERIENCED TEAM

Over the years, Revive! has invested

in building an experienced team to

support franchisees, as well as a

leading edge IT platform, which has

transformed the business.

This success has been

recognised again this year in the

British Franchise Association

HSBC awards, where Revive! is one

of only six companies shortlisted

for the prestigious Franchisor of

the Year Award, after previously

winning the 2018 bfa/HSBC award

for Franchisee Support.

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - Revive! Auto Innovations (UK)

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 27



BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Live the life

you want

The Just Shutters franchise offers a sense of personal

satisfaction combined with flexibility and future security

W

hen was the last time

you woke up before

the alarm clock and

couldn’t wait to get

started with your business day?

It’s not often a business

opportunity offers a sense of

personal satisfaction combined

with flexibility and future security,

but a Just Shutters franchise does

exactly that.

The company is looking for

hands-on potential franchisees

who are passionate about

building their own business and

dedicated to providing excellent

customer service. But what

are you looking for?

BE YOUR OWN BOSS

AND HAVE THE LIFESTYLE

YOU DESERVE?

Many people would love to run their

own business, but it can be hard

work and although you reap all the

rewards you also take all the risks.

But when you buy a franchise

with a successful company like

Just Shutters, you can minimise

the most significant and

common threats.

Just Shutters is a well

established brand with an

outstanding reputation for

installing beautiful bespoke

plantation shutters - and this is

your opportunity to share in its

success. The company will help you

to build a business that will deliver

the lifestyle you’ve always wanted.

training on its products and the

systems you’ll need to succeed. The

company has successful franchises

across the UK, so knows they work.

Shutters are a growing market -

their timeless elegance, which

marries to any interior design style,

means their appeal is growing year

on year. Just Shutters focuses on

building long-lasting customer

relationships and has exceptionally

high - over 50 per cent - repeat and

customer referral business.

DO YOU WANT TO

EARN WELL?

Your £27,000 investment will

provide you with an attractive

cash flow and by following Just

Shutters’ plan you can realistically

expect to be earning £90,000

per annum by year three. You

will also benefit from a fantastic

marketing launch package, worth

£9,000, which means you’ll hit the

ground running.

Franchisees immediately begin

operating like an established

business. Just Shutters’ training

AT A GLANCE

JUST SHUTTERS

FRANCHISE

Established: 2006

Number of franchised outlets: 20

Location of units: across England

and Wales

Investment range: £27,000 (plus VAT)

Contact: 01202 233744

shutter-franchise.co.uk

“Franchisees

immediately

begin operating

like an

established

business”

provides all the guidance you

need to run a slick operation,

while avoiding having to learn

through mistakes.

The company’s team of

professionals are always available

to help you achieve your full

earning potential.

Support includes national

marketing campaigns across

print, digital and social, ideas

and suggestions for proven ways

to market your business locally,

sales and administration support,

bespoke web pages on the Just

Shutters’ site and access to high

quality printed collateral.

Just Shutters has a family

business ethos, while providing big

company benefits.

Behind MOBILE the & VAN-BASED Brand - Xxxxxxxxxxx POWERBRANDS - Just Shutters Franchise

START A BUSINESS

WITH LESS RISK?

Just Shutters will use its more

than 14 years’ experience

to help you set up and run

your home-based business.

It provides comprehensive

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 29


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - Shuttercraft

Scale rapidly

- diversify

locally

Charlie Scott has gone from franchise

marketeer to shutter pioneer

AT A GLANCE

SHUTTERCRAFT

Established:

2012

Number of franchised outlets: 29

Location of units: nationwide

Investment range: £25,000-£60,000

Minimum required capital: £25,000

Contact: Lisa Stead

shuttercraft-franchise.co.uk/contact-us

“Word of mouth

is certainly

the best lead

generator”

C

harlie Scott graduated

in 1998 with a degree

in business studies

and spent the following

19 years in a variety of sales and

marketing roles.

In 2005 he began his career in

franchising, working in senior roles

at HomeServe plc and Rainbow

International. He was also part

of the turnaround team for Home

Energy Services, a management

buyout from E.ON in

2013, which was

subsequently sold

to HomeServe

in 2015.

BEST CHOICE

So why did he choose franchising

over an employed career? Having

held board level positions at two

large franchise organisations,

Charlie knew how a franchise

model enabled the franchisee

to scale the business rapidly

and diversify locally to create a

balanced business model.

Charlie explains why

Shuttercraft was the best

franchise choice in his eyes:

“The growth figures in the

shutter industry and the quality

of the S:CRAFT product initially

gained my interest.

“The follow-up meetings with

Shuttercraft head office gave

me confidence that the market

was there to build a successful

business and the support

network would ensure I could

deliver market leading levels of

service and value in my area.

“I would also be part of

Shuttercraft’s pioneering

management franchise model,

which is a first in this sector. This

appealed greatly as it offered me

the ability to scale the business

quickly and efficiently.”

Charlie joined Shuttercraft in

2017 and the first year was slow

and steady by design.

Shuttercraft advocates

learning the business from

the ground up and supporting

new franchisees in taking

their time, learning the best

way to help. Surveying and

fitting were new to Charlie,

so he had some new skills to

learn and perfect.

EARLY EXPERIENCE

Charlie shared with us his early

experience: “I ran the business

single-handed for the first nine

months, before taking on a parttime

fitter to help out. Building

the business from the ground up

paid dividends.

“My strategy has always been

to offer the very best service

and I’m very proud to be the

UK’s highest rated shutter

retailer on Trustpilot.

“Shutters are the premium

window covering choice and

their popularity is driving

continuous growth. With the

support of Shuttercraft head

office, I have a multichannel

marketing programme, but word

of mouth is certainly the best

lead generator.

“When you do a great job

for someone, they tell their

friends and family, it’s as

simple as that.”

STEP CHANGE

In the last year, Charlie has

seen a step change in the

business from a lead volume and

conversion rate perspective.

He now has three surveyors

and four fitters on the books and

business performance is beyond

his original stretch targets,

let alone franchise minimum

projections.

“I knew franchising worked

and now I know the Shuttercraft

model delivers results and that

I made the right decision to join

them,” Charlie says.

30 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3



MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - OSCAR Pet Foods

BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Ready to roll

OSCAR Pet Foods’ resale opportunities provide

you with an immediate income

OSCAR PET

FOODS

Established: 1994

Number of franchised outlets: 100-plus

Location of units: nationwide

Investment range: from £8,995 (plus VAT)

Minimum required capital: £8,995 (plus

VAT)

Contact: Janet Walmsley. 0800 068 1106

oscar.co.uk

“OSCAR Pet

Foods provides

a safe platform

from which to

generate sales”

that’s a full member of the British

Franchise Association and the Pet

Food Manufacturers’ Association.

S

tarting a new business

involves careful research,

but with over 12 million

households in the UK

owning pets and needing support,

OSCAR Pet Foods knows there’s

never been a better time to enter

the pet industry.

Due to coronavirus, the pet

sector’s ready-made customer base

is more in need of reliable, safe home

delivery than ever before - and being

declared an essential business means

the industry has been fortunate to

sustain market growth.

SILVER LINING

We all want certainty. It’s a valuable

commodity in our newly uncertain

world as we navigate our way through

COVID-19. And as anyone looking

to invest in the franchise industry

will realise, a silver lining to the

pandemic may well be a resale

opportunity.

Choosing a strong brand, such as

OSCAR Pet Foods, within a sector is

key. The reasons for sale can vary -

from retirement to relocating. Some

of OSCAR Pet Foods’ resales have

been franchisees for over 20 years.

Unlike a new franchise, a resale

provides you with income from

day one. And with existing trading

figures at your fingertips, together

with seamless customer transfer

and valuable vendor insights, your

future success is easier to predict.

With over 25 years of successful

trading and franchising experience,

OSCAR Pet Foods provides a safe

platform from which to generate

sales and the benefits of being

associated with a strong brand

PASSION FOR PETS

When Allison Wright became aware

that her local OSCAR Pet Foods

franchisee was advertising his

business for sale, she immediately

made contact.

“I could see that it offered

me flexibility to work around

my current commitments, but

ultimately the opportunity added to

my passion for pets,” Allison, from

Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, says.

“I had confidence in the product

and service and that made the

process of purchasing my OSCAR

business easy.

“I was also very grateful to

have an introduction to existing

customers - it was a valuable

experience as it gave me a direct

opportunity to understand the

function of the business and

appreciate their needs.”

PROFITABLE

PARTNERSHIP

OSCAR Pet Foods knows that

its success depends on the

investment the company makes

in its franchisees.

Individuals purchasing one of

its franchise resales are given

detailed training and exemplary

support, plus a guarantee of a

smooth business handover, so

they can enjoy delivering a

fantastic local service.

32 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3



MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - Driving Miss Daisy

BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Happy

birthday to us

Driving Miss Daisy franchisees Zororo

Mubaya and Terence Kavuru are celebrating

a successful first year in business

H

usband and wife team

Zororo Mubaya and

Terence Kavuru are

celebrating their first

business birthday after securing

their Driving Miss Daisy franchise

in August 2019.

The couple, who once ran a

recruitment service on Oxford

Business Park North, have lived in

Didcot since 2005 and wanted to

provide a service giving peace of mind

to those with older family members.

They are fully equipped to assist

anyone of any age who needs a

hand when their family isn’t

available to help.

“I can’t believe the

difference Driving Miss

Daisy has made to my life -

E Jeffries”

RANGE OF SERVICES

Driving Miss Daisy companion drivers

provide a range of services, from

helping with shopping trips to support

at family events or even just spending

a couple of hours chatting or playing

board games with someone who might

spend a lot of time alone.

They can collect children from

school and take them to afterschool

activities if working parents are unable

to make it in time for school pick-up

and can also help clients with everyday

appointments, waiting and returning

them to the comfort of their own home.

Longer distance journeys enable

people to access holiday destinations

in the knowledge their journey will be

safe, comfortable and tailored to

their needs.

All Driving Miss Daisy

companion drivers adhere to

strict COVID-19 health and

hygiene protocols to maintain

everyone’s safety and welfare.

EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT

Zororo says: “Driving Miss Daisy

is often described as ‘family when

family can’t be there’.

“When times are busy and people

sometimes live a long way from

their elderly relatives, we want to be

able to provide peace of mind.

AT A GLANCE

DRIVING MISS

DAISY

Established: early 2015 in the UK

Number of franchised outlets: 35

Location of units: UK-wide

Investment range: franchise licenses start

at £5,000 (plus VAT), with total start-up

costs starting in the region of £12,000

(licensing and vehicle deposit). Start-up

costs vary depending on where you live

Contact: 0333 014 6211.

Info@drivingmissdaisy.co.uk

drivingmissdaisy.co.uk

“We really enjoy our business -

every day is different and we have

the pleasure of helping and chatting

to people from all walks of life.”

OPPORTUNITIES

AVAILABLE

Driving Miss Daisy has operational

teams across the UK offering

exceptional services during these

difficult times and there are still

franchise opportunities available

and a menu of investment options.

If you’re a compassionate

person, want to make a difference

to people’s lives and enhance your

local community and have an

entrepreneurial spirit, the company

would love to hear from you.

34 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Turning

redundancy

on its head

These Agency Express franchisees have

bounced back by starting their own

businesses

B

eing made redundant is

a daunting prospect and

those all-important next

steps can be unclear.

However, for Agency Express’

van-based franchisees redundancy

opened up previously unobtainable

opportunities. They turned

redundancy on its head by

investing in their future. Investing

payouts into a franchise business

has for many felt the most secure

option and has also enabled

ambitions to become tangible

opportunities.

“Investing my redundancy

money into a franchise has

been a great choice”

ALWAYS SUPPORTED

Martin Shuker of Agency Express

(Lancaster) says: “After being made

redundant for the third time in one

year, I needed control of my own

destiny. Building a business from

scratch is terrifying and rewarding

in equal measures, but the benefit of

being part of a franchise is that you’re

always supported.

“For anyone who has been made

redundant and has had the same fears

and frustration as me, I would say,

consider franchising.

“Investing my redundancy money

into a franchise has been a great

choice. I’ve now owned my Agency

Express franchise for seven years. It’s

taken hard work and commitment to

get where I am, but I’m in control of

AT A GLANCE

AGENCY EXPRESS

Established:

1998

Number of franchised outlets: 117

Location of outlets: UK-wide

Investment range: £21,500

Minimum capital required: £12,500

Contact: Ben Brookes

agencyexpress.co.uk

my future and not having the fear of

redundancy is a great feeling.”

Multi-award winning Agency

Express is the UK’s largest provider

of professional estate agency board

services and has remained a market

leader in the industry since 1998.

With 117 franchisees successfully

operating across the country, the

company services and maintains

over 60 per cent of all UK estate

agency boards.

The owner operated opportunity

benefits from low start-up costs,

low overheads and generates high

returns, which makes it an attractive

opportunity for redundancy investors.

Ben Brookes, Agency Express

managing director, says: “Our business

is simple, effective and accessible to

people from all walks of life.

“The franchise model is easy to

follow and offers tangible, profitable

results. The key to our success is a

well supported franchise network,

who in turn deliver a market leading

service. It is that simple.”

Agency Express believes

redundancy is an opportunity to

refocus and reassess. An opportunity

to take control and start building a

successful future of your own.

AFFORDABLE

OPPORTUNITY

Alex Sunjich of Agency Express

(Falkirk), says: “After being made

redundant from the petrochemical

industry, I was looking for an

affordable business opportunity

when I came across Agency Express.

“A big factor was the relatively low

start-up cost. However, the clincher

for me was when I met the team I’d

be working with. I felt confident I’d

have the support I needed.

“Starting your own business is

hard work. How much effort you put

in will determine what you get out,

but I’ve learnt that the key is to ask

for help when you need it. The part I

enjoy most about owning a franchise

is I work for myself. There is no limit

to how far I can take the business.”

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - Agency Express

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 35


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

One to watch

Chris Goodchild, founder of The Best Magic Mirrors,

shares how this super fun, fully loaded business

with high earning potential is set to take the

franchise world by storm

AT A GLANCE

THE BEST MAGIC

MIRRORS

Established:

2020

Investment range:

£18,000

Minimum required capital:

£18,000

Contact:

Chris Goodchild.

info@thebestmagicmirrors.co.uk

thebestmagicmirrorsfranchise.co.uk

I

originally launched

our photobooth

business in 2015, prior

to launching our British

Franchise Association accredited

franchise in 2020.

What we have developed is a low

cost, high reward mobile business

that delivers a great lifestyle and is

built on strong family and lifestyle

values; we’ll show you how easy it

is to achieve high earnings, while

loving what you do every day and

being fully supported at all times.

Our combination of low

management fees, taking a

partnership approach with our

franchisees and our business

coaching, account management,

technical support and creative

design services ensures we stand

out in the wedding and events

franchise market.

We have a fun and focused

approach when selecting our

franchise partners, ensuring they

share our high customer experience

values. This makes things much

easier when we’re working

together to help them build their

businesses. Their success is our

success and we do everything we

can to support them.

From working with celebrities

to high profile brands, including

Pepsico, Walkers and the NHS, to

name a few, we also love a good

wedding, party and prom too.

We are very excited to build the

brand with like-minded individuals

looking for a new life experience;

this is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.

THE BEST SUPPORT

When starting a franchise,

business support is one of the most

important elements to help you get

underway successfully.

It gives you the reassurance and

confidence to get out there and

succeed with the knowledge that

you are never alone. So if you have

any questions or concerns at any

time or you have a new idea that

you are not quite sure about, then

run it past us.

We’ll embrace new thinking and

opportunities and help to shape

and develop them. In our book,

there’s no such thing as a ‘stupid

question’ - just ask, otherwise you

won’t learn!

Our support package covers

everything you might need,

including business planning,

financial guidance, marketing

and design for both online and

print, not to mention hiring the

best people and IT support. And if

there’s anything else that’s not on

the list, then just ask us, as we’re

here to help and support every

step of the way.

THE DEMAND KEEPS

GROWING

In total, the UK events

sector is worth £41.2 billion and

the UK wedding industry alone is

worth a whopping £10 billion.

2021 and 2022 are set to be the

busiest years for the wedding

market, due to the high demand for

dates because of postponements

due to the pandemic. In addition,

there’s the £31.2 billion events

sector that also needs servicing.

This is great news for

franchisees, as we can ensure you

hit the deck running in order to

make the most of these massive

opportunities.

GAME CHANGING

VIRTUAL EVENTS

With the addition of our virtual

photobooths and memory mosaics,

we are now welcoming clients

from all over the world, which our

36 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


“Commission fees are

waived for the first three

months to help new

franchisees become

properly established”

MOBILE & VAN-BASED POWERBRANDS - The Best Magic Mirrors

franchisees will also benefit from.

Born from the COVID-19 pandemic,

this has proved to be a game changer

for the brand as we launch new and

exciting virtual tech to service the

demand and this hybrid event sector

continues to grow.

THE IDEAL FRANCHISEE

Fundamentally, we’re looking to

partner with individuals who

share our vision and passion

for offering the best customer

experience, while enjoying high

earnings and lifestyle benefits.

While experience in the

wedding and events industry

is not mandatory, we’re looking

for operators with good business

acumen and an ability to see

the potential in commercial

opportunities across online and

face-to-face experiences.

A FUN WAY TO BE YOUR

OWN BOSS

What can a new partner expect

from their Magic Mirror photobooth

business? A fun way to be your own

boss and make money along the way,

while enjoying more time for yourself

and your loved ones.

Our franchise model is geared to

return initial investments quickly

and with our guidance and business

development advice, there are many

ways to showcase our products,

including our newly launched

virtual photobooths.

Our team is always on hand

to offer assistance, training and

marketing support, ensuring your

team is constantly delivering the

very best customer experience.

And to give you a head start,

commission fees are waived for the first

three months to help new franchisees

become properly established.

Request a free brochure today at

thebestmagicmirrorsfranchise.co.uk

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 37


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - X-Press Legal Services

Trusted to

perform an

essential role

Whatever the state of the property market, an X-Press

Legal Services franchise is a low risk proposition

AT A GLANCE

X-PRESS LEGAL

SERVICES

Established:

2005

Number of franchised outlets:

27

Location of units:

England and Wales

Investment range:

all new franchise offices are a straight

franchise fee of £29,750, with a working

capital requirement of £15,000

Minimum required capital:

£29,750

Contact:

Dave or Julie. 01925 393333

xpresslegal.co.uk/become-afranchise-owner

D

elivering over 400,000

property searches and reports

every year, which identify any

local authority, property and

environmental issues to solicitors and other

professionals within the conveyancing

sector, X-Press Legal Services is trusted by

more than 500 legal practices nationwide

to perform an essential role in the property

buying process in the UK.

“You don’t need any

previous legal experience,

as your clients will be the

legal professionals”

Searches are fundamental to every

property sale, development, remortgage

and repossession. In brief, they’re required

as part of every residential and commercial

property transaction.

So whatever the

state of the property

market, an X-Press Legal

Services franchise is low

risk, with franchisees

benefiting from regular,

repeat business.

CONFIDENCE

RETURNING

Indeed, based on

recent search report

orders received across

the X-Press franchise

network, franchisees

have seen an increase

of at least 50 per cent

month on month, which

shows that home buyers

have definitely bounced

back with confidence

post COVID-19. Many have also seen

their best trading month ever.

Since forming X-Press Legal

Services in 1998, Dave and Lynne

Lister have built a successful business

consisting of a head office operation

based in Warrington and a national

network of 27 franchise offices.

Over 50 per cent of current

franchisees have been part of the

X-Press Legal Services family since

the company became a franchise

in 2005.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Lynne Lister, managing director,

explains what the company looks

for in a franchise owner: “Becoming

an X-Press Legal Services franchise

owner is easier than you might think.

Importantly, you don’t need any

previous legal experience, as

your clients will be the legal

professionals. It’s a low risk

business which can be run from

home with minimal overheads.

“Our franchise owners come

from all walks of life and a diverse

range of backgrounds and former

careers. But as the reports we prepare

for clients are legal documents, it

helps if you have good attention to

detail, excellent communication skills

and are computer savvy.

“We are a friendly, supportive

franchise and we make sure we all

work together to ensure current

franchisees are successful and

new franchisees get off to the best

possible start.”

FRANCHISE PACKAGE

X-Press Legal Services franchisees

receive exclusive rights to a

territory in either England or Wales.

Territories correspond to local

authority areas and are always

locations where potential has

been identified.

Almost exclusively, X-Press

Legal Services clients are legal

professionals, so franchisees

are able to develop lasting

relationships with long-term

clients who come to rely on them.

A healthy business needs around

10-20 clients, made up of solicitors

and conveyancers.

Ongoing sales support, mentoring

and the X-Press Academy training

programme create a nurturing

environment, where franchisees

are able to maintain their

independence while also feeling

part of a larger network.

There are currently territories

available in the following areas:

North East, Lincolnshire, West

and East London, Kent, Surrey,

Sussex, Dorset and Wales.

38 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Bring your

brand to life

Public relations plays a key role in franchise recruitment,

Mel Betts, director of Grapevine PR, says

I

’ve worked in

franchising for the

past 20 years. During

that time, I’ve often

asked franchise businesses

to identify their number one

challenge. More often than

not, their answer is the same:

attracting the best franchisees.

The good news is that PR

can help. Public relations is,

in fact, around 90 per cent

press relations. This means the

development of press or news

releases, articles and case studies

about a franchise. The proactive

placement and resulting media

coverage in relevant magazines or

online portals offers the chance

to tell the story of the franchise

using real-life examples.

IN DETAIL

Everyone’s mad about social

media these days - and rightly

so. It’s a cheap, largely free way

to promote a franchise and a

tool that can’t be overlooked

within the marketing mix.

However, press articles that

offer a more detailed, in-depth

look at a franchisee’s journey to

success are also valuable ways

to impress potential franchisees

considering your franchise.

Someone looking to invest a

significant sum in a franchise

territory will need to do plenty

of research. They will want to

read about other successful

franchisees and find out lessons

learned or top tips, plus more

about the industry through an

online search. If this content

is missing in relation to your

franchise, you may miss out on

the best franchisees.

Publication of content in the

media or online gives a certain

credibility. Once the content is

created, it’s something to show

off about on social media. Or

more correctly put, it can be

repurposed (subject to copyright)

as a link on social media, in

marketing collateral or on the

franchise’s website.

A short video intro on social

media can breathe new life into

an old case study or article

and in this way it’s possible

to maximise investment in

professional content creation.

It’s important the content

produced fits in with the strategy

and vision of the franchise.

COHERENT STRATEGY

Organisations usually compete

in one or two of four spaces:

AT A GLANCE

GRAPEVINE PR

Contact: Mel Betts.

enquiries@grapevinepr.com

grapevinepr.com

“Publication of

content in the

media or online

gives a certain

credibility”

innovation, quality, customer

relationships or cost. For PR to

be authentic, a coherent strategy

emphasising key messages that

support the relevant positioning

is important. A professional

PR firm can help identify and

emphasise USPs and generate

relevant messaging to weave

into content.

GUARANTEED

DELIVERABLES

PR can be a great way to

showcase your franchise.

However, some firms are put off

from hiring a PR firm, as they

don’t know what they will receive

in return for their investment.

At Grapevine, I try to solve this

challenge by offering guaranteed

deliverables. For example, an

agreed number of articles,

case studies or press releases

generated and placed with a

suitable media outlet within a

specified time frame.

I also encourage clients to go

for a trial project, particularly

if they’ve never undertaken PR

before, to see how it works.

Following the many challenges

faced this year, people will be

considering different career

options. If you’re looking at

expanding your franchise, now

is a great time to develop case

studies and articles to promote

your business.

Professionally produced

content can offer credibility,

depth and help you stand

out from the crowd and, as a

result, play an important role

in helping attract the best

franchise candidates.

Behind the Brand - Xxxxxxxxxxx

Grapevine PR

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 39


INTERVIEW

“WE’VE ALL

GOT TO GET ON

WITH IT NOW”

Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, talks to What Franchise

about the current business environment and what the future holds

T

HE COVID-19 CRISIS

HAS CONSUMED

THE NATION SINCE

THE OUTBREAK OF

THE VIRUS EARLIER THIS

YEAR. HOW HAVE UK SMALL

BUSINESSES FARED DURING

THIS TIME?

To say it’s been a challenge would be an

understatement. I can’t think of a single

business that has not been affected in

some way.

Now we are getting back to trading,

we’re going to begin to get a clearer view of

the real impact of the pandemic. But there

have been some really upbeat stories and

many businesses have upped their game,

changed their model and will probably

never be the same again - in a good way.

The uptake in digital skills and tools

is something we’ve been gently trying

to support businesses through for

many years. It’s taken a pandemic to

demonstrate exactly how important digital

tools can be and for many the uptake will

lead to efficiencies and longer-term gains

such as productivity.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE

GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE

AND ITS SUPPORT FOR

SMALL BUSINESSES DURING

THE CRISIS?

This has been a new experience for

us all - including the government.

At Enterprise Nation, we’ve spent a

lot of time helping small firms to

decipher the changing advice and

guidelines and we’ve all got used to

quickly adapting as new science or

regulations are introduced.

Helping people to navigate furloughs,

grants and the support on offer for the

self-employed has been a full-time job.

We’re working with the Department for

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

on a new initiative called Recovery

Advice for Business, which has seen

thousands of advisers offer an hour a

month of free one-to-one support to

small businesses. It’s easy to access and

will be available until the new year.

“What we need

to maintain is a

healthy respect for

small firms and the

work that they do”

WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE

TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES

STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE?

To coin a phrase, we’ve all got to get on

with it now. The government does not

have endless coffers and to a certain

extent we’re all nervous about the

consequences of overburdening

the taxpayer.

What we need to maintain is a

healthy respect for small firms and

the work that they do. Seeing the

government demonstrate that it

understands as well as supports the hard

work entrepreneurs play in

our communities is vital.

HOW HAS ENTERPRISE

NATION HELPED ITS

MEMBERS WHO WERE IN

NEED OF EXPERT ADVICE

AND SUPPORT?

We’ve been regularly publishing and

analysing updated regulations and

materials as they have come out.

We’ve held daily Lunch & Learn

events on a range of topics, from

diversifying to how to introduce

ecommerce and deliver inspiration.

We’ve also developed a detailed

ecommerce offering in conjunction

with Amazon called the Amazon

Small Business Accelerator. It’s free

to use and full of practical tips, from

finance to building a website.

HOW SIGNIFICANTLY HAS

THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

CHANGED BECAUSE OF

COVID-19?

Only time will tell. Come back and ask

me in two years’ time.

It’s going to be tough for some and we

must all do what we can to support small

firms, whether it’s Eat Out to Help Out,

buying local or taking a staycation.

We’ve all got to do our bit.

One thing we’re all now crystal

clear on is the health of the hospitality

sector is intrinsic to our economy.

Going out for dinner cannot be seen

as just propping up your local

eatery, it’s supporting our local

economic ecosystem.

40 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


ARE THERE ANY LESSONS BUSINESS CAN

LEARN AS A RESULT OF THE CRISIS?

We’ve all learned something, even if it feels like we’re getting back

to normal.

The most obvious trend is that businesses now understand they

must be ready with digital tools to be able to continue to reach

their customers safely.

The other thing we will see more of is people starting a business

as a side hustle in order to have something more to fall back

on. With the jobs market looking uncertain, having a money making

enterprise that’s flexible will be the new normal.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE

CONSIDERING STARTING THEIR OWN

BUSINESS?

Do it. There are many examples of businesses started during a

recession that have become strong and successful because

they learned important

lessons, like bootstrapping

and growing organically

at an early stage.

They learned to

hustle, beg and

borrow. These

are important

skills for self

starters in this

environment.

WHAT ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS FOR

SUCCESS AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER?

Resilience - don’t take it personally and learn to embrace the knocks.

Energy - bouncing back and working hard is vital.

Confidence - if you’re confident, you’re 99 per cent there.

WHY DO YOU THINK A GROWING NUMBER

OF WOMEN ARE STARTING THEIR OWN

BUSINESSES AND DO YOU HAVE ANY

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR WOMEN

CONSIDERING BECOMING THEIR OWN BOSS?

Women have been running their own businesses for

decades. You’ve only got to look at Dame Stephanie Shirley, who

set up a female-only tech firm in the 1960s, making many of them

millionaires as a result.

Women are brilliant at starting up. They also value and

understand the importance of a work-life balance. For many

women, I’d say take a step back and consider how you can grow

and build on all that hard work. Don’t be afraid to take advice and

bring on board finance.

PREDICTIONS ARE ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO

MAKE, BUT WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR UK

SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?

Good. Small firms are busy adapting. There will be some winners

and losers, but those that have continued to access support and

adapt will be the winners.

GET TO KNOW

EMMA JONES

Which one business person do you admire

most and why? There isn’t just one. I

admire every person who steps out to

start and grow their own business. That’s

a lot of people.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

That growing a strong and sustainable business

takes time.

Greatest sacrifice you’ve made to get where

you are? I don’t see it as making a sacrifice.

It’s more following your vision and putting in

the commitment that this involves. For me,

that’s been quite a bit of commitment, which

has not left space for much else, but I don’t see

it as a sacrifice. Others might.

Proudest achievement? It will be

when we have a perfectly functioning

business support marketplace.

We’re not quite there yet.

What advice would you give a

younger you? You can’t build it

all on your own.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 41


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Miss Millie’s

Ambitious

expansion plans

Miss Millie’s has multi-unit franchise opportunities

available across the UK

M

iss Millie’s has been

in the quick service

chicken restaurant

business for decades.

Serving affordable, premium

takeaway food to customers across

the south west and Wales since

1988, the company was set up by

Harry Latham, who introduced KFC

to the UK, and his business partner

Ray Allen.

As Harry and his family were

good friends with KFC founder

Colonel Sanders, he decided to

name the new venture after the

Colonel’s daughter, Mildred.

“There’s a real affinity for

Miss Millie’s amongst the

customer base”

NEW CHAPTER

Miss Millie’s saw new owners in

2019 and the company is now

headed up by Carl Traill, ex-Burger

King Director of Operations UK.

Carl is now embarking on an

ambitious expansion plan by

offering franchises to suitable

candidates interested in investing

in a multi-site opportunity.

Stores can be set up in city centre

or suburban locations, shopping

centres, food courts, airports and

holiday parks. Ideal site size is

between 1,000 and 2,500 square

feet. Assistance with site selection

and fit-out is provided by the

franchisor. Multi-unit franchisees

benefit from economies and enjoy

improved incentives.

Franchisees get five weeks’

training in all aspects of the

business, including effective

supply chain management, HR and

business development.

They also receive ongoing

support, quarterly business

reviews, access to Miss Millie’s IP

Food safety and health and safety

courses and benefit from the regular

advertising and promotional activity

organised by the franchisor, plus its

extensive new product development

programme, ensuring the brand’s

food offering remains in demand in

a competitive marketplace.

It costs in the region of £175,000-

£450,000 to set up a full-sized Miss

AT A GLANCE

MISS MILLIE’S

Established:

1988

Number of franchised outlets:

​9

Location of units:

south west and Wales

Investment range:

£175,000-£450,000

Minimum required capital:

£150,000

Contact:

franchise@missmillies.co.uk

missmillies.co.uk

Millie’s store (the franchise fee is

£25,000). Ongoing charges include

a management fee of 7.5 per cent

of turnover and a 2.5 per cent of

turnover contribution to the Miss

Millie’s marketing fund.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Miss Millie’s uses only Grade A

farm assured chickens from

suppliers that meet the highest

welfare standards.

Customers can order their food

via the company’s ordering app,

which not only cuts queues and

simplifies ordering, but offers a

significant upselling opportunity,

helping to maximise franchisees’

return on investment.

Miss Millie’s outlets also feature

fully integrated digital self service

kiosks, further enhancing the

customer experience.

STEADY INCOME STREAM

Franchisee Sarah Wilson says: “As

a second generation franchisee, my

family have worked alongside Miss

Millie’s for over 30 years.

“The business model is a great

opportunity for individuals and

businesses alike, providing a

steady income stream from a

well recognised and long

established brand.

“There’s a real affinity for Miss

Millie’s amongst the customer

base and the involvement in

local community causes and

sustainability is especially

important to me.

“When I purchased the business,

Miss Millie’s provided a great deal

of support - someone would always

be there if I needed some advice.

“I’m very much looking forward

to seeing the exciting new

reimagining of the brand over

the coming months.”

42 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


Pick Bluebird Care for your next adventure

Bluebird Care offers a comprehensive support package to support franchise owners in

getting started quickly.

Franchise owners manage and develop their businesses, recruiting a team of brand

advocates who deliver a continuum of high quality, person-centred, non-medical care

in the community.

Why choose Bluebird Care?

• Largest provider of Private Home Care in the UK

• Proven Business Model

• Award Winning Training

• Elite Franchise ‘Top 20 franchise for 2020’

“The best thing about

Bluebird Care is that we get

to follow a model that

simply works!”

Julie McLellan, Bluebird Care

North Tyneside

Get in touch with Vicky Brown today to start your franchising journey.

07912 771149 | vickybrown@bluebirdcare.co.uk | www.bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk


INTERVIEW

“NO ONE CAN

PRETEND IT

HASN’T BEEN A

CHALLENGING TIME”

Radfield Home Care franchisee Jackie Gillen has been in the

front line of the battle against coronavirus

WORDS BY TONY JAMES

THE AUTHOR

An award winning

journalist and

author, Tony James

specialises in business

and sport

N

o one would have thought in a million years

that something like this would happen,”

Jackie Gillen says.

“Luckily, I’ve always been very risk

averse, so I worked out some worst case scenarios and

we’ve managed really well. Our priority has been to

protect our clients and staff, but no one can pretend it

hasn’t been a challenging time.”

LOOKING AFTER THE ELDERLY AND

VULNERABLE

Radfield Home Care’s Wakefield & Dewsbury franchisee

has been in the front line since the coronavirus crisis

began, delivering almost double the usual amount of

home care services to the locked down elderly and

vulnerable in her West Yorkshire community.

Joining the award winning franchise two years ago after

many years’ experience in the social care sector, Jackie

and husband Mark have kept their 50-plus clients safe by

bringing in every possible precaution regardless of cost.

“We had to deal with a lot of regulation changes and

paid £10,000 for PPE equipment, which is four times our

usual annual budget,” Jackie says.

“But we were absolutely determined to offer the

safest possible service and up to now it has paid off.

Our sector is doing really well. We have not had the

issues suffered by care homes.

“We were meticulous about following the guidance

and acted quickly to get things in place. We brought in

extra staff to support the increased service and went

above and beyond to keep morale high and the clients

safe and happy.

“For example, one of our care professionals even

cooked a home-made lasagne and spent the evening with

one of our clients who had to place her busy social life on

hold during the pandemic. It’s outcomes such as these

that make delivering care really rewarding in these times.”

HOME CARE: A FAST GROWING SECTOR

Despite the continuing trauma of COVID-19, home care

is still a fast growing franchise sector and it’s easy to

see why.

The UK population of over-65s is set to account for

a quarter of the population, with almost half spending

their remaining life expectancy in poor health.

But despite the rise in demand, local authority

funding has decreased, leading to a 20 per cent drop

in local authority care and resulting in more people

turning to private providers. Proof, Radfield Home

Care says, of the value of the private care sector when

times are hard.

Jackie and Mark didn’t need convincing of that when

they began to look around for a business of their own

in 2018.

Between them, they had over 40 years’ experience

in the social care and supported housing and living

sectors, dealing with a wide range of client groups,

particularly the elderly, and felt that running their own

care business would give them the chance to make

even more of a difference to people’s lives.

“We previously worked for employers where we

had limited decision making power over the quality

of the service we provided and by being in complete

control we could be sure that what we offered was

outstanding,” Jackie says.

“We both enjoy working with people and have a

commitment to treating them as we would want to

be treated ourselves. We understand the importance

of maintaining independence and choice and being

empowered to live your life as you would wish in your

own home and community.

“We had lived in the Wakefield and Dewsbury

area for 15 years and our sons Tom and Sam are at

local schools. We wanted to give something back to

our local community and be an employer of choice,

offering great career opportunities as we grew the

new business.”

RADFIELD SEEMED LIKE A FAMILY

So two years ago Jackie and Mark decided to explore

the home care franchise sector.

“We knew nothing about franchising,” Jackie admits.

“We went to a franchise exhibition and talked to

franchisors, looking for one that had the family values

44 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


“Home care has the

potential to transform

clients’ lives and to

encourage them to

develop relationships,

meet friends and

remain part of

their community”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 45


INTERVIEW

that have always been our drive and inspiration and are at the

heart of everything we do. We were taking a big step and we knew

we had to get it right.

“Radfield Home Care was one of the last we visited - and we

knew instinctively that we had found what we were looking

for. It was a smaller company, which attracted us because we

didn’t want to be a cog in a huge machine. Radfield seemed like

a family.”

Which in fact is exactly what it is. Brother and sister Alex

Green and Dr Hannah MacKechnie had been brought up in the

Shrewsbury residential home for the elderly run by their parents

and knew all about caring for the vulnerable and giving them the

best possible quality of life.

As a GP, Hannah met many elderly patients who she felt were

not getting the care they deserved and she realised there was a

gap in the market for a care service that provided clients with

kindness, dignity and respect.

In 2008 Hannah and Alex, a financial adviser and active

community ambassador, returned to Shrewsbury and founded

Radfield Home Care, named after their parents’ care home.

A year later they began to develop a branch network that in

2016 became the Radfield Home Care franchise, which now has

15 locations, ambitious plans for future growth and won the 2019

British Franchise Association HSBC Emerging Franchisor of the

Year Award.

PART OF A WINNING TEAM

From the beginning, Jackie and Mark felt they were in safe hands.

“I’m a great believer in gut instinct and I just knew that

it would work,” Jackie says. “Although we had both been in

the welfare sector for many years, we had never run our own

business and there was a lot to learn and the Radfield support

system was fabulous. You’re not treated as just another number -

they make you feel part of the team.

“Working in the care industry for so long, we understood the

importance of high quality care services and it was clear Radfield

was the franchise for us. We both share family values and putting

the client at the centre of any decision. Radfield’s experience and

support was also a big attraction.

“We had direct access to Hannah and Alex and whenever there

was a problem we got advice on what to do and were guided

through situations that were new to us.

“One of the best pieces of advice we were given was to get

top people on board who know about the home care sector.

For instance, doing rotas and working out care coordinating is

specialist work and it’s sensible to have top class staff to take on

these responsibilities.”

NO HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE NEEDED

That’s advice echoed by Radfield Home Care, which emphasises

that franchisees don’t need previous health care experience.

Their role is to grow the business through marketing,

networking and brand awareness activity and franchisees

have come from a variety of backgrounds, from finance and

marketing to sales and IT.

“They don’t want just anybody to come in as a franchisee,

even if they’ve got all the money in the world,” Jackie says,

“Because if they don’t have the right mindset and the right

values they’re not going to care so much and that could affect

the company’s reputation.

“Their core values are very much based on family values,

treating people the way you’d want to be treated yourself. That’s

what is driving us and is something we are passionate about - to

provide a really good care service, the kind of service you’d be

happy for your family to use.”

The company tells potential franchisees: “You will have indepth

training and support to develop your knowledge of the

sector, plus a registered care manager who will be responsible for

managing the health care side of the business.

“Operating in the private marketplace, franchisees benefit

from a secure business model that enables them to deliver a high

quality care service and generate healthy financial returns.”

46 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


JACKIE

GILLEN’S

6 TIPS FOR

BECOMING A

SUCCESSFUL

FRANCHISEE

Do your homework. Research and

1 speak to as many companies as

possible in the sector you have chosen.

Work out how they operate and exactly

what they’re offering. Check their

accounts and finances and get the views

of existing franchisees.

Follow your gut instinct. Companies

2 often look comparable in terms of

what they’re offering, but try to get a

feel of how they treat their franchisees.

Will you be valued and will you fit in? A

franchise is very much a partnership and

there’s always a risk it might not work out.

Overestimate how much cash you’ll

3 need. Don’t rely on the bare minimum,

as you never know what might happen in

the early days of a business. For instance,

people may owe you money, but you

have to have enough cash in the bank

to pay your staff. Having that back up of

extra cash avoids putting yourself under

unnecessary pressure.

Work out your worst case scenario

4 and plan how you would cope. I’m

very risk averse and don’t presume that

things will always work out as hoped. For

instance, the current pandemic has had

a massive effect on many businesses,

which never thought that something

like this would happen in a million years.

That’s why it’s so important to maintain

a good cash flow and keep money in the

bank to tide you over any unforeseen

circumstances.

Roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.

5 Although the majority of franchises

succeed in comparison with other startup

businesses, there’s no guarantee it’s

going to work. It’s not handed to you on

a plate and there’s still a lot of work you

have to do as the business owner. Lead

by example and show this to your staff,

your clients and the stakeholders you’re

dealing with. That’s very important in

building the brand.

Don’t deviate from the model. Follow

6 the advice you’ve been given by the

franchisor. When buying a franchise,

you’re buying something based on

experience. Sometimes you might

think you could do things better, but a

franchisor has got more knowledge than

you in the particular sector. They’re giving

advice for a reason, so listen to it.

“We were meticulous about following

the guidance and acted quickly to

get things in place”

A Radfield Home Care franchise

costs approximately £30,000. Working

capital of around £40,000-£50,000 is

also required to support the business

through to break-even, usually within

about 12 months of operation.

For this investment, franchisees get

a 20-day training programme, tried and

tested business model and professional

support team. Radfield has also

pioneered home care technology that

utilises remotely accessible cloud-based

care management software, which

provides a transparent, safe and cost

saving service.

The company stresses that home care

has the potential to transform clients’

lives and to encourage them to develop

relationships, meet friends and remain

part of their community. Carers must be

friendly and sociable, as well as being

top class professionals.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Jackie and Mark’s team of 30 carers

are DBS checked, selected after

a vigorous vetting process and

chosen for their compassion and

professional experience.

“We all go that extra mile whenever

it’s needed,” Jackie says. “We haven’t

needed to do a lot of marketing. Existing

customers recommend us and we also

get referrals from the professional

sector - social workers, hospital

discharge teams, etc.

“We have a variety of clients. The

most common work we do is helping

people in the morning - helping them

get up, sorting out their medication,

preparing meals, etc. Some need visits

four times a day, especially those with

mobility issues. Others may still be

independent, but feel socially isolated.”

Two years on, the Wakefield &

Dewsbury franchise is a thriving business

that has been consistently operating at

least 50 per cent above target.

“Our secret? We build care packages

around individual clients depending on

their wants and needs,” Jackie says. “We

are regarded as one of the top providers

in the area.”

As the franchise grew, Mark took on

an overseeing role while Jackie runs

the day-to-day operation and finances,

meeting regularly with care manager

Gemma Bristow to review business

plans and future strategies.

“But one thing will never change,”

Jackie says. “Our clients come first.

To them we are family, we are proud

to care and we will always be on

their side.”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 47


Interested?

To find out

more call

01483 332220

or visit

www.franchise.getaheadva.com

If we have learnt one

thing from the pandemic,

it is that flexible working

is here to stay and that is

fundamental to

Get Ahead VA.

I would recommend this

franchise opportunity to

anyone who’s thinking of

taking the plunge.

Fiona Ibbetson,

Regional Director

Get Ahead VA Leeds

Run your own Get Ahead Virtual Agency with executive

mentoring, integrated marketing campaigns, and full team

support within your own dedicated region.

We can help you go into business for yourself, not by yourself.


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

6 steps to

selling your

franchise

AT A GLANCE

FRANCHISE

RESALES

Contact: Clare Fordyce, listing and

relationship manager

Tel: 01522 246811

Email: info@franchiseresales.co.uk

franchiseresales.co.uk

Behind the Brand - Franchise Resales

Forward planning will ensure the process runs as

smoothly as possible, Franchise Resales advises

W

hen you’re ready to sell your

franchise, there are several

steps you need to take before

advertising your business for sale.

1. GET YOUR DUCKS

IN A ROW

Before you start to advertise it for sale,

ensure your business is neat and tidy.

Are your accounts in order, contracts

in place, leases and agreements

organised, etc? When a prospective buyer

looks into the nitty-gritty of your business,

they want to see that it’s well run and

profitable.

Having a neat and tidy business will make

it more appealing to a potential buyer.

2. CREATE A PROSPECTUS

OF SALE

In order to sell your business, you’ll need

to create a prospectus of sale. This is a

document that details everything about it

and sells it to a potential buyer.

From here, anyone interested can

make a list of any further questions

they have that might help them

carry out their due diligence. Your

prospectus should include:

• An overview of the franchise.

• An overview of your business.

• The asking price.

• Details of any property.

• Details of any staff.

• Information about equipment

included in the sale, whether

leased or owned.

• Accounts and up-to-date

management accounts.

3. APPOINT A SOLICITOR

It’s necessary to appoint a solicitor

to complete the legal transfer of

the business.

Although it’s not always

necessary for smaller resales,

it’s still advisable to consult a

“Before you agree a sale with a potential buyer,

they will need to be approved by your franchisor”

solicitor before completing.

It’s of the utmost importance that

you use a solicitor who is familiar

with or specialises in franchising.

The sale of a franchise is much more

complicated than a regular business

sale and not using a solicitor with

franchise experience could slow

down the sale.

4. FRANCHISOR

APPROVAL

Before you agree a sale with a potential

buyer, they will need to be approved by

your franchisor.

It’s crucial to seek this approval

before you go too far into the process,

as it’s no good progressing the sale for

your franchisor to reject the buyer at

the last minute.

Involving the franchisor from the

beginning is the best way to find a

candidate who will fit well within

the network and who the franchisor

approves of.

5. ADVERTISE YOUR

BUSINESS

To generate leads for your business,

you will need to advertise it.

Getting it out there is easier than

ever, thanks to online and digital

platforms. However, these are not

free and you’ll need to spend time

writing a relevant advert to entice

potential buyers.

Once your business begins to

generate leads, you’ll need to vet the

candidates and eliminate anyone

who is not suitable.

6. NON-DISCLOSURE

AGREEMENT

Before you give any candidate

the prospectus or disclose

sensitive information about your

business, you’ll need to ask your

potential buyers to sign a

non-disclosure agreement.

This is to ensure they will not

discuss any information about

your business with others outside

of the sale.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 49


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Ableworld

Actively

recruiting

AT A GLANCE

ABLEWORLD

Established:

2001

Number of outlets: 35

Location of outlets: nationwide

Investment range: £75,000-£80,000

Minimum capital required: £30,000

Contact: franchise@ableworld.co.uk.

01270 613599

ableworld.co.uk

Market leader Ableworld seeks new

franchisees to help keep up with demand

A

bleworld is the UK’s

largest mobility

retailer in a sector

valued at around £1.5

billion each year.

Already booming, the mobility

retail sector is set to expand

dramatically as the UK’s population

is living longer and demanding a

greater quality of life.

With approximately 750,000

people reaching retirement age

each year, there is a stable and

increasing demand for Ableworld’s

products and services, including

mobility scooters, stairlifts,

adjustable beds, wheelchairs and a

whole host of other life enhancing

home aids.

THRIVING RETAILER

While other retailers have

struggled, Ableworld is not only

thriving, but actively recruiting

for new franchisees to join its

network and meet the needs

of its ever growing nationwide

customer base.

It has also been opening new

stores, such as its newest in Hyde,

Tameside, Greater Manchester.

The spacious mobility

showroom offers Ableworld’s

whole range of mobility equipment

and a friendly team to support

customers with free advice and

guidance with selecting equipment

that could help them live more

active and independent lives.

The store has been opened

by Barry Pearson, who runs five

other Ableworld showrooms in

the north west.

SUPPORTING MORE

PEOPLE

He says: “I’m really pleased

that we have opened our sixth

Ableworld store. It allows us to

support more people, offering a

great range of products that can

help our customers live more

independently.

“The team have been fantastic

getting the new store ready in

such difficult circumstances.”

The Hyde mobility superstore

has a friendly team who have all

undertaken Ableworld’s vigorous

training programme and are DBS

checked to ensure they can assess

customers correctly and advise

on products suitable for their

individual needs.

As with other Ableworld

stores, customers can visit the

mobility showroom or arrange

for a free home demonstration

under no obligation.

“You can own and

manage a fantastic

business with

great returns”

There is also a fully trained and

experienced stairlift engineering

team covering a 30-mile radius

of the store for anyone requiring

quotes, installations, servicing

and repairs of stairlifts in and

around Manchester and the

Tameside area.

INCOME STREAMS

An Ableworld franchise gives

you two complementary income

streams:

• The retail outlet. A mobility

superstore that sells a

comprehensive range of quality

products to help the elderly

and disabled in their homes

and outdoors.

• The stairlift business, which

using only high quality

branded equipment provides

homeowners with a variety of

life changing options.

As an Ableworld franchisee,

you can own and manage a

fantastic business with great

returns, while providing a

much needed and appreciated

service for your local

community.

This multi-award winning

business has a 20-year

trading history and is a British

Franchise Association member.

Comprehensive training and

ongoing support is provided

from an established head office

team and personal investment

is from as little as £25,000

(total investment is around

£75,000). Funding is available.

50 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


Start a lucrative and rewarding business offering

business coaching and consulting services to the many millions

of prospective clients across the UK and beyond.

Chrysalis Partners has many benefits, including:

■ Be cash positive in year 1 and earn in excess of £150K per year thereafter;

■ Excellent cash flow from an early stage – clients pay you in advance;

■ Fully inclusive 5-day residential training course at a high-quality facility;

■ Enhanced support program for at least 3 months to help you win your first

clients with weekly calls from one of our Directors to guide and mentor you

onto success;

■ Full access to the Chrysalis Partners Coaching and Consulting, Operations,

Projects and Workshop systems;

■ At least 15 appointments with potential clients from Head Office, work fulltime

or part-time on your Coaching business;

■ Unlimited support from Head Office and monthly calls;

■ Chrysalis Partners operating license for 5 years initially, renewable for

another 5 years at no cost;

■ Attendance at regular Head Office events;

■ Ongoing training to include new materials developed;

■ Your own Chrysalis Partners website including landing pages, pre-built and

personalised to you;

■ Your own pre-configured, fully automated lead generation system to assist

with finding new clients;

■ Partner advancement program for those who want to progress and grow

their Coaching business;

■ Use of Chrysalis Partners branding for your practice;

■ Money back guarantee on your license fee.

Low start up costs:

Not only is the fee payable very reasonable but you have very little that you

need to buy to get started. If you are mobile and have a telephone and a

laptop, you are ready to go – everything else you need is provided within the

franchise system.

01403 888339

www.chrysaliscoach.co.uk

Email: info@chrysalispartners.co.uk


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Seniors Helping Seniors

Do good and

make money

No previous care experience is required to become a

Seniors Helping Seniors management franchisee,

while overheads are the lowest in the sector

A

s the only in-home

elderly care provider that

for over 20 years has

focused on hiring ‘experts

by experience’ to care for seniors,

Seniors Helping Seniors says it offers

a one-of-a-kind franchise.

Trusted in over 200 territories, the

company is looking for people with

big hearts and big ambitions. If you’ve

got a drive to help others as well as a

drive to succeed in business and you

want to open a franchise in the south

east or east of UK (excluding London),

Seniors Helping Seniors would like to

hear from you.

No previous care experience is

“Every community needs a

Seniors Helping Seniors -

now more than ever”

necessary with this management

franchise and overheads are the

lowest in the sector.

In addition, you can look forward to

sustainable, recession proof earnings

and the pride of hiring older people

in well paid jobs they love and elderly

care your clients will rave about.

HIGHLY REGARDED

Providing award winning elderly care

people deserve and can budget for

safely, Seniors Helping Seniors is a UK

top 20 most recommended care group.

Its processes served all the

company’s offices well during the

pandemic. All carers and clients were

kept safe and well and demand for its

services grows every day.

Seniors Helping Seniors is a

member of the British Franchise

Association and has a five-star

training and support record. The

company is independently owned

AT A GLANCE

SENIORS

HELPING

SENIORS

Established:

1998

Number of franchised outlets:

5 in UK

Location of units:

East and West Kent; Surrey; Sussex

Investment range:

£20,000-£50,000

Minimum required capital:

£20,000

Contact:

Christian Wilse.

contactme@seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk.

01227 454 900

franchises.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk

and every element of the business is

straightforward and honourable. Its

improved franchise offer helps new

franchisees out of uncertain times.

UNPRECEDENTED

DEMAND

Christian Wilse of Seniors Helping

Seniors (UK) explains: “We tackle the

two most important issues with an

ageing population: elderly care and

jobs for people as they age.

“We conscientiously tackle

both issues, which means every

community needs a Seniors Helping

Seniors - now more than ever.

“More families are choosing inhome

care as their safest and most

cost-effective choice. Our terms of

business are unique, fit for purpose

for the care people want today and

our processes appeal to customers.

Demand is through the roof.”

HANDS-ON HELP

According to Christian, Seniors

Helping Seniors takes every

opportunity to be different and

reducing its franchise fee was the right

thing to do to help people recover

from the pandemic.

“The new offer provides even more

hands-on help for our new franchisees

to start their businesses, if they want

it,” he says. “Our mission is to help

people who are worried about jobs and

long-term security.

“We know how terrifying job

insecurity is. What we offer is a

sustainable, profitable business that

does good. Three of our UK partners

were new to franchising. Two came

to us having worked with other

franchises. Each describes their

experience with us as a breath of

fresh air.”

52 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


OPINION

How to impress a franchisor

Follow these simple steps if you want to stand out during the

recruitment process

WORDS BY CATHRYN HAYES

THE AUTHOR

Cathryn Hayes is

franchise director

at Revive! Auto

Innovations

B

uying a franchise is a

journey, starting at the

point when you first find

out about franchising.

What some prospective

franchisees don’t realise, however,

is that a good franchisor will be

doing their research and assessing

you as well. As a result, you’ll need

to impress a franchisor if you want

to join their network.

If a franchisor tries to sign you

up too quickly without getting to

know you or taking you through the

various stages of the recruitment

process, it should ring warning bells.

But you should also consider

the questions a franchisor is likely

to ask you and how you can give

yourself the best chance of being

able to join the network of your

choice. Here are my top tips:

Money talk

Prepare to be asked questions

about how much money you have

available to invest.

Although you should be able to

borrow up to 70 per cent of the total

start-up costs, good franchisors want

to ensure that a new franchisee has

sufficient funding at the outset, as

being short of cash can make the

difference between success and failure.

The cost of a franchise will vary

depending on whether you’re

looking at a premises-based or

home-based business. You should

establish your own personal

financial needs to understand how

much you’ll have to take out of the

business in the early stages.

Sell yourself

Even though it’s not a job you’re

going for, get your CV updated and

think about your personal skill set.

“Get your CV

updated and

think about

your personal

skill set”

Although you’re not normally

required to have industry

experience to become a franchisee,

a franchisor will be looking

for evidence that you have the

transferable skills and ambition to

build a business using their brand.

It might be sales experience

that’s needed or perhaps a

background in building strong

relationships with different

customer groups will be an asset.

Customer service will normally

be key in any industry sector,

so think about how you can

demonstrate your commitment to

this important aspect.

Be inquisitive

Ask questions, demonstrating

that you have done some research

and have a good understanding of

the franchise.

Use the opportunity to explore

the support and training available,

not just at the beginning of your

franchise journey, but as your

business grows.

Be yourself

Don’t try and hide your true

ambitions or change your

personality. Buying a franchise

is the start of a long relationship

and similar to a marriage, so both

sides should be clear about their

priorities and goals.

Investing in a franchise is a

big decision and there’s plenty

of advice available about the

research you should do and

the questions you should ask

a franchisor.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 53


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Proud to help

local business

owners

As an ActionCOACH franchise partner, Billy Smith is

putting his expertise to good use

J

ust

eight

months

since

launching his

ActionCOACH

business, Billy

Smith is relishing

the opportunity to

be a community

hero during a time

of extreme need

in the business world. Along with

his wife, Fiona, and Kaley Hood as

business support, he can reap the

rewards of choosing to be his

own boss.

“My franchise has had an

overwhelming impact on my sense

of satisfaction,” Billy says. “The

work we do to improve businesses

makes a huge difference to people

on a personal level, which then

impacts staff, their families

and the community at large - to

experience the fulfilment from

that is like nothing I’ve felt before.”

Billy has eclipsed his

corporate income level, but far

more meaningfully, he’s already

working with 12 business owners

in Cheltenham on a one-to-one

basis to help them navigate

their way safely through this

COVID-19 crisis.

Billy plans to add easily

affordable ActionCOACH

programmes such as BookCLUB

and GrowthCLUB to extend the

reach of his business and life

changing work.

FINDING THE RIGHT

FRANCHISE

Before ActionCOACH, Billy

always had a passion for helping

people - whether it was working

individually with employees or in

management teams. For over 20

years, he worked extensively with

various members within the teams

of large corporates, proving pivotal

in their development.

“Over time, I witnessed the extent

that larger companies command

power and influence, giving them

many more opportunities than

smaller businesses,” Billy says.

“I began to wonder how I could

AT A GLANCE

ACTIONCOACH

Established:

1993 in Australia. 2001 in UK

Number of franchised outlets:

200-plus in the UK

Location of units: UK-wide

Investment range: £69,000

Minimum required capital: £20,000

Contact:

If you want to build a business that

allows you to give back to your local

business community and you’re the kind

of person who:

A. Loves learning and developing yourself;

B. Has enjoyed success in your career or

sport; and

C. Is willing to invest if they see

substantial returns can be made…

Then find out more by watching the

overview video at actioncoach.co.uk/

overview

help small and medium-sized

enterprises harness that same

power and influence - I actually look

back on that as a sort of epiphany.”

In December 2018, Billy

discovered ActionCOACH on a

franchise website and realised,

much to his surprise, it was

the solution to helping smaller

businesses benefit from big

business thinking. He booked onto

the next discovery day to meet UK

co-founder, Ian Christelow, and

find out more.

“I’d never really had the chance

to work with and develop SMEs

Billy (bottom right) training at his local

football ground with his team-mates

54 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


“My franchise

has had an

overwhelming

impact on

my sense of

satisfaction”

Billy coaching business owners to success

Behind the Brand - Xxxxxxxxxxx

ActionCOACH

before and ActionCOACH opened

up that opportunity for me,” Billy

says. “What’s more, after living in

Cheltenham for over 20 years, by

becoming an Action Coach I could put

my expertise to good use and support

my local business community.

“After that, I did my due diligence

as I knew how important it was to

help me make my decision. I met with

various franchise partners who were

at different stages of their journeys

and, I’ve got to admit, the more I

looked the more it seemed perfect for

me. Very soon it became clear that

it was a no-brainer to invest in an

ActionCOACH franchise.”

READY FOR ACTION

“Despite the fact I’ve got over 20

years’ experience of corporate

life, the level of detail included

in ActionCOACH’s initial training

was amazing. I already had an

established skill set, including

sales, marketing and business

development, but the training

equipped me with additional skills

to cover other disciplines needed for

running the business day-to-day.

“Once I arrived home, I was ready

to put everything into action. I felt

so inspired by the whole support

team and fellow franchise partners

- I was raring to go.”

Billy set targets for year one,

aiming to get 21 clients. With the

support of Fiona as Operations

Director, and Kaley, the firm started

to gain traction and see results

quite quickly. When the COVID-19

pandemic sent the world into panic

mode, Billy took it as an opportunity

for him rather than a threat.

SUPPORTING THE

COMMUNITY

“I felt extremely lucky to be in a

position where I could help local

businesses survive and, potentially,

thrive,” he says. “Everyone was

panicking, not sure of how to move

forward, and that’s when I stepped in.

“All my coaching moved online

and I supported my clients virtually.

Some of them required help to

deal with the acceleration of their

business, others needed support

with how to best utilise their

downtime - I was confident I could

help them all.

“The UK support team was

incredible during this time too,

constantly updating me on best

practice, ways to approach new

clients and how to retain existing

ones. It’s funny because Ian had

mentioned how ActionCOACH grew

in the 2008 recession and, although

it was great to be proven true with

this latest crisis, I didn’t expect

to be challenged so soon into my

ActionCOACH business.

“Speaking with other franchise

partners, they all expressed the

same gratitude towards the team

as I had. They were instrumental in

keeping our businesses going and,

in turn, helping our clients to keep

going too. In fact, during lockdown

I had my best month so far, signing

five clients.

“In the short term, I’ve got plans to

recruit an employee coach in October,

with another two in 2021. With Kaley’s

hard work converting enquiries and

Fiona’s ability to keep things on track,

we’ve established a great team, which

I’m looking forward to welcoming new

members into.

“In the next five years, I want to

bring a general manager in to run

the business. I wouldn’t be able to

step away from the business entirely

though, I love what I do too much!”

BUILDING A BETTER

LIFESTYLE

Billy has established an enviable

work-life balance, which is a far cry

from his previous career.

Gone are the days when he would

spend his time commuting, flying

abroad and staying away from home

for long periods of time, as he can

now declare his weekends a strictly

work-free zone.

“In my spare time, I play football for

the over-35s and tennis in the over-

50s team,” Billy says. “I used to play

competitively, but now it’s purely to

keep me occupied during my downtime.

“And that’s only been made

possible by ActionCOACH and their

support in getting my business up

and running quickly and efficiently.

The freedom that comes with

being my own boss and being able

to reap the benefits of my work

entirely exceeds any sense of career

satisfaction I’ve had before.”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 55


INTERVIEW

“WE’RE LIKE

TWO PIECES

OF A JIGSAW”

Petpals’ husband and wife franchisees David and Sally Ann Gray reveal

how they’ve become such a successful double act

56 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


D

avid and Sally Ann Gray own

one of the largest Petpals

franchises in the UK.

Sally Ann left her job in

education in 2006 to buy her first territory,

Petpals Darlington & Yarm, and was

followed a few years later by former police

officer husband David, who left his job as

head of security for a high street chain

when he bought the territory adjacent to

hers, Petpals Tees Valley.

Since 2012, they have run their

businesses together. Today they employ

over 20 members of staff and service

approximately 3,000 clients a year. David

and Sally Ann are just about to buy their

fourth territory, Petpals Stockton.

Petpals is the biggest multi-service pet

care franchise in the UK. Its franchisees

walk and board dogs, plus visit puppies

and elderly dogs. They also visit cats and

board or visit all small pets.

David and Sally Ann know a thing or

two about working successfully together.

We spoke to them to find out their top

tips for a successful and profitable

working relationship.

“If one of us has

had a tough day, the

other one is there

to support, which is

so nice”

OPEN COMMUNICATION

David says: “The most important

thing, above anything else, is that you

communicate openly with your partner

about the business.

“If you can’t discuss all aspects of

the business together, resentment can

build until the issue, whatever it is,

becomes too big to deal with, ultimately

causing the partnership to fail.

“Alongside talking about things on a

day-to-day basis, we also take ourselves

off to the beach for a long walk if we have

something big to tackle. It has become

our go-to problem solving, walking

and talking release and we can highly

recommend it.

“Equally, we try not to talk about work

all the time, especially when the children

were younger. Many was the time we’d be

out for a meal and they’d ask us to stop

talking about Petpals.

“On the plus side, they had a house full

of wonderful pets to play with for many

years and our daughter Natalie now works

in the business, so we don’t think they did

too badly.”

DIVIDE UP THE ROLES AND

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS

Sally Ann advises: “David is very good on

the admin side of our business. He sorts out

the book keeping, vans, trackers and office

administration, whereas I’m happier in a

customer facing role.

“I deal with our staff on a daily basis, the

customers and of course the animals. Our

staff know that ultimately they can come to

either of us with a problem, but equally they

know where our strengths lie.

“Employing as many staff as we do, HR

is important and a role we divide between

us. David looks after contracts and

standards, whereas I deal with training

and pastoral care.

“I always said I aimed to be the employer I

wanted to be employed by, so we work hard

to make sure our staff are happy. It seems

to be working as three more members of

our staff recently celebrated their 10-year

anniversaries with us, making seven in total,

something we’re really proud of.

“I would never ask a member of staff to do

something I wouldn’t be willing to do myself

and they know that. If you put a lot of energy

into recruiting staff, you want to put the

same amount into retaining them too.”

EMPLOY STAFF

Just four months after buying her first

territory, Sally Ann employed her first dog

walker, adding an additional one or two

members of staff just about every year.

She says: “When you’re running a

franchise as a husband and wife team, it’s

easy for it to become all consuming. With

staff on board, it gives you the freedom to

still have a semblance of normal life, which

was important to me.

“My children were 11 and 13 when I bought

my business, so they still needed me to drop

them off at the stables, take them to clubs,

etc. While David was cooking and I was being

taxi mum, having a reliable member of staff

made it easier to manage.”

GET AN OFFICE

David recalls: “We used to run the business

entirely from home.

“For 10 years we had up to 14 walkers

arriving at our home every morning to collect

keys before going out on the walks. Inevitably,

they would end up having a cup of tea in

the kitchen, until the point that our street

couldn’t cope with any more vehicles and our

kitchen ran out of chairs.

“Getting the office was one of the best

things we’ve done and possibly something we

should have done a lot sooner. It allows us to

truly separate our work and home

lives. If it isn’t done by 6pm, it can wait

until the morning.

“Previously, one or the other of us would

have been on our laptop in the sitting room

every evening working when we should have

been having family time.

“You do need space to run a business and

although the end of the dining room table will

do for a while, if you don’t want it to swallow

up your family time, get an office or at least

use a spare room if you have one.”

THE BEST BITS

Sally Ann says: “When you work together

as a couple, you have a unique insight into

your partner’s day. In many jobs, maybe

for security reasons the husband or wife

can’t come home and offload about their

day. We don’t have that problem.

“If one of us has had a tough day, the

other one is there to support, which is so

nice. We never feel alone in the business,

as we are very much in it together.

“We also get to know where our

partner’s strengths lie, which gives our

personal relationship even greater depth.

David knows I hate change, be it becoming

VAT registered or introducing new

software, and I know he needs reining in

when he’s had a new idea that maybe he

hasn’t thought through from all angles.

“We’re like two pieces of a jigsaw and

our skills complement each other well. Not

perfectly, as no partnership is perfect, but

as long as we can talk openly about things,

which we do, we’ll be fine.”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 57


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Chrysalis Partners

Achieving a

better balance

AT A GLANCE

CHRYSALIS

PARTNERS

Established:

2017

Number of franchised outlets: 10

Location of units: UK

Investment range: £34,950

Minimum required capital: £20,000

Contact: info@chrysalispartners.co.uk

chrysaliscoach.co.uk

Graham Garman is using Chrysalis Partners’

world class training and support to become a

successful business coach

F

ollowing a successful

career in the corporate

world and being made

redundant in 2019,

Graham Garman decided to look

into franchising to help business

owners drive more success within

their organisation.

With over 25 years of coaching

experience in sales and marketing,

business growth and profitability,

Graham is passionate about helping

businesses achieve their goals.

He explains: “Throughout my

career I’ve helped businesses to

overachieve their targets. However,

after being made redundant I wanted

to find something that gave me more

flexibility and the ability to balance

my lifestyle around my work.

“Becoming part of Chrysalis

Partners has allowed me to be

both a successful business coach,

as well as being able to enjoy time

to myself.”

FAST GROWING

Chrysalis Partners is the

fastest growing coaching and

consultancy franchise in the UK,

offering business coaching and

consultancy to the small and

medium-sized enterprise market.

Starting your own business can

be daunting, therefore Chrysalis

Partners offers an inclusive

marketing campaign (including 15

appointments with prospects) to

get franchisees started, as well as

an Enhanced Support Programme,

enabling franchisees to work

alongside a highly experienced

Coach’s Coach, with an intensive

programme of activities over three

months to help them win their

first clients.

Chrysalis’ model comes with

a money-back guarantee on

your licence fee, such is the

company’s confidence in the

systems it offers.

“They’re totally committed

to ensuring success for the

partners and the value from

the training is second to none,”

Graham says. “With additional

group meetings, Chrysalis

encourages you to work together

and share successes to broaden

your knowledge and leverage one

another’s strengths.”

BIG DEMAND

With more than five million small

to medium-sized businesses in

the UK, demand for Chrysalis

Partners’ services is huge.

Furthermore, with most new

“I wanted to find

something that

gave me more

flexibility”

businesses failing in the first few

years, the requirement for a coach

to help steer businesses to success

is greater than ever, particularly

during the unprecedented recent

challenges faced by the global

economy.

“I was extremely worried about

what lockdown might mean for

business coaching,” Graham says.

‘However, Chrysalis have been so

supportive to all the coaches.

“They reduced our monthly fees

and scheduled regular Zoom calls,

which made me feel valued, and

allowed all the coaches to share tips

with each other to help us still gain

clients throughout lockdown.

“We have all had to learn from

this new way of working, but from

day one Chrysalis was committed to

making sure everyone wouldn’t be

impacted negatively.

“I have been really lucky and

secured three recent deals, but

without the extra support from

Chrysalis this wouldn’t have been

possible.”

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

New franchisees join a growing

community of business

professionals, who share their

experiences and thoughts on

how they are using the Chrysalis

Partners models and strategies to

best effect with their clients.

“The incredible support and

training provided are world class,”

Graham says. “I’m privileged to be

a part of the Chrysalis Partners

franchise and I would recommend

anyone thinking of a career in

consulting to use Chrysalis.”

58 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


Ableworld is the UK’s largest mobility retailer in a sector valued at around £1.5bn each year.

Highly trained Ableworld franchise owners are meeting this demand all over the country –

you could join them in 2020!

An Ableworld franchise gives you two complimentary

income streams:

• The retail outlet - a mobility superstore which sells a

comprehensive range of quality products to help the

elderly and disabled in their homes and outdoors

• The stairlift business which, using only high-quality

branded equipment provides homeowners with a variety

of life-changing options

With approximately 750,000 people reaching retirement age each

year there is a stable and increasing demand for Ableworld’s

products and services.

Ableworld Franchisees receive:

✓ A generous exclusive territory ✓ Excellent earnings potential

✓ A first class training programme ✓ A chance to make a difference

in your community ✓ Up to 70% finance is available from the banks*

For more information please email: franchise@ableworld.co.uk or telephone: 01270 613599

for a free information pack or visit our website: www.ableworldfranchise.co.uk

Ableworld -

at the Heart of

the Community,

helping others

lead more active

and comfortable

lives

A GAP IN THE

MARKET!

Miss Millie’s specialise in

affordable premium

products at a time when

consumer tastes are

evolving towards greater

quality, differentiation

and trust. There is scope

for a quality national

Quick Service Restaurant

(QSR) brand to emerge

across the UK and

become a ‘disrupter’

against the large PLC

brands – Miss Millies

TRAINING & SUPPORT

SETTING YOU UP FOR

SUCCESS...

Your Miss Milles journey

starts with our robust

training programme. This

supports new partners and

franchisees from their start

up to the maintenance of

their store.

FLEXIBLE ON

ANY SCALE

We will help you realise your

ambition with our dedicated

franchise team. Our model

enables you to create

multiple Miss Millie’s sites in

an expanding territory.

FRANCHISE COSTS

BREAKING

IT DOWN...

We have made the

franchise package as

affordable as

possible. Judge the

value we offer versus

competitors, many of

whom charge up to

three times as much!

CONTACT US

TODAY WE LOOK

FORWARD TO

HEARING

FROM YOU...

Email:

franchise@missmillies.co.uk

www.missmillies.co.uk


INSIGHT

Backed by a big-name brand

A major draw of investing in a franchise is the support you receive from a

franchisor. Here’s what you should get for your money

WORDS BY ANDY KNIGHTS

THE AUTHOR

Andy Knights is

chief operating

officer of Stagecoach

Performing Arts

I

n the UK, 93 per

cent of franchisees

claimed profitability

in 2018, according

to the latest British Franchise

Association NatWest industry

survey.

When comparing that with the

success rates of independent

businesses - 80 per cent of the

UK’s independently owned small

and medium-sized enterprises

fail within their first year - it’s

not hard to work out why budding

entrepreneurs are opting to

invest in a franchise.

For many people, the thought

of launching an independent

enterprise has certainly crossed

their mind. But for those with a

lack of experience in running a

business - and the host of critical

responsibilities that come with

the role of business owner -

attempting to go it alone can be

particularly daunting.

This is where franchising

comes in. As well as the backing

of a credible brand name,

franchisors insulate franchisees’

businesses by offering essential

support resources on a relatively

unlimited basis.

In the majority of cases, if

a franchisee needs guidance

a franchisor will reach out a

helping hand or at least put the

franchisee in touch with someone

who can help.

But what support should

you expect from a franchisor?

When researching potential

investments, ask a franchisor

for an overview of the assistance

you can expect to receive, as this

will help you make an informed

decision about your investment

right from the get go.

You should see the following

processes and support

programmes outlined:

Pre-launch

• Territory mapping and site/

location selection

As part of their commitment

to your investment, most

franchisors will allocate you an

exclusive territory to protect the

customer base you will go on to

create and grow.

If you decide to invest in

an existing franchise where

a franchisee is vacating, the

parameters of that territory should

already be established and you’ll

have the chance to maximise the

return from a good client base.

For new locations or territories,

brands often work with a

territory mapping expert to

determine the most profitable

and marketable area for your

business. But bear in mind that

this isn’t necessarily the case

across the board - some franchise

brands don’t warrant the need for

exclusive territories at all.

• Legal support with

obtaining premises

Once the perfect site has been

found, many brands will support

you in securing rental agreements

or finalising sale procedures.

Securing the various insurances

and making sure the necessary and

often complex paperwork has been

signed and filed is a long-winded

process, so advice from a legal

expert is worth its weight in gold.

• Comprehensive training

This might go without saying, but

a quality franchisor wouldn’t dream

of sending you on your merry way

without first exposing you to a full

programme of franchise training.

Whether in person or delivered

digitally, this period of training is

crucial to your success. It would

usually cover everything from

business operations, finance and IT

to marketing and PR activity - and

much more in between.

At Stagecoach, our franchisees

spend a week with us at our

head office in Woking, where the

various specialists within our

support team deliver interactive

sessions linked with their

respective disciplines.

• Support with digital tools

For the less digitally capable,

support with online marketing and

operational software is key.

For instance, many franchisors

will set up a territory specific

website and social media pages

on a franchisee’s behalf prior to

launch. Once operational, it’s often

the franchisee’s responsibility to

maintain the content on the pages,

but additional support is usually

available if social media isn’t

necessarily your thing.

• Ways for the whole franchise

network to communicate

Before you sign your franchise

agreement, I would recommend

reaching out to existing

franchisees to ask questions

about their experiences.

Once you’ve joined the network,

reach out again and build yourself

a community of like-minded peers

to sound out ideas and share best

practice. Make sure your franchisor

promotes this community feel

within its network. It’s even

better if it provides tools to make

communication happen between

you easily.

Launch

• Brand representative at the

launch event

Once you’re ready for grand

opening day, it’s not uncommon

for your franchisor to send a

representative from the brand to

support you during the event.

60 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


Whether

they’re there

merely as a friendly

face and an extra pair of

hands or in a more professional

capacity, it can be extremely

reassuring to know you’re not on

your own.

• Assistance with a marketing

and PR campaign

Simply put, there should be a

whole host of brand profile raising

marketing materials at your

disposal before, during and long

after the launch of your business.

Whether in physical or digital

form, these resources exist so

you can get on with the job of

establishing your new business.

Some franchisors may

guarantee you initial business

leads, while others may have a

defined set of activities you must

ensure are completed.

Ongoing

• Social media, marketing

and PR

If you’ve never owned a business

before, marketing and PR may not

come naturally.

Customers aren’t just going

to fall into your lap, so you’ll

need to make a proactive effort

to establish your brand in your

territory. This can be achieved

by implementing a strategy of

consistent and quality social

media, marketing and PR activity.

Your franchisor will have

likely employed someone, or

a team of people, to help you

manage this in house or it might

work with a specialist agency.

However, the brand manages

its profile raising activity, make

sure you take full advantage of

the available resources.

• Regular refresher training

Training doesn’t stop the

second you walk out of head

office at the end of your initial

training programme.

Franchisors should offer a

lifetime of unlimited training,

whether you attend sessions in

person or keep yourself educated

through digital refresher training.

• Innovation and measures to

retain market leading status

What made you

research and shortlist

a particular franchise

in the first place? Was

it the brand name

that appealed to you?

If you’re inclined to

invest in a franchise

because of its market

leading status,

you would expect

the franchisor

to maintain this

standing once you’ve

joined the network.

This should include

profile raising activity

like national marketing

campaigns and exclusive

partnerships, all at the

cost and responsibility of

the franchisor.

“Ask a franchisor for an overview of the

assistance you can expect to receive”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 61


ADVICE INSIGHT

“Don’t feel bad about grilling a

franchisor - we expect it”

• Legal advice

For brands like Stagecoach, legal

formalities like child safeguarding

and DBS certifications are

significant components of our

standard operations.

We’re well rehearsed in securing

the required accreditation to

safely operate a children’s services

franchise, which is why our

franchisees rely on our support to

obtain the necessary training

and certification.

Attempting that process without

the guidance of an expert can

be complicated, drawn out and

frustrating, so I would advise opting

for a franchise that has someone

dedicated to compliance of these

important facets of the business.

Other components of the

ongoing support strategy should

also include finance and business

growth advice; communication

and networking opportunities;

and, where relevant, franchisee

handbook and/or physical

support documentation.

Succession planning

Ongoing support should be

available throughout the lifecycle

of your franchise, including the

time at which you choose to retire

or move on.

A good franchisor will ask you

what your ultimate aim is from

becoming a franchisee before

you invest. Common motivations

are a better work-life balance,

taking control of your career and

the potential to build a business

to pass on to your children or to

retire earlier than a job would

have allowed.

At Stagecoach, we have open

discussions with our franchisees

about their options should they

choose to move on to pastures new.

More often than not, our

franchisees have already found

someone to take over the

business from them - many of our

franchisees are former Stagecoach

teachers who have taken on an

existing territory from the previous

principal - so we support them

both with this transition.

Alternatively, in cases where the

franchisee hasn’t found a suitable

replacement, we have a tried and

tested marketing process for

finding someone suitable to step

into your shoes.

Think of this as your franchisee

support checklist. Add your own

questions and take it with you to

discovery days or keep it handy for

initial calls. Don’t feel bad about

grilling a franchisor - we expect it.

62 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


INTERVIEW

Help from day one

Despite launching his franchise during lockdown, the start-up support provided

by My Window Cleaner saw Gareth Southard achieve record results

G

areth Southard was

excited about opening

his My Window Cleaner

franchise. For years

he’d worked for major corporations

in customer-based roles.

He says: “I’d worked long hours

for moderate pay and very little

reward. I decided that running

my own business would provide

better returns for the hours I

could commit.

“I chose My Window Cleaner

because it felt more personal than

any other franchise I had researched.

“The fact the conversation

was not being led by how much

money could be made, but more

about growing a multi-van

business and looking to the

future of what could be achieved

really felt genuine.”

UK lockdown

Following initial training, Gareth

was preparing to launch his

franchise in his hometown of

Newport, Wales. And then the

COVID-19 pandemic struck and the

UK went into lockdown. It seemed as

if Gareth’s dream of being his own

boss was over before it had begun.

If he had been a one-man

band without the support of an

established franchisor, it might

have been.

Instead, Gareth opened for

business in March and broke My

Window Cleaner’s record for the

highest revenue for a franchisee in

their first month of trading, thanks

to the expert assistance provided by

his franchisor.

Rethink required

My Window Cleaner uses a prestart

marketing plan that has

historically given franchisees over

50 customers in the four-week

period following launch. It includes

local leafleting organised by a third

party distribution company. But

with the health crisis worsening by

the day, this approach was deemed

inappropriate in Gareth’s case and a

rethink was required.

So with the help of his franchisor,

Gareth started marketing his

business online. His activities

attracted 58 customers and nearly

£3,500 in revenue. Success, but he

wanted more.

A new leaflet was produced,

highlighting to potential customers

the precautions Gareth was taking

in order to provide a safe window

cleaning service.

He held his breath and

the Royal Mail leaflet drop

commenced. Another win: the

direct mail campaign resulted in

a further 51 customers.

My Window Cleaner says it

always scrutinises the first month’s

data in a new franchise “as an initial

comparison of success”.

According to the company, Gareth

had broken all previous records

for a new franchisee. In fact, one

of his week’s revenues was £1,400,

more than My Window Cleaner’s

pilot franchisee in Canterbury had

achieved in their entire first month.

Help from the top

“It was unprecedented times for

all involved,” Gareth says. “None of

us had been through anything like

this, let alone trying to launch a

new business. From day one, there

was help from the directors Karen,

Ian and Dave.

“It felt My Window Cleaner knew

what they were doing. Even after

such a challenging start, you could

feel their excitement at the launch

of my business.

“They did more for me in those

first few months than I expected.

Still to this day, the support is as

strong as those first few weeks.”

Gareth is planning to have

another van on the road within the

next 12 months.

“From there on, the sky’s the

limit,” he says. “I would like multiple

vans and to be able to share this

fantastic business with employees.

I know it’s what My Window Cleaner

will help me achieve.”

“They did more for me

in those first few months

than I expected”

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 63


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Encouraging Women into Franchising

Experts at your side

Encouraging Women into Franchising’s partners provide

support for your franchise journey

A

s an organisation

committed to

encouraging women

into franchising,

EWiF partners with other

businesses in the franchise

industry that share its vision of

seeing more women realise their

entrepreneurial potential.

Here’s what each partner can

offer you, as you think about how

to take control of your future:

WHAT FRANCHISE

This media business provides

reports, interviews, editorials and

focus pieces on various parts of the

franchise industry.

At what-franchise.com you can

read and download free articles

for insight into exciting franchise

opportunities that would suit you.

BUSINESS WOMAN

MAGAZINE

Content covers everything you

need to know about owning

a business, from fitness and

coaching to logistics and running a

restaurant.

Read real-life stories of women

who successfully turned their

passions into their dream business.

DARWIN GRAY

Provides a full range of legal

services to the franchise industry.

Your franchisor may use Darwin

Gray within its franchise support

team, so you benefit from a wealth

of experience and expertise specific

to life as a franchise owner.

D&T

A multi-award winning

chartered accountancy practice,

with many years’ experience.

The company supports

thousands of franchisees with

funding, accounts and tax

advice. d&t can also be called

upon for guidance on how to

grow your business.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS EXPO

The Women in Business Expo is a

two-day event designed to support

your business journey.

Whether you’re considering a

franchise opportunity, have an existing

business you want to expand or want to

make a career change, WIB Expo offers

you guidance and inspiration.

WORKINGMUMS.CO.UK

The largest job and community site in

the UK for women looking for flexible

jobs and franchise opportunities.

The site features a range of

opportunities alongside events,

reports and articles to help you find

the answer to your career needs.

CARTER LEGRAND WEALTH

STRATEGIES

Carter Legrand Wealth Strategies - a

Partner Practice of St James’s Place

Wealth Management

- provides specialist

financial advice.

If you want to

know how to build,

grow, protect or

preserve your

wealth as you build

your new franchise

business, it will

work with you to

help you achieve

your goals.

CLASSBIZ

When you

start your new

business, one of

the important

aspects of your

investment is

the systems

and processes

used by your

franchise

to make

life easier.

ClassBiz is a

management

tool used

by thousands of class-based

franchisees worldwide, as it takes

the pressure off the business admin

side, allowing you more time to

focus on teaching.

THE INTERNATIONAL

FRANCHISE SHOW

The International Franchise

Show is the UK’s biggest

franchise exhibition, held at

ExCeL London.

Franchise shows are a great way

for you to find out more about the

franchises you’re interested in in

a less formal way, allowing you to

take away valuable advice from

existing franchisors and franchise

professionals without the pressure

of commitment.

Visit ewif.org/ewif-partners to

find out more about Encouraging

Women into Franchising’s partners

and how they can help you.

64 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

An ability to

adapt

FASTSIGNS offers the perfect franchise for

uncertain times

T

he steady growth of

international franchise

FASTSIGNS over the last 35

years, even during periods

of economic crisis, is the perfect

example of just how resilient a strong

franchise can be.

Deciding to strike out on your own

and take control of your career is never

an easy step to take. However, as the

UK continues to navigate the current

coronavirus pandemic and the after

effects of lockdown, this step could

become a viable career option for many.

Since FASTSIGNS launched its first

franchise in 1985, the devastating

recessions of the early 1990s and

late-2000s have marred the economic

landscape. FASTSIGNS has been

resistant to these challenges and over

the last 35 years has grown to more

than 700 outlets, operating in nine

FASTSIGNS franchisee

Richard Wedgwood

countries, and is confident about its

ability to adapt when required.

CONSISTENT

OPPORTUNITY

A perfect example of how the

model works is Richard Wedgwood,

the franchisee of FASTSIGNS

Manchester, who launched his

centre in 2009 after opting for

voluntary redundancy during

the recession.

“I was ready to do something

which would allow me to establish

my own future,” Richard says.

“I saw a consistent opportunity

in signage - there’s always a

demand for it. Whether it’s led by

seasonality, helping businesses

brand or communicate with their

customers, product launches,

events or directions, signage is a

constant requirement.

“The technology and equipment

specified to open the centre was

also a huge draw for me.”

The years following the

recession were hard for everyone,

but Richard’s franchise not only

survived it thrived and went on

to become one of the top five UK

centres for sales turnover.

“Recessions are a challenge for

any business - new or established,”

Richard says. “However, they

also present a great opportunity,

provided you are and remain

vigilant, proactive and willing to

adapt to change.”

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

Adaptability is at the heart of

FASTSIGNS’ success over the

years.

“FASTSIGNS’ product offering

has helped my business to remain

relevant and helpful to customers

in times of need,” Richard says.

“The franchise’s unique

selling point is delivered by its

comprehensive solution offering.

AT A GLANCE

FASTSIGNS

Established: 1985

Number of franchised outlets: 23

Location of units: Birmingham, Bolton,

Brighton, Chelmsford, Crawley, Enfield,

Gloucester, Guildford, Hammersmith,

Huddersfield, Hull, Islington, Kingston

upon Thames, Leeds, Leicester,

Maidstone, Manchester, Milton Keynes,

Peterborough, Portsmouth, Sheffield,

Southampton, York

Investment range: £125,000-£150,000

Minimum required capital: £36,000

Contact: 01785 253140.

enquiries@fastsigns.com

fsfastsigns.co.uk

“Each customer’s

project is bespoke

and designed

to fit their

unique set of

circumstances”

Customers are not provided with

a one-size-fits-all signage service,

each customer’s project is

bespoke and designed to fit their

unique set of circumstances.”

WORKING

COLLABORATIVELY

A great deal of FASTSIGNS’

strength comes from not only what

the company offers franchisees,

but from what the network offers

its members.

“One of the greatest positives

of FASTSIGNS is the power of the

network in sharing best practice

and working collaboratively,”

Richard says. “In particular,

learning what others have

successfully introduced to their

markets, either driven by specific

customer requests or by proactive

product development.

“A lot of success comes from

mindset and outlook. We are

fortunate to have, in FASTSIGNS, a

franchisor who actively promotes,

educates and encourages the

network to spend time ‘sharpening

the saw’ as business owners.

“Running a business can be

lonely, but with the benefit of a

supportive franchisor there is

always an opportunity to share

the load.”

Behind the Brand - FASTSIGNS

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 65


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Razzamataz Theatre Schools

Razzamataz

returns

The theatre school brand reacted swiftly to the

coronavirus crisis and is now welcoming new franchisees

W

hen schools closed

in March, much was

said about children

missing out on

education and the problems that

might arise as a result.

As the weeks turned into months,

what became apparent was that

the lack of social interaction was

causing significant issues in terms

of self confidence.

Razzamataz Theatre Schools

quickly responded with not only

small interactive online classes,

but also many opportunities for

students to share how they were

feeling with their teachers and

classmates, as well as dedicated

sessions with coaches skilled in

working to improve young people’s

mental health.

BACK IN BUSINESS

The Razzamataz franchise

network has now been given the

go ahead to open for face-to-face

contact and once again support

students to not only improve their

performing arts skills, but to also

help rebuild their confidence and

hopes for their future.

To ensure a safe, enjoyable and

relaxed return, head office has been

adhering to government guidelines

and working with the Children’s

Activities Association and other

franchisors to ensure best practice.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

When the pandemic hit the UK,

Razzamataz was just starting its

20-year birthday celebrations,

having treated all its franchisees to

a conference in London and awards

ceremony on a Thames luxury liner.

There were also many exciting

events for the students planned,

including a performance trip to

Disneyland Paris.

Denise Hutton-Gosney,

founder and managing director

of Razzamataz, says: “During the

pandemic, we were delighted we

could continue to offer scholarships

with The Stage and also our own

Future Fund charity to help even

more young people experience the

joys of performing arts.

“We’re a school where children

come to follow their passion in

dance, drama and singing, but we

are also so much more than that.

AT A GLANCE

RAZZAMATAZ

THEATRE

SCHOOLS

Established:

2000

Number of franchised outlets: 45

Location of units: UK

Investment range: £0 for performing

arts, education and airline sector workers

(usually £7,995 plus VAT)

Minimum required capital: £4,000

marketing launch budget and £5,000

working capital

Contact: franchise@razzamataz.co.uk.

07821 122242

razzamataz.co.uk/franchise-opps/

contact-us

“We have so many

parents tell us

that Razzamataz

is the place where

their child feels

most accepted”

“We have so many parents tell us

that Razzamataz is the place where

their child feels most accepted,

it is where they have grown in

confidence and where they have

found lifelong friends.”

CAREERS IN THE ARTS

Throughout the pandemic,

Razzamataz has continued to grow

as a business.

In fact, five new franchisees have

come on board, taking advantage

of virtual training and full support

from a dedicated mentor.

With many industries facing a

tough time, Razzamataz is reaching

out to individuals who find themselves

looking to reassess their future.

“This has been particularly tough

for the arts/entertainment and

travel industries, with many people

set to lose their jobs,” Denise adds.

“There are also going to be plenty

of redundancies in other sectors, so

for the first time ever we’re giving

the right candidates the chance to

join our award winning network

without having to pay a franchise

joining fee.”

Razzamataz is also hosting

free virtual events to help people

understand more about running

a theatre school and franchising

in general.

66 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3



BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - TaxAssist Accountants

Accounting for

success

Despite turbulent times, TaxAssist Accountants

franchisee Charlie Walker is positive about the future

I

n the most

turbulent times the

UK economy has

seen for decades,

independent business specialist

TaxAssist Accountants has

been an essential hub for local

business communities, thanks

to unsurpassed levels of support

and communication.

With over 230 franchises

based in visible shops and offices

across the UK supporting over

76,000 clients, the company has

seen its services in demand like

never before.

several measures to support its

franchisees during the COVID-19

pandemic, which Charlie is quick

to praise alongside the staff

members themselves.

“The daily updates and regular

webinars organised by the

support centre have been useful,

but the key thing I’ve had

from TaxAssist in Norwich is

continuity,” he says.

“The team has remained

the same friendly, helpful and

knowledgeable group that they

have been since I joined the

network in 2018.”

AT A GLANCE

TAXASSIST

ACCOUNTANTS

Established:

1995

Number of franchised outlets: 239

franchise areas; 386 shops and offices

Location of units: UK

Investment range: £100,000-£150,000

Minimum required capital: £40,000

Contact:

franchiseenquiries@taxassist.co.uk

taxassistfranchise.co.uk

“Our aim is to

be as flexible

and helpful

as possible”

CLIENT CONTACT

Bedford, Huntingdon and St Neotsbased

franchisee Charlie Walker has

maintained regular contact with his

clients where he can during these

difficult times and has been praised

for doing so.

Charlie say: “Feedback from

clients ranges from simple emails

saying things like ‘that’s great,

thanks for the update’ to online

reviews from businesses we don’t

yet act for, but who were pleased to

be able to get some advice.

“I’ve also been asked to take a

non-executive director role on the

board of a key service provider we

act for based on work we’ve done

with them over the last year and

on that I was able to negotiate a

revised fee structure and interim

grant for them.

“The same client has also agreed

to hand over almost their entire

financial support and bookkeeping

to TaxAssist, so the owners and

directors can focus on building

their unique business.”

FRANCHISEE SUPPORT

The TaxAssist Accountants

support centre has rolled out

SECOND SHOP

Charlie is positive about

the future and has plans in

place to grow his practice:

“The pandemic has caused a

huge global shock, but with

my services very much in

demand I believe now is a

great opportunity to think

about expanding my practice,

so in addition to my shop in

Bedford I’ve recently opened

a second shop in a prime

location in Huntingdon.

“I know the economy will

contract for a while, but

a recent Office for Budget

Responsibility forecast

indicates that by early next

year there should be a period

of rapid growth once again.

“Both my shops are open

for clients to walk in and we

provide hand sanitiser, wear

masks and have installed

perspex screens for face-to-face

client meetings, although we

also offer telephone and online

meetings for those clients who

would prefer this method at this

time. Our aim is to be as flexible

and helpful as possible.

“I know that amongst my small

business client base there is a

desperate need for guidance and

support right now, so when I was

asked to host my own monthly,

one-hour radio show on Radio

Huntingdon I jumped at the

chance, as it will give me the

opportunity to offer the benefits

of my business and accountancy

experience to help businesses in

my local area.”

If you share a passion to

support local small businesses

and have an accountancy or

financial background, a TaxAssist

franchise can provide the

systems and support you need to

be successful.

68 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


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INSIGHT

The truth about franchising

Dispelling these common myths will mean you start your search with

your eyes wide open

WORDS BY NIGEL TOPLIS

THE AUTHOR

Nigel Toplis is

managing director of

multi-brand franchisor

The Bardon Group

M

any years ago I attended

an event at a rather

swish location where the

headline guest speaker

was explaining how because one

of his companies was not doing so

well he was going to turn it into a

franchise business.

At the time, I was surprised how

such a successful businessperson

could be so ignorant about

franchising that they saw the whole

concept as simply a way to solve the

problem in one fell swoop.

I’m a huge believer in and advocate

of franchising. In my opinion, it’s

one of the best means to distribute

products and services efficiently.

However, it doesn’t have the

ability to turn a sow’s ear into

a silk purse. If a business is

underperforming, turning it into

a franchise simply makes it an

underperforming franchise.

This isn’t the only common myth

about franchising. Here are a few

more I’ve come across during my

time in the industry:

“The franchisee must

contribute a high work

ethic, ambition and a

willingness to work with

the franchisor”

Anyone can be a good

franchisee

All franchisors make errors when

it comes to recruitment. Not

intentionally, but occasionally

we’ve allowed people who are

patently not suitable for selfemployment

to enter our domain.

In a franchise scenario, the

franchisor provides experience,

business know-how, operational

methods, marketing tools, sales

training, procurement advice and

ongoing support. These elements

are combined with a proven

business system, trademarks and

permission to use the brand.

In return, the franchisee must

contribute a high work ethic,

ambition and a willingness to

work with the franchisor.

Good franchising is a marriage

between two parties with different

skill sets, but with a common goal.

If a franchisee doesn’t want to be

a spouse, then success for both

parties will be difficult.

You can be a

successful franchisee

by operating outside

of the system

A few years ago I was considering

taking over a struggling company.

It was in an associated business

to mine, I had some experience of

the marketplace through previous

associations and while the

company had performed poorly

over two-three years, I felt with

strong leadership and hard

work I could help to turn the

business around.

To cut a long story short,

we reached an agreement to

purchase it from the existing

shareholders, who simply wanted

out. But then we had to deal

with the incumbent managing

director, who had been in

charge throughout the demise

of the business.

We made several suggestions

about how we might improve the

company, what was required from

him and how I would support him

through my existing contacts.

His response is one I’ll never

forget: “Nigel,” he said. “I haven’t

worked hard for five years and

I’m not going to start now.”

Needless to say, we didn’t buy the

business and the managing director

was fired a short while later.

Hard work isn’t

necessary if you have a

good business concept

I’ve had the pleasure of working

with 600-plus franchisees over

some 25 years.

Those who are most successful,

who remain in the business

for longest and who have a

consistently high financial return

are those who work hard, follow

the franchisor’s system, have drive,

ambition and work with but also

challenge the franchisor.

I recall having a meeting

with a franchisee to

discuss why his business

wasn’t performing at the

level we all expected. He

was in a good geographical

area, demographics were

positive and competition

lacking. All the portents

were positive.

The franchisee said he

had analysed the issues

and, according to him, they

were all the fault of the franchisor.

They included:

• The phone never rang.

• Footfall was negligible.

• He rarely received an email

requesting a quote.

I remember talking about

all the things he should be

doing, including:

• Local marketing to find potential

customers in his area.

• Acquiring a list of companies

in the territory and organising

an email campaign to build

awareness.

• Joining business networking

groups to build relationships

with other companies.

70 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


• Calling existing customers,

lapsed customers and

even prospects in order to

understand their business

and add value.

Essentially, we discussed his lack

of activity. His response was stark:

“When I became a franchisee, I

didn’t expect to have to go out and

get customers.”

Buying a franchise is

like buying a job

This isn’t the case. There is huge

latent desire in the UK to be the

boss, despite evidence that setting

up a business from scratch can be

high risk, with the British Franchise

Association NatWest industry

survey regularly reporting that four

in five new start-ups fail in their

first two years of trading.

This is in stark contrast to new

franchises, where more than 90 per

cent are still in business after the

same time frame.

However, that’s not to say

franchising is an easy road to

riches. To be a successful franchisee

you need to:

• Choose the right franchise,

matching your funds with your

skills and interests.

• Select the right franchisor by

meeting with them, examining

their history and challenging

their support.

• Meet with franchisees and ask

them about the franchisor’s

support and understand the

financial returns.

• Produce a business plan

that examines the business

proposition, pitfalls and rewards.

• Take expert advice from a franchise

lawyer about the franchise agreement and

an accountant about the business plan.

• Secure funding. Banks will typically

provide 70 per cent of the start-up

costs, but don’t make the mistake of

underfunding the business.

Franchising is a successful business

model that offers numerous advantages to

franchisees in terms of being their own boss,

determining a work-life balance, creating

financial security and being beholden to no

one but yourself and rewarded directly in

line with your own efforts.

Becoming a franchisee

guarantees success

Rewards can be significant, but building

your own business requires determination,

hard work, ambition and dedication.

It’s no different when you invest in

a franchise.

38%

The number of franchisors that

didn’t award a franchise because

the candidate believed they were

‘just buying a job’

Source: British Franchise Association

NatWest franchise survey 2018

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 71


ADVICE INSIGHT

Why running a management

franchise is different

How to choose the right type of franchise for you

WORDS BY LISA STEAD

THE AUTHOR

Lisa Stead is

franchise manager

at Shuttercraft

T

he defining question in

choosing your franchise

opportunity is about

how you want to run

your business and not necessarily

what type of product or service

you provide. So let me ask you

a question:

Do you want a franchise business

that is a job replacement - you

work in your franchise in return

for an income - or one that gives

you scope to grow, expand your

earnings and the ability to focus on

what you’re best at?

Any budding entrepreneur has

a tendency, at the start

of their business

journey, to try and do

everything themselves.

The problem with this

approach is that your scope

for growth is limited to how

many hours there are in the

day and how much you can

physically do.

Successful business owners will

tell you that their defining moment

of growth is when they realised

they couldn’t do it all themselves

and that by focusing on what they

“By following tried and

tested systems, you’ll

have a greater chance

of success than going

it alone”

were good at they had many more

opportunities to increase their

income and grow their business.

So I revert to my question above:

do you want a business you can

work on or a business you work in?

In the franchise market, you

have options as to the type of

structure you prefer. Here’s an

overview of the different franchise

types there are, depending on the

kind of business you want to run:

The business format

franchise

This is perhaps the most typical

franchise model.

You purchase the rights to the

franchise trademark, trade names

and all the business systems and

processes you’ll need to operate

your business. It’s a prescribed

model and you’ll pay the

franchisor for the right to sell the

product or service. You may also

have to buy your materials, stock

and, potentially, uniforms directly

from them.

This model tends to work best

for those who want to work on

their own and generate a steady

income from their own efforts.

• Pro: you’re not responsible for

anybody else.

• Con: you can only increase your

income by working longer hours

yourself.

The product

distribution franchise

This franchise concept is similar

to a supplier-distributor set

up in that you pay a fee for

the right to sell and market

the goods you buy directly

from the franchisor. The

franchisor is responsible

for providing the product

and you’re then able to sell it.

Your franchisor will provide

all the products, but there is less

training, support and business

set-up advice than there is with

other types of franchise. Essentially,

you’re buying the right to sell a

product.

With this type of franchise, you

can be much more independent in

terms of not having the restrictions

a business format franchise might

place on you.

• Pro: you’re guided by a structure

and a brand.

• Con: you can only grow at the pace

the franchisor can provide the

products.

The management

franchise

A management franchise is entirely

different to both a business format

and product distribution franchise.

While you’re still a franchisee

of your chosen business, it’s

a business that you run, but

with other people carrying out the

business activities.

72 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 15.5 16.3


The franchisor will provide

you with everything you need

to run your business, including

all equipment, full professional

support in setting up, full training

throughout your franchise

agreement and a marketing launch.

You manage your own operation,

but under the umbrella of the

franchise name, while following

the franchise business model from

there on is up to you, as is

how much or how little you

develop the franchise.

• Pro: there’s no limit to

how much you grow your

business and your income.

• Con: you’ll need to rely on others

to deliver your product/service.

Which option should

you choose?

Now you know the difference between

the various types of franchise, which

one is best suited to you?

This depends

on what

type of business you want to run,

how comfortable you are in managing

others and whether you want a

business you can grow or are happy

generating an income that meets your

standard of living requirements.

If you have experience of

management or are looking to have a

hands-off approach to how you run

your business, the management model

is probably the best option for you.

It gives you the opportunity to

develop both systems and resources

all within the safety net of a franchise

structure, enables you to think

strategically about how far you want to

take your business and be the master

of your own destiny.

Buying a franchise is an excellent

way to set up and run your own

business. By following tried and tested

systems and processes, you’ll have a

greater chance of success than going

it alone.

Knowing that you have further

options as to the type of model you

invest in, makes franchising the

best choice for setting up your

own business.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 73


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Wok&Go

Going places

Wok&Go is the UK’s fastest growing healthy

fast food franchise

S

ince 2008, Wok&Go has

established itself as a fresh,

Asian fusion food chain,

blending the best in Thai,

Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese and

Japanese cuisine.

The company has already opened

franchises in Bangor, Birmingham, Chester,

Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, London,

Southampton, Dubai and Portugal and is

continuing to expand in these regions and

internationally.

Zero retail experience is required to

become a Wok&Go franchisee due to the

company’s extensive support system, which

aids you in finding premises, securing

funding, recruiting your team and running

the restaurant to its full potential.

Alternatively, you can invest in a franchise

and have it established and run on a daily

basis by Wok&Go’s experienced team.

“The company uses its own

recipes, with all noodles

cooked to order from fresh

ingredients”

WHY INVEST IN WOK&GO?

• The company uses its own recipes,

with all noodles cooked to order from

fresh ingredients in an

open kitchen. The range is

complemented by delicious

rice dishes, salads, soups and

Asian ice creams.

• The concept fits within all

main UK and international

food service consumer

trends: health, convenience,

the quest for variety, speed,

theatricality and the popularity

of Asian food.

• Wok&Go has an eat in, takeaway

and delivery business model,

meaning multiple revenue

streams are available. It’s also a

de-seasonalised business.

• The brand attracts many

different target groups, including

students, shoppers, office

workers and families.

• The Wok&Go franchise is

the fastest growing noodle bar

in the UK, with 24-plus sites

and counting. It has a nationwide

presence and has tested its

model in malls, high streets, retail

parks and residential locations.

• Wok&Go says it’s the only

franchisor to offer a ‘managed’

option, where the franchisor

operates the store on behalf of

the franchisee, offering a

guaranteed return.

AT A GLANCE

WOK&GO

Established:

2008

Number of franchised outlets:

24

Location of units:

UK and overseas

Investment range:

£100,000-£200,000

Minimum required capital:

£60,000

Contact:

richard@limelicensinggroup.co.uk

franchiselife.co.uk/listing/wokgo-franchise

COMPREHENSIVE

TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Over and above standard franchise

support and training, Wok&Go offers

a comprehensive training programme

and initial/ongoing operational and

business management support,

including:

• A turnkey store solution including

design, build and project

management. Wok&Go is one

of the few chains that doesn’t

outsource this service, providing

quality shop-fits at competitive

rates.

• Assistance with the recruitment

and training of chefs and back-ofhouse

staff.

• An area manager assigned to the

franchisee’s store who visits every

two weeks.

• A national marketing programme

comprising a specially designed

customer app with 18,000-plus

users.

WHAT WOK&GO

FRANCHISEES SAYS

Ron Laker explains: “I was looking

for a franchise that offered me

something different.

“Wok&Go hit the right spot,

offering a great deal of flexibility in

the managed franchise option. It

allows me to get the best of both

worlds, as I’m based in the USA and I

have other business commitments. In

fact, it’s worked out so well I now own

three sites.”

Pedro Martins says: “I’m a big

noodle fan. A few months ago I had

a conversation with João Lucas from

BrandPlus and he suggested Wok&Go.

“I’m so glad I looked into it, as I

received good training and support

and I’m incredibly happy with the final

result. Wok&Go has a big future and

I’m proud to be part of it.”

74 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


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BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Time to thrive

The home care services provided by Visiting Angels

have never been more essential

T

here are few franchise

opportunities that have

grown substantially

during lockdown.

Care franchising does offer a

significant opportunity for the

right franchisee. Since the start of

the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus

on the efforts of those in the care

sector has never been clearer.

Established in the US in 1998,

Visiting Angels is a global care giant

with community-based values.

Today, the franchise is one of the

largest care franchises in the world

and proudly supports 600-plus

franchisees in five countries. The

business was launched in the

UK in 2017 and has experienced

phenomenal growth.

FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE

UK managing director Dan Archer

explains: “Before launching the

franchise, I wanted to launch and

run a pilot business in the UK. I felt

it was important that I was able

to support our franchisees from a

position of first-hand knowledge.

My business in Sheffield is now

turning over more than £1.7 million

per year and supports 100 families,

employing over 100 staff.”

The solid foundations of the

pilot business have also led to

the expansion of a network

of franchisees.

“We have nine offices across the

UK and we had a socially distanced

training course in May 2020, with

eight new franchisees attending.

I’m delighted that our model is one

of the franchise success stories of

the past 12 months.”

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Many business opportunities claim

to be recession proof. The reality

of the past six months has been

that some businesses making that

claim have been forced to close

their doors. Home care franchising,

however, has never been more

essential and thanks to initiatives

such as the clap for carers

movement, the wider population is

now recognising this.

For many businesses, the struggle

has been to survive, but Dan says

for his business it has been a time

to thrive: “We have faced a huge

challenge as a nation and the health

AT A GLANCE

VISITING ANGELS

Established:

2017

Number of franchised units: 9

Location of units: UK

Investment range: £90,000-£110,000

Minimum required capital:

£30,000-£50,000

Contact: Dan Archer. 07584 178458

visitingangelsfranchise.co.uk

service and society at large has

looked to social care companies like

ours for additional support.

“Our operational business has

never been busier and our franchise

network has doubled in the last six

months. As lockdown eases, we’re

seeing yet more demand for our

service and the terrible situation

with COVID-19 in residential care

homes means more families than

ever are choosing care at home as

a safer alternative.”

TREATING CARERS

BETTER

Dan feels that treating carers better

has been at the heart of Visiting

Angels’ success: “Our business

was built on valuing carers more

than other care companies. What

has happened with the COVID-19

outbreak is that society has also

started to realise that carers need

to be valued better.”

Visiting Angels calls this

approach being carer centric. The

focus is clear from the mission

statement of the UK business to

‘Become the UK Care Sector’s

Employer of Choice by 2022.’

“I want our caregivers to want to

work in care and choose to work for

a Visiting Angels office,” Dan says.

Many care workers are underpaid

and poorly rewarded, but the

approach taken by Visiting Angels is

different.

Dan says: “We want to ensure

our caregivers are among the best

paid in the care sector. We pay

more, we incentivise training and

development, we reward loyalty and

we offer excellent benefits.”

By focusing on its caregivers,

Visiting Angels has found it’s able

to ensure the company has a ready

supply of them.

“We have found that the culture

of caregiver support we have built

in our offices has protected us

from high staff turnover, meaning

that the clients who we support

76 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


Behind the Brand - Visiting Xxxxxxxxxxx Angels

“Our franchise

network has

doubled in the

last six months”

get the same caregiver each week,”

Dan says. “Happy caregivers are

best placed to ensure that clients

are delighted.”

DRIVING DEMAND

Dan feels that society is also

changing its view on the type of

care provided:

“Research conducted by Hanbury

Strategy, with support from the

charity Independent Age, during

April-May 2020 showed that around

a third of people polled said they

were now less likely to want to put

their relative in a care home.

“Residential care has been at

the epicentre of the COVID-19

outbreak. In our pilot business in

Sheffield, we’re receiving calls from

relatives who are deciding that

they would rather keep their loved

ones at home to avoid the risks

within care homes.

“A backlash against residential

care was already driving demand

for care in the home. If COVID-19 is

increasing the feeling that people

are safer at home, the demand for

the Visiting Angels service is set to

keep rising.”

LEADING FROM

THE FRONT

At times of crisis, the global

Visiting Angels business has

pulled together.

“We’ve led from the front in our

local markets, with world class

training for our carers to keep

them safe and ensure clients are

protected,” Dan says.

“Shared best practice and

group buying power for things like

personal protective equipment

have been huge benefits of being

part of one of the world’s biggest

care providers.”

Franchising provides the

benefit of not having to go it

alone. UK franchisees receive

comprehensive training and

support from both the UK and

US management team.

The management team are

hugely knowledgeable, but many

of the best practice initiatives in

the business have been proven

over many years and come from

the experience of hundreds

of franchisees.

The franchise fee is £24,995

and franchisees interested in this

opportunity will need £25,000-

£30,000 in liquid capital in order to

secure bank funding for the total

investment, including working

capital of up to £100,000.

A substantial, premisesbased

management franchise,

the potential exists for a sixfigure

turnover in year one and

a projected million pound-plus

turnover by the end of year three.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 77


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Sourced Franchise: Partner

Make money

from property

You can build a profitable HMO portfolio with

Sourced Partner

AT A GLANCE

SOURCED

FRANCHISE:

PARTNER

Established:

2017

Number of franchised outlets:

100-plus

Location of units:

UK

Investment range:

£17,500 (plus VAT)

Minimum required capital:

£120,000

Contact:

franchise@sourced.co

sourcedfranchise.co/partner

D

espite being aware that

property creates more

millionaires than any other

industry in the world,

many people don’t have the right

knowledge, experience or time to enter

this exciting industry.

Sourced boasts over seven decades

of combined property experience and

believes anyone with the right skill

set and attitude can be successful

in this industry.

“The company can also

fund up to 100 per cent of

your HMO conversions and

refurbs”

That’s why it’s created Sourced

Partner, which enables property

enthusiasts to earn a hands-off

income from property by utilising

the most effective HMO strategies.

NO EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED

When you join the franchise, you’ll get

access to Sourced’s comprehensive

training programme, which covers

everything you need to know about

finding, setting up and running a

successful HMO property.

The company can also fund up to

100 per cent of your HMO conversions

and refurbs, thanks to its in-house

lending facility.

To maximise your chances of

success, Sourced has developed a

unique support structure, where its

in-house HMO experts will guide you

step-by-step as you source and set

up your portfolio. Other resources

available to partners are a bespoke

customer relationship management

system, exclusive HMO leads and

development resources, to name a few.

SIX-FIGURE INCOMES

A number of Sourced franchisees

have joined the business with no

experience in property, yet they

managed to successfully build

portfolios that generate incomes of

over £100,000 per year.

Even if you only purchase one

property a year, it will still result in a

substantial annual passive income,

which applied over the franchise term

equates to a six-figure income.

HOW IT WORKS

You can learn all you need to know

about HMO by attending an exclusive

Sourced training event. Following

that, the company will develop a

bespoke plan, based on your financial

goals. You can then set up your

portfolio with the help of Sourced

experts and start making money

from property.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

With the franchise, you will get access

to a range of resources, including:

• 18 training days per year.

• Dedicated national mentor.

• Step-by-step support programme.

• 100 per cent funding facility.

• Exclusive HMO opportunities.

EXCELLENT

CONVERSION

OPPORTUNITY

Here’s an example of a HMO

project undertaken by a

Sourced franchisee:

• HMO type: high-end,

seven-bed.

• Location of deal:

Stoke-on-Trent.

• Type of deal: commercial

to residential conversion.

Michael discovered an

excellent HMO conversion

opportunity, which was

hidden among commercial

property listings. An office

building in Fenton, Stoke, it

had a planning permission

to convert it into a sevenbed

HMO.

Located close to a

business park popular

with seasonal workers, the

high-end HMO will provide

a competitive offering on

the market of short-term

accommodation in the area.

Upon successful

completion, the franchisee

will refinance the property

to release equity, based on a

new valuation, and keep the

HMO in his portfolio. The

gross yield for the

HMO is estimated to reach

8 per cent, generating a net

yield of 6.5 per cent-7

per cent.

78 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


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believes in doing good first. Unlimited earning and unique

opportunities to make a positive change in society.

Receive substantial financial and emotional rewards

• Helps elderly people live independently in their own homes

• Management franchise providing non-medical services such as light

housekeeping, shopping, gardening, cooking, companion care and more

• Low costs to join a successful global brand with 20 years outstanding results

• Winning national awards as well as hearts and minds in UK

• Unique working practices with unparalleled outcomes for elderly people

and older workers. All carers and clients kept safe and well during COVID-19

• Backed by marketing expertise and expert management support

Join our unique franchise partnership. Be part of our strong community of like-minded

social entrepreneurs who make money because they do the right thing.

Start the rest of your life today!

Tel: 01227 454 900 Email: contactme@seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk

www.franchises.seniorshelpingseniors.co.uk

©Seniors Helping Seniors. Each office is independently owned and operated. All trademarks are

registered trademarks of Corporate Mutual Resources Inc.


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - easyGym

easyGym is fit

for purpose

Franchisees can take advantage of strong returns

and the post-COVID-19 world the industry has

woken up to

AT A GLANCE

easyGym

Established:

​2009 (corporate) 2018 (franchise)

Number of franchised outlets:

​17

Location of units:

2 UK, 14 France, 1 Kenya

Investment range:

£600,000-£1.2 million

Minimum required capital:

£300,000 (based on an 8,000 sq ft unit)

Contact:

george@easygym.co.uk

easygym.co.uk

“The demand

for fitness and

well-being has

skyrocketed

during the

pandemic”

looking for a little guidance in a

workout.

When PACK45 was introduced in

Kenya, the studios were fully booked

from early morning until the night.

T

he fitness industry is in the

midst of major disruption.

Although COVID-19 has

created the perfect storm

for legacy gym owners, the pandemic is

offering a huge opportunity for those

looking to enter this fast growing

space.

The demand for fitness and

well-being has skyrocketed during

the pandemic. Fitness equipment

is virtually sold out everywhere,

online exercise trainers saw their

subscriptions explode and in some

places underground gyms were

formed.

With rapidly declining real estate

prices, increasing demand for fitness

and a more price discerning customer,

now is the perfect time to enter the

fitness industry. easyGym offers a high

quality, but affordable, gym solution

with state-of-the-art technology and a

worry-free operating experience.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

Paul Lorimer-Wing, CEO of easyGym,

explains: “Opening an easyGym

is an exciting opportunity for

entrepreneurs and investors who are

looking for the potential of strong

returns and are ready to take full

advantage of the post-COVID-19

world the industry has woken up to.”

Not only that, but the UK

government has recently modified

planning regulations so that empty

properties in great locations with

major footfall can be converted to

gyms. You can now open and operate

a gym very quickly.

Furthermore, easyGym comes with

a high energy, but fun studio concept

called PACK45 that customers love.

PACK45 studios provide functional

kit to strengthen the entire body

through real-life movements in just

45 minutes and are especially popular

with busy professionals and those

PERFECT TIMING

There has never been a better time to

join the fitness industry, as the world

emerges from lockdowns with a newfound

focus on health and well-being.

If you have a passion for fitness, are

committed to building a community

and want to take advantage of

this exciting space, franchising an

easyGym could be the right solution

for you.

It’s also an opportunity to join the

easyGroup family - one of Europe’s

most iconic and recognisable brands.

JOIN UP WITH SIR STELIOS

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou is proud to

back the easyGym expansion.

He says: “One of my favourite

businesses in the easy family of

brands is easyGym and I am delighted

that their expert team has created a

fantastic franchise opportunity.

“It has huge potential worldwide

and I am excited for the future

of easyGym, just as I was when I

founded easyJet 25 years ago.

“I fully expect easyGym to take off

just like easyJet did and become an

integral part of my easy brands.

“It offers franchisees a fantastic

business opportunity - backed by

our experienced support staff that

are trusted by easyGym owners

everywhere.”

80 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3



INTERVIEW

What a franchise lawyer

can do for you

Paying for an experienced legal professional’s advice is money well spent

if you want to avoid any nasty surprises at a later date, Andy Fraser,

founder of Albany Fraser Solicitors, says

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

THAT A PROSPECTIVE

FRANCHISEE CONSULTS

A LAWYER BEFORE

INVESTING IN A

FRANCHISE?

A steadily increasing number of

countries, including most recently

the Netherlands, have taken steps

to regulate the sale of franchises.

However, in the UK there is no such

regulation and the latin phrase

caveat emptor applies. Or less

pretentiously, buyer beware.

Importantly, there is not even

a legal definition of a franchise

in the UK. This means that all

sorts of business opportunities,

some better than others, can be

advertised as a franchise. Not

all business opportunities sold

as a franchise are full business

format franchises and a lawyer

with experience in franchising

can usually spot the difference

very quickly.

Franchise agreements are

complex legal documents,

often 40-50 pages long and

usually designed to protect the

franchisor’s business interests.

Consulting a lawyer before

investing in a franchise is

essential, as the lawyer can point

out the key terms and obligations

on the franchisee and ensure

there are no nasty surprises at a

later date.

WHY IS IT CRUCIAL TO

INSTRUCT A LAWYER

WHO’S FAMILIAR WITH

THE CONCEPT OF

FRANCHISING?

Lawyers, like doctors, are

becoming increasingly specialised.

You wouldn’t want your GP

doing your heart bypass surgery;

similarly, you wouldn’t want a

lawyer with limited experience of

franchising getting their hands on

a franchise agreement.

For a start, chances are they will

not be able to tell the difference

between a good franchise

agreement that complies with

the European code of ethics for

franchising and one that doesn’t.

Also, they may look at the

document and think: “This is far

too one-sided” before proceeding

to make wholesale changes to

“Lawyers with

experience in

franchising will

know the market

and potentially

the business

model in which

the franchisee is

looking to invest”

the contract, which are never

going to be acceptable to the

franchisor.

When this is presented to the

franchisor, they will probably

reject all the changes, meaning

the franchisee will have wasted

money paying their solicitor for

making the amendments without

actually getting anywhere.

In contrast, lawyers with

experience in franchising will

know the market and potentially

the business model in which the

franchisee is looking to invest. They

have a greater understanding of

what is fair in franchising, where a

franchisor may be willing to amend

a provision and where they will not.

WHAT SHOULD YOU

LOOK FOR IN A LAWYER

BEFORE ENLISTING THEIR

SERVICES?

A franchise agreement should

always be reviewed by a lawyer

who is an affiliate of the

British Franchise Association.

Affiliates are all accredited by

the bfa as having significant

experience in franchising.

Instead of seeking to make

wholesale revisions to the

agreement, a bfa affiliate will

usually focus on preparing a

report on it for the franchisee,

which explains all the key terms

and perhaps suggests some areas

where the franchisee

needs to seek more

information or

clarification from

the franchisor.

82 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


The franchisee can send this

report to the franchisor, discuss it

with them and allow the franchisor

to respond to any queries.

IS IT IMPORTANT THAT

A LAWYER IS LOCAL

TO ME OR CAN THEY

PROVIDE THEIR SERVICE

NO MATTER WHERE

THEY’RE BASED?

In my view, it doesn’t matter

where the lawyer is based.

The recent national lockdown

caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

showed how easy it is for legal

work to be carried out remotely,

with face-to-face consultations

over Zoom if necessary.

This suits us, as we happen

to be a virtual law firm anyway,

meaning we have no fixed

office premises,

allowing us to operate on a much

more cost effective basis for

franchisees.

HOW DOES A LAWYER

CHARGE FOR THEIR

SERVICES AND HOW

MUCH SHOULD I

EXPECT TO PAY?

If your lawyer is still charging by

the hour for anything other than

litigation, you need to switch firm.

Most lawyers should be able

to provide a fixed fee service

for reviewing the franchise

agreement, preparing a report

on it and having a follow-up

consultation with you. You should

expect to pay in the region of

£400-£750 (plus VAT) for this

service. Albany Fraser offers a

fixed fee of £450 (plus VAT).

£400

to

£750

(plus VAT)

WHAT A LAWYER WILL

CHARGE TO PROVIDE

A COMPREHENSIVE

ASSESSMENT OF

A FRANCHISE

AGREEMENT

ONCE THE BUSINESS

IS UP AND RUNNING,

WHAT OTHER SERVICES

CAN A LAWYER OFFER

A FRANCHISEE?

There is likely to be a whole

host of services a lawyer

can provide to a franchisee

once their business is up and

running.

Some of the

more common

services

would be

employment

law,

advice on

employing and

maintaining

staff; commercial law,

advice on terms and

conditions of business

or commercial

contracts with

suppliers, if these

are not subject

to the franchisor’s

standard terms; data

protection, advice on

how you can use personal data

received from customers; property

law, advice on a lease of any

premises or issues arising under

it; and corporate law,

advice on shareholders’

agreements or the operation

of the franchisee company.

The franchisee is unlikely to

need much further franchising

law advice unless or until an

issue arises with the franchisor

or the franchisee wishes to

renew or sell their franchise.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 83


INSIGHT

10 leading franchise lawyers

What Franchise’s pick of the most distinguished members of the

UK legal profession

Roz Goldstein

FOUNDER, GOLDSTEIN LEGAL

Stephen

Thompson

MANAGING PARTNER AND

HEAD OF FRANCHISING,

DARWIN GRAY

An affiliate member of the British Franchise Association, Stephen

has over 20 years’ experience in the franchising industry.

In addition to day-to-day legal assistance, he assists with

strategic goals and resales. A trained litigator, Stephen also deals

with franchise disputes.

He is one of only two qualified franchise professionals in

Wales. Stephen is also regional chair for the South West & Wales

Encouraging Women into Franchising branch.

John Pratt

SENIOR PARTNER, HAMILTON PRATT

Who’s Who Legal has twice rated John as Europe’s

leading franchise lawyer in the last three years.

He’s been the legal adviser to the British

Franchise Association, chair of the International Bar

Association’s Franchising Committee, chair of the

American Bar Association’s International Franchising

Division and chair of Euro Franchise Lawyers, the

grouping of Europe’s leading franchise lawyers.

John is also the author of the UK’s text book on the

legal aspects of franchising.

Hamilton Pratt has a team of eight lawyers

exclusively undertaking franchise related matters and

represents nearly 40 per cent of bfa full members.

Roz founded Goldstein Legal in 2006, after

almost 20 years’ experience working as

an in-house lawyer for companies such

as Burger King and O2. Today the firm

provides legal advice to domestic clients,

as well as those overseas.

In 2017 she published The Essential

Guide to Franchising Your Business: A

Business Owner’s Roadmap to Franchise

Success to help aspiring franchisors

achieve their business goals.

Roz also sits on the British Franchise

Association board of directors and is a

qualified franchise professional.

Shelley Nadler

LEGAL DIRECTOR, BIRD & BIRD

Recognised as an expert in

franchising in the Legal Business

Guide to Legal Experts, during her

25-plus years in franchising Shelley

has been retained as counsel for a

number of household names in the

retail and food and beverage sectors

and advises services and educational

businesses, including British Franchise

Association members, start-ups and

established brands.

With particular expertise in

structuring and developing domestic

and international franchise networks,

she also advises franchisors on

multichannel expansion strategies,

franchise business sales, managing

franchisee networks and using online

portals and automation to manage

the production and storage of

franchise documentation.

84 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


Nicola

Broadhurst

PARTNER,

STEVENS & BOLTON

Andy

Fraser

FOUNDER, ALBANY

FRASER SOLICITORS

Top ranked by legal directories Who’s

Who Global Franchising, the World

Trademark Review, The Legal 500 and

Chambers UK, Nicola joined Stevens

& Bolton in 2011 as a partner and

head of franchising.

She specialises in helping

businesses expand primarily through

franchising and has a particular focus

on international expansion.

Nicola currently serves

on the British Franchise

Association’s quality standards

committee, advising on compliance

issues and best practice in franchising.

She’s also a member of the

American Bar Association Franchise

Forum, the International Bar

Association’s International Franchising

Committee and is a council member

and liaison officer for the IBA European

Regional Forum.

Albany Fraser Solicitors is a commercial law firm

with franchising at its heart.

Andy set it up in 2019 with a view to helping

franchisors and franchisees of all shapes and sizes

make smarter decisions.

Accredited by the British Franchise Association as

a qualified franchise professional, he originally trained

as a franchise consultant with one of the UK’s leading

franchise consultancy practices, where he worked on

projects for brands such as Ralph Lauren, American

Eagle Outfitters, Esprit and Whittard of Chelsea.

Vicki Mitman

SOLICITOR, NMW

As a franchise specialist solicitor and former

director of an international franchisor, having

first-hand experience of life as a franchisor

means Vicki’s advice is commercial and realistic.

She’s also an executive coach and mentor

and advises on the creation and updating of

operations manuals.

Vicki has been a qualified franchise

professional for many years. She’s served as

chair of the British Franchise Association’s

affiliate forum and membership committee

and chaired regional meetings of

Encouraging Women into Franchising for

more than five years.

Over the years, Vicki has won the Service

Provider in Franchising and Young Woman in

Franchising awards.

Eric

Galbraith

PARTNER, BRODIES

With 35 years’ experience of

transactional and corporate

advisory work, Eric has

established his reputation as

a trusted adviser with a deep

understanding of clients’

businesses and goals, both

corporate and personal.

He leads the Brodies top

ranked franchising group and

has established a reputation

for handling complex

deals and international

franchising projects.

Eric is also a Band 1 Ranked

Individual in the Chambers

UK 2020 franchising category

and his expertise is grounded

in his experience of working

with owner-managers, with

a particular focus on the food

and drink industry.

Jane Masih

MANAGING DIRECTOR,

OWEN WHITE SOLICITORS

As well as being MD, Jane also leads Owen White’s

franchising team. She’s been advising on all aspects

of franchising for over 25 years, plus she’s an

experienced commercial and corporate lawyer.

A regular speaker at franchise events and writer on

franchising, Jane received Encouraging Women into Franchising’s Outstanding

Contribution to Women in Franchising Award in 2014. She’s also served on the British

Franchise Association’s board of directors as the affiliate legal representative and is

currently a non-executive director of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Emma

Lusty

PRINCIPAL

ASSOCIATE,

SHOOSMITHS

Emma has an interest in commercial contracts specialising

in franchising and works with franchisor and franchisee

clients on drafting franchise agreements and other

franchise documents; advising franchisors in relation

to their resale process and franchisees in relation to the

buying and selling of both franchise businesses and

competitor businesses; and guiding franchisors in relation

to breach/termination issues and disputes.

She’s been recognised as an up and coming lawyer by

Chambers and Partners in relation to franchising, appears

in The Legal 500 for franchising and is acknowledged by

Legal Who’s Who as an expert in franchising.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 85



BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Growth market

What’s On In is the website for people wishing to find

out what’s on in their town, city and holiday location

AT A GLANCE

WHAT’S ON IN

Minimum required capital:

franchise costs £798. Interest free

loan available

Contact: Dani Smith

enquiries@woifranchise.com

07860 833822

woifranchise.com

Behind the Brand - What’s On In

O

f the What’s On In

franchise, managing

director Dani Smith

says: “It was simple,

we know the UK online advertising

market is worth £189 million and we

saw the market was wide open.

“We also wanted to make our

franchise available to anyone and

that’s why we priced it at £798. The

return on investment is amazing.

We also offer an interest free

finance package and payment over

three-six months.”

USER FRIENDLY

She goes on to explain: “I needed

to make sure our web platform was

user friendly for the advertisers and

that we could offer any business a

free sales web page. 82 per cent of

UK businesses have no website, so

we needed to address this with a

free web page for every advertiser.”

THREE FRANCHISE

PACKAGES

What’s On In offers three types

of franchise:

• Single franchise postcode.

• Master franchise, UK or globally.

• Corporate franchise, Europe

and globally.

FLEXIBLE OPPORTUNITY

A typical What’s On In website not

only offers a franchisee an excellent

income from advertisers, but also

allows them to place affiliates on

their website, which pay franchisees

up to 70 per cent commission. There

are three income streams:

• Income for main businesses.

• Income from tradesmen.

• Income from affiliates.

A franchisee needs no technical

knowledge, as all loading of adverts

is carried out by the What’s On In

support team. Bookings are made

online via the website and payment

is made within three minutes

direct to the franchisee’s PayPal

account, which means excellent

cash flow.

OPTIONAL 50-50 SYSTEM

What’s On In has an optional

50-50 system, whereby you have

a commission only sales person

building your postcode area for

you, offering complete freedom,

and is perfect for someone with

an existing business or job who

wants a ‘hands off franchise’.

This option obviously requires

less commitment from the

franchisee.

Potential monthly incomes are

£5,000-£20,000, depending on

commitment. Franchisees receive

a fully exclusive postcode area.

The exclusive online franchise

members’ area provides in-depth

and comprehensive franchisee

support and access to tips,

advice and training tools.

LOW COST ENTRY

Dani believes What’s On In offers

the perfect low cost entry into

the profitable franchise arena.

New franchise opportunities

are continually added throughout

the UK. With its self service

platform, high visibility, full

tracking and low advertising

cost, the What’s On In franchise

offers the ultimate in online

advertising.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 87


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Molly Maid UK

High demand

and thrilled

customers

Molly Maid franchise owners have bounced

back to rebuild their businesses

T

he last few months have

confirmed why Molly

Maid leads the way in

the domestic cleaning

market, attracting more and more

customers and providing franchise

owners with an exciting and

prosperous business opportunity.

When challenges arise, the

strongest rise to the surface and

you’ve only got to look at the way

the company’s franchise owners

have navigated a turbulent few

months and bounced back to

rebuild their businesses to see

this, while showing genuine care

and reassuring their teams and

customers every step of the way.

YOU ARE NEVER ALONE

Molly Maid says it would never have

developed such a strong brand

without a close partnership with its

franchise owners, understanding

their needs and their efforts to

deliver a reliable and consistent

service. Recent months have shown

how much this relationship has

been appreciated.

Janine Symondson, Thame,

says: “I have really appreciated

the daily memos - fantastic

leadership and guidance

through this challenging time.”

Louise Bain, Chester, explains:

“I wouldn’t have known where

to start without the regular

updates from the support office

and I’m very grateful for all the

help and advice.

“This is a very scary time for all

of us. This unprecedented time

has been made much easier due

to the tireless work of the support

office. Thank you all so much.”

Denise Walker, Berwick, says:

“How do I put into words how

much the Molly Maid family

means to me?

“The concern and support

from all have made me realise

the special place we all hold

within this circle and would

be envied by many other

businesses at this time.”

For more examples of positive

feedback from Molly Maid

franchise owners, click the link

under the support section on the

‘Owning a Franchise’ page of the

company’s website.

AT A GLANCE

MOLLY MAID UK

Established:

1984

Number of franchised outlets: 68

Location of units: across the UK, from

Scotland to the south coast

Investment range: £18,975 (plus VAT) and

£7,000 working capital (£10,000 of the

£18,975 is allocated to marketing for the

first 12-18 months)

Minimum required capital: at least 30

per cent of the total investment (£7,975).

The remainder can be funded through a

business loan

Contact: Aaron Watson, director of

business development. 01628 583765.

awatson@mollymaid.co.uk

mollymaid.co.uk/franchise

“The company

is now seeing

enquiries from

new customers

surpass pre-

COVID levels”

IN SAFE HANDS

In collaboration with its SEO and

paid search partners and the

investment by Molly Maid support

office and franchise owners, the

company is now seeing enquiries

from new customers surpass pre-

COVID levels, nearing 5,000 new

leads every month.

The Molly Maid website and

comprehensive marketing tools

share its trademarked Homesafe

procedures, including the company’s

specialist sanitizing products, giving

new customers the reassurance they

need to be sure the cleaning of their

home is in safe hands.

ENDURING AND TRUSTING

RELATIONSHIPS WITH

CUSTOMERS

When you combine a care for the

cleaning service Molly Maid provides

with its constant communication

throughout this crisis, it is no surprise

the company has such a strong bond

with its customers.

Molly Maid never takes for granted

the trust its customers place in the

company, which is why so many have

trusted it to return to their home.

Take a look at the Trustpilot

feedback on the Molly Maid website

to see the delight of its customers.

88 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

+

ANOOP SEKHON LEFT HER

9-5 TO BECOME A BLUEBIRD

CARE FRANCHISEE

WHAT FIRST GOT

YOU INTERESTED IN

FRANCHISING?

My interest was sparked by a few

friends who were in the same

position as me - bored at work

in a 9-5 that felt like a dead end,

wondering if this is what life was

about and being in a position

of not being able to change

an organisation that was in

desperate need of change.

The concept of franchising

was something I fell into. I didn’t

really have any idea what it was

about or what support would be

offered at the initial stage.

The reason why the Bluebird

Care franchise model worked for

me was because it was clear I

would not always need to know

all the answers because the

network appeared to work so

closely with each other.

With their quality managers,

marketing support managers and

business development managers

supporting us from the franchise

support centre, how can your

business not work?

HOW DID YOU GET

STARTED AND WHAT

HELP AND SUPPORT

DID YOU GET?

Getting started was an

interesting step, as it was almost

like your hand was being held.

The franchisor invited me

along for an interview to see if

I could uphold the values of the

brand and after that the support

was ongoing.

I received support to raise

capital, speaking to banks,

constructing a business plan,

registering with our regulator

and even when interviewing

people for the team.

WHAT IS YOUR

WORKING LIFE

LIKE NOW?

The Bluebird Care model is set

so you’re not working in your

business, but on your business,

which is key for the business to

thrive and prosper.

I would not say I have a

working life on my journey with

Bluebird Care, I would say I

have a life that I live. I have a

good social, exercising, working

and family balance that I have

created with the support of my

Bluebird Care team.

I have a great team who I

trust to uphold the values of

the business and I’m on hand

to ensure any guidance can be

provided as and when the team

need it.

The only thing I struggle

to do is stay away from my

AT A GLANCE

BLUEBIRD CARE

Established:

2004

Number of franchised outlets: 206

Location of units: UK and Ireland

Investment range: £100,000-£115,000

Minimum required capital: £34,500

Contact: Victoria Brown, Franchise

Development Manager. 07912 771149

bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk

“I have a great

team who I trust to

uphold the values

of the business”

work phone for long periods of

time. The weirdest thing about

that is the team is so great it

hardly rings!

WHAT DO YOU

LOVE MOST ABOUT

YOUR JOB?

I can make each day fun and be as

creative as I want to be. The biggest

thing I love about my job is working

with a team who are inspired and

love being at work.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

To continue to grow and expand

with the Bluebird Care network, to

build on businesses that I already

have and hopefully continue to

expand to other territories.

I’m looking forward to more

staff joining my team and making

a positive difference in their

life, so they can make a positive

difference to the lives of people

we look after.

BE A PART OF THE STORY

With more people than ever

seeking an alternative to

traditional care homes, there has

never been a better time to start a

home care franchise.

With a network of over 200

franchisees across the UK and

Northern Ireland, many achieving

six-figure turnovers and expanding

through purchasing multiple

territories, Bluebird Care’s multirevenue

management model

enables franchisees to diversify

their service offerings through

a brand that is recognised for

outstanding care.

Behind the Brand - Bluebird Care

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 89


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Get Ahead VA

Family friendly

franchising

Get Ahead VA franchisee Marie Peters says

flexible franchising provides a solution to that

elusive work-life balance

M

arie Peters joined Get

Ahead VA at the start

of 2020 to run the West

Surrey franchise.

After many years of commuting

to London, she was looking forward

to working closer to her hometown

of Farnborough to support

businesses in the local area.

With over 15 years’ experience

in digital media planning,

business operations and project

management roles, Marie was well

placed to run her own virtual team,

delivering marketing and business

services to small and mediumsized

enterprises in Surrey. Little

did she know a global pandemic

was about to hit.

RIGHT DECISION

Marie says: “The ironic thing is, I

quit my job at the start of the year

so that I would have more time at

home with my kids. If you’d told me

then that I’d be spending 24/7 at

home with them for six months, I’d

have laughed.

“But actually I feel so lucky

to have decided to move into

franchising when I did. Both in the

short term of this crisis and the

longer term as things get back to

normal, I know I have made the

right decision.”

“Having her and the other

franchisees there as a support

has been vital - from casual

chats and supportive WhatsApp

messages to bouncing around

ideas about how we can best

support our clients.

“Rebecca even helped me

deliver my first virtual expo.

Everyone bringing their own

perspective to the group has

meant we have been able to stay

positive and help each other.

“At times it’s been tough having

the kids at home and I’ve had to get

creative with our schedule, working

in the mornings and evenings and

scheduling some movie afternoons

so I get a bit of headspace.

“But I don’t know how I

managed the commute to London

AT A GLANCE

GET AHEAD VA

Established:

2017

Number of franchised outlets: 6

Location of units: Leeds, South Yorkshire,

East Midlands, Berkshire & North

Hampshire, West Surrey, Suffolk & Essex

Investment range: £8,000

Minimum required capital: £0

Contact: 01483 332220 or

rebecca@getaheadva.com

franchise.getaheadva.com

“Being part

of a franchise

means I’m

never alone”

to sit in the same office for nine

hours every day for so long now.”

MAKING THE LEAP

Marie says she’s still glad she

made the leap to work for herself:

“The reasons I went for it and

invested in the business are more

important now than ever.

“I have long been an advocate

for flexible working and believe

the 9-5 is outdated. By moving

into franchising with Get Ahead

VA, I have finally found the family

friendly, flexible work solution I

was looking for.”

TAKING CONTROL

According to Marie, working for

herself allows her to take control of

work commitments and work when

and how it suits her.

“But being part of a franchise

means I have so much support and

I’m never alone,” she adds. “Ever

since lockdown, our founder and

director, Rebecca Newenham, has

been fantastic.

90 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

The

sparkle way

With a vision of a cleaner future, Gareth Sanders

of Sparkle Cleaning explains how his values have

helped him build his business

AT A GLANCE

SPARKLE

CLEANING

Established: 2016

Number of franchised outlets: 6

Location of units: Bristol, Bath,

Newport, Swindon, Birmingham central,

Birmingham north

Investment range: £10,000

Minimum required capital: £5,000

Contact: 01172 591456

sparklecleanup.com

Behind the Brand - Sparkle Cleaning

W

hen I started my

business, I didn’t

really have a plan, but

I had £800 in my

pocket, a lot of management and

business experience as an

employee to draw on and an idea

of what sort of company is great

to be part of.

I’ve worked in companies

before where I’ve not been valued.

I know how that feels and I never

wanted that for our business.

Historically, cleaners have not

always been treated well by their

employers or by clients they

work for and we believe cleaning

is a valuable career - not just a

minimum wage job.

MIXING FUN WITH

PROFESSIONALISM

I’ve thought hard about the

culture and values I personally

live by and those I want my

company to live by.

We, at Sparkle Cleaning, are

unique because our business

is more than just a group of

people who are cleaning - it’s

a family of people who mix fun

with professionalism and always

support each other to offer the

best possible service to our

customers.

Our staff love being part of a

team and in an industry known

for high staff turnover we have a

great retention rate, with people

who joined us when we started

still being with us today.

We strive to keep our staff

happy by paying fairly and offering

support and training when

required, as we believe that great

team members help us to add

value to our business and provide

a better service for our clients.

FAMILY FIRST

I wanted to create an environment

at Sparkle Cleaning where ‘family

first’ is a guiding value.

When people work for us, they

are part of our family - they can

take ownership of their work and

they have a part to play in a team.

We reward excellent behaviour

“In an industry

known for high

staff turnover,

we have a great

retention rate”

and work. If we get great feedback

from one of our clients, the staff

that work on that project are

rewarded. We want people to

grow with us, have enjoyment in

their work and become confident

team members and team leaders.

We deliver high quality,

dependable cleaning services

because our people are committed

to doing the best job possible.

PEOPLE ARE KEY

After the value and culture

are established, the rest of the

business comes together more

easily. People are key - the right

people. Having clear values and

culture makes recruitment a lot

easier as a business owner.

For example, we know we’re

looking for people who put their

family first and believe in keeping

things simple, adding value and

having fun. We know by recruiting

well into a great environment that

you will also retain those staff.

This reinforces the great company

culture, helps the business

continue to produce excellent

work and reduces the running

costs of your business.

Running my business is part

of my life. We all get tough days

in business and this alignment

of personal and business values

makes the hard days easier and

decision making simpler. I wish

you well on your journey.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 91


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Maplebrook Wills

Motivated

communicators

wanted

There are two ways to join Maplebrook Wills’

expanding UK network

A

n established company

with a rapidly growing

client base, Maplebrook

Wills helps people

distribute their assets according to

their wishes by writing the perfect

will for their circumstances and

preparing other legal documents,

such as lasting powers of attorney,

prepaid funeral plans and trusts.

In 2019, the company had 700 per

cent growth.

Maplebrook Wills was founded

as a franchise business by Mike

Pugh, the Top Will Writer UK (New

Leaf) 2016 and 2017 and he runs the

company today - as well as his own

hugely successful territory.

AT A GLANCE

MAPLEBROOK

WILLS

Established:

2012

Number of franchised outlets: 40-plus

Location of units: UK-wide

Investment range: From £2,995-£7.750

(plus VAT)

Minimum required capital:

£2,995 (plus VAT)

Contact: Alex Chewins. 0117 440 1555.

alex.chewins@maplebrook.co.uk

maplebrook.co.uk

“26 per cent of

franchisees’

business is from

previous clients”

VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

This was achieved through

establishing and implementing

systems and methods for generating

leads, selling and writing wills,

harnessing supplementary

income streams from services

that complement will writing and

generating more leads - all in a

stunningly successful virtuous circle.

At the heart of the business

is The EDGE Software platform,

which has been developed to

run franchisees’ and network

members practices.

Mike says the tool will manage

your leads, appointments, emails,

invoicing and legal document

production all on one platform.

Your leads are also delivered

direct to your desktop. The speed,

control and ease of use means

people from all walks of life can

now become successful estate

planning owners.

INVESTMENT OPTIONS

EXPLAINED

Mike adds: “We now offer two

ways to market, dependent on

your background and financial

circumstances.

“Firstly, our fully branded

Maplebrook Wills franchise, which

provides an exclusive area with the

flexibility to trade wherever your

leads take you.

“Second, if you want to plug into

all our training, support and software

tools while using your own brand and

company name you can and entry

level investment is reduced.”

Whichever option you take,

Maplebrook Wills is able to

supply you with leads directly

to your software platform and

mobile device.

REFERRAL MODEL

The availability of quality monitored

leads is a game changer for all

estate planners and will provide a

level of security and the opportunity

to develop referrals and more leads.

26 per cent of franchisees’

business is from previous clients.

This is driven by Maplebrook’s

successful income generating

referral model. That’s one out of

every four clients.

Maplebrook Wills now has over 40

franchisees and network members

across the UK and is expanding

rapidly and looking for motivated

communicators.

Success can be different for every

business owner, so whether you’re

looking for a six-figure income

or a part-time additional income

Maplebrook Wills can offer you a

perfect business model.

92 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Fulfil your

ambitions

There’s still time to make 2020 what you want it

to be with a Subway franchise

AT A GLANCE

SUBWAY

Established: 1965

Number of franchised outlets: 42,500

globally

Location of units: worldwide in more than

113 countries

Investment range: £85,570-£221,240

Contact: 0800 0855 058 (UK)

or 1800 413 076 (Eire)

franchiseopportunities@subway.co.uk

subwayfranchising.com

Behind the Brand - Subway

S

ubway is the world’s

largest franchise network,

made up of thousands of

entrepreneurs. Each store

is individually owned and operated by

franchise owners, who are members of

the local community and committed to

contributing to their local economy.

Subway’s franchise model has helped

many entrepreneurial individuals

become franchise owners and take

control of their destinies. Could you

be next?

I LOVED THE BRAND

Will Bray became a Subway franchise

owner at just 22 and is now the proud

owner of four Subway stores in Bath.

He studied agriculture and business

studies at Newcastle University and

“The best part of being a

Subway franchise owner is

the flexibility it offers”

within months of graduating,

became the franchise owner of a

Subway store in Bath.

Will explains: “During my school

years, I was a regular visitor to

my local Subway store. In fact, the

sandwich artists began to recognise

me and would start making my

sub to my exact specifications long

before I had even had to ask for it.

“I loved the brand and its future

potential. My family is in farming,

but I didn’t feel this was the right

career path for me. With the

business studies knowledge I had

gained at university and my passion

for the brand, a Subway franchise

felt like the perfect career.”

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE

Will met with his local business

development team, who were

able to provide all the advice and

guidance he needed. With a little

financial support from his dad,

Will became the franchise owner

of an existing Subway store in Bath

in August 2016. A second store in

the city followed in May 2018 and

two further stores in late 2019.

Like all new franchise owners,

Will attended a two-week

training course at the Subway

support centre in Cambridge.

This provided all the necessary

classroom and in-store experience

he needed to run his franchise.

“The training was good fun,”

Will says. “I had a great group,

many of whom were from different

countries in Europe and we have

stayed in touch.

“The support Subway provides

for franchise owners is ongoing

and consistent. My business

consultant is always at the end

of the phone to help with

anything from deliveries to

financials and advertising.

“The best part of being a Subway

franchise owner is the flexibility it

offers. I enjoy being my own boss,

in charge of my work-life balance

and longer-term future.”

TYPICAL DAY

A typical day sees Will spreading

his time across his four Subway

stores in Bath. He regularly works

on the front line, serving guests

alongside his 35 members of staff.

“I enjoy building a rapport with

my guests and getting to know

them and the local community,”

Will says. “It’s important my guests

realise that behind the big Subway

brand is a small business owner,

who wants to be a valuable member

of the local community.”

With new and existing store

opportunities available throughout

the UK and Ireland, Subway is

keen to hear from hard-working,

entrepreneurial individuals who

want to join one of the most

popular franchise brands.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 93


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Behind the Brand - Franchise Finance

Forecast the

future

Hitachi Capital Franchise Finance explains the

importance of creating an effective cash flow

forecast for your business

A

good cash flow forecast

is a valuable tool. But

how do you plan ahead

if you’re just starting

out or a new business owner? And

how do you create a cash flow

forecast that’s useful?

Here, we’ll explain how to create

a cash flow forecast that could

help take the pressure off your

small business in the short term

and make it easier to grow in the

long term.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO

CREATE A CASH FLOW

FORECAST?

Understanding your future cash

position helps you to make better

decisions about funding and how

to grow your business responsibly.

It’s essential information if you’re

hoping to expand your franchise

operation to multiple sites, buy

more stock or take on extra staff.

A good cash flow forecast helps

you to understand if you’ve got

enough money coming in to cover

all your overheads and pay staff and

suppliers. If you don’t have enough

cash coming in, you can’t pay your

bills on time. This affects your

credit ratings and, ultimately, could

lead to the end of your business.

WHY IS A CASH FLOW

FORECAST SO CRITICAL?

Everyone’s in a different situation.

However, every business is

dependent on the activity of its

creditors and debtors and it’s

important to maintain a healthy

balance between the two.

If you get paid late by a customer,

you have to settle an invoice earlier

than you expected or the business

owner doesn’t plan properly and

takes too much money out of

AT A GLANCE

FRANCHISE

FINANCE

For more information call

01844 355575 or email

fundingteam@franchisefinance.co.uk

hitachicapital.co.uk/franchise-finance

“You’ll need

to reconcile

what’s coming

in and going

out regularly”

it, your business may become

financially vulnerable.

Low cash levels means extra

pressure for you to deal with. It

takes away some of your freedom

to make choices about how the

business grows or runs.

The answer to this problem is to

project your cash flow and try to

predict any action that’s needed to

prevent that from happening. This

is called cash flow forecasting and

this is the simplest way to set up a

13-week cash flow forecast:

HOW TO SET UP THE

SIMPLEST CASH FLOW

FORECAST

You’ll need to reconcile what’s

coming in and going out regularly.

Generally, if you’re seeking funding,

cash flow forecasts are produced

over 12 months.

However, many small business

owners find it’s beneficial to update

their cash flow on a weekly basis

over a 13-week period. 13 weeks is

just over a quarter of a season in

calendar terms. It’s also the usual

length of time used by accountants,

investors and lenders to assess if a

business has a positive outlook for

its cash flow.

You may be surprised by how

far forward you can project your

income, particularly if you’ve

already started issuing invoices.

But you’ll also see very quickly how

useful a cash flow forecast is for

monitoring who you’re expecting

to make payments and what the

impact might be if those payments

are delayed.

Try it for yourself - manage your

business the right way.

94 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3


BEHIND THE BRAND: PARTNER CONTENT

Forward looking

franchise

Homeworking revolution and tax breaks mean a

bright future for Schmidt franchisees

AT A GLANCE

SCHMIDT

Established: 1959

Number of franchised outlets: 26

Location of units: retail parks and high

streets

Investment range: £350,000

Minimum required capital: £80,000

Contact: expansion.uk@Groupe.Schmidt

schmidtfranchise.co.uk

stools and tables, all of which

can be personalised.

“They can design a home office

that they can be proud to be seen

in, either online or in person.”

Behind the Brand - Schmidt

T

he most desirable feature

of a home is now an office

- and Schmidt franchisees

are set to benefit from the

rush to install them.

Better still, many homebuyers will

be able to fund their office with money

saved by stamp duty cuts.

Rosalyn Hastings, Schmidt’s UK

expansion manager, says: “A home

office now tops the list of homebuyers’

demands, according to estate agent

surveys - and Schmidt franchisees are

perfectly placed to supply them.”

“A home office now tops

the list of homebuyers’

demands, according to estate

agent surveys”

FULL RANGE OF INTERIORS

Schmidt’s 20-plus UK franchisees

supply a full range of interiors -

including offices - as well as

kitchens and bathrooms.

Surveys show that many people

now prefer working from home,

so for sellers a home office makes

a property more attractive.

Homebuyers will be adding new

offices and people staying put will

be installing or revamping offices

to make homeworking easier. It all

means extra business for Schmidt

franchisees.

Franchisees are seeing extra

customer interest in the brand’s

range of fitted designer furniture,

such as desks, cupboards and

bookcases. Customers can

design their own home offices in

consultation with the franchisee

in one of Schmidt’s showrooms or

on the Schmidt website, using its

Creativ’Box online design tool.

Alice Pasteau, Schmidt Groupe

product trainer, says: “They

can also select from a wide

choice of lighting and furniture,

such as office desks, chairs,

HOME OFFICE FUNDING

Property buyers can even fund the

installation of their office using

the savings made on stamp duty.

Stamp duty reductions, which

apply until March 31, 2021, can

save buyers thousands of pounds,

which can be used to invest in a

home office, designed with the

help of a Schmidt franchisee.

This new trend provides future

revenue for Schmidt franchisees

to look forward to and as

customers pay for projects before

franchisees order the materials,

the Schmidt franchise is a positive

cash flow business.

Rosalyn says: “We are

continuing our expansion plans

and welcome applications from

ambitious prospective franchise

partners. We’re looking to the

future and we’re seeking forward

looking people to come with us.”

CUTTING EDGE

TECHNOLOGY

As well as offering complete

interior solutions - why limit your

profits to just one room of the

house? - franchisees benefit from

cutting edge technology that has a

big impact on sales.

Customers can use online

design tools to ‘try before they

buy’ from you and showrooms

offer VR designs, so customers

can experience their new interiors

before work begins; that’s a

powerful sales tool.

You can start with just £80,000

in upfront capital, since Schmidt

offers an interest free loan to

cover showroom fit-out and has

arrangements with two UK banks to

finance the remainder of the total

investment of around £350,000.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 95


ADVICE INSIGHT

A journey with many twists

and turns

Most franchisees achieve a certain degree of success. However, there are

always outliers who outperform the average and those who struggle to

achieve results

WORDS BY DAN ROWE AND CRAIG BASS

THE AUTHORS

Dan Rowe is CEO and

founder of franchise

development

company Fransmart

Craig Bass is president

and owner of Golden

Heart Senior Care

W

hen it comes to

franchising, an outside

force may affect the

level of success, but

usually it can be tracked to the

most predictable of subjects - the

franchisee.

High flying franchisees

share similar qualities

The franchisees with the highest

grossing franchises share similar

qualities. Committed franchisees

focus on getting everything they do

right 100 per cent of the time. When

they make mistakes, they own up to

them and make course corrections.

They don’t give up easily, as

persistence and resilience drive

them to keep going despite

setbacks. Curiosity and self

discipline are the motivation to

improve their skill set. They are

coachable and know that training is

like bathing - you have to do it daily.

Successful franchisees stay

focused on starting and building

a business for the future. The end

goal is a constant in their mind, as

they work towards the business

they want to have four to five years

in the future and beyond.

A focus on the future changes

a franchisee’s approach to

quality, execution and keeps them

concentrated on building a business

they could sell in 10 years.

They work diligently to apply the

proven business model. They apply

the systems, tools and coaching

that’s on offer to them. Successful

franchisees know that building a

business is hard work, but the

fruits of their efforts will

result in a sustainable

business that

provides cash flow, while building

a company they can sell for a

significant sum.

Dynamic and

learnable skills

The good news is that anyone

who is willing to be trained and

coached can be a successful

franchisee. The qualities aren’t

static, they are dynamic and

learnable. If a franchisee is open

to feedback and coaching, they

can build new skills.

You get what you focus on.

For franchisors, their focus

should be on building successful

franchisees. It would be a mistake

to expect franchisees to know

everything they need from day

one. They need training and

measurement. Franchisors have

to manage their own expectations

and hold franchisees to standards,

retraining and recoaching for the

life of the relationship.

While a prospect’s

background and

experience is important,

it’s critical for a franchisor

to determine if a potential

franchisee can be a

successful one.

You want your

franchisees to be happy

and successful, as

those are the

franchisees

who will achieve their goals. There

are moments before signing a deal

when speaking with a prospect

to get answers to your biggest

questions about the franchisee.

The first answers they give will

always be superficial. The prospect

may give answers they think you

want to hear. It’s imperative to

keep that conversation going

until you find out the true

nature of the prospect.

I look for people who are

motivated, coachable

and personally

96 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 15.5 16.3


accountable. I also look for people

who are curious and eager to

learn new skills. It’s the job of

franchisors to share their best

practices and business operations,

to show new franchisees how

to model the most successful

franchisees in their system.

Assisting

underperforming

franchisees

Even after a franchisee is

in the system and begins

to struggle, there are

ways to bring them

back on the path to success.

Some franchisees decide to do

what they think is best and ignore

the tools and guidance from their

franchisors and other successful

franchisees. They choose to ignore

the wisdom available to them from

those who have come before.

Franchising is a system. You

follow the system to achieve

results. It’s illogical that there

are franchisees, regardless

of what they have

promised or the success

they see others achieving,

who willfully do things

their own way or, sadly, cut

corners. Some even expect results

without applying the energy it takes

to achieve them.

A franchise isn’t an ATM

machine that spits out results -

the franchisee has to focus on

their success and follow the system

every hour of every day.

Every franchisee in the system

is supposed to be doing exactly the

same thing every day. Even so, there

are some who require handholding,

to recognise their errors,

learn from

their

mistakes

and recommit

to following the

best practices set

forth in the system and operations

manuals. When a franchisee can do

that, they become successful.

Work directly with struggling

franchisees to assess their

challenges. From there, you will be

able to provide focused and specific

guidance to get them back on track.

It really is simple to be successful

in franchising. Success leaves

clues, so always model the most

successful franchisees in the

system by looking at their metrics

and do what they do. A franchisor

“Anyone who is willing

to be trained and

coached can be a

successful franchisee”

should measure everything and

then share the data.

Generally, franchisees struggle

because of a lack of focus,

dedication and passion for building

a business. If they’re willing to put

in the energy and work and apply

the coaching on offer, they can

achieve their goals. Franchising

is not a business for anyone who

suffers doubt, self sabotage,

insecurity or struggles with

anger issues.

You buy a franchise because it’s a

system. The business comes with a

proven model and operations plan.

It’s a road map to success. Starting

a business is a journey. High

performing franchisee embrace the

journey and franchisors give them

the map.

The big question is

whether a prospect is

willing to adapt to

the needs of the

business and

challenge

themselves

to succeed.

That is the real

determining factor

in success.

WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 97


OPINION

Brexit, COVID-19 and

emerging new norms

Franchising has demonstrated its resilience during what has

been an eventful year for the sector

WORDS BY EMILY PRICE

THE AUTHOR

Emily Price is chief

operating officer at

the British Franchise

Association

A

fter a long period of

uncertainty in the UK

because of ongoing Brexit

legislation, The British

& International Franchise Exhibition

kicked off 2020 in a big way.

Visitor levels were healthy,

the industry appeared to be full

of positivity and aspirations of

network growth were widespread.

Then COVID-19 landed and created

huge disruption all over the world.

Impact of the virus

Some franchises had to close their

doors completely, meaning income

generation was virtually impossible,

while others were inundated with

work, but struggled to pay the

increased cost to trade safely.

The British Franchise Association

kept close to its members,

boosting the support offered by the

organisation beyond balance sheets

and business plans to include wellbeing

schedules too.

Importantly, franchisors were

able to invest in research and

development in order to quickly

pivot and facilitate trading activity.

The government responded by

providing small and medium-sized

enterprises with a number of cash

injection mechanisms, which many

franchisees were able to benefit

from. It’s fair to say that in the main

the UK government has served

franchising well.

long period of being at home during

lockdown has made people question

whether they want to return to the

traditional 9-5.

Meanwhile, franchisees are

connecting with their local

communities to assist with their

regeneration and franchising had its

chance to shout about its ‘nationally

known, locally owned’ origins.

The bfa’s focus

To help with the above, the bfa has

run several campaigns to raise

franchising’s profile.

These include the ‘nationally

known, locally owned’ initiative,

‘buy local from franchisees’ activity

and a post-redundancy drive

showcasing success in franchising.

In addition, virtual educational

workshops have been created

to support those considering

franchising. We’ve also given free

membership to franchisees of bfa

accredited businesses.

This move is to support

networking, education and

intertrading, as well as strengthen

the industry’s ability to influence

government where needed at pace.

STEPS TO TAKE IF

YOU’RE CONSIDERING

INVESTING IN A

FRANCHISE

• Visit the thebfa.org for

resources and support.

• Complete the British

Franchise Association’s online

franchisee certificate or

attend the Buy A Franchise

online course.

• Check out bfa accredited

brands.

• Know your investment budget

and income requirements.

• Compare the market.

• Ask lots of questions,

including what the franchisor

did during the coronavirus

crisis.

• Make sure you’re comfortable

with the franchisor team, as

they will be your partners.

Uplift in interest

Today, most franchises are

back trading, albeit with social

distancing measures in place, and

the community has come alive with

positivity once more.

We’re seeing a huge uplift in

interest in franchising across

all lead generation portals.

Redundancies mean people are

searching for new options and a

98 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 16.3



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