Elite Franchise Magazine October 2017

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk

Triple Two Coffee David Hodgetts swapped a promising tennis career for franchising

OCTOBER 2017 £4.50

The best handover

How to pass on the torch without causing disruption to your network

Oui

The German fashion franchise is back in style in Britain

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With 104 franchisees across four brands, it’s safe to say that Nigel Toplis’s The Bardon Group is fighting fit 06/10/2017 20:42

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14/09/2017 14:27

Come and talk to us at one of our Insight Days in 2017:

20th October Leicester 10th November Glasgow 1st December London

Register your attendance online MCDO002 Anne.indd 2

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“There’s such a wealth of information, tools, support and techniques that I can’t possibly fail. I’ve had more time at home with the family and I get to wallk the dogs in the morning instead of rushing out of the house.”

Rachel Spratling, ActionCOACH Franchise Partner

“The ProfitPlus framework enables me to clearly and quickly help a business owner map out a coherent path to their dream life.

It gives them clear vision, focus and strong motivation and as a result the results I’m getting with my clients are outstanding.”

Matt Ewer, ProfitPlus Licence Owner

“When you start a programme andsee the change in people - from avoidingeye contact with you to asking howthey can get involved - it’s amazing. Thesense of achievement and wellbeing isimmense.”

Karrie-Ann Fox, Engage & Grow Licence Owner

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03/10/2017 13:36

PROFITPLUS ✓ Guaranteed income of £8,333 per month by month 7; ask us about Ts & Cs. ✓ Award winning franchise support ActionCOACH is 1 of only 5 franchise networks to rate their franchise 5-Star for four years. ✓ The full support of your franchise network with a shared value of teamwork.

✓ Exclusive marketing territory. ✓ Massive market - 10,000 active companies that all need a great business plan every year. ✓ Zero fixed ongoing fees. ✓ People focused - Sophisticated software does the financial analysis and business planning for you so you can focus on your clients.

✓ UK’s best mid-priced franchise 2014 2016.

ARE YOU RARING TO GROW freedom@actioncoach.com actioncoach.co.uk 01284 701648

ENGAGE & GROW uk@engageandgrow.com engageandgrow.com.au 0116 4645992

PROFITPLUS vic@profitplusaccounts.com profitplusaccounts.com 01284 701648

Only £7.8K investment including training & support.

75:25 revenue split in your favour. ✓ You are able to work as part-time and as flexibly as you wish. ✓ Fulfilling, you get to make a real difference. ✓ One client can more than pay back your investment.

ENGAGE & GROW ACTI002

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03/10/2017 02/10/2017 13:38 15:21

cover star

Top form 18

Not content with building the Bardon Group into a multi-brand franchise with 104 franchisees across four brands, Nigel Toplis is on a crusade to ensure franchising gets the credit it deserves from academia and government

6 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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contents 10.17

REGULARS

64

9 Welcome & contributors 11 News & events 97 Franchise diaries

COLUMNS 13 Pip Wilkins 15 Sussanne Chambers 27 Frank Milner 31 Nigel Toplis 35 Tony Bowman

38

FEATURES 38 A smash hit

With Triple Two Coffee, David Hodgetts aims to change coffee forever

50 Back in style

German fashion franchise Oui returns to Britain

58 Financials of flogging a franchise

Selling a franchise requires more than just putting up an ad

44

Handing over the reigns How can franchisors ensure a smooth exit

64 Building a buzz

Use your franchisees to spread the word about your franchise offering

72 Love is in the air

Workplace romances can wreak havoc on franchises

78 Making ripples

Suzanne Horton risked all when deciding to turn an old pub into a swimming pool

82 Cracking contracts Avoid the pitfalls around writing contracts

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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SEARCHING FOR A CAREER CHANGE WITH A FUTURE? BoConcept is a successful company in design-oriented furniture and are searching nationwide for: Managing Director Retail store-Franchise Partner BoConcept is the largest retailer of Danish furniture worldwide with operations in 60 countries and over 250 stores.

Having well established the brand here in recent years, BoConcept is now expanding further in the UK. To spearhead that growth plan BoConcept requires entrepreneurial leaders who are keen to build a new business in their local area and take the retail concept to market.

YOUR PROFILE

BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM

- Sales and commercial management experience,

- Very high average income potential

ideally from the retail sector but other areas of industry are

- A strong brand from a well established company

equally welcome so long as you have a passion to build

- Transparent processes with open communications

a successful retail business

- High Level Management Support

- High affinity to design issues and trends

- Extensive marketing support

- Leadership skills and great customer service orientation

- Extensive training - Support for the store design and furnishings & Opening BoConcept supports its franchise partners extensively with a dedicated and enthusiastic team to support the opening and help make success possible.

This is an opportunity to run and own your own retail business of which BoConcept work closely with each partner to ensure success.

If you are looking for a new challenge and have the desire to become part of an international retail chain then contact us to enquire further about this opportunity – without obligation.

This opportunity does require a significant personal investment to operate this franchise but with strong returns and support the only thing that will stop you being successful is your attitude.

Request more information on this franchise system enquiries.uk@boconcept.com Franchise opportunities only available outside the Greater London area.

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02/08/2017 14:09 15:40 03/08/2017

welcome Volume 05 Issue 10 / 2017 EDITORIAL Josh Russell – Editor josh.russell@cemedia.co.uk Eric Johansson - Feature Writer eric.johansson@cemedia.co.uk

Exciting exits

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

I

t’s easy to get caught up in the buzz of beginnings and the excitement that comes with starting something new. But, with autumn now firmly under way, I’ve started to recognise that bringing things to a close and celebrating the culmination of your efforts can be just as exciting.

That’s why this month we’ve been looking at exits and acquisitions.

For franchisees, reselling their franchise can offer a great way to reap the rewards of their hard work – making firming up their financials all the more important. Meanwhile, for franchisors, passing on the torch can be a wonderful experience but it’s vital to have a plan in place to minimise any disruption to their network.

And if anyone is in a position to appreciate the importance of a wellmanaged exit, it’s Nigel Toplis. Having brought together four franchise brands and amassed a network of 104 franchisees at The Bardon Group, no one is better placed to recognise how the end of one chapter leads to the beginning of the next.

SALES Gemma Campion – Sales Manager gemma.campion@cemedia.co.uk Jemma Tonge – Senior Account Manager jemma.tonge@cemedia.co.uk MARKETING Taylor Blayney – Media Assistant taylor.blayney@cemedia.co.uk CIRCULATION Paul Kirby – Circulation & Data Manager paul.kirby@cemedia.co.uk ACCOUNTS Sally Stoker – Finance Manager sally.stoker@cemedia.co.uk DIRECTOR Scott English – Director scott.english@cemedia.co.uk Circulation enquiries: CE Media Call: 0124 567 3700 Elite Franchise is published by CE Media, 1st Floor, Regency House, 16 Victoria Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1NZ Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. No part of Elite Franchise may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the editor.

Elite Franchise will make every effort to return picture material, but this is at the owner’s risk. Due to the nature of the printing process, images can be subject to a variation of up to 15%, therefore CE Media Limited cannot be held responsible for such variation. cemedia.co.uk

elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk

■ Josh Russell - Editor

Contributors

2

3

4

Kate Legg

Jane Maudsley

Glen Murphy

Paul Stafford

The art of the deal is not just a book by Donald Trump but also something every franchisee needs to know about. And the CEO of Komerse is more than happy to help.

The founder and managing director of Little Voices has binned the booze to boost her health and her business results. Check out her column on page 97 to find out more.

Selling your franchise is always a challenge for any franchisee.

Fortunately Dennis and Turnbull’s franchise client manager is at the ready to offer his insights.

You need more than a great product to create a buzz about your franchise. Luckily, this is something Chantry’s head of communications knows a thing or ten about.

1

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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06/10/2017 19:24

Put your skills into practice.

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TAXA001 21/09/2017 14:43 08:54 25/09/2017

news The National Franchise Exhibition returns to Birmingham

Events EWIF London regional meeting October 12 Room P, Portcullis House, 1 Parliament St, Westminster, London, SW1A 2JR The National Franchise Exhibition October 13 - 14 National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1NT New Start Scotland Exhibition November 1 - 2 SEC, Exhibition Way, Glasgow, G3 8YW bfa Prospective Franchisor Seminar Birmingham November 7 One Eleven, Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2HJ DX bfa Prospective Franchisee Seminar Birmingham November 8 One Eleven, Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2HJ DX International Food Franchise Expo November 15 - 16 Olympia, Hammersmith Rd, London, W14 8UX

F45 opens fifth UK franchise No matter how you slice it, the growth of F45, the fitness franchise, is nothing short of extraordinary.

Its first studio was launched in Sydney back in 2013 but the company has made remarkable gains since, having grown the network to include over 940 franchises around the world. And the company doesn’t show any signs of slowing down as it just opened up its fifth British studio.

From boosting your work-life balance to the chance to be your own boss, there are plenty of reasons to go into franchising. However, finding the right franchise to suit your needs can be difficult. Fortunately, the return of the National Franchise Exhibition to Birmingham may make the search easier.

Now on its fourth consecutive year, the Franchise Exhibition will be held between October 13 and 14. Not only will budding franchisees be able to peruse all the bfaaccredited franchises exhibiting at the event but they will also have the chance to listen to over 60 seminars aimed at making their journey into franchising smoother.

But while the new F45 studio in Paddington is the latest franchise in the network, it won’t be the last. Not only is the franchisor planning on opening a further 50 locations in the UK this year but the company also aims to grow its global network to include 1,150 franchises by the end of 2017.

F45 is pumping up nicely. And, unlike its clients, it’s seemingly doing so without breaking a sweat.

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

Taking centre stage Given the uncertainties of the market, it’s encouraging to see that franchises are still growing. The latest example proving the resilience of the model is Stagecoach Performing Arts, the theatre franchise, which has added 29 new franchisees so far this year.

These new additions are ready to play their role in the franchise’s ensemble of over 300 franchisees around the

world. Commenting on its expanding cast, Andy Knights, chief operating officer at Stagecoach, said: “Stagecoach are proud to welcome 29 new franchisees into the network and we’re looking forward to seeing what they can achieve.”

With network expansions like this it seems unlikely that the fat lady will sing for the franchise industry anytime soon.

October 2017 | elitefranchise

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Expense Reduction ExpenseAnalysts’ Reduction were Analysts’ proudwere to beproud recognised to be recognised with the Bronze with Award the Bronze as a Top Award 3 UK as Franchise a Top 3 UK Franchise Expense were proud to be Expense Reduction Analysts’ were proud toagain be recognised recognised with the the Bronze Bronze Award Award as as aa Top Top 3 3 UK UK Franchise Franchise in 2016 - and in prouder 2016 - Reduction and stillprouder to beAnalysts’ shortlisted still to be again shortlisted in 2017. in 2017. with in prouder to again 2017.

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2016 - andconsultancy, prouder still to be shortlisted again in 2017. overheads and delivering ERA is a B2Bin management specialising in reducing organisational ERA is a B2B management consultancy, specialising in reducing organisational overheads and delivering ERA is a B2B management consultancy, specialising in reducing organisational ERA is a B2B management consultancy, specialising in reducing organisational overheads and delivering extra profit.extra We award profit.franchises We awardto franchises experienced to experienced and capableand men capable and women men and andwomen – usingoverheads and our –model usingand ourdelivering model extra profit.

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Discover more Discover aboutmore theover benefits about the of than an benefits ERAtwenty franchise of an ERA atfranchise a Discovery atyou aDay: Discovery Day: Discover more about the benefits of an ERA franchise at a Discovery Day: Discover more about the benefits of an ERA franchise at a Discovery Day: Discover more about the benefits of an ERA franchise at a Discovery Day: • What makes ERAmakes such aERA compelling proposition • What such a compelling proposition • What makes ERA such a compelling proposition • What makes ERA such a compelling proposition • How our• award How our winning awardmarketing winning marketing helps you helps to winyou clients to win clients How our award winning marketing helps you to win clients • What makes ERA such a compelling proposition How our award winning marketing helps you great to win clients • Why our• continual Why our training continual and training support and gives support you such gives you such earning great potential earning potential Why training and you such great • How award winning marketing helpsgives you to win clients Why our our continual continual training and support support gives you such great earning earning potential potential • Why our continual training and support gives you such great earning potential

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www.erafranchise.net www.erafranchise.net EXPE003 www.erafranchise.net www.erafranchise.net www.erafranchise.net

22/08/2017 13:31 12:22 05/05/2017 14/09/2017 14:35 04/08/2017 17:02

Pip Wilkins chief executive bfa

How launching a business doesn't have to be a lonely affair Starting an enterprise can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavour but thanks to franchising it doesn't need to be

do not feel alone as they traverse through their franchising journey.

And don’t forget that franchisees can also rely on the support of the franchisor in times of difficulty and demotivation. Whether part of a small aunching a business can sometimes feel isolating because it franchise operation or a large one can seem like no-one else understands the struggles you face with a franchise support team, one starting, building and growing your business. Networking of the key benefits of franchising is meetings can help but finding a fellow entrepreneur who faces the the ongoing support offered by the same day-to-day issues can be difficult, making you feel like you have franchisor themselves. And this is no-one to turn to for advice and support. Fortunately, this is where hardly surprising: after all who knows franchising excels. the business better than the person Joining a larger network means you’ll have fellow franchisees with who created the model? the same training and support who have followed the same proven Your franchisor will have made model and faced the same challenges as you will encounter building mistakes and learned from them, your business. Many franchisors encourage their franchisees to providing you with a detailed communicate with each other to strengthen the network and the operations manual designed to help individual businesses in it. Some franchisors hold regular meetings or you avoid the same common pitfalls. annual conferences to bring franchisees together for motivation and Utilising the support offered by the collective celebration of their peers’ success. This is a fantastic tool for franchisor is not a display of weakness ensuring franchisees can maintain perspective on their issues. Meeting but a sensible business decision that like-minded business owners who have faced the same issues and will help to build and strengthen both emerged triumphant on the other side, helps to ensure that franchisees your business and the trust between you and your franchisor.

Last but not least, franchisees within bfa member networks are able to join through our franchisee membership proposition. Not only does this provide you with membership benefits and support systems, it also welcomes you into a larger community of franchisees from different brands through networking events and online resources.

As a franchisee within this community, we hope that you will engage with us and use your voice to help us ensure our representation is balanced for franchisees from all business sizes and sectors.

So whether you are a franchisee already or you are considering your options for routes into self-employment and business ownership, it is definitely worth taking into account the support and resources available to you if you decide to become a member of the franchising community.

You may be the leader of your own venture but through franchising you'll never have to be alone.

L

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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22/09/2017 14:16

Sussanne Chambers founder and managing director HomeXperts

Always enquire about innovation when investigating franchises Innovation is essential if a franchise is to have staying power in the market. That’s why it should always be a high priority when checking out a prospective franchise

O

ne of the core values I have for HomeXperts is “always innovating”. This is a tough value to live up to at times but we do our best. Case in point: last week we launched a new initiative for our franchisees to help them to compete with the march of the online agent. It went down a storm and will really help their profit levels when we launch in November. This product launch got me thinking about other franchisors and wondering what their approach to innovation was. I see innovation as part of our corporate responsibility to keep changing our offering to meet the needs of a shifting market. And I’m sure other responsible franchisors will feel the same.

During the recruitment process, I am rarely asked about innovation by potential franchisees.

But it is one of the most important questions you can ask, especially as the past is littered with the marketing material of franchisors that failed to innovate. This has a profound effect on the franchisees that are left high and dry in the wake of their failure.

One notable failure to adapt a model to meet the needs of a changing market is Happy Feet. This was a fish pedicure offered in beauty salons across the UK. Visitors placed their feet in a tank full of Garra rufa fish, a variety of Turkish toothless carp, and the client sat back while the fish ate away their dead skin. While popular initially as a bolt on at beauty salons, in reality it was just a fad. Headlines about how the treatment could potentially spread hepatitis B, HIV and other infectious diseases were the final blow. Within 18 months the franchise had closed within the UK over failure to address health and safety issues.

Another notable failure is iSoldit, a franchise licensed from the successful USA franchise that sells items on eBay. The customer delivers their items to a store, the store then lists and sells the items on eBay and the customer receives a percentage of the sold price. Whilst the franchise is still going strong in the US, in the UK the franchisor failed to realise the differences between the American and British markets, with the most significant one being that the price of commercial premises is significantly higher in the UK. The introduction of faster broadband and smartphones also reduced the time it takes to list an item on eBay. That meant it was impossible to adapt the model for this market and meant the franchise had gone into voluntary receivership by April 2007, scarcely more than a year after it launched.

So if you are thinking of buying a franchise what do these high-profile failures tell you?

Innovation is key to your chosen franchisor’s ability to continue to trade successfully in an ever-changing market. “What areas of innovations are you working on?” is an essential question to ask franchisors when you are researching their models. If you are thinking of investing in a franchise model, make sure your chosen franchisor is doing the same.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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06/10/2017 18:22

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FRAN008 02/06/2017 09:17

NIGEL TOPLIS

The franchise f lag-bearer Whether it’s lecturing, chairing the bfa or castigating the government, The Bardon Group’s Nigel Toplis isn’t afraid fight for the interests of franchising

S

BY JOSH RUSSELL / PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILIE SANDY

pend much time in the company of Nigel Toplis, managing director of The Bardon Group, the multibrand franchise company that owns Recognition Express, ComputerXplorers, Kall Kwik and techclean, and you’ll quickly notice how fiercely he fights for the interests of franchising.

“We have around 20,000 business people out there that are franchisees,” he says. “And yet if you were to ask politicians about franchising, they would look at you agog: you can’t get government at any level to take you seriously.” Quoting recent bfa figures reporting that 95% of franchises succeed while four out of five startups fail, Toplis feels the amount of energy and capital the government sinks into supporting startups is insane, especially when there exists a model that could offer far better returns for the economy as a whole. “I’m not saying franchising is perfect,” he says. “But by god you’ve got something that bloody works. Make use of it.”

Given his experience in the sector, it’s hardly surprising Toplis is such an ardent supporter of the industry’s interests. Born, raised and educated in Singapore, he moved to the UK in 1976 and, after completing a higher national diploma in business studies, he took a job at Allied Breweries in Burton on Trent. “In the

18 ELITEFRANCHISE | OCTOBER 2017

1980s, the brewery companies were looking to create pubs that would attract certain types of people, so some would have food, some would have children’s areas, some would have loud music,” says Toplis. “I became a bit of an expert in doing the demographic profiling for that.”

After helping to create different style of pubs around the country, in 1982 Toplis was moved into the food and catering brand that was created when Allied Breweries merged with J. Lyons & Co, the restaurant, food manufacturing and hotel conglomerate. This saw him setting up brasseries, cafes and even a tapas operation.

“You could go to Spain, find out what they do, come back here and set something up,” Toplis says. “It was fabulous: we even had Fay Maschler come down and do a review.”

Following this, in 1984, Toplis was headhunted

by Ladbrokes to help the gambling company develop new styles of betting shop. “It was still very much governed by legal restrictions in those days but it was starting to open up a little bit,” he says. Not only did Toplis play a role in creating new shops but he also went on to help it run lots of its premium lines such as footballinformation service ClubCall and a horoscopes line with astrologer Russell Grant. During one meeting around the Grand National, he was also

NIGEL TOPLIS

OCTOBER 2017 | ELITEFRANCHISE

19

Nigel Toplis

part of the team that came up with a new type of bet that was guaranteed to get punters itching to get down the bookies. “Basically what it allowed us to do was guarantee a £1m payout,” he says. “Now back in the 1980s, obviously a £1m was a lot of wedge.”

Without a doubt, these experiences have given Toplis a real appreciation of how businesses can benefit from encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset among employees. “While Allied Breweries and Ladbrokes were huge conglomerates, in the day they were very go ahead companies,” he says.

“They always allowed you to make a decision if you thought it was right for the business and they were fairly open to entrepreneurial ideas.” Being given so much agency at a relatively tender age is certainly something that has stuck with Toplis and this is a spirit he has attempted to enshrine in all of his endeavours since. “Neither company was afraid to give young people their head,” he says. “And I’ve tried to adopt mentality within the companies we’ve got here, bringing young people through and saying ‘listen, at the end of the day, this will be your business so you’ve got to want to run it’.”

Despite this openness to innovation, in 1993 Ladbrokes decided it was time

to divest some of the operations Toplis had been working on to focus more on core operations. “I tried to buy it but my boss beat me to it and so therefore I left,” he says. “It’s just one of those things: you can only make one bid, can’t you?”

After a brief stint running his own business, Toplis was headhunted as marketing controller for Kall Kwik, the design and print franchise. And this proved to be a fortuitous move: not only did it give him his first real taste of franchising but it also saw him taken under the wing of Moshe Gerstenhaber, the company’s Israeli founder who had brought the brand to Britain in 1979.

“He was a very tough taskmaster but he would teach you everything,” Toplis says. “When I came into the business, I spent a lot of time with Moshe learning what franchising is all about.” Under Gerstenhaber’s tutelage, Toplis learned

many of the values that would later come to define his franchises. “Moshe once said to me: ‘the franchisor should want the franchisee to succeed more than the franchisee themselves’,” he says. “I learned that franchising is about the relationship between franchisor and franchisee: it’s about nothing else.”

Thanks to the grounding Gerstenhaber gave him, Toplis rose through the ranks at Kall Kwik, becoming marketing and eventually managing director. This meant that when the business was acquired by Irish print brand Adare in 2000, the task of merging Kall Kwik with its existing asset Pronta Print fell squarely on Toplis’s shoulders. “That was quite delicate because you had to try to keep the brands separate but the back of house together,” he says.

By 2002, Toplis felt that the time was

I’m not saying franchising is perfect. But by god you’ve got something that bloody works. Make use of it

20 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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Nigel Toplis

right to take on something new and he found Recognition Express, a franchise operating in a similar sector, was looking for somebody to step in and take the reins. “The owner of the business at the time had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and he wanted someone to come and take over the company,” he says. When Toplis finally entered the role in 2003, Recognition Express had a strong network of nearly 20 franchisees but he could see opportunities for the brand that extended far beyond its narrow focus on badge making.

“We re-engineered the business completely,” he says. “We’ve gone from 95% badge making and being a manufacturer to now very much being a marketing-and-sales-led, customercentric business in three major sectors: badges, promotional products and business clothing.”

And as this refined model began to bring Recognition Express increasing levels of success, Toplis started to acquire other brands that he felt had a similar ethos. “We bought into ComputerXplorers, which is an education franchise,” he says. “Then in 2011, Kall Kwik was going into administration so we bought it and brought it back into the fold; it was like a return to destiny.” And for Toplis, it hasn’t been hard to identify the right kinds of brands to add to the portfolio. Early on he ruled out franchises in sectors like food service and care – reasoning it takes a very special skill set to secure success in those verticals. But there is a common thread that runs through the franchises he has bought into, even recent acquisition techclean, which he picked up in July 2016. “People will say to me that our brands are all disparate but they’re actually all business-to-business; they may be selling different products and services but actually the ethos behind them remains the same,” Toplis says. “Business is about people: it’s about communication and building that rapport.”

United under the banner of The Bardon Group – which takes its name from the home of its Leicestershire headquarters – these brands have evolved as much as Recognition Express before them, particularly in the area of the kinds of franchisees they seek. “When you’re starting off in franchising, you tend to recruit people who have money: it’s as crude as that,” says Toplis. “You have no other way of making the assessment.” Fortunately with time, The Bardon Group has become more selective about the franchisees it welcomes on board, focusing on quality rather than quantity. “What I want is good people: I want people who are going to follow the

Franchising is about the relationship between franchisor and franchisee: it’s about nothing else system, be participative and work with other franchisees,” he says. “We don’t make a bunch of money by appointing a franchisee: we make much more if that franchisee is lasting and ever-growing.”

Inevitably, the training provided for The Bardon Group franchisees can vary significantly from brand to brand but there are still some common factors, regardless of the franchise that a franchisee buys into. “There’s always some training at head office, some that involves existing franchisees and a marketing launch programme,” says Toplis.

The head-office training could range anywhere from one to six days and after that newcomers will spend some time with existing members of the network learning about specific elements of the business, whether that’s sales, operations or more hands-on skills training. Finally the marketing launch could take anywhere from six to 15 months but one thing all of the marketing programmes share is that the cost is included in the franchise fee. “Primarily the reason for that is we know how important it is to market the business and we know if we make it part of the initial marketing fee, it will get done,” says Toplis.

Given Toplis’s dedication both to franchisees and the wider community, it won’t be much of a surprise to hear that in 2008 he was invited to become the chairman of the bfa for two years, something he feels was a real honour and that taught him a great deal about the ins and outs of the organisation.

“The bfa is an interesting animal,” he says. “It is the guardian of British franchising, the head quarters of the accreditation service and works very hard on the international scene with European, American and Australian counterparts.” However, Toplis doesn’t feel that the responsibility for championing the industry’s interests lies on the association’s shoulders alone and he believes there are certain things that the community itself can do more of. “It’s a shame that people who were very senior in franchising but now work outside of the industry are not used more as ambassadors to spread the word,” he says.

“We do very little with universities, colleges and schools. And frankly we could be doing a lot more to engage government both at a national and a local level.”

This is partly why Toplis has dedicated so much of his time to acting as an evangelist for the industry, not only OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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Nigel Toplis

writing articles for the press but also penning three books on the subject.

“Writing books is partly vanity, partly interest, partly because I think they make a difference,” he says. On top of this, Toplis has also made it his mission to help franchising achieve a higher place on the academic agenda and lectures at Lancaster University.

However, he still feels there is more that can be done and doesn’t shy away from throwing down the guantlet to any university interested in having a franchise on its campus. “I’ll give you one of my franchises free,” says Toplis.

“But here’s the deal: you need to be the franchisee. You as the college. And you put students in charge, let them run it as a business for a year and take out a profit share.”

But academia isn’t the only area in which Toplis is committed to giving something back. Over the last 15 years he has engaged in multiple charity treks to raise money for Well Child, the charity for seriously ill children, although he notes it began more by accident than design. “Beware of agreeing to anything when you go to a party and get drunk, that’s what I say,” he quips. At a party he had thrown, John Pratt, partner at Hamilton Pratt, the franchise law firm, approached Toplis and suggested they cycle round Cuba together to raise money for the charity. Years after their successful cycle ride, Well Child approached Toplis and asked if he fancied climbing Kilimanjaro: trips across the Sahara and Sumatra followed. And in a matter of weeks he is set to cycle from Saigon to Angkor Wat for what he anticipates will be his last hurrah. “I don’t want to go on water or where it’s cold and with due respect, I’ve spent plenty of time in jungles and deserts where you’ve had

We don’t make a bunch of money by appointing a franchisee: we make much more if that franchisee is lasting and ever-growing to dig your own toilets,” Toplis says.

“So that’s it: this will probably be my last challenge. No water, no cold but plenty of porcelain.”

And in his defence Toplis still has his hands full with his franchise. While The Bardon Group now has 104 franchisees across its four brands and franchise sales of more than £20m, he still has some grand plans for the future. “I would like to add at least one more brand to the portfolio: I had one that I thought we had a change of getting but it didn’t materialise,” he says.

Additionally, as well as continuing to help franchisees prosper and grow, Toplis is keen that eventually that those working within The Bardon Group will eventually be in a position to take over and run the business for themselves.

“That would be the ideal scenario,”

he says. “Not necessarily tomorrow afternoon but some time in the future.”

Asked whether he has any other personal ambitions, Toplis is uncharacteristically non-committal.

“It’s very difficult to have a certain ambition and then meet that ambition,” he says. “Circumstances change.” Many of the biggest steps he has taken in his life, whether that’s building a thriving franchising empire or camping down beneath a frosty Saharan sky, have happened not because of meticulous planning but because he was able to seize upon circumstances when they were favourable. “I’m the sort of person who likes to take opportunities when they present themselves,” he concludes. “So at the moment good health would be my only ambition. The rest we can take care of when it arises.”

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What will you be doing this time next month?

Still wishing you had a new job?

Still wishing you’d started your own business?

Still wishing you could do something more rewarding?

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

• No maths or teaching experience necessary • Simple, effective and proven system • Extensive training and ongoing support • Over 800 franchised centres worldwide • Low investment, great returns

It could be the most rewarding move you ever make!

Remember – nothing happens until you MAKE it happen

Find out more at mathnasium.co.uk or call Mathnasium UK – 0161 791 0686 Standard call charges apply

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MATH001 15/06/2017 09:30

We want YOU to join the UK’s No1 Dry Carpet, Upholstery & Hard Floor Cleaners A Zerodrytime franchise gives hard working franchisees the opportunity to earn in excess of £50,000 per year If you’re looking for an exciting career change that will bring you financial security without the constraints of working for someone else, a zerodrytime franchise could be the right choice for you.

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The mark of excellent care

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

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CARE001

29/09/2017 11:38 25/01/2017 11:47

Frank Milner CEO Tutor Doctor

Whose plan is it anyway?

When it comes to raising funds, be aware that banks love it when a business plan comes together usiness planning forms an important part of your research before starting a new business. Any bank will require sight of a business plan before they lend to you but, even if you’re not seeking funding, it’s important to have one. Banks use business plans to assess whether the investment that they are making in a business is likely to be a sound one. And you as a franchisee should view them in exactly the same way. But who should write the business plan, how personal should it be and who owns it?

One of the many advantages of franchising is that your chosen franchisor will have information on the previous success of the business. Why does that matter? Well, if you were starting your own business, alone, you’d have to guess at the potential turnover, profitability and working capital

that you’d need. Information from the franchisor about their own success or, better still, that of other franchisees, can help you make an educated guess at where your business could go. These figures form an important part of the business plan.

A word of warning. Because franchisors can issue these illustrative trading figures, they can be tempted to get involved in providing other information that is needed for the business plan too, such as local-market knowledge and industry trends, staffing requirements and competitive analysis.

However, the risk is that before too long the plan is all but written by the franchisor.

Some franchisors go further still and provide a franchisee with a ready-made plan for them to change the name and location on.

This is dangerous for both parties. For the franchisor, they risk potential legal action from a franchisee if the details in the plan aren’t realised over time. But there is far more at stake for the franchisee.

The business planning process is an important part of your due diligence. It forces the franchisee to think through the business issues. If someone else did the local-market assessment what do you actually understand about the opportunity or the competitive situation in your area?

Moreover, if you have not completed your own independent business plan, how do you know whether the illustrative projections issued by the franchisor are accurate at all?

It’s your business and the plan should be personal to you, your finances and your locality.

The business plan also has a life after you start the franchise as a barometer for your success. It is a vital management tool and if someone else wrote it, how useful can it be?

Naturally, franchisors want to make the business planning process easy for a franchisee because it can be daunting to write a plan for the first time.

But, ultimately, a good, ethical franchisor will view the hardship that you go through to write your plan partly as a measure of your potential as a successful franchisee. After all, if you find writing about the business in a plan too difficult, it’s surely going to be the case that running the business will be too challenging. Bottom line is that it’s your business so it should be your plan.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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Helping companies improve their bottom lines ERA is a B2B management consultancy franchise specialising in reducing organisational overheads and delivering competitive advantage.

Expense Reduction Analysts were proud to be recognised with the Bronze Award as a Top 3 UK Franchise in 2016 and prouder still to be shortlisted again in 2017.

ERAF R A NC HIS E . NE T

Discover more about the benefits of an ERA franchise at a FREE Discovery Day.

For more information or to reserve your place, contact us on: tel: 023 8082 9737 email: franchiseteam@erauk.net EXPE003

NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR 2017 FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT IS NOW POSSIBLE TO OPERATE YOUR OWN PART-TIME HELEN O’GRADY DRAMA ACADEMY BUSINESS (2/3 DAYS PER WEEK) FOR AN INITIAL OUTLAY OF ONLY £2,000.

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

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OWN YOUR PART OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ESTATE AGENCY ORGANISATIONS. Join Century 21 UK as a franchisee and benefit from: • Global brand exposure • Strategic local & national marketing • Continuous support & development • Additional earning opportunities • 1500+ days worth of training • Access to industry leading technology • Recruitment & compliance advice • Canvassing strategy for stock • Website & social media set up

Contact us:

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0115 902 1002 opportunities@century21uk.com www.century21franchise.co.uk CENT004

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04/10/2017 16:46

Nigel Toplis managing director The Bardon Group

Why you’re never too old to be a franchisee Thanks to franchising, there is always a fantastic option available to those that want to build their own business – regardless of their age

I

t seems in the modern world no sooner have you served your time and built up a bank of experience and knowledge than the company decides they can get someone younger and cheaper to do your job. It’s a crazy state of affairs when companies consider 50 years to be ‘too old’. The good news is that if you are fit, ambitious, not afraid of hard work and have the desire to run your own business – secure in the knowledge that your future will depend on you and not your boss – then franchising could be the route for you.

In our more mature years, our opportunities to build up capital are more limited, so it’s important to make the right decision when it comes to

It’s a crazy state of affairs when companies consider 50 years to be ‘too old’

spending your hard-earned cash. If you are looking to invest a lump sum from a redundancy payment, pension or inheritance then franchising can be a proven and cost-effective route to setting up your own business. Buying a franchise gives you access to a tried and tested business model backed up by the support of an experienced franchisor, which takes away the element of risk involved in setting up a venture from scratch. You can see exactly how much it will cost and get a good understanding of the likely return your investment will give.

Businesses do not fail because the business owner is 'too old' nor do they succeed simply because the owner is perceived to be a 'young stallion’. Age is not the issue. What is important, however, is the ability to perform in the business – to have the energy, drive and ambition to give 100% to the running of a company, whether that’s in meeting customers, organisation or administration. Franchising is a case of balance and sometimes what you gain with youth – high energy, singleminded ambition and a fervor to ‘climb the greasy pole’ – you may lose with more mature franchisees. However, what you gain by way of experience, knowledge and life skills can more than compensate.

Successful franchising is a marriage of two parties – with the franchisor bringing the brand, system, training, marketing and ongoing support, advice and guidance to the relationship and the franchisee contributing their own business skills, ambition, desire and willingness to work the system. This is why, when recruiting prospective franchisees for our four brands, the Bardon Group does not look at their age. What we do look for is people people, good organisers, strong communicators and, above all, people with passion – all attributes to be found in a 60-yearold as much as in a 30-year-old.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Thrive with Ovenu The Ovenu model works on every level – and it’s the finest one out there

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ost franchises will provide training, a startup kit and ongoing support to new franchisees. But what’s probably unclear is who will provide the best of all these things. Well, Ovenu, the oven-cleaning franchise, has a business model that’s operating in over 150 locations across the world and that’s been replicated by many since 1994. It’s stood the test of time and has been tried, tested and trusted by hundreds of satisfied franchisees globally. It’s strong, safe, dependable and profitable.

You may have heard those words before as Ovenu’s dominant success has attracted many copycats. There are others that say it, but Ovenu really have been trading for nearly 25 years with the same man, founder and managing director Rik Hellewell, at the helm for all of them. Ovenu really is the UK’s original

oven-cleaning experts and we really are the largest in our sector. Ovenu’s unique name itself is a registered trademark in the UK and Australia, so you won’t see anyone copying that any time soon.

So, you’re thinking about taking the step into the self-employed world and an oven-cleaning franchise has taken your fancy, but you’ve never run a business or cleaned an oven?

Don’t worry. Experience isn’t key but ambition is. What it takes is will, discipline and drive to follow the proven plan and implement Ovenu’s methods. You can trust that you are replicating what many others have already done and are making serious money from. Do this and you will thrive. Whilst you’re being guided

We pride ourselves on an honest and supportive relationship with every Ovenu franchisee

by Ovenu, you will still run and be in control of your own business. Ovenu will just provide the best methods on the market to do it successfully.

Ovenu urges its network to take full advantage of the hugely experienced support team and the knowledge it has gained over two decads in this unique industry. Ovenu wants budding franchisees to ask questions and to answer them, whether it be operational tech questions about valeting a client’s oven or advice on the best marketing strategy in their exclusive territory. answers. It’s what it’s here for. Ovenu prides itself on an honest and supportive relationship with every Ovenu franchisee, new and old.

So, if you can picture yourself working alongside Ovenu and building a solid local business, controlling your own working hours and achieving great client and job satisfaction under the security of the reliable Ovenu brand then don’t hesitate to get in touch.

You can email Ovenu on enquiries@ ovenufranchise.co.uk or just give them a call on 01189 743 911.

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why OSCAR...

Call now for a FREE Information pack 0800 068 1106 discover@oscars.co.uk www.oscar.co.uk

Unique Pet Food Business Opportunity to pet owners who just love their pets Extensive Range of Pet Products • Multi billion industry • Home delivery • Work from home • Exclusive territory • Intensive training • Advice from experts • Repeat business • Ongoing support • FROM £8,995 plus VAT

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Right at Home provides premium quality home care and companionship services that enable people to enjoy living independently in their own homes. Our culture and ethos focuses on supporting clients and their families to achieve highly-personalised outcomes, and our care teams are known for their willingness to go the extra mile, whether they are simply providing good company or meeting complex 24/7 care needs. Right at Home owners benefit from tailored expert support in all areas of their business, allowing them to build a reputation as the go-to care provider and employer in their community.

Why join the Right at Home UK franchise?

• Fast-growing, resilient market which cannot be overtaken by technology • One of the world’s most trusted care providers (500+ offices on 5 continents) • A highly-engaged network of 40+ UK offices and large, researched territories • The highest Franchisee Satisfaction score in the care industry • The most highly recommended national brand on www.homecare.co.uk

Initial franchise fee: £31,995 +VAT. Working Capital is also needed – total investment up to £130,000 For further information please enquire via www.rightathomefranchising.co.uk 0151 305 0755 or franchising@rightathomeuk.com

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03/10/2017 14:14

Thinking about starting your own business? “I thrive on a challenge and have always wanted to run my own business and be ultimately responsible. The franchise route offers that opportunity, but also the safety net of a well-established and successful brand, along with the support and training to grow that success.�

Sally Garrett, Kumon Instructor

Apply now to find out more about running your own Kumon Maths and English Study Centre.

Call 0800 988 6579 or visit kumon.co.uk today.

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04/10/2017 16:39

Tony Bowman managing director etyres

Franchisees can bank on finance despite uncertain times Why prospective franchisees can count on banks for support in times of economic uncertainty

A

lthough the UK economy appears to be in better shape than many financial pundits have been predicting, there clearly is more uncertainty than ever for most businesses. And if there is one thing banks hate, it’s uncertainty. Fortunately, this may still leave franchises better off than other entrepreneurs While the government is busy wrestling with Brussels about leaving the EU, banks will continue to finance businesses considered to be low risk. And that kind of lowrisk enterprise is exactly what any good-quality franchise will offer. That's why potential franchisees are more likely than self-employed people to receive funding to set up a business from scratch. You have the backing of a proven business format and details of how similar franchisees operate to show the bank.

The first step of securing funding is to meet the bank’s criteria. This usually involves having not only roughly 30% of the money that you need to purchase the franchise but also enough to see you through the startup phase and the first few months of trading.

A good franchisor will help prospective owners put together a business plan and prepare a cashflow forecast to present to the bank. You need to be realistic about how much you will be able to afford to pay back each month, especially during the early days and how much working capital you will need to cover whatever outgoings and fees you will incur during the initial months.

HSBC sums it up like this: “As a franchisee, you should have a tried and tested format to follow, receive training and support from your franchisor and have access to a network of fellow franchisees for guidance. So although you'll own and operate your own business, you won't be doing it alone.

All this support means that a bank is going to be happier to lend to startup franchisees than to other types of startups.”

Another avenue for securing funding is through the government's Start Up Loans scheme, which effectively

allows you to apply for a low-interest, unsecured personal loan to help fund your new business.

This is suited to those who do not have a large deposit. Nevertheless you’ll still be expected to have a line of credit at your disposal to see you through the early stages of the startup.

With more than 40 years’ experience in the franchise industry, I know that the main banks will always provide funding for good businesses and therefore, with interest at an all-time low, now is the very best time to get started as a franchisee embarking on an exciting future. Equally, the same applies to prospective franchisors who have plans to grow their successful business model through franchising.

So don’t let uncertainty hold you back. Instead dare to venture forward to fulfil your ambitions and seize opportunities. If you adopt this attitude, you can bank on it that the support you need is out there.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Join the property industry through franchising Tap into an established industry by offering a fresh approach to estate and letting agency

E

ver wondered how you could get involved in the lucrative property industry? How about franchising?

There is an array of property based franchises for you to explore. They have the systems, support and packages to allow you to enter an established industry, without previous experience.

So which area of property should you franchise in? You could explore property management or even property maintenance. However, one of the most successful forms of property franchising is estate and letting agency. Estate and letting agencies offer you a chance to bring your personality into your business.

You can meet your clients and guide them through the sale or let of their property. It’s about building relationships with clients to win referrals and gain the trust of your local community. Anyone

with the ability to care for a client can open a successful estate and letting agency with the support and training of the right franchisor.

One of those franchisors exploiting a gap in the estate and letting agency market is HomeXperts.

HomeXperts provides a complete service to those looking to pursue a business career in property. They understand it can be challenging starting out on your own, which is why they have developed a comprehensive package including everything you need.

Your package includes; An equipment package, which includes an iPad and a DSLR Camera, membership to the leading estate and letting agency professional bodies, a stationary & signage package, including car signage for your vehicle, the HomeXperts

marketing package, your franchise software package and your personal website and online package.

In addition to your franchise package, you will receive complete training so that you can truly become a property Xpert.

Most property franchises offer three to four days of training but the HomeXperts Training Academy has been developed to include two weeks of content. Middleton Franchisee and former estate agent Jack Howard said: “The whole model makes it clear and easy to be an estate agent. We get to learn inside out what is the right thing to do. We get the training, ending with an industry qualification. So now, when I get out in the field, I have the knowledge to back up my service.”

HomeXperts also support the ongoing development of franchisees skills like boosting SEO and Digital marketing training and even training sessions at the headquarters of Zoopla and Rightmove.

Once you have finished your training you will benefit from the dedicated support of HomeXperts’ central support staff. This includes monthly one to one business reviews with our industry experienced business development managers, a central office call centre, to take calls when you can’t, Back office lettings administration, to remove time consuming paper work, An in-house graphic designer, And access to our award-winning 24/7 HomeXperts franchise hub with over 1,000 training documents.

Property franchising offers a great avenue for you to start a business.

People will always need a place to live, therefore there is always an opportunity for business. So, if you think you could become the trusted agent in your area, the earning potential is lucrative.

If you’d like to learn more about HomeXperts, contact us via the details below. Our Franchise Recruitment Team are happy to answer any question you may have.

01905 678850 franchise@homexpertsuk.com www.home-xperts.co.uk

36 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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04/10/2017 09:23

Join a National-Award-Winning Property Franchise Join a National-Award-Winning Property Franchise Join a National-Award-Winning Property Franchise Join a National-Award-Winning Franchise Deliver exceptional customer serviceProperty to your clients whilst Join a National-Award-Winning Property Franchise Deliver exceptional customer service to your clients whilst Join a National-Award-Winning Property Franchise enjoying the customer rewards ofservice working yourself Deliver exceptional to for your clients whilst Join a National-Award-Winning Property Franchise enjoying the rewards of working for yourself Deliver exceptional customer service to your clients whilst Join Join a National-Award-Winning aexceptional National-Award-Winning Property Franchise Franchise enjoying the customer rewards ofservice working for yourself Deliver toProperty your clients whilst the customer rewards ofservice working yourself Deliverenjoying exceptional to for your clients whilst the customer rewards ofservice working yourself Deliverenjoying exceptional to for your clients whilst enjoying thecustomer rewards of working for yourself Deliver Deliver exceptional exceptional customer service service to for your to your clients clients whilst whilst Jason & Gaya chose HomeXperts their enjoying the Jason rewards of working & Gaya chose HomeXperts forfor theiryourself support and training... enjoying enjoying the the rewards rewards of working of working for yourself for yourself Jason & Gaya chose HomeXperts for their support and training...

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Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1

02/02/2017 16:14:10

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

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Elite Franchise Advert January 2017.indd 1

02/02/2017 16:14:10

HOME003

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

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

TRIPLE TWO COFFEE

A smash hit The former tennis player David Hodgetts is netting impressive sucess with Triple Two Coffee

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

rom hordes of commuters carrying Costa cups to Instagram being flooded by photos of Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, you’d think that the last thing Britain needs is another coffee franchise.

However, David Hodgetts, co-founder and director at Triple Two Coffee, is no stranger to competition. “I left school at 13 to pursue a career as a professional tennis player,” he says.

Having trained in both Spain and London and being ranked as one of the top European tennis players in his age bracket at 16, it looked like Hodgetts was well on his way to realise his dream. Unfortunately, his career would prove to be short-lived.

“I had a really bad shoulder injury that caused me to stop early when I was around 19,” he says. Ironically, while the injury meant the end of his Wimbledon dreams, it would serve

him with the opportunity to flex his entrepreneurial muscles.

Having worked as a tennis coach in Cheltenham to save up money, Hodgetts decided to try his hand in the coffee industry. However, while his first experience gave him a chance to work alongside his co-founder Sezan Walker, it left bitter aftertaste. “I made the decision to buy into a brand that I don’t want to name,” Hodgetts says.

“We worked for them for six months and during that time we saw a lot of things we felt that they did wrong.”

Even though the company kept growing, both Walker and Hodgetts felt something was off. “We totally disagreed with their ethos but it did open our eyes to the fresh food and coffee market,” says Hodgetts. “And we left thinking we could do it better.”

While the company wasn’t for them, it helped the partners identify a gap in the market. “There are a lot of coffee shops that do crap food, like Costa,

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TRIPLE TWO COFFEE

Starbucks and Caffé Nero,” Hodgetts says. “So it became evident that there was a need for a place that did both great coffee and food.” There was just one problem: consultants kept insisting upon knowing what their USP would be, something almost impossible in such a crowded market. “There were actually times when it became quite irritating because it was a mature market so there weren’t many USPs left,” he says. “Instead we just wanted to do everything others did but better.”

Recognising that they needed to get both the food and the coffee right from

the get-go in order to make an impact, the founders doubled down on their efforts to source the best suppliers.

“Before launching we found a familyowned coffee roaster that helped us make the best blend,” Hodgetts says.

“We didn’t want it to be too artisanal but still way better than Costa. It took about ten visits to get it right but it’s now about 90% Arabica beans and 10% Robusta.” Having sourced highquality brews, the founders set out to ensure their food was beyond compare as well. Not only did they have a consultancy help them get the best

We just wanted to do everything others did but better OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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TRIPLE TWO COFFEE

Customers don’t want something that looks too artisan or too established like Costa supplies but the franchisor also hired a head chef to ensure the tastiness of its tuck. “And we’ve just been continuing to develop the menu since,” Hodgetts says.

To boost their advantage, the founders also did their utmost to create a buzz among customers. “We spent a fortune on the branding and design,” Hodgetts says.

Nevertheless, their biggest play to strengthen their brand was to open a small kiosk 18 months before the launch of their first shop in Swindon. “We barely marketed the kiosk but we got a lot of success immediately because we looked like a brand,” says Hodgetts. “Customers don’t want something to that looks too artisanal or too established. We had great sales right away because we walked that balance.”

Invigorated by the experience, the founders opened their first store in Swindon in 2016. “And our sales have exceeded Starbucks’, Greggs’, Costa’s and McDonald’s per square foot,’” says Hodgetts. Having proven the success of their model and completed both their operations manual and franchise agreement, the founders launched on Franchise Direct, the franchise directory, in April 2017. “And we’ve basically received more enquiries than any food and drink brand on there,” he claims.

But given the effort he and Walker went through to launch Triple Two Coffee, Hodgetts expects nothing but the best from candidates looking to join the network. “We’re looking for star franchisees,” he explains. “We want people who’ve bought into the brand and can drive it forward.” To ensure that only the best get accepted, the founders meet every prospective franchisee face-to-face before signing the

contract. “Most of them like what they see and get the concept,” he says. “If they don’t, they are obviously not for us.”

This approach has certainly served him in good stead as Triple Two Coffee has already added a few franchisees to its roster. “We’ve got seven franchisees signed up,” says Hodgetts. These new members of the network range are located from Bristol in the west to London in the east to Glasgow in the north. “That’s where we are at the moment,” he says. “But we plan to roll out a further 30 sites next year and then open more than 100 stores by 2020.”

Having already launched a range of coffee capsules and recently became one of the few coffee chains registered on Deliveroo, the food-delivery app, Hodgetts has more planned for the future. “We ultimately want to take our brand into other avenues,” says Hodgetts.

Drawing inspiration from Virgin, he believes the Triple Two coffee can work in several different industries that have similar qualities to the coffee sector. “For instance, we are not against going into the hotel industry: there is nothing stopping us,” he says. “But that’s probably at least two or three years away.”

While the injury forced Hodgetts to give up his tennis career, clearly he has hit an ace with Triple Two Coffee.

40 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Picture your perfect tearooms A Beatons Tearooms is a lifestyle franchise to give you the legacy you long for at the heart of your community, oozing elegance and serving up gracious hospitality.

T

here’s a plethora of barista-style coffee chains on the high street.

But the guarantee of a peaceful oasis to indulge in your favourite looseleaf tea or coffee – with the joy of table service – has remained elusive. However, since 2010 Beatons Tearooms and Bookshop group have been quietly filling this niche. By Christmas you’ll be able to relax in a Beatons in five counties from Hampshire to Cheshire. Better still, you could be a future owner of one.

Beatons is so much more than a combined tearooms and bookshop, it’s a place filled with warmth and passion Reducing Risk Being a Beatons franchisee enables you to create the tearooms of your dreams with the security and backing of a brand with a best-of-breed reputation.

Beatons is styled on and named after royal and celebrity photographer, Sir Cecil Beaton. The group’s success is proof their loyal market loves the unique take on quintessential English tea culture. A market which appreciates the all-day home-baked light menu choices, including Beatons Great Taste Award-winning gluten-free banana and coffee cake.

Inspiring Success Creativity isn’t always associated with franchising, but Beatons is different – you’ll be steeped in it! In your own stunning Beaton inspired tearooms, you’ll have a specially designed series of launch events to ensure your Beatons is the hub of your community. And equipped with every system, process and skillset to deliver a winning set of menus and sell an imaginative curated book selection, you can focus on delivering the gracious hospitality which brings success and makes your tearooms special.

Creating Pride Beatons’ secret comes from a proven values-based model and ongoing practical training and expert support which Beatons franchisees buy into from the start. As franchisee Fifi Zahedfar says, “Beatons is so much more than a combined tearooms and bookshop, it’s a place filled with warmth and passion.” Creating such an atmosphere fosters pride immeasurable yet integral to a fulfilling life. And it returns repeat business, the cornerstone of Beatons’ success.

Deliberately Affordable Keen to make owning a Beatons accessible, the initial investment level is surprisingly low at around £55,000 in total, including a standard shopfit.

Nevertheless, franchisee selection is a careful and measured process.

Enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and being a people’s person are prerequisites. Does that sound like your cup of tea? If so, get in touch today.

01747 871819 opt. 2 www.beatonstearooms.co.uk OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Become more, do more, have more, give more G

ary Mullins has been a franchisee with ActionCOACH for ten years. In that time he has built an impressive business that has provided him with both a better worklife balance and a future for his family.

“I spent my career all over the world but never getting to really enjoy those places,” Mullins says. “So, I decided to look for something which would give me a better work-life balance.”

Finding action A year into developing his own business, Mullins was approached

by ActionCOACH. His background in business development and managing teams made him a good candidate, but his passion for helping businesses grow made him stand out. “At this point, I had very little understanding of what business coaching actually entailed,” says Mullins. “ActionCOACH’s global

Gary Mullins with his wife Kathy Diffley Mullins

conference in early 2007 was in Dublin and the UK master licensee offered to fly me out. I got to experience their culture, meet global founder Brad Sugars and speak to other franchisees.

I came back with so much information, I was impressed and it fast-tracked my due diligence. Six weeks later I flew out to Las Vegas for the initial training.

“My ten days of training was life changing. Not only did I learn their systemised approach to business coaching and the technical knowledge of this new profession but I also went through a huge personal transition.

It enabled me to be clear on what I wanted to achieve as a business, a coach, and how I could make a difference to people’s lives.”

Starting out Mullins immediately launched his business once back in the UK in August 2007. Based in Havant, near Portsmouth, he had a plan to grow a large business from the outset.

“Some people choose to coach to the hours they wish to work whilst other franchisees want to build a larger business,” says Mullins. “I had left corporate life to get a better work balance but I also needed the business to support me in retirement. That meant I had to build the business to a size where it would generate an income for me once I was no longer working. I started as I meant to go on, bringing in a PA and bookkeeper so I could focus on sales and coaching.

“In the first couple of years, my goal was to get the coaching business up and running. I used a telemarketing

42 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Gary with his son Steve and some of their clients at the Business Excellence Forum

As well as making a difference to the lives of the business owners we coach and their employees, we now coach several charity organisations and fundraise with our local Round Table company and I would follow up any of the initial calls where the business owner sounded interested.

My marketing activities also included networking, delivering seminars and directly targeting a wide range of industries including accountancy, legal, retail, manufacturing, construction and the service sector.”

Building a team Mullins established himself as one of the top five coaches in the UK and was still focused on bringing in employed coaches to build his firm.

“Four years in, I recruited my first coach and sent her to Las Vegas for the same training I had,” he says.

“Unfortunately, I experienced some of the same difficulties as many business owners and this first new recruit didn’t work out. My son, Steve, had joined me as a business development manager and it was around this time when he decided to become a coach. He had learned a lot about what had become our family business, so this was a natural progression.”

The father-and-son duo has since grown the business to 30 one-toone clients, running group sessions including ProfitCLUB and the 90-day planning workshop, ActionCLUB. “Through the partnerships which the UK support team develop, we have also become licensed to deliver the leading employee engagement programme, Engage & Grow, a monthly online training programme called Luv4 Marketing, and the business planning programme, ProfitPlus,' says Mullins.

“My initial aim was to build a business that would support me in my retirement but it has become much more than that. Once you earn enough to support a good life for you and your family, your goals need to become wider. As well as making a difference to the lives of the business owners we coach and their employees, we now coach several charity organisations and fundraise with our local Round Table.”

employed coaches but our ultimate goal is to grow to a £10m turnover.

Steve is passionate about giving back and reaching that level of income means we can make a significant difference. I’ll probably have retired by then but Steve will continue to run the business while I focus on family time.

“I’ve been married to Kathy for 33 years and, during that time, I’ve travelled to over 50 countries for work. Now we’d like to visit some of those places together. Family is really important to me. My three sons are getting where they want career-wise and, with one of them married and a second soon to be, Kathy and I want the free time to enjoy with them as our family develops.”

Given his decade of experience, what advice would Mullins give someone considering the ActionCOACH franchise?

“ActionCOACH is world-class in terms of support, the structure and help is immense,” says Mullins. “My advice is to be clear about what you want to get out of your business, what are your personal needs and goals? There are several routes in which you can develop your ActionCOACH business so plan your journey with your future in mind. This franchise is a fantastic return on investment but, like any business or franchise opportunity, you must be willing to put the work in. I did and it is paying off for me, my family and our community.”

If you would like to develop a brighter future and you get a buzz from helping others succeed, love learning and developing yourself and have enjoyed success in your career or sport, then find out more by watching the six-minute overview video at actioncoach.co.uk

Looking to the future “Our five-year horizon is to build a £4m-plus business with eight OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

ActionCOACH Advertorial Oct.indd 2

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ACQUISITIONS

Handing over the reins

By JOSH RUSSELL

When your franchise is being acquired, it’s important to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible for the network

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ntrepreneurs in the franchise space dedicate a huge amount of energy to signing their first franchisee and growing their networks but just as important is considering your end game. In recent times, there have been many franchises achieving high-profile exits, with Countrywide Grounds Maintenance, Bright & Beautiful, Barking Mad, Home Instead Senior Care UK and Northwood all being snapped up in the last year alone. But while these kinds of exits give franchisors a much welcome chance to reap a reward for their hard work, they require careful planning to ensure the network doesn’t suffer during the transition.

It’s unlikely to provoke many gasps to hear that planning to sell your franchise isn’t something that just happens overnight. “You’re talking years,” says Stephen Hemsley, chairman of Franchise Brands, the multi-brand franchisor that owns Metro Rod, ChipsAway, Ovenclean and Barking Mad. “You can’t start planning three months before you leave.” However, the more heavily a franchisor is involved in the day-to-day running of the network, the more the complexity of planning their departure increases, as losing both its owner and the lynchpin of its leadership in short succession could have a devastating impact on a franchise.

“You don’t want the franchisee community to be faced with a change of leader and then a change of owner,” Hemsley says. “So if a franchisor is very involved in recruiting, motivating and liaising with the franchise community, then planning their exit will take a lot longer.”

This is why it’s absolutely critical for any franchisor to ensure the right person is waiting in the wings for when they exit stage left. “You need some strong leadership so that whoever buys

You’re talking years: you can’t start planning three months before you leave Stephen Hemsley, Franchise Brands

the business can continue to run it successfully,” says Jeff Meyers, VP of international operations at Dwyer Group, the multi-brand franchisor that owns franchise brands including Drain Doctor, Bright & Beautiful and Countrywide Grounds Maintenance. “They then won't have to go backwards in trying to replace key people or knowledge that has been lost.” Fortunately, it’s rare that many franchisors are the chief cook and bottle washer: they have a legion of experienced strategists and leaders in the making supporting them. And even if there’s nobody that fits the bill, the new owner may have an idea of where they can locate the right individual for the job. “If there is already a strong second that could be moved into that position, you’d probably look within the company first,” Meyers says. “If not then you’ve got to come into the acquisition with somebody in mind because you can’t have a lack of leadership for very long.”

However, maintaining continuity once the founder exits isn’t just about having someone to assume command: making sure that there won’t be significant upheaval in the people franchisees are dealing with at head office will also help keep any adjustment period to a minimum. “I’ve never come across a franchise yet that isn’t dependent on the head-office team,” says Hemsley. “And the most important people to have in place are the franchisee-facing team, whether that’s business development managers or trainers.” Conversely, franchisees are unlikely to have much regular interaction with back-office functions, meaning that introducing new faces in the finance department is unlikely to ruffle many feathers. “Marketing sits somewhere in the middle: if they’ve got a central national advertising fund and the franchisees are heavily involved in directing that, the people running that team are absolutely key,” Hemsley says.

“If that’s not the case I would say it’s a skill set you can buy in.”

While talent and skills are important, a smooth transition from old owner to new also requires some simpatico when it comes to their ethics and culture.

“The bond between franchisor and franchisee is amazing: family doesn’t quite do it justice,” says Meyers. “So most founders of the company want to ensure their children are going to be taken care of.” Ensuring that the franchise is being bought by someone that shares its values helps prevent a jarring culture clash between the existing network and the incoming owner and means franchisees OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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will still feel right at home. But cultural compatibility will only go so far if it isn’t supported by a leadership style franchisees are used to. “Sometimes you’ll have very firm leaders that are very compliance orientated and then you have others that have a much softer approach, share more and show more concern,” Meyers says. “When franchises are used to one style and then get something else, that results in a long transition period.”

However, not every entrepreneur selling their business beats a swift exit: some stay on to help usher in a new age of growth, as is the case with Barking Mad’s Lee Dancy who struck a deal with Franchise Brands in order to take the business to the next level. However, while this means there are fewer wobbles around a lack of leadership or complementary cultures, it’s still important to ensure that the new owner and its current leader will be pulling in the same direction in the

future. “If the vendor is staying with the business, there’s a lot of detail you need to agree beforehand or those things become subject to friction after,” says Hemsley.

When Franchise Brands was striking a deal with Barking Mad, it inevitably had to thrash out details around marketing and franchisee recruitment. But given the former was based in Macclesfield and Kidderminster and the latter in the Lake District, a major condition of Dancy staying on was that her team was allowed to stay put. “It was fundamental to the deal that she was going to keep her people and the office,” Hemsley says.

And there doesn’t just need to be dialogue between the franchise and its potential owner: it’s also important for the franchise network to be part of the conversation, although it’s not a good idea to spill the beans that the company is being considered for a sale. “But you should do some sort of third-party

survey of the franchisee to judge their happiness with the system and the opportunities they see for growth,” says Meyers. Once the sale has been agreed upon and announced to the network more personal dialogue can take place, allowing franchisees to get things off their chests and put forward any ideas to improve the network. “There’s a lot of panic there, there’s a lot of uncertainty, fright, fear of the unknown, all of those things,” says Meyers. “So open communications are so important. You have to get a full pulse of the network early on or you’re going to make bad decisions as you move forward.”

As a friendly, familiar face, the founder also has a pivotal role to play in talking franchisees’ through the transition. “Once the deal is done, it should be fundamental that the founder communicates very thoroughly and endorses the new owner as the right and proper owner of the business,” says Hemsley. While this can be quite a disruptive time for the network, it’s worth recognising that this allows the new owner the opportunity to act on some of the insight it has received from the franchisees. “Once they get over the initial shock of the founder leaving the business, they quickly move into ‘wow, I wonder what this new guy can do?” says Meyers. “They start to wonder if you’re going to fix all of the things that they perceive to be wrong.” Because of this, there is a short period in which an incoming owner can easily make muchneeded tweaks to the franchise’s model, potentially winning a lot of favour with the network. “But that window doesn’t stay open for long,” he says. “So you’ve got to make some changes that are going to impact the franchisees positively, then you’ve got to quickly settle back down and focus on making smaller, more incremental improvements.”

While the sale of a franchise network seems like it could cause an awful lot of upheaval, with a little foresight and planning franchisors can ensure the transition is a positive experience for all involved.

46 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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06/10/2017 18:19

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03/10/2017 14:10

OUI

Back style in

After a previous franchising experiment collapsed in the 1990s, Oui is now back in fashion on these shores thanks to its new model

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

It’s not often you come across new franchises entering the UK that have been going strong for over 50 years, but Oui, the fashion company, is one of them. “It’s a family business that started in Germany after the second world war,” says Thomas Boettger, sales director at Oui. While the sartorial powerhouse today specialises in female fashion, that was not the case when Paula and Mendel Gottesdiener first launched the company in the early 1950s. Instead, they tailored clothing for children. But even though customers loved to dress up their offspring in this garb, it was when the Gottesdieners’ son Nathan took over the business in the 1960s that Oui switched gears and began creating couture for women rather than kids’ clothes. And this would prove to be a stroke of genius as it would become the company’s dominant revenue stream for decades to come. Today fashionistas can peruse Oui’s garments through wholesale partners in 25 countries around the world. “And now it’s run by the third generation,” says Boettger. “It’s a very stable German company that is fully owned by the family.” However, the road to becoming a stable sartorial institution hasn’t been without the odd dropped stitch along the way.

For instance, while Oui is currently looking for franchisees in the UK to join its new model, this isn’t the first time that the franchisor 50 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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OUI

has attempted to franchise on these shores. In fact, the company first franchised stores in Britain in the 1980s. “At its peak we had ten stores in the UK,” says Boettger. “But it was a different time.” While initially successful, most of the stores had closed by the end of the 1990s. One of the reasons was because it simply became too expensive for the store owners to stay open as Oui treated franchisees like wholesale partners. This left them having to buy all clothes from the franchisor and deal with the cost themselves if they didn’t sell enough. “We made a lot of mistakes and at the end of the day it didn’t work out,” says Boettger. As a result all franchised stores in the UK closed – save for one in Harpenden, which is still operational under the old model today – and Oui instead focused on selling its clothes through wholesale retailers like John Lewis and House of Fraser.

The road to becoming a stable sartorial institution hasn’t been without the odd dropped stitch along the way But that wasn’t the only thing encouraging the company to try out some new threads and rethink its business model. “Retailers, and not just fashion ones, were having more and more problems,” says Boettger. “People were starting to buy things from online retailers instead of local shops.” With the advent of online retail giants like Amazon and Alibaba as well as innumerable smaller firms there has been a clear shift towards shopping online rather than in high street stores. Depending on where they are in the world, between 23% and 37% of consumers have stopped purchasing things in stores due to online shopping platforms, according to a report from PwC, the professional service firm. And the turning tide was surely felt by Oui. “It was a lot of pressure,” says Boettger.

Fortunately franchising proved to be the answer to its worries. But rather than using the same old model that had failed the company in decades gone by, Oui decided to try out something new. “We began to invest in a new franchise model six years ago,” says Boettger. “It helped solve a lot of our problems.” In a bid to cut franchisees’ costs, ensure their profitability OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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and the survival of the new network, Oui seriously reimagined its franchise offerings. Not only did the fashion company devote itself to sharing the costs of setting up new stores but it also changed the way it distributed products to franchisees. The new model means they only buy the things they sell. Until a customer has bought something, the franchisor owns the clothes and pays for the transportation costs. “Essentially, we stopped thinking like a wholesaler and more like a retailer,” says Boettger.

However, that was far from the only change to the old model. “Most importantly we started a new training department,” says Boettger. This new section of the business is in charge of bringing budding franchisees up to speed. “Mostly we focus on how they should handle consumers,” Boettger explains. “We train them how to make sales in a way that makes people come back to their stores.”

However, Boettger explains that Oui only bestow candidtes of the highest calibre with the right to become franchisees. “Ideally a franchisee should already own a fashion store so they know what they’re talking about,” says Boettger. “And typically, she should be the kind of Oui lady we think of when we make our collections, a woman between 30 and 60 who is fashion-oriented.” Given their affinity with the franchise’s target market, franchises can quickly get up to speed and, as an added benefit, if they had an old store they turned into a Oui shop, then existing customers would be more easily persuaded to shop with the brand. And while Boettger explains that franchisees don’t have to be female, he does believe that it is an advantage. “If you go to a ladies’ fashion store you’ll very rarely see a man selling there,” he says.

And he has reason to be confident in the strategy: Oui has established 26 franchised stores in Germany in

Ideally a franchisee should already own a fashion store so they know what they’re talking about the six years since the new franchise model first launched. “We now have stores in big cities like Cologne, Berlin and Munich,” says Boettger. “But we also have them in smaller cities with 20,000 to 30,000 people.” And given the company has plenty of people interested in becoming their business partners, this number is sure to grow.

Having announced its plans in November 2016 to roll out up to 35 stores in the UK by 2021, Oui surprisingly hasn’t signed up any franchisees to the new model yet. “We are ready,”

says Boettger. “But we aren’t going to commit to anything we are unsure of.

We only want to do things we’re really convinced of and that means waiting until we find the right franchisee.” But while the franchisor is consciously taking it slow, it isn’t staying idle. “We are in talks with five potential partners but it’s too early to reveal anything just yet,” says Boettger.

And given that the company has been around for over five decades, it’s safe to say that Oui knows a thing or two about playing the long game.

52 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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06/10/2017 18:29

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

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03/10/2017 14:13

ADVERTISING FEATURE

How to save time supporting your franchisees R

unning a franchise network isn’t easy. It takes a special kind of person, someone who is committed to leadership, mentoring and investing in their franchisees in order to make a franchise successful.

Unfortunately that means a lot of time, effort and hard work. And that’s time that can’t be spent on other important things - like expanding your network and selling more franchises.

But there are ways to make it easier and to save time. In particular, let’s focus on one of the most timeconsuming aspects of running a business: managing the financial aspects of your franchise network.

Here are our top two suggestions: make sure your accountant provides some of the financial training your franchisees need and use cloud accountancy software to further aid your enterprise.

There are many accountants available but not everyone offers the same level of service. Running a franchise or franchise network comes with unique challenges which require specific accountancy advice that only a franchise specialist accountancy firm can really provide. This is advice that saves you both time and money.

You want an accountant to build a close relationship with, who will get to

know the ins and outs of your business, that can provide expert advice specific to your situation and who will be there to answer any questions that you or your franchisees migh have as quickly and simply as possible.

However, that won’t be enough.

To really get the most out of your accountant, you should look for one who’s willing to go the extra mile and take some of the work off your hands, particularly when it comes to helping your franchisees manage the financial aspects of their business.

This isn’t just about top-level advice like how to be more tax efficient or what expenses can be claimed through a business, but support that really goes deep. You want an accountant who is going to teach your franchisees not only what the best software is to use for bookkeeping, but also sit down and show them how to use it properly.

You want an accountant who is going to explain in depth the practical techniques needed to manage the cash flow of the business so the risk of franchisees being unable to pay business debts is minimised. And you want an accountant who is going to put in place processes for your business that make it as efficient as possible and ensure you always feel in control of what’s going on throughout your network. Franchise specialist accountancy firm Paykeeper offer this training to all our customers.

The second way you can save time is to use a cloud accountancy

54 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

software. Software like Xero and Quickbooks have revolutionised the accounting industry and made bookkeeping for small businesses a lot simpler and easier. From being able to access your data or create invoices and expenses wherever you are, on any device, to enabling you to store receipts safely online so you don’t have to keep hundreds of little bits of paper lying around, to integrating with payment solutions like GoCardless and Stripe that make it easier to collect payments from customers, innovative software is changing things for the better.

These software services also have a variety of features that help save you time. You don’t want to be wasting valuable hours creating invoices every month, so having the ability to set up automatic monthly recurring invoices that are emailed out to customers, with easy online payment options included, is going to save a lot of time doing paperwork.

Similarly, having software that creates recurring automatic expenses and bills is going to be a huge help. In fact, there is even software available now, where all you need to do is take a photo of your receipt and it will automatically read the details, upload the information and create an expense in the cloud accounting software for you.

As a franchisor, you don’t want to be spending lots of time gathering data about your franchisees finances and sending emails back and forth. Instead, your franchisees software can be configured to send you automatic monthly reports with all the important financial data you

Software like Xero and Quickbooks have revolutionised the accounting industry and made bookkeeping for small businesses a lot simpler and easier

need, saving you valuable hours as you won’t need to chase franchsiees for any information to keep up to date with what’s going on. You can see information at both a networkwide level and for individual franchisees. Combined with advice from your accountant, this can help you quickly and easily pinpoint issues and areas that need improvement.

This has two time-saving benefits - first you can focus your limited time in the areas that can bring the biggest reward such as common issues network-wide, and second, you can catch issues early before they become bigger and take much longer to solve.

The best thing is that accountancy software is usually included in your accountancy package.

By choosing an accountant who will train your franchisees in the financial management of their business, and using the cloud accountancy software that is revolutionising the industry, you can save a huge amount of time. And then you can focus on the bigger picture and expand your business to make it more profitable.

If you want to save time so you can focus on selling more franchises, call us today on 0330 111 66 33 or visit www.paykeeper.co.uk.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Suit the City welcomes two new franchisees S

uit the City has added to its recent impressive sales growth with two new business owners joining the consultant tailoring network – one of which has opened the brand’s first-ever city centre studio.

Mike Lane, an experienced entrepreneur who recently sold his previous business, has launched his franchise in Bath backed by a studio just off Queen’s Square. His new venture caps a two-year waiting period since he first heard about the franchise. “I have always been a fan of luxury and when I first met Suit the City in 2015, I decided there and then that I would thoroughly enjoy working with them,” says Lane. “I finally joined when I could dedicate the time to get my franchise started.

“My business fulfils my interest in clothing, plus I enjoy networking and

socialising. I’m a consultant, not a tailor.

The tailoring is done in our factory in Europe, leaving me to do what I am good at – making friends and influencing people. Because the clothing is high quality and made-to-measure there are plenty of professional clients seeking our service.”

Further north, Adam Cleary has swapped science for suits with his new business in the Pennines. Formerly working in biological sciences, Cleary says his career experience is a perfect fit. “I was scientifically trained, so when you put your eye to something you’re proficient at being observant – detail matters,” he says. “You also never accept second best. It’s the same with suits, being analytical helps an awful lot because you just want the best for the customer.”

A lifestyle change was the catalyst for his switch. “I wanted to do something for myself and move away from the corporate, controlled environment,” Cleary says. “I researched a lot of franchises over many months. I’d always felt my best, at my most confident, when I’ve looked my best, so Suit the City appealed immediately.”

Both men were particularly effusive about the training that’s seen them get off to the right start. “Carol and Sallie, Suit the City’s directors, clearly know what they’re talking about, have the technical knowledge and their background expertise is phenomenal,” says Cleary. “The support has been great, there are written guides as well as practical training and that really helps with learning a new business.”

Commenting on the new additions to the franchise, Carol Rawson says: “We’ve enjoyed a great few months in terms of sales and to welcome Mike and Adam to the team is the perfect way to round off the summer. Mike’s studio is a very exciting development, it shows franchisees they have the flexibility to run the business they want – from home or from premises.

We look forward to welcoming more people looking for an alternative to the corporate world.” w. www.suitfranchise.com t. 01494 880790

Mike Lane

Adam Cleary

56 elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017

STC adv.indd 1

04/10/2017 15:49

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23/08/2017 16:51

RESALES

The financials of flogging a franchise

By Glen Murphy, franchise client relationship manager, Dennis and Turnbull

To get the best out of the sale of your franchise, it’s worth forming a firm grasp on your numbers

S

elling a business is potentially one of the most important and financially rewarding events in your working life. Understanding exactly what your franchise resale options are allows you to plan and execute the sale, maximising how attractive your business is to potential buyers – and therefore its value.

Check the franchise agreement First of all, it is essential to check the terms of your franchise agreement. Most agreements will include terms of business exits and it’s vital that you keep to these terms and avoid any pitfalls.

There may be fees and rights involved or trading restrictions that might restrict your post-sale options or business valuations.

Keeping an open dialogue with your franchisor regarding your intentions throughout the sales process is key. It’s likely that they will have contacts and knowledge of previous successful franchise transitions and could assist in the process. Bear in mind that any buyer will have to meet the same criteria you did and that the franchisor will more than likely get the final say on many aspects of the sale, such as who can buy the franchise.

Get your financials in order The first thing you should do is to speak to your accountant.

They can ensure that your accounts are in order and in a healthy state, as well as making sure the business is presented to make it as attractive as possible to a buyer.

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression on potential buyers, so allowing an expert to ensure you are presenting your business in the best possible light from the start is a valuable investment. They can also advise you of the best ways to prepare for selling the franchise at the highest price. It’s never too early to think about your exit plan: the more time you can allow to sell the business, the better prepared you can be.

This stage should not be about cosmetic fixes, as a buyer will simply see through these when they carry out their due diligence. Instead, it’s far more productive to maximise your business’s value through genuine and effective efforts to improve operations. Try to foresee places where there may be issues – such as key staff or clients without contracts – and pre-empt and take steps to prevent problems.

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RESALES

£ You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression on potential buyer How much is your business worth?

This is a tricky question to answer. A sale, of course, only exists when both parties agree a price and most often the final figure is a compromise. At the pre-sale stage, the basis of a valuation can take many forms but remember that valuations are not real until they are realised.

Commonly, a business valuer – an accountant, a solicitor or any other third party – will consider the trade and the assets of the business separately. The assets are usually given a price based on their open-market value but the business’s trade can be more difficult to put a figure on. Generally, trade is the ability of the business to maintain a healthy profit or earnings. The value is

then calculated based on the application of a multiplier to some key financial figures, such as EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) or PBT (profit before tax).

The multiplier depends on the business sector and industry but typically ranges from 1.2 to five.

Beyond this, however, a buyer will normally look to ensure everything within the business, including any artificially suppressed costs, is replaced with open-market values.

For example, perhaps the director’s skillset will need to be replaced: will their skills, currently paid for primarily through dividends remuneration, need to be replaced by a skilled, salaried member of staff?

Should I sell assets or shares?

Your two main options for selling a franchise are selling the trade and assets or, if available, selling the entity it operates, normally in a share sale. There is no one-size-fits-all, so understanding the figures of each is crucial to deciding which is best for your business. If you’re operating an unincorporated entity – a sole trader or partnership – then selling trade and assets is your only option.

In a trade and asset sale, there is more flexibility as the parties can choose exactly what is purchased – such as equipment and stock. They can also buy the “trade” or the “goodwill” – including things like the business’s reputation. The benefits of this option include the ability for a seller to pick and choose the assets available for purchase and for the buyer to only buy what they are interested in.

In a share sale, however, the business stays exactly the same but with different owners. The seller sells the shares in the company, meaning the buyer buys the entire entity, including all the assets, liabilities and obligations of the business.

The main advantage here is clearly in the continuity element for staff, clients and suppliers. However, the buyer also takes on all liabilities and the history of the business, so due diligence on the part of the buyer is particularly key here.

What about tax?

One of the main benefits in an asset sale is that it gives you access, potentially, to tax relief against trading profits, either as a deductible revenue expense or via capital allowances. Goodwill, however, while once allowable, is no longer an allowable expense if created after July 2015. Conversely, a business seller may want you to buy shares of their company as they may be able to avail themselves of tax reliefs, such as Entrepreneur’s Relief, allowing them to pay a lower level of tax on their capital gains.

Maintaining close contact with professionals throughout your sale process is key. They can help you determine the current position of the business, develop an effective exit strategy and assist in your choice of options, ensuring you make the most of any exemptions or reliefs that may be available to you.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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06/10/2017 17:59

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

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

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03/10/2017 14:15

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Managing your franchise in the cloud Keeping everyone on the same page starts with giving your franchise network easy and secure access to the information they need

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

comprehensive analytics measuring performance at all levels and a communication suite including an effective survey tool. Thanks to the cloud, franchise management is becoming easier, more efficient and, importantly, scaleable.

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

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Strength to strength D

an van Kuyk started his working life in the offshore oil industry with BP. However, this consisted of long periods away from his home and new family. Wishing to spend more time with them and looking for a complete change in life, he decided to look at the option of becoming self-employed and as a result purchased a franchise.

He worked for a number of years gaining valuable experience and knowledge of how a franchise operates and also appreciating what it was like to be a franchisee. In 2005 he sold the franchise business and looked for another opportunity that had potential to grow. He came across an advert for the Betterclean Services business and in 2005 he acquired it.

Rapid growth within 5 years When Betterclean was purchased in 2005 it was turning over £140,000 and employed approximately 25 individuals.

In the intervening five years, the turnover dramatically increased five fold to approximately £750,000 with over 100 staff.

The operating profits have also shown a higher percentage increase, this further substantiates that Betterclean Services has a winning formula for success. The business now exists predominantly as a commercial contract cleaning operation, with 90% of the turnover associated with this field of expertise.

The remaining 10% is attributed to cleaning windows, carpets, ad hoc cleaning such as house lets, hard floor cleaning and small consumable products that they supply to existing clients.

62 ELITEFRANCHISE | OCTOBER 2017

The BLISS business system Although the phenomenal success of the company can be largely attributed to the dynamism of the Betterclean team in managing a large commercial cleaning company, together with a significant number of contracts, part of this success can also be accredited to BLISS (Betterclean Logistical Information Software System), the integral and comprehensive software system developed over many years.

This system manages the whole business, including clients, staff, contracts, client’s performance analysis and is under constant review to enhance business performance and client satisfaction.

Do you have the drive that we need?

In essence, the Betterclean Services franchise offering requires enthusiasm, drive and passion for exacting client service levels. We believe in a win-win philosophy, which is essential to us and our franchisees’.

If you feel you have this motivation to emulate our highly successful formula, we would be very keen to speak further about this opportunity.

How much does it cost?

The franchise package starts at £19,600. Depending on your aspirations, resources and experience the first task is to develop your personalised business plan so you

ADVERTISING FEATURE

then know how much you need to invest to start your Betterclean Services business.

We can discuss a range of financing options with you thanks to the relationships we’ve built with a variety of lenders, who are willing to finance up to 70% of the total start-up costs in recognition of Betterclean’s evidence of franchisee success.

With Betterclean your route to success is tailored around your personal objectives, experience and available resources.

Although franchisees share a common goal, the route each takes is entirely personal to them.

The Betterclean team work with you very early on in the process to define your route plan and they then support you in enjoying your journey to becoming a Betterclean franchisee.

The earnings All franchisees are heading to the same goal: to achieve their financial aims through a commercially successful business. ​The route and timing of reaching that goal varies according to your personal objectives, experience and available resources and the way you structure your business.

Whatever structure fits you best, we work with you to define your plan and then support you in enjoying the journey to building your own director-level business

If you have an operations or business development background, you may wish to fil this role yourself within your business. Alternatively, you can be completely hands-off and employ a management team to look after daily operations while you simply retain an overview as managing director.

A full and detailed business plan, with realistic forecasts for income is at the heart of any successful business. As a bfa accredited franchise Betterclean offers complete transparency of our financial models at an in-depth discussion at our head office in Torquay.

Each level of performance is explained illustrating how it can be achieved allowing you to decide at what speed you would like to progress. This then guides the development of your personal business plan - a route map detailing the resources you will require to achieve the rate of growth you seek.

Every Betterclean franchise territory is capable of generating a £1m plus annual turnover from a base of contracts which deliver a healthy residual income to the business owner.

Betterclean Services offers its franchisees a very attractive earnings opportunity. We Believe a Betterclean Services franchise offering requires enthusiasm, drive and passion for exacting client service levels.

w. www.bettercleanfranchise.co.uk t. 0800 772 0810 e. franchise@bettercleanservices.co.uk OCTOBER 2017 | ELITEFRANCHISE

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Word of mouth

Building a buzz

By Paul Stafford, head of communications, Chantry

Word of mouth can prove invaluable, not only helping to draw in customers but also franchisees.

And fortunately franchises can access more sources of buzz than any other business

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Word of mouth

Creating that elusive buzz about your business is one of the toughest challenges in any context, particularly when it comes to finding franchisees. The good news is that as a franchisor, you have more avenues to increase awareness than your non-franchised counterparts. And generating recognition through word of mouth largely doesn’t require a big budget; an understanding of people is the biggest requirement. Make them feel something and they’ll tell others about it. Above all else, stand out – differentiating your brand is crucial. Here are four groups to impress if you’re looking to generate business buzz.

Franchisees Harnessing people power begins with franchising 101: make your franchisees successful. We all know franchising still suffers from a lack of understanding and awareness among the general public and the best way to educate more people is through those that are already benefiting from it.

The same holds true for your particular franchise – and it starts right from the first contact you have, through your recruitment process, into launch and beyond.

Exhibit A – in an interview with a franchisee recently I was told: “I thought what they were giving as part of the package was outstanding and far more than other franchises would. I was telling friends and family about it and they couldn’t believe the level of support and the package I was getting.”

That was a month in and the ongoing support was similarly praised. Now, when people ask that franchisee’s wife or brother how he’s doing in his new business, they’re going to learn more about the franchise than any marketing material could possibly provide.

Exhibit B – a well-known franchisor was telling me about two impending newcomers at a recent event: a family member of a current franchisee and an old university friend of another. Happy, engaged franchisees want to show off their success. They are your biggest advocates when it comes to generating buzz about your opportunity, so make sure you’re wowing them regularly and they’ll pay you back in kind.

Customers Many brands, particularly B2C franchises, have a vast audience of potential franchisees buying their products and services. Take Water Babies, which has achieved UK-wide coverage without ever having advertised for franchisees, completing its network almost entirely through customers and staff taking on new franchises. While that may be unique, it highlights the possibilities for many businesses. If you can go above and beyond in your service or ‘surprise and delight’ them – as marketers like to call it – in some way then you’ll get them talking about your business. Find a way to wow them and good things will follow. Happy customers already have a magic ingredient when becoming franchisees – they love your brand and know what it stands for.

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Audiences The third way to increase your army of acolytes is through the most powerful buzz-creation tool ever created: social media. Of course, your customers are already talking about you on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, good or bad, so it’s important to be involved in the conversations and positively affect them as much as possible. This is also where your franchisees become even more powerful. An engaged network that is sharing your messages, as well as propagating their own local angle, is highly influential. Posts that are shared by several franchisees can reach thousands, even tens of thousands, of people, regardless of how many – or few – followers you have. If you’re not encouraging your franchisees to be active on social and engaged with your head-office channels, then you’re missing out on buzz.

The key is to resist the impulse to try and ‘sell’ your franchise continuously and focus on simply providing interesting, engaging and fun content.

Inspire your audience, give them a reason to get excited. I hear a lot of franchisors talking about how franchisees will often not listen to their logic but the same message delivered by an external consultant or event speaker will be acted upon. The principle is the same here: telling someone what your franchise can do for them is likely to fall on deaf ears but showcasing the effect by using videos and quotes from franchisees is so much more powerful. You’ve got an abundance of great stories in your network – and you’ve also got your own story of starting and growing your business. People love a good story – especially anything inspirational, quirky or ‘against the odds’ – and will happily share it.

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Increase your army of acolytes through the most powerful buzz-creation tool ever created: social media Media The fourth and final key group of buzz-creators are journalists and influencers, which is really anyone with a large audience. Building relationships with them can magnify your buzz and, as with all the above, you’ve got to know how to get them on your side. Be interesting and newsworthy, be concise, be available and be different.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? But even just being around to give a quick response to a journalist helps you stand out from most others. For influencers, often a surprise gift or product can get them talking about your business or it might be as simple as getting involved in a conversation online. Or go to the other extreme: for example, after a rebrand tech firm Grasshopper sent 5,000 chocolatecovered grasshoppers to influencers. That might not be for everyone but it sure got people talking about the company.

Closer to home, Bluebird Care’s ‘Every Visit Counts’ campaign was central to it being named the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year. Underpinned by a heartfelt 90-second video highlighting the loneliness felt by the elderly at home, it was widely covered in the media and shared across social channels. It got people talking by making an emotional connection with the audience. That’s something that every franchise can learn from when it comes to buzz.

06/10/2017 18:05

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Looking for a management franchise?

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03/10/2017 14:15

ADVERTISING FEATURE

OUR RESULTS ARE DRAMATIC The Helen O’Grady Drama Academy excels in developing children’s self-esteem and confidence through the use of drama

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elen O’Grady’s Drama Academy provides a creative drama programme for young people, and in some locations for adults.

We also offer an exciting opportunity for energetic and enthusiastic teachers to run a business which includes teaching children, school holidays free and an attractive income.

Developing confidence, self-esteem and communication skills Helen O’Grady’s self-development programme for children is not only designed to boost children’s confidence and self-esteem but also builds public speaking and communication skills through a carefully structured English drama programme.

By participating in fun drama classes children learn social skills, increase their verbal communication and develop their imagination and creativity.

What franchisees need An interest and enthusiasm for drama is far more important than formal drama training.

Franchisees throughout the world have found the unique Helen O’Grady programme an excellent way for them to boost their own and children’s confidence through the arts, improving language development and literary competence in addition to building essential life skills.

Helen O’Grady has spent a great amount of time developing an exciting curriculum encompassing an extensive range of drama activities, designed to capture children’s imagination and to develop confident and articulate children who desire to make a positive contribution to the community.

By becoming a franchisee you can be your own boss, teach our world-famous drama programme, work flexible hours, gain great job satisfaction, earn an attractive income and have an amazing amount of fun.

Beth Daniel, franchisee at Helen O’Grady in North Leicestershire, says: “Anyone who is creative, loves working with children and who would like to run their own business will be suited for a Helen O’Grady Drama Academy business. This job provides stimulation both when teaching or working in the office.”

We will support you all the way All Helen O’Grady franchisees are part of an international network with a wealth of communication and support. Our excellent UK management and training team provide a structured drama curriculum which is constantly revised and updated. Training is thorough and ongoing with franchisees attending a termly

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Seminar to workshop future curriculum and to receive excellent business and marketing advice.

“Being part of a worldwide franchise really works for us,” says Claire Keppie and Glyn Owen, Helen O’Grady franchisees in Scotland. “We have been provided with all the necessary training; how to set up, launch, market, manage and expand our business.

One of the major factors which ensure our franchise is a success is being prepared to follow the proven formula.

We completely trust and respect the advice given by the franchisor and management team. We know they have all gone through the process of running their own franchise and therefore are able to advise from personal experience.”

Anyone who is creative, loves working with children and who would like to run their own business will be suited for a Helen O’Grady Drama Academy business Beth Daniel, franchisee North Leicestershire

There has never been a better time to become involved In our modern world, when young people rely so much on technology to communicate it is crucial we nurture children’s confidence to allow them to hold their heads up, speak clearly and present themselves well in all situations. Franchisees worldwide have the support of schools and parents and demand for classes is growing.

training? If you want to provide children with the best possible start in life, and are looking to take a new career path, or the prospect of working term-time only is of interest to you, why not invest in a Helen O’Grady Drama Academy franchise business?

Contact us through our website www.helenogrady.co.uk or email nigel@helenogrady.co.uk

Exciting part-time opportunity For the last 37 years, teachers have been operating full-time Helen O’Grady Drama Academies. Whilst there are still opportunities in several areas across the UK, it is now possible to operate your own part-time drama academy business for three days per week for an initial outlay of only £2k.

Would you like your own business that provides a sound income, an interest free payment plan, personal fulfilment, a structured drama curriculum that is constantly revised and updated and comprehensive OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Taking a leap of faith Photo © Radfield Home Care

Radfield Home Care co-founder Hannah MacKechnie shares their story on how they became involved in the UK care sector and how it has shaped their lives

Radfield carers will support you to retain your independence and feel in control

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t was 2007, our parents were considering succession planning for their Residential care home business. They wrongly assumed that neither my brother nor I would be interested in becoming involved.

At the time I was working as a GP in London and my brother Alex was working in the charitable sector in Manchester, however within six months we were both on board and heading back to our home town of Shrewsbury to get stuck into our new business venture.

After undertaking careful research into the UK care sector, we decided that the future lay in domiciliary, rather than residential care. Since 2007, we have seen the trend that we predicted come to fruition as the home care sector delivered compelling and solid growth,

with increasing numbers of elderly people remaining at home not just for initial support but also for complex nursing and round-the-clock care.

Our vision for Radfield Home Care is to offer a highly personalised care experience to suit our clients’ needs, preferences and choices. However, we also realise how important it is to involve family members so we use the latest technology that enables relatives to see what care is being delivered to their loved one, no matter where they are based in the world.

We specialise in providing privately funded care to the elderly – this section of the marketplace is growing with demand outstripping supply.

Increasingly, more people are paying for their own care as local authorities have to restrict the support they

provide to people with the most critical needs.

Radfield Home Care can step in and provide whatever is needed, whether that’s companionship, excursions, help with meals, medication or any form of personal care at home. It may start with just one hour per week and increase over time.

Our franchise model embeds itself into local communities and becomes a vital part of the infrastructure which enables a Radfield Home Care franchise to become well-known in a short period of time and for referral networks to be easily established.

Our franchisees are following our well trodden path to success and with our extensive training and support they are establishing themselves as thought leaders in their local communities.

For us, taking a leap of faith back in 2007 has proved to be the best decision and we are absolutely thrilled to be supporting our franchisees to take their own leap of faith into care – and we will be with them every step of the way.

Email: franchise@radfield.co.uk Tel: 01743 548550 Web: www.radfieldhomecarefranchising.co.uk

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Be Part of a Great Franchise Team • Excellent return on investment • Exceptional individual local launch package • Dedicated ongoing mentoring and support • A much loved brand • Enviable work-life balance • Luxurious product • Proven business model • Excellent bespoke systems Determine your own destiny while being part of a supportive and successful group of motivated and experienced individuals and part of our much loved brand.

Quality. Pure & Simple

Contact Carole Stubbs 07912 771 149 carole@bluebirdcare.co.uk bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk

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03/07/2017 14:24 14/09/2017 14:03

workplace romances

Love is in the air

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

Employees falling in love with each other is not uncommon. But franchisors have to be prepared to step in if it starts causing issues in the workplace

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workplace romances

rom plummeting performance to unnecessary gossip, workplace romances could potentially cause franchisors a lot of headaches. But whether business leaders like it or not, few precautions can prevent employees from having a fling. “The mature attitude is to accept that people will have relationships in the workplace,” says David Southall, employment law consultant at ELAS Group, the business support firm. The numbers certainly back him up as 57% of workers have had a fling with a colleague, according to research by Vault, the company-review and ratings agency. However, staff members being affectionate towards each other doesn’t have to be a bad thing. “It should be all right if everyone is grownup about it,” says Southall. “Mostly people conduct themselves professionally at work and save the romance for after hours or during their lunch breaks. But it’s when it interrupts the natural smooth running of the business that it becomes an issue.”

One case he consulted on in particular reminds him of how office romances can go horribly wrong. “It was a junior female member of staff who had an affair with a male manager,” Southall says. The affair didn’t end well for the company.

Shortly after they broke up, the company went through a restructuring, leaving a lot of employees without a job. Feeling that she had been sacked because of her romance with her boss and not because it was the best thing for the company, she threatened to drag the firm before an employment tribunal. “It was eventually settled out of court,” says Southall. “Not because the firm accepted any liability but because it didn’t want to air its dirty laundry in public and

It’s when it interrupts the natural smooth running of the business that it becomes an issue David Southall, ELAS Group

it didn’t want to embarrass the married manager.” For franchisors, the story should act as a cautionary tale that they need to take office romances seriously or risk facing the consequences.

And while the fallout may not always be as extreme, relationships between co-workers could still impair business performance. “Basically, when two people are romantically involved they may spend too much time emailing, texting, WhatsApping or chatting around the water cooler and not doing their jobs,” says Southall. And it’s not just the happy couple who may experience a dip in their results. “A manager could for instance let the entire team go early just because he or she wants to go on a date,” says Southall.

Even though few employees would say no to going home early, not all co-workers will be equally thrilled about a blossoming office romance. “Unfortunately it’s human nature for people to make negative assumptions about a person who’s in a relationship with someone at work,” says Sandy Middleton, senior HR manager at Recepoint Global, the PR agency. For instance, a study published in the Western Journal of Communication found that most workers frown upon office romances. The negative impact could be particularly difficult if one person in the relationship is more senior than the other. “Colleagues may believe that there is favouritism,” says Middleton. “Perhaps they think they get allocated better jobs or tasks, receive better salary increases or bonuses or have access to confidential information about the business or other staff.”

Given that having workers that are romantically involved could impair their bottom line, franchisors may be tempted to introduce policies to control office flings. And they wouldn’t be the only ones. “A lot of American companies have nonrelationship policies,” says Southall. “The problem is that OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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workplace romances

Human nature is human nature.

If two people are attracted to each other then they will proceed to have a relationship whether there is a policy or not David Southall, ELAS Group

it is impossible to control. Human nature is human nature. If two people are attracted to each other then they will proceed to have a relationship whether there is a policy or not.” And contrary to whatever the franchisor might have intended when introducing the policy, a full-out ban could actually end up causing even more problems for everyone involved. Not only could it lead to a lot of secrecy but it could also prevent employees from voicing grievances about someone they are or have been romantically involved with, as they may face a backlash for breaching the company’s non-

relationship policy. “So these absolute and puritanical policies aren’t really practical,” says Southall.

Rather than introducing a ban on office romances, other employers may just have a policy about employees disclosing their relationship. “Other companies have policies where couples have to declare to a superior that they are going out,” explains Southall. But despite the fact that policies like these may encourage more transparency, he isn’t sure they’re really necessary if the relationship doesn’t affect work. “The thing is that people will always know anyhow, no matter how subtle people

think they are,” he says. “Someone’s going to see them check in on the same place on social media. So all you’ll end up with is a policy forcing them to tell you something you probably already know.” Instead, Southhall argues that company policies about performance should already be enough if an employee isn’t performing well enough.

However, just because those clauses may make it easier for franchisors to act, it doesn’t meant that they shouldn’t tread carefully. “Proceed with caution,” says Middleton. “You need a lot of evidence to be able to say that the relationship directly affects performance.” A good place to start could simply be to engage in an informal chat about how the performance has been dipping. “If you feel that someone is struggling at work, for whatever reason, a manager should speak to the employee and find out what’s impacting their work before taking any action,” says Middleton. In many cases this informal chat may be enough to solve the problem.

Unfortunately, there are cases where an informal discussion won’t be enough. “If the performance continues to dip then you can take formal disciplinary actions,” says Southall. For instance, the employee could be issued with a warning if they are unable to provide a proper explanation for their faltering results that isn’t connected to the relationship. If the employee’s performance isn’t improving they could be issued with a final warning.

“And in the end they could end up losing their jobs,” says Southall. “But the important thing that they are punished for their performance and not the relationship.”

Ultimately, workplace romances can’t be avoided but franchisors can ensure that there are ways to avoid them interrupting their business. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just human nature,” concludes Southall. “But companies shouldn’t be afraid to step in when employees aren’t doing their jobs because of the relationship.”

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communicate clearly with your franchise with our franchise management software To arrange a demo, email us at sales@franchiseinfinity.com.

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

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

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W an established brand leaders in the SMART repair market and has continued to grow despite the economic uncertainty of the last few years. With a stable and probably improving economy it is TIME TO INVEST in a Car Medic franchise.

We provide comprehensive training that gives you a recognised SMART repair industry qualification, ensuring that you can deliver quality repairs from your first day out on the road.

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03/10/2017 14:11

Making ripples Having left a career as a solicitor to become a Puddle Ducks franchisee, Suzanne Horton has inspired the entire network and won a bfa award for innovation after selling her home to turn an old pub into a swimming pool

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y the time Suzanne Horton had her second child she was tired of her job. “Both Gary, my husband, and I were working as solicitors in Manchester,” she says.

“The long hours really didn’t give us the work-life balance we wanted with a young family.” Desiring more out of life, the pair decided to start a business that could support them financially and give

BY ERIC JOHANSSON

them more time with their kids. “And we felt that franchising would give us that independence and flexibility,” says Horton. “Plus it would also mean being backed by a network that had already proven successful.” And they soon found the perfect franchise for their needs: Puddle Ducks, the prenatal and childswimming lessons franchise.

However, recognising that they were putting their future on the line, the couple refrained from signing on the dotted line before testing the water. “We both like to do our research,” Horton says. So before testing the plunge the budding franchisee talked to Puddle Ducks’ co-founders Jo Stone and Tracy Townend as well as two other franchisees. And she was impressed by what she saw. “I ended up not looking at any other franchises because I just felt that this was a good network bursting with people like me who had succeeded as franchisees,” she says.

Having decided to dive into her franchising adventure, Horton began her training. “The basic training was a life-saving course plus a Swimming Teachers’ Association baby and preschool teacher course,” she says. “And

on top of that I also did a five-day training course with Puddle Ducks that was specific to the network.” These instructions prepared her to run the business and familiarised Horton with the franchise manual. The training also enabled her to be more hands-on and accompany an accomplished franchisee during a few classes. Additionally, it allowed her a chance to get to know the people in the network who could help her. “So we had both the tools and the support of the network to help us get started,” she says.

And the franchisor’s support proved vital in attracting the Hortons’ initial clientele by providing them with a mini-site on the website. “We got our first enquiries through the website,” she says. But that was far from the only way the couple attempted to boost their customer base. The couple also advertised in local magazines and online as well as utilising word of mouth to raise awareness of the brand around Manchester. “There was a lot of trial and error to begin with,” she says. “But we quickly learned which methods worked, enabling us to fine-tune our strategy as we went along.”

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Suzanne Horton

That’s the nice thing with being in a franchise network: we can help each other

Nevertheless, three years after diving into the wonderful world of franchising, Horton realised that her efforts hadn’t been enough. “The business wasn’t growing because of a shortage in pool times,” says Horton.

While there were plenty of interested customers, pool owners didn’t rent out enough times to suit the schedules of the franchise’s clientele.

Fortunately, the Hortons soon found a solution to their problem. “If we had our own pool we could have more classes and make it absolutely perfect for our target audience,” she says.

However, establishing a pool of their own would force them to go all in like never before. “We had to sell our house to get enough equity to get funders onboard and kickstart the project,” Horton says.

“It was a difficult decision because we’d bought it to bring up our children in and thought it would be our home forever.” At the same time they both felt that not doing it would be something they’d regret.

“If we were going to do it, we were going to do it properly,” Horton says. So, in 2014, her husband left his job and the pair set out to find the best place to build the pool.

But finding the right property would prove to be more difficult than expected. “It took a while to find the right one,” says Horton. “We saw quite a lot of properties but they all fell through for one reason or another.” It wasn’t until they were offered the chance to buy an old pub that their luck changed. While initially hesitant about the building, they quickly reconsidered when they

saw the establishment. Not only would a pool and even a small cafe easily fit inside the premises but its proximity to the motorway and the huge parking lot outside meant parents could effortlessly get there. Even better, given that the Hortons had sold their house, there was a flat upstairs that the family could live in. “We left knowing that this was the one,” she says. In March 2015 they finalised the deal and set out to transform the pub into their dream franchise facility.

Still, repurposing the old drinking establishment would require a lot of effort. “Thinking back on how hard it was, it’s difficult to imagine how we actually pulled it off,” says Horton. Firstly, they had to get all permits in order to persuade funders to back the project. Secondly, they had to keep their business afloat while construction workers refitted the old building to fit their needs. Fortunately, Puddle Ducks backed them every step of the way by sharing guidance about operating procedures as well as giving them a lot of moral support. Finally, the pool was opened in April 2016. “It was exhausting but once we got it open we were over the moon,” says Horton.

Since launching the pool, the company’s growth has gone from a slow crawl to doing butterfly strokes. “It has transformed our business completely,” says Horton. In just one year both its customer base and staff have doubled. In fact, the couple has not only hired teachers and people to head up the cafe but also recruited people to manage their staff training, marketing and finances. “With this power team, we’ve really got a good business for the foreseeable future,” she says.

And people have taken notice. “Quite a few other franchisees have checked out our premises,” Horton says. “We may have inspired a few of them and I’m sure other projects will soon come to fruition thanks to us sharing our experience of putting a project like this together. That’s the nice thing with being in a franchise network: we can help each other.”

However, Puddle Ducks’ franchisees aren’t the only ones who paid attention to their achievement: this year the couple was given the bfa HSBC Franchisee Innovation Award. “It’s not like we wanted a pat on the shoulder but it made us stop and feel really proud of ourselves,” she says.

Most importantly, the franchisees’ success has banished any doubts about whether franchising together as a couple was the right choice. “We proved that we are a strong team not only as a family but also as business partners,” Horton says. And you can’t blame her for feeling a sense of accomplishment. “We’ve still live on the flat above the premises and we still go down sometimes after it’s closed and say, ‘wow, this is our business and we made this happen,’” she concludes. “It hasn’t been easy but it has been brilliant.”

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Clean up with a Techclean franchise If you’re looking for a business opportunity that is affordable, offers flexibility and isn’t dependent on any one market sector then Techclean could be the ideal choice

W

ith an established pedigree in cleaning IT equipment dating back to the 1980s, Techclean provides a specialist cleaning service for workplace desktops, communication centres and computer data rooms. Current customers range from big names like EDF, Disney and Porsche to universities, hospitals and the Public Service Ombudsman in Wales.

Research shows that there are 200 times more bacteria on a computer keyboard than on a regularly cleaned toilet seat – in fact in many offices you’d be better off working with pen and paper in the ladies or gents than at your own desk. Additionally, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 80% of all infections are spread by hand contact with contaminated surfaces and direct human contact.

According to the 2016 CIPD Absence Management Report, absenteeism costs British businesses an average of £522 per employee per year.

That’s around 140 million days lost to sickness absence across the UK in 2015 with colds, flu and gastric illnesses topping the table of causes. If

you combine this with the statistic that says 33% of people with contagious symptoms struggle into work rather than stay at home, it’s easy to see why providing a hygienic workplace is so important to productivity.

General office cleaners may flick a duster over the keyboards and wipe around the desk but they can rarely achieve the level of cleanliness that is essential to keep bugs at bay and extend the life of the equipment. It takes the skill of Techclean’s specialist service to properly clean and sanitise desktops, telephones and communal electronic equipment such as photocopiers and printers.

No previous experience is necessary to become a Techclean franchisee as full training is given. You just need to be good with people and have an aptitude for sales and marketing.

Philippe Lafon has been running Techclean mid-Anglia for over 20 years.

After a career spent in sales traveling all over the country, he was looking for a job nearer to home that involved technology. He heard about Techclean, liked the sound of it and hasn’t looked back since. “I hadn’t even thought about a franchise but after visiting the

Techclean head office I could see the potential,” he says. “I found the team to be really down to earth people I could work with and trust so I signed up.

Techclean territories are generous –each catchment area includes at least 10,000 business. No premises are needed, making the franchise a perfect business to run from a home office with minimal outlay.

And a Techclean franchise can slot in at any stage of your working life. Former teacher and mother of four Susan Davies set up Techclean South Wales three years ago after her youngest child went to university.

She was looking for a new challenge and wanted to grow a business that she could run from home but still get out and about to interact with others. “I just love the diversity of it and meeting different people,” she says. “It’s very satisfying work. We go into an office and in a just few hours we make such a big difference to the working environment. I have a small team of people working with me I call the ‘dream team’ – and customers are always delighted with the end results.”

Costing just £19,500 plus VAT, a Techclean franchise stands head and shoulders above other low cost franchise opportunities. Techclean franchisees can expect to achieve a net profit margin of over 50% within the first year of trading.

Contact: Emma Downes t: 01530 513300 e: edownes@techclean.co.uk Total Cost: £19,500 + VAT

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Tech

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

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

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

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

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THEB002 03/03/2017 10:45 14:06 22/08/2017

Forming contracts

Cracking contracts

BY Kate Legg, CEO, Komerse

When forming a relationship with a third party, the contract is key to keeping your franchise safe. Which is why it’s worth getting to grips with the ins and outs of these deals hen you’re about to shake hands on a new deal, it can feel like everything has finally fallen into place. However, it can be easy to trip up on unforeseen snags when forming agreements with third parties so it’s always worth approaching new contracts with a degree of circumspection. Here are some of the issues that you should take into account before signing on the dotted line.

Who are you dealing with?

The first and most fundamental point to consider is who are the legal entities that are actually entering into the contract. Often the person you are dealing with on a daily basis won’t be the legal entity that enters into the contract – you may be dealing with an individual but entering into a contract with a limited company or partnership.

If you’re dealing with a group of companies, care needs to be taken to ensure that the correct company is referred to in the contract. Many businesses will review the credit rating and financial standing of their customers and suppliers before committing to a substantial agreement but it is vital to check the legal entity named on the contract against the entity whose credit history has been checked. You may think you are dealing with a company with a strong credit rating and of sound financial standing, only to discover too late that the actual company on the contract is a shell company with

few assets, leaving you with no means of recourse if things go wrong. Similarly, some contracts entered into with one company will allow other companies in that group to buy or supply under the contract. This again raises the risk that you may be dealing with a business of lesser financial standing than you were expecting.

It’s also worth checking where the company is based. If you’re dealing with a business registered outside the UK, you may face jurisdictional issues if you ever need to enforce the agreement. Often agreements can only be enforced in the home country of the party in default, even where the agreement states that it is subject to English law. If you’re dealing with an overseas business, it is often helpful to include alternative dispute resolution procedures that can be applied internationally rather than relying on traditional enforcement through the courts.

Regulatory and compliance issues Depending on the nature of the agreement, the contract may also attract regulatory or compliance issues. For example, competition issues often arise in franchise agreements but other relevant compliance issues may include data protection – particularly if the contract is for any form of services where one party will have access to data generated by the other – bribery and corruption or money laundering. Contracts with

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Forming contracts

consumers are now heavily regulated and need to be carefully drafted to ensure they are enforceable.

Sales promises and guarantees All manner of promises, assurances and claims may be made about products and services during the sales negotiations.

Often sales staff may be tempted to make exaggerated claims about the quality or performance of products and services as a means of securing the sale.

Thought needs to be given as to whether any of these pre-contract statements have been made and whether or not they are intended to be relied upon.

Depending on when and how the contract is formed, the statements may or may not be included and so the safest approach is to expressly set out in the contract all of the statements, warranties and assurances that the parties are relying on and expressly exclude everything else.

Battle of the forms No article on supplier issues would be complete without mentioning the battle of the forms. This arises where each party tries to form a contract on the basis of their own standard terms. For example, the supplier sends a quote with a copy of their standard terms of sale attached, the buyer then sends an order with their standard terms of purchase attached, the supplier sends an order acknowledgement with a further copy of his terms of sale and so on.

The old rule was that whichever party “fired the last shot” by being the last to get their terms in prior to formation of the contract would win the battle and it would be their terms that applied to the contract. However, this has never been entirely satisfactory, not least because it means that one party has entered into a contract on terms that they didn’t agree to. This approach also relies on being

able to ascertain precisely the point at which the contract is formed – which is rarely easy.

There is case law to suggest that another approach is possible and that the contract has been formed on terms that are neither the standard terms of sale of the supplier nor the standard terms of the buyer. This approach avoids the inherent unfairness of the old rule but can lead to even greater uncertainty because if neither set of standard terms apply, what are the contract terms?

Ultimately, unless you particularly enjoy spending time with your local litigator, a battle of the forms is best avoided and, where possible, you should seek to expressly agree the terms that will apply before the contract is formed.

Losing sight of the wood for the trees Computers and word-processing facilities have allowed contracts to

become longer and longer. It’s critical to ensure that the really important commercial points don’t get buried or missed while negotiating the legal small print. You will need to ensure that key commercial points, such as minimum purchase obligations and volume discounts or rebates, are clearly set out in the final contract.

Brexit?

One final thought – if the contract is intended to remain in force for any longer than a couple of years, you may want to consider including some Brexit provisions. The legal regime around contracts is unlikely to change significantly in the short term but you may need to consider price review provisions or possibly break clauses just in case there are any post-Brexit scenarios that make the contract undesirable or uneconomic.

OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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06/10/2017 18:09

Franchise Resales

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

Be part of the most experienced care franchise in the UK Please contact Carole Stubbs our current resale opportunities.

bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk carole@bluebirdcare.co.uk 07912 771 149

BLUE003

Call us today for a confidential chat: 0800 0188 297 or visit us at www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk

North Manchester

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

Investment: TBC Established: 2007 Turnover: TBC

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

I really appreciate all of the support that I have had over the last 6 years. I feel financially secure and that is all down to running the business as per the TaxAssist model, it really has worked for me, thank you.

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

Tess Blayton - Franchisee

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

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

TAXA001

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Call us today for a confidential chat: 0800 0188 297 or visit us at www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk

North Hertfordshire Investment: £185,000 Established: 1997 Turnover: £160,000

The market is very competitive. However, thanks to a lot of hard work, dedication and the support from head office, I never feel alone in the process of developing my business.

Lloyd Evans - Franchisee

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

The franchisee started in 1997 and operates from office premises. The business is well known in the local business community servicing around 290 clients and has Gross Recurring Fees of circa £156K. This represents an excellent foundation upon which a new franchisee can further develop an already established business. The business has enjoyed regular growth, with the majority of new clients coming from recommendations and inbound leads generated from the support centre.

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

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

For a franchise re-sale you only pay us a half franchise and training fee as we recognise that you will also be investing in purchasing the business. You will of course benefit from the training and support that a new franchisee would expect.

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05/10/2017 17:14

FRANCHISE FOCUS

ActionCOACH

With the market for business-growth coaching booming, there’s never been a better time to launch a coaching company. ActionCOACH can provide you with the tools and systems to save ailing companies and take businesses from good to great.

“There was something unique about ActionCOACH but I couldn’t quite pin down what. So I started calling current franchisees, trying to catch them out: I wanted them to tell me there was something wrong with ActionCOACH but they never did.”

Lucas Vigilante, ActionCOACH Franchise Partner

• Guaranteed income of £8,333 per month by month 7; ask us about the Ts & Cs • Winner of the UK’s Best Mid-Priced Franchise Award 2014 - 2016 • Award winning franchise support • Personal investment can be as low as £10k • 1 of only 5 franchises rated 5-stars for four years • Full franchise network

Contact us: 01284 701 648 www.actioncoach.co.uk ACTI002

Almond Property

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

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

• Credibility and use of the brand • Exclusive territory • Full training given in all aspects of the business • Comprehensive start-up package • Central and local websites • Software to run the business

01708 450192 office@almondproperty.co.uk www.almondproperty.co.uk ALMO001

Bluebird Care

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

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

• Gold winner of the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year 2017 • Leading the sectors digital revolution • Growth market • Over 200 businesses across our network • A scalable business model • The UKHCA’s largest member • Created in the UK for the UK market

07912 771 149 Carole@bluebirdcare.co.uk www.bluebirdcarefranchise.co.uk BLUE003

BoConcept

BoConcept is the largest retailer of Danish furniture worldwide with operations in 50 countries and over 250 stores. Having well established the brand here in recent years, BoConcept is now expanding further in the UK. To spearhead the growth plan, BoConcept requires entrepreneurial leaders who are keen to build a new business in their local area and on the retail concept to market.

This is an opportunity to run and own your own retail business of which BoConcept work closely with each partner to ensure success.

• Very high average income potential • A strong brand from a well-established company • Transparent processes with open communications • High Level Management Support • Extensive marketing support • Extensive training • Support for the store design, furnishings and Opening

Contact: enquiries.uk@boconcept.com www.boconcept.com/franchise BOCO001

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

ChipsAway

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

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

Contact ChipsAway today and find out more.

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

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

Investment Level: £29,995+VAT FRAN003

ERA UK

ERA UK is a recession proof, business strategy and supply chain management franchise.

ERA is an award winning B2B consultancy franchise, working with organisations from a range of sectors to reduce their outgoings, improve supplier relationships and manage contracts on an ongoing basis to deliver measurable savings. We are looking for 10 -12 individuals of outstanding calibre, experienced in business, strategy or supply chain management, to combine their existing talents with our business system.

• Award winning B2B consultancy franchise • Use your existing experience • Are you experienced in business, strategy or supply chain management?

• Become a specialist consultant • Earn a six figure sum • Join a network of peers with skills that supplement your own

Contact Matt O’Neil on 02380 829737 m.oneil@erauk.net erafranchise.net EXPE003

Extra Help

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

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

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

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

Helen O’Grady

Have you considered a new career running your own teaching business?

Does the prospect of working flexible hours in school term time only appeal to you?

Do you believe in the need to develop confidence, self-esteem and communication skills in children?

• Be your own boss • Teach our world famous drama curriculum • Work flexible hours to fit around your family • Gain great job satisfaction • Earn an attractive income • Have an amazing amount of fun

If you answered yes to the above, then make it your business to teach drama and contact Nigel Le Page, Chief Executive Officer today!

01481 200250 nigel@helenogrady.co.uk www.helenogrady.co.uk HELE001

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

Home Xperts

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

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

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

Jackson Fire & Security

Do you want to be in a situation where the harder you work, the more money you earn?

Want to be a self-motivated business owner where you’re in control?

Jackson Fire & Security works with a rapidly growing base of franchisees providing fire protection and safety equipment throughout the UK. These business owners manage their own jobs, set their own schedules and generate their own money, fully supported by a system that is proven to work.

• Receive on-going training and support • Make a real difference to your customers • You’re free to get on and do the work you love • No experience required • Sales and networking background ideal • Work in an industry with constant demand • Can earn up to £10,000 per month

01352 755866 franchise@jacksonfire.co.uk jacksonfire.co.uk/franchise JACK001

Just Shutters

Just Shutters have earned an enviable reputation and true brand affection and we would like motivated individuals to join us and be part of our success story.

We offer our franchisees an excellent launch, training, marketing package, ongoing support and mentoring. This is a great opportunity for fantastic return on investment while being part of a much loved brand with like-minded individuals.

• Enviable work-life balance - lifestyle • Luxurious product • Excellent return on investment • Exceptional individual local launch package • Dedicated ongoing mentoring and support • Proven business model • Excellent bespoke systems

01202 233744 franchise@justshutters.co.uk www.shutter-franchise.co.uk JUST002

Kumon

Run your own business whilst supporting children to realise a brighter future. Kumon Educational is the UK’s largest supplementary education provider, with over 70,000 students at more than 670 study centre. At Kumon, our focus is on developing a firm foundation in our students’ maths and English abilities, as well as their confidence and self-belief, to help them excel at school and beyond. You will benefit from a proven and successful business model and will become part of an expanding network in which you are offered support and training to build a successful career.

• High quality academic programme • Extensive training and support • Global support network of Kumon Instructors • Low cost start-up fee • Thorough and transparent recruitment • Award winning marketing department

0800 988 6579 kumon.co.uk KUMO001

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

Mathnasium

Join the fastest growing children’s education franchise. Make Money - Make a Difference!

With over 800 centres worldwide our unique membership-based learning programme produces outstanding results with dramatic changes in attitude, confidence and school progress, helping children catch-up, keep-up and stay ahead in maths.

Proven business model developed over 40 years; strong branding and striking high-street premises - a unique opportunity to build a rewarding business on many different levels.

• Over 800 franchised centres • Simple, proven business model • Guidance with property acquisition • Personalised business plans • In person, online and in-centre live training • Proprietary management software system • No maths or teaching experience necessary

0161 791 0686 andrea.white@mathnasium.com www.mathnasium.co.uk

Investment Level: £40,000 MATH001

McDonald’s

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

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

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

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

Jane Blackwell - McDonald’s franchisee, Banbury

www.mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising MCDO002

Metro Rod

Investing in a Metro Rod franchise means you can build from an established customer base, with ongoing revenue, a fleet of vehicles, associated equipment and trained staff. Metro Rod local businesses operate across the commercial, industrial, utility and domestic markets. Drainage in the UK is a multi-billion pound highly profitable sector with demand 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day. Benefit from being a part of a national network of like-minded business owners, keen to share ideas and experiences.

• Ready-made customer base • Growing national account network • Provide a vital service independent of the economy • Profitable business with fantastic earning potential • Generous defined territory • Outstanding head office support and training • 24-hour customer call centre

Investment Level: From £100k - £1m+VAT

Kathryn Painter 0800 009 3198 www.metrorod.co.uk

FRAN003

Ovenclean

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

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

Kathryn Painter 0800 988 5434 www.ovenclean.com

Investment Level: £14,995+VAT FRAN003

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FRANCHISE FOCUS

Radfield Home Care

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

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

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

Techclean

Are you ambitious to run your own business?

Customer driven and well organised?

Can you follow a proven business system?

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

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

Current franchisees report net margins of 55%-65%

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

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

Investment Level: £19,500 THEB002

Tutor Doctor

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

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

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

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

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

Zero Dry Time

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

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

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

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

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

sponsored by Focus.indd 5

www.techclean.co.uk

04/10/2017 16:44

DISCOVERY DAYS

DISCOVER YOUR POTENTIAL... guaranteed income of £8,333 per month by ü Amonth 7; ask us about Ts & Cs is 1 of only 5 franchise networks to ü ActionCOACH rate their franchise 5-Star for four years

ü The full support of your network with a shared value of teamwork

ü UK’s best mid-priced franchise 2014 - 2016 We do things a little differently... if you get through our selection process we will invite you to our discovery day.

If you’d like to find out more and you: a) get a buzz from helping others succeed, b) love learning and developing yourself, c) enjoyed success in your career or sport...

Then find out more by watching the 6-minute overview video at actioncoach.co.uk

Do you dream of owning your own Tearoom?

Discover more about our franchise opportunity Call us on 01747 871819 opt. 2 to secure your place!

BEAT001

~ Bringing Elegance to your Table ~ ACTI002

A6 Advert.indd 1

www.beatonstearooms.co.uk Beatons Tearooms

@beatonstearooms

02/10/2017 10:23:40

Book a discovery meeting with us by emailing: opportunities@century21uk.com or call 0115 902 1002

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

A meeting is a chance for you to find out more about the CENTURY 21 team and whether it is the right fit for you.

It’s important you see the systems & support we offer and get the opportunity to speak to our Business Development Managers who would help you grow your business.

We hold these meetings across the country on a monthly basis.

Request more information

enquiries.uk@boconcept.com

BOCO001

UNITED KINGDOM

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

CENT004

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DISCOVERY DAYS

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

Discover Unlimited earnings with the UK’s automotive repair franchise

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

Get started for just £29,995+VAT

0800 980 5074

www.chipsaway.co.uk

Helping companies improve their bottom lines Discover more about the benefits of an ERA franchise at a FREE Discovery Day E R AF R AN C H I S E . N E T

For more information or to reserve your place, contact us on: tel: 023 8082 9737 email: franchiseteam@erauk.net

FRAN003

EXPE003

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

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

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

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

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

Could YOU be the next UK Franchisee?

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

Phone: 01905 678853 Email: franchise@homexpertsuk.com www.home-xperts.co.uk THEF002

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DISCOVERY DAYS

Discover how to MAKE MONEY and MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Mathnasium is one of the world’s fastest growing education franchises with over 800 centres worldwide.

Manage your own profitable and fun maths-only learning centre in the local High Street. It could be the most rewarding move you ever make!

No maths or teaching experience necessary Simple, effective and proven system Low investment, great returns “A Mathnasium franchise seemed like a perfect fit. This is such a rewarding business and you can’t put a price on the feeling that you get from helping a student succeed. I now know the difference between a job and a career.”

Matrice Williams, Owner and Centre Director

taimoor milktaimoor sheikh milksheikh

franchise@jacksonfire.co.uk

01352 755 866

Join us for a discovery day and experience the Mathnasium Method and Model, held in Manchester and Hertfordshire, call now to book your place 0161 791 0686 or email andrea.white@mathnasium.com

JACK001

www.mathnasium.co.uk

MCDO002

Reach Your Potential With Metro Rod

I am a franchisee & this is my McDonald’s

Join a successful team with over 30 years’ franchise experience

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

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

● ● ●

●

● ●

Taimoor, operates operates 4four restaurants Taimoor, restaurants in South South East East London in London

●

Ready-made customer base Growing national account network Provide a vital service independent of the economy Profitable business with fantastic earning potential Generous defined territory Outstanding head office support and training 24 hour customer call centre FRAN003

Come and talk to us at our Insight Day in Hinckley 20th October 2017 www.mcdonalds.co.uk/franchising

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

045116-250x148-CityAM.indd 1

Visit our website for more information

MCDO002 OSCA001

www.metrorod.co.uk

Call our Franchise Recruitment Team

0800 009 3198

or email kathryn@franchisebrands.co.uk

30/06/2016 09:50

94 Insight elitefranchise | OCTOBER 2017 Day in Elstree

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DISCOVERY DAYS

Feeding your Future...

OUR DOORS ARE OPEN TV

AS SEEN ON

...the ...the perfect perfect opportunity opportunity to get get to to know know OSCAR OSCAR at at aa to relaxed and informal relaxed and informal meeting. meeting.

Discover Discover OSCAR OSCAR The The door door is is open open to to aa variety variety of of backgrounds and life skills, backgrounds and life skills, guiding guiding you you towards towards aa new new career career –– working working for for yourself yourself with with flexibility flexibility and and choice. choice.

Discovery Discovery meetings meetings at at many many locations locations around the UK. Please around the UK. Please call call for for details. details.

0800 068 1106 discover@oscars.co.uk

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

discover@oscars.co.uk www.oscar.co.uk www.oscar.co.uk

OSCA001

Are you dreaming of owning your own photographic business?

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

Join our Award-winning Team of EXPERTS!

take that exciting step now!

Discover more about our franchise at our 1-2-1 meetings in the comfort of your home.

Franchises Available

Samples of our products will be provided along with all you need to know about becoming a franchisee.

Discover the Puddle Ducks difference.

Our next Discovery Days are on: 17th November 2017 and 19th January 2018

0800 622 6008

Book your place today. Call Katherine Craig on: 01477 410084

For more information about 1-2-1 meetings, please call Jan Massey 01207 299500 OR 07826841224

www.photographyforlittlepeoplefranchise.com

ve We ha been teaching pendent swimming e d f in irth for 15 years. rom b

PHOT001

Visit puddleducks.com/franchising for more information.

PUDD001

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DISCOVERY DAYS

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

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

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

DISCOVERY DAYS YOUR CHANCE TO

Learn about the Right at Home approach to quality care Evaluate our franchise model Meet the support team Assess whether we could work well together.

Find details and book now via our website at www.rightathomefranchising.co.uk

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

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

We look forward to meeting you.

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

RIGH001

RADF001

DISCOVER MORE… about running a business that puts you in the driving seat. We know there’ll be lots of questions about joining Wilkins Chimney Sweep.

Is there really a need for chimney sweeps?

(Indeed there is and we can show you why…)

Can I make this a business?

(Indeed you can and we can show you how…)

Benefit from becoming a Suit the City franchisee

We run Discovery sessions every couple of weeks in different places – check out our website to learn where the next event is – or give us a call!

Join a leading business in a booming market, beating the current trends in retail. Work from home or build your business with the aid of a team of Consultant Tailors all trained by Suit the City.

Attendance is free…contact us to find out more about running your own successful, sustainable, year round, profitable business.

For more information please call us or visit our website SUIT001

03300 885769

franchise@wilkinschimneysweep.co.uk

WILK002

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Jane Maudsley founder & managing director Little Voices

Healthy, wealthy and wise

Having seen how binning the booze has boosted her business, Jane Maudsley reflects on how healthier habits can help you achieve your goals

I

t was a very dismal Saturday morning and I was reading the news feed on my mobile phone as I do every morning. One article stood out to me from BBC News entitled Alcohol-free: Stealth drinking helping people to give up alcohol. If you haven’t read it I highly recommend it because it led to a real shift for me this month.

The article urged me to ask myself many questions about ensuring I am consistently in peak performance mode.

Don't get me wrong: I work incredibly hard for the majority of the time but equally a glass of chilled Sauvignon was more common than not in the week to ‘take the edge off’ or help me to relax after my weekday 5am starts. The article promoted my thoughts around my alcohol crutch. As a result, I signed up to the phenomena sweeping the world called One Year No Beer and am currently on day 12 as I write this month’s article.

This has had a transformative effect. For example, last weekend I was swimming, running and walking when normally I’d be nursing a little hangover and catching up on disturbed sleep from a Friday night relaxing after work and a bottle of Prosecco or two. This has had a knock-on effect on my productivity in the office and meant my mind has been crystal clear every day.

And I doubt I'm the only one who would benefit. Most of the case studies and the information that I have subsequently OCTOBER 2017 | elitefranchise

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learnt is so relevant to those in business – especially those individuals like myself that enjoy a tipple more frequently than not and find it relieves stress at the end of a long day.

Running a successful business is like being an athlete: ensuring that you have the right conditions and remain at the top of your game requires both a commitment in terms of time but also the right mindset. None of this is possible if your health is compromised. To remain healthy we need sleep, exercise and to be fuelling our bodies in the right way. It is all about quality and not quantity: while I get up early for work, if I have had a glass of vino the night before my sleep is compromised. You can tell. A lack of good quality sleep leads to a lack of mental clarity and let’s face it we need to be at our best at work. Exercise invariably comes a close second to a glass of wine and of course too much wine at the weekends leads to a lack of will power and snacking on rubbish.

“But I love the taste of wine and I love the fact that it helps me relax at the end of a stressful day,” I hear you shout. I shouted this too but the article, signing up for One Year No Beer and above all focusing on the positives has made these early few days a doddle. Focusing on my quality of sleep has enabled alcohol-free days to roll and as a direct consequence I have done more exercise; the clarity of my thinking and my mind is having an even greater effect at work than ever before. It’s hard, very hard, but I am reaping the rewards at work as every day I am 100% focused, well-rested and able to cope with the rollercoaster that is business with much more ease.

In addition, I have looked at setting myself some physical challenges. I ran the London marathon years ago

Every day I am 100% focused, well-rested and able to cope with the rollercoaster that is business and have done several assault courses but I went back to my vision board and wanted to see what else I had wished to achieve in my lifetime. I am committed now to doing a triathlon in May 2018, the Three Peaks Challenge and I am researching climbing Kilimanjaro.

As business people, we need to set ourselves goals and achieving physical ones has an impact on our health and therefore our ability to achieve our long-term business goals. There are so many excuses that we can make. Many of us use alcohol as a crutch during our journeys to success but the negatives of its consumption and the lack of peak health and fitness will be costing us time, meaning our goals will take longer to reach. So hopefully I have inspired you to look at how to be at peak performance every day of the week and address areas of your life that may be costing both you and your business.

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Visit us today to find your Dream Franchise www.franchisesupermarket.net

Franchise Opportunities with Franchise Supermarket ‘Franchise Supermarket is here to help you find the right Franchise Opportunity. Starting your own business can be a daunting process, so Franchise Supermarket aims to ease this process and help you become one of the 97% of franchisees within the UK that are achieving profitability. The Franchise Supermarket team wants to be more than just a directory - we aim to be the one stop shop for Franchise Recruitment!’

Franchise Supermarket provides YOU with • • • •

Detailed up to date franchise profiles Franchisee success stories The latest franchise news Upcoming franchise exhibition dates and franchisee Discovery Day dates

info@franchisesupermarket.net Fran Supermarket.indd 1

/FranSupermarket

FRAN005

03/02/2017 18:18

No will - no say

Speak to James Beresford, Head of Wills, Tax, Trust and Probate.

James leads the award winning wills, tax, trusts and probate department at Slater and Gordon. He is an expert on dealing with the administration of estates and advises clients on the drafting of wills, lasting power of attorney and trusts. He is author of the book “No will – no say”. A simple guide to wills and estate planning” which demonstrates his knowledge and experience in his field.

His professional and tailored approach provides clients with the best possible advice to suit their individual needs.

A simple guide to wills and estate planning

Written by the wills, trusts, tax and probate experts at Slater and Gordon the guide covers the essentials you need to consider including considerations when thinking about writing a will, when to start planning, Inheritance tax, Trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney and providing for vulnerable beneficiaries.

www.slatergordon.co.uk

SLATER AND GORDON

Whether you’re looking to put a will in place, need to update an existing will or simply considering your options for the future, No will – no say is the essential guide for anyone who wants to make sure they have their say!

A simple guide to wills and estate planning

No one likes to talk about wills; it makes you realise your own mortality. However if you don’t consider this then you will have no say who receives what, when you die. No will – no say is a simple guide to wills and estate planning and explains in simple terms the steps that are needed to ensure that your wishes are met.

No will - no say

No will - no say

No will - no say A simple guide to wills and estate planning

Call us on 0808 175 7909 slatergordon.co.uk Offices throughout the UK

James Beresford

*James Beresford, STEP member

Family | Employment | Estate Planning, Wills and Probate | Property Business Legal Services| Serious Injury and Clinical Negligence

Slater and Gordon (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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