Feed: South West England Franchisee Case Studies on whichfranchise.com - AggScore: 47.4
Summary: South West England Franchisee Case Studies on whichfranchise.com
Case studies about people in South West England starting a Franchise
A People Business
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Starbrite franchisee Richard Law is
laying the foundations for a highly successful chemical
distribution business in Cornwall. Since 1st April he has
secured 200 customers from diverse businesses, including a
100-room hotel and a country pub.
Richard's experience as Sales
Manager for a catering supply company has proven invaluable, and
he has been working closely with Starbrite to grow sales to the
catering industry. "The most important aspect of this business is
having the right products at the right price," he reveals.
"Before launching the business I sat down with Starbrite and went
through the products so I was ready to go from day one."
Richard secured his customer base through a mixture of cold calling and contacts made in his previous job. He explains: "In the past, Starbrite have predominately sold into the automotive sector. Using my experience of catering and Starbrite's connections, we have been looking at new ways of linking products into the catering industry. New franchisees will now have an even wider range of businesses to sell to."
What initially attracted Richard to the company was its willingness to diversify, its knowledge of chemical sales and the people behind the business. "People buy from people," he clarifies. "I bought into this business because of the people. They've been very supportive in sourcing new products and have delivered everything they said they would. Their Franchisee Recruitment Manager is very realistic and made no false promises."
Richard is now consolidating his customer base before selling to the next 100 - he will then be looking for premises and staff. "You need to be resilient to run this business," he advises. "There's no such thing as a sales person, but you do need to be a good communicator, have the right attitude, be personable and self-disciplined. You must also be prepared to work very hard during the first 12 months laying the foundations."
Richard secured his customer base through a mixture of cold calling and contacts made in his previous job. He explains: "In the past, Starbrite have predominately sold into the automotive sector. Using my experience of catering and Starbrite's connections, we have been looking at new ways of linking products into the catering industry. New franchisees will now have an even wider range of businesses to sell to."
What initially attracted Richard to the company was its willingness to diversify, its knowledge of chemical sales and the people behind the business. "People buy from people," he clarifies. "I bought into this business because of the people. They've been very supportive in sourcing new products and have delivered everything they said they would. Their Franchisee Recruitment Manager is very realistic and made no false promises."
Richard is now consolidating his customer base before selling to the next 100 - he will then be looking for premises and staff. "You need to be resilient to run this business," he advises. "There's no such thing as a sales person, but you do need to be a good communicator, have the right attitude, be personable and self-disciplined. You must also be prepared to work very hard during the first 12 months laying the foundations."
Date Published: Mar 03, 2009 - 9:05 pm
Franchise event arrives in Southampton
Franchise event arrives in Southampton
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
May sees Southampton FC’s St
Mary’s Stadium host the South Coast Franchise Show for the first
time – an event showcasing over 35 franchise & business
opportunities for sale.
Southampton is the latest port of
call of a series of franchise roadshows hosted by organisers Job
Done. This event follows other successful roadshows in Reading,
Leicester, Norwich and Leeds over the last eight months.
In addition to 35 different
business ideas on show, visitors can pick the brains of franchise
consultants, find out funding advice from high street banks and
tap into local enterprise initiatives too.
There are free drop in seminars
and advice clinics. Topics include:
- “Mums Mean Business” – hosted by BBC TV’s The Apprentice candidate Jen Celerier (herself a self employed mum)
- “White Collar Franchising” – impartial advice for making the jump from office desk to MD
- “Post Credit Crunch” franchise finance advice – with Natwest Bank’s Franchise team
- “Motor Franchise Theatre” – business ideas for mobile franchises
Mark Monument of Job Done explains
more
“Our shows are a “bite
sized” version of larger, national exhibitions and give those
considering franchising a regular chance to visit a one-stop-shop
of franchising info – and, better still, at a local
venue
There’s a slice of every
conceivable franchise industry sector on show with ideas suitable
for all career backgrounds – for “petrol heads”, for skilled
tradesmen, for white collar careers, education, retail,
catering, IT.”
The show takes place on Saturday
9th May 10.00am until 4.00pm at St Mary’s Football
Stadium. There is no admission charge, no tickets required,
there’s plenty of free car parking though it is advisable to
register a place for the seminars and advisory clinics. Details
available on:
Date Published: Mar 22, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Dent Wizard franchise owner delighted with growth despite the recession
Dent Wizard franchise owner delighted with growth despite the recession
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
The new car market has taken a bit
of a prang during the recession – but that's not bad news for a
firm specialising in dealing with bumps, bangs and bashes.
Dent Wizard specialises in a unique
process called paintless dent removal, where small dings, dents
and creases are repaired without sanding, filling or spraying car
bodywork and it has
benefited as the new car sales market has hit the skids and more
people are turning to secondhand motors or sprucing up their
current drives.
The Brixton-based business was started in August 2007 by Ross Knowles, and covers Plymouth. It's a franchise from Dent Wizard UK, itself part of the world's largest automotive services company, Manheim Group, which in turn is owned by the large multinational Cox Enterprises.
During the past year the business
has grown in excess of 50 per cent, down in part to the
development of the service by Mr Knowles, but also to increased
demand because of the economic crisis.
Mr Knowles said: "Our business
customers fall into two groups: dealerships that trade in
secondhand vehicles, and private individuals.
"As more and more people choose to
buy a secondhand car rather than a new one, dealerships are
keener than ever to ensure the cars they sell are in tip-top
condition.
"The Dent Wizard service means
we're able to repair minor damage without removing panels, which
would affect the manufacturers' warranty."
He added: "We're also seeing an
increase in business from private individuals, who are taking
pride in the vehicle they own rather than seeking to replace it
with a new one."
Dent Wizard is a mobile service
which goes to the customer, travelling anywhere across Devon and
Cornwall.
Mr Knowles said: "We're delighted
our growth has been so healthy and steady over the past year, and
we believe the current state of the car sales market will mean
more growth for us."
Mr Knowles has been supported by
Martin Atkins, of Plymouth-based chartered accountants Francis
Clark. Mr Atkins said: "Dent Wizard is an excellent example of a
local expert, in this case Ross, who is trained as a commercial
vehicle mechanic, who has taken a franchise from a worldwide
organisation and made it a regional success.
"Franchises are a good way to get
into running your own business, and as the economic climate
worsens and more people find themselves out of work, we
anticipate that the franchise option will grow in
popularity."
Date Published: May 18, 2009 - 10:05 pm
The appeal of franchising with Maid2Clean franchise
The appeal of franchising with Maid2Clean franchise
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
The ambition to run my own business
has been with me since I was about 18 years old; I am now 40 and
cannot understand why I have given so much time and energy
working for others.
Around 4 or 5 years ago, with our
household bills starting to outweigh our income and following the
failure to increase our “wages”, my husband, Nigel, and I decided
to look into starting our own business. Our criteria being - work
from home with no stock holding.
After looking into many business
ideas, attending exhibitions and buying endless magazines, we
stumbled into the franchise village at an exhibition in Olympia.
Now, Maid2Clean was not represented at this particular show, but
the idea of a franchise did appeal, due to the proven business
concept, support from the franchisor and the banks like them too.
So we started researching more seriously.
Eventually, we arranged to meet
Elaine, who made us feel very welcome and explained the business
in detail. We both came away with the impression that failure was
not an option, this is a proven business and will work.
A year and a half later, Nigel is
working full time and supporting me, while I run the business
from home. Obviously, there have been some pitfalls; the biggest
one for us is the rural location of our customers and the lack of
large towns in our area. This means, I have to work harder
finding reliable cleaners with transport. Reliability will always
be a problem when you are dealing with people, that’s the nature
of the job, however if you are located in a sparsely populated
area think carefully about where your clients and cleaners will
come from.
In summary, we are happy with the
business, it grows slowly, in our case, but surely. We have no
one to blame if goes wrong, but reap the profits when it goes
right. We have decided not to make any hasty decisions before our
5th year anniversary, by this time we should be making a very
healthy profit.
Date Published: Jun 07, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Card Connection's Kent franchisees see trading up 27%
Card Connection's Kent franchisees see trading up 27%
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Leading greeting card publisher and
franchisor, Card Connection, has today announced that its
franchisees for the Canterbury/Dover region have seen trading up
by 27% compared with sales figures for the same period last
year.
“Jason Hook and partner Vanessa
Culliford joined Card Connection two years ago,” confirms
Andrew Cutler, franchise and sales director for Card
Connection. “In the past six months they have been focused
on growing their business and have started to work with an
additional 53 retail sites. This increases their portfolio
of Card Connection retail customers to well over 200 stores and
as a result, they have seen a significant uplift in sales
figures.”
Ex Kent policeman, Jason, puts the
team’s success down to: “Hard work and a focus on expanding the
business through new retail customers. Our target is to get
at least one new retailer to stock our Card Connection greeting
cards each week and by calling on outlets, from farm shops to
florists - in addition to larger retail stores, we are easily
achieving this.
“Interestingly, we are not seeing
the effects of the recession,” he continues. “Our sales
figures are well up on last year and we have been able to improve
our profit margins by stocking more premium product.
The future looks bright and within the next 12 months we are
aiming to employ an additional merchandiser and buy a new van to
manage the growth of the business.”
Vanessa, an ex-shop keeper who
spent the immediate years before purchasing the franchise working
as a freelance events and sales manager states: “We always aim to
provide excellent personalised customer service throughout our
235 customers. We are always on call and tailor our
displays and diary to meet the needs of each shop; the customer
always comes first. We have gained a great deal of extra
space within existing outlets simply by being reliable and
friendly.”
Using a proven system, Card
Connection franchisees place greeting card ranges in retail
outlets on a ‘consignment’ basis. This means the stock and
display equipment is installed on free loan to the
retailer. This is one step beyond ‘sale or return’ as Card
Connection customers never have to buy the stock in the first
place, only paying for what they sell. The award winning
merchandising service provided to retailers by local franchisees
is second to none and has established the company’s excellent
reputation especially within the convenience sector.
Card Connection has limited
vacancies for franchisees who are keen to run an expanding
business. Successful candidates would ideally have some
management experience as, once established, they would be
expected to employ a small team, operate a warehouse and have
several liveried vans on the road.
Because the franchise networks in
the UK and Ireland are complete, the available opportunities now
consist of acquiring an already-established territory from an
existing franchisee. These vary in price according to their
level of development, but start at £20,000 (+ stock) with
earnings potential in excess of £50,000 per annum.
Date Published: Jun 14, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Age and experience was a clear asset in running a Cartridge World franchise.
Age and experience was a clear asset in running a Cartridge World franchise.
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Terry Jeffery
Cartridge World Cheltenham and
Gloucester
Background
Prior to opening his first to two
Cartridge World franchises, Terry had held a variety of different
roles in IT management. It was his hobby of video and
graphics that introduced him to Cartridge World. By using
their refilled Cartridges he quickly learned that it was a
professional and impressive set up.
What introduced him to Cartridge
World
At the point where Terry’s hobby
had introduced him to Cartridge World, he was in turn facing an
increasingly turbulent time in his then industry – IT – and
following a third redundancy Terry began investigating Cartridge
World further. Operating his own business was, to Terry, the
obvious choice as he increasingly felt that his age was against
him within the IT industry – whereas his experience was a clear
asset in running a Cartridge World franchise.
Success to date
Terry now operates two Cartridge
World stores, in Cheltenham and Gloucester. The second store
came ‘out of the blue’ and within six weeks what had been an idea
became reality. The Gloucester store was in profit, the bank
was happy with the figures and Terry secured a loan on a second
store. He says: “I wanted to be twice as well off! And
I also knew how I could benefit further from economies of scale,
for instance being able to buy in bulk.”
And the successes keep
coming. His figures for 2007/8 show a 48% year-on-year
increase in profit. But Terry is in no way
complacent. He is determined to continue growing the
business – and he might allow himself a holiday!
In the five years since he opened
his first store Terry has worked with a number of local charities
and organisations – in return for their cartridge collections he
has donated more than £16,500 to good causes. He has been
able to support more than 20 local charities. They include
Great Oaks Dean Forrest Hospice, The Pied Piper Appeal, Andy
Cole’s Children’s Foundation and BIBIC (British Institute for
Brain Injured Children). He feels this has played a big part
in making his two businesses very much part of the local
community.
Cartridge World Cheltenham and
Gloucester have also been awarded with two Gloucestershire
Environmental Business Awards – which Terry considered not only a
great honour for the business, but a great achievement and
motivation for his staff.
Terry says ...
“I wish Cartridge World had been in
the UK ten years earlier because I would now be retiring a very
rich man. I knew I had made the right choice when I was
making an operational profit within just a few months of
opening. And when a new customer told me he’d heard about us
‘down the pub’ the belief that Cartridge World had been a wise
choice was reinforced.
“The worse the economic climate,
the more new customers we seem to get.
“Cartridge World’s technical
support and training is outstanding and makes my job much easier
– customers never doubt that we can deliver the quality they
require. But from their point of view, we really get most
respect for our environmental policies and work with local
charities.”
Date Published: Jun 15, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Live the franchise dream with The Camping and Caravanning Club
Live the franchise dream with The Camping and Caravanning Club
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
THE CAMPING AND CARAVANNING
CLUB
Janet and Barry Payne,
Dartmoor
It takes great tenacity to have to
wait 16 years to realise a dream. But that’s exactly what
happened when former design and technology lecturer Barry Payne
finally achieved his long-held ambition to have a campsite of his
own.
The idea had strong appeal for
Barry, especially after enjoying many camping and caravanning
holidays with his wife Janet, an administrator, and their two
children. However, he and Janet felt that it was
unrealistic to make such a large investment while the children
were small and at school.
As soon as the children had grown
up, they thought about the idea again and this time they decided
to make the commitment, up-sticks, move house and enjoy a
complete change of lifestyle as campsite owners.
Decision made, they began looking
for a suitable site, taking a year to consider places all over
the UK. They were close to buying a site in
Scotland but the deal fell through. Fortunately, their bank
manager was familiar with the franchising concept and suggested
that buying a franchise would be a more viable proposition,
particularly as they would be able to get some funding. They
would also have the benefit of support, advice and experience
from The Club, the UK’s oldest camping organisation.
Although the idea was primarily
Barry’s, Janet was more than happy to support the venture and
move away from the overcrowded South East. She had no qualms
about going to a new rural area in Devon, having moved house many
times in their marriage.
They soon discovered that
franchising offers a safer route than starting a business alone,
with all the back-up and on-going support franchisees
receive. “When the concept was explained and with the
knowledge that a loan was available, the economics made perfect
sense,”
Barry said. “As we
progressed further, the ‘partnership’ came to be a very important
factor,” he continued.
Neither had any previous experience
of running a business but the Club’s comprehensive training
programme taught them about managing an efficient campsite and
having a successful business. In addition to the training,
franchisees are supported by a head office advice team and
benefit from a range of centralised services which include
advertising and publicity.
The Club’s nationwide marketing and
sales promotion create awareness and ensure advance bookings on a
scale that is unimaginable for a site working on its own.
Franchisees are included in the annual nationwide
directory of campsites and on the Club’s website. They
benefit from the centralised bookings system operated through UK
call centres and also on-line, handling enquiries from Club
members and also independent holiday makers.
When the couple bought their Devon
site, they knew work was needed to improve it before it would
meet the Club’s exacting standards. They invested in a range
of new works that included electrical installations and new
facilities, ready for the campsite to open in March 2009. Now
they’re looking forward to the 2009 holiday season with, as Barry
put it: “A real sense of ownership within a strong partnership of
the Club – and plenty of bookings already made.”
Date Published: Jun 30, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Success for The Camping and Caravanning first franchisees
Success for The Camping and Caravanning first franchisees
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
The Camping and Caravanning
Club
Franchisee case study
Kate and Alan Sefton, Cheddar
(Priddy Wells)
Kate and Alan Sefton, the first
franchisees of The Club, had always wanted to live in the
country, away from their urban roots in the Black
Country. Over time, their dream of a rural lifestyle began
to grow, prompting them to investigate ways of achieving their
ambition and also to identify an opportunity that would enable
them to earn a decent living.
At the time, they lived in the West
Midlands where Kate was a deputy head teacher and Alan was head
of support services for computers in education. Keen campers
and caravanners all their 25 years of married life, they decided
to buy a campsite – long before they knew anything about
franchising.
Their first attempt to become
campsite owners was disappointing as the sale fell through on the
day of exchange, so Kate and Alan elected to stay put for the
time being. Some time later, they decided to have another go
and registered with an estate agency which, coincidentally, had
been appointed by the Club to help find suitable sites across the
UK. The agent suggested that Kate and Alan might like to go to a
meeting to find out about the Club’s franchise.
“To be honest, at the time we
weren’t interested,” Kate said, “but we went out of politeness
and because we thought we might learn something,” she
continued.
Going to the seminar proved to be
worthwhile as they learned a great deal about the benefits of
franchising and they left the meeting with plenty to think
about. Still undecided though, they continued their search
independently for a site, whilst still considering becoming
franchisees.
Kate and Alan found a campsite in
an idyllic spot near Priddy, one of the most historic villages in
Somerset, which they purchased privately in July 2004. By
this time, they were convinced about the benefits of franchising
and opted to join the Club’s franchise network.
Kate commented: “We thought it
would be good advertising for our site and ensure a steady stream
of bookings if we could become part of the Club’s
network. We definitely wanted to work for ourselves and
franchising seemed to offer a safer route than going it
alone.”
Kate and Alan had been impressed by
many of the other benefits of being franchisees, particularly the
Club’s ability to market their sites and services so widely and
effectively. “If you’re a one-man-band, how would you know
which websites or magazines were best to use for an
advertisement?” Kate commented.
“Now we enjoy a consistent stream
of bookings, both from Club members and holidaymakers
generally. Club members tend to make their bookings
exclusively with Club campsites because they are assured of high
standards and members tend to stay longer than the casual
camper. The Club reaches a huge audience and has the
facility to arrange advance bookings through the call centres or
on-line, which is more efficient and offers much more scope than
if you tried to do it alone,” Kate continued.
Kate and Alan had management
experience and had handled big budgets but neither had any actual
business experience before becoming franchisees. “The Club’s
expertise has been invaluable in many ways, particularly in
staffing matters. When we need extra help, we sub-contract
people who have been trained to a high standard by the Club,
which also takes over the headaches of PAYE and NI,” Kate
explained.
Four years on, Kate and Alan are
very settled and enjoy working together in their own business.
“We love working for ourselves and we love the place,” Kate
said. “We have enjoyed developing the business, for example
our shop which is very popular with local people as well as our
campers. We have a good reputation as we specialise in all
types of local produce and also have our own on-site
bakery. As a result, the shop has become a very large part
of our business,” she continued.
Kate and Alan say they would
recommend becoming franchisees with the Club but they believe it
is important for people to be realistic about the commitment they
are making. “Some people might think that living and working
in the country sounds like paradise but they must remember a
franchise would be their business and responsibility,” they
cautioned.
“That having been said, neither of
us would change what we have and we never want to go back to our
old jobs,” Kate said. “And we’d certainly hate working for
other people again.”
Date Published: Jun 30, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Taking the plunge and investing in a ServiceMaster franchise
Taking the plunge and investing in a ServiceMaster franchise
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Alistair Grieves, ServiceMaster
Contract Services, Exeter
I originally worked for a Contract
Furnishing company in London, neither my wife nor myself wanted
to continue working in London so we decided to move to what we
considered was the best part of the UK for us, Devon.
As I was experienced in the
tendering process, I thought I would use my strengths and look
for a franchise, which best suited my abilities. It also enabled
me and my family to move to the country and out of London.
What attracted me to contract
services, or daily office cleaning was the idea of regular
invoicing, whatever I billed I knew I should be billing the same
amount the next month, it was a regular income.
As money was tight initially,
moving into a new house and buying a new business it was
important for us to be able to forecast our income and plan our
future.
The best thing about being my own
boss is you make decisions and are able to take responsibility
for that. I also have the flexibility of working when I wish and
taking time off when I wish.
The other nice thing about an
established franchise company is there is plenty of advice, new
ideas, and other business's to liaise with. It is nice to have
other franchisees around you who are doing the same role but not
in competition with you.
My wife works in business I find it
very important to have a reliable financial colleague, she looks
after the accounts side of the business, invoicing, credit
control payroll etc.
I would never have had the
flexibility or life style that I now enjoy without taking the
plunge and investing in my own franchise.
Date Published: Jul 20, 2009 - 10:05 pm
To Buy or Not to Buy - with Platinum Property Partner franchise
To Buy or Not to Buy - with Platinum Property Partner franchise
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Sarah has worked as an estate agent, a home image consultant and
a recruitment consultant, and since 2003 she has also been a
television presenter – primarily on BBC1's 'To Buy Or Not To Buy'
- and freelance property writer. She currently works
freelance part-time within Platinum Property Partners and, as a
Franchise Partner, has started to build a portfolio in Poole
& Bourne mouth.
It was mid-2004 when Sarah first met Steve Bolton, and she spent
some time looking into his methods and business
proposition. It didn’t take long for her to realise that
there was definitely something different and special about Steve,
his business partners and the people they were working with, and
she started to work freelance for the company on copy writing,
publicity and shows & events. In November 2007, having
known Steve for three years and worked within the company on a
part-time basis for nearly a year, Sarah joined the
Franchise.
"I had a fair amount of experience in the property field, but
nothing like the knowledge within PPP, particularly on the
investment front – it's a completely different proposition to the
residential and holiday home market. And because I like to
work on a number of different projects, I simply don't have the
time or inclination to worry about having to research every
aspect of the property business, so the Franchise is the perfect
solution and, for me, a very cost-effective way of ensuring I
make the right investments and have access to the best people to
advise me on an ongoing basis. Plus, I've made a lot of
great new friends and some seriously inspiring mentors and
colleagues."
Sarah was sale agreed on her first property the day after her
initial mentoring, completed on that purchase in February 2008
and it was ready to rent as a 6-bedroom House in Multiple
Occupation six weeks later. Thanks to a tracker mortgage,
that property currently cashflows £1,400 a month. In
November 2008 Sarah bought her second HMO – another 6-bedroom
property – and that cashflows £660 a month. Those two
cashflow figures are after the mortgages and all bills have been
paid, allowances have been made for maintenance and voids,
franchise management service fees have been paid, and include the
cost of employing a property manager. The combined pre-tax
profit of around £2,000 a month is therefore virtually passive
income, as Sarah only has to spend around 2 hours a week on
administering the business.
Albert Road, Poole
Purchase price
£230,000
Rental income
£2,686
(5 doubles, 1 single)
Mortgage repayment
£1,139
(85% LTV, 6.89% int. only)
Other expenditure
£881
(utilities, c. tax, insurance, TV, b'band,
cleaner, voids & maintenance allowance,
franchise MS fees, property management)
Total expenditure
£2,020
Total monthly pre-tax profit
£666
Total annual pre-tax profit
£7,992
Sarah is working with her father as a passive investor, and has
made the most of the other investment options offered by
PPP. She has invested into a development project in
Romania, which is anticipated to give around a 100% return within
3 years, and also entered into a passive loan arrangement with
one of the PPP founders, which pays market-leading interest rates
on a monthly basis.
For the next few months Sarah will be focusing on the purchase of
her own home in Bournemouth and obtaining planning permission,
with the help of PPP’s contacts, to build in the garden of one of
her HMOs. She also hopes to acquire at least one more
investment before the end of the year.
Date Published: Nov 10, 2009 - 9:05 pm
Signs Express franchise recruits in Swindon
Signs Express franchise recruits in Swindon
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Swindon is abundant with business opportunities, but starting
your own venture can be a turbulent and stressful time so before
making any decisions it’s important to thoroughly research all
business options in the area.
Signs Express, as a franchise, is one such avenue where you can
start a brand new business and be your own boss; but all with the
safety of an already established brand, proven business model and
with support along the way.
Franchising is showing a positive outlook and is proving a more
sustainable option than starting in business alone. Despite the
economic uncertainty of last year, franchising still managed to
contribute £11.8 billion to the country’s GDP which also showed
an increase of £400 million from the previous year. The
statistics which were reported in the annual NatWest BFA
franchise survey, also highlighted potential for future growth
with franchisors, on average, planning for an additional 8.8
franchisee outlets and a modest increase in the number of
businesses looking themselves to franchise their own businesses.
As the UK and Ireland’s largest signs franchise providing all
types of signage working in the B2B sector means that there are
no customer constraints; after all every business needs signs and
graphics in some shape or form.
The Swindon and Wiltshire areas in particular are abundant with
customer potential and money making opportunities. With
particular emphasis on economic growth and development in retail,
financial and business services, technology, public sector and
leisure; the key customer base is already on your doorstep making
it a flourishing centre of activity for local business
opportunities.
Signs Express customers can therefore stretch from the public
sector, local councils, professional clients such as solicitors
and architects, retail and restaurant customers as well as a vast
range of small mobile businesses through to industrial and
commercial enterprises in many sectors and divisions.
Signs Express currently has 80 signage centres nationwide,
however, there are still a number of greenfield businesses for
sale which are ripe for the picking throughout the UK. The
Swindon sign franchise opportunity is one particular location
Signs Express is looking to recruit as there is currently little
presence in the Swindon area; it therefore holds endless
opportunities for you to start in franchising.
As part of an already established brand, the process of setting
up a sign franchise in Swindon is made so much easier. As well as
including working capital the overall fee to become part of the
Signs Express franchise includes help finding premises; unit fit
out with everything from printing machinery and computers through
to desks and signage materials; help researching the local market
along with providing business data; marketing literature and
merchandise and help recruiting; as well as training in accounts,
marketing and technical processes to get started.
With this there are much faster financial rewards. Through the
help available a new Signs Express franchise looks to break even
in the first year, receive dividends of £20,000 in year two and
£40,000 in year three. In fact, well established franchisees are
turning over £1m a year and some longstanding franchisees have
recently been celebrating reaching £5m invoiced sales mark.
As a management signage franchise, prospective franchisees
require no industry experience as full training is provided and
sign making staff will be appointed to work in this case in the
Swindon franchise production unit. Your skills will be based on
your own management and sales experience and your ability to lead
a team.
Date Published: Jul 14, 2010 - 10:05 pm
Signs Express franchise recruits in the south west
Signs Express franchise recruits in the south west
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Franchise business opportunities act as much safer option when
starting in business and this is especially the case when looking
at buying an existing franchise business as a resale option.
Through buying an already established business, the new owner
will gain a distinct advantage as the business is already up and
running with an existing customer base. There are no headaches
over finding a production unit to base the business, plus the
centre is already fitted out with the required equipment and
furniture; so no waiting around for suppliers and no need to
waste time organising the layout, it’s already been done. The
staff are even already in place and fully trained, therefore
cutting out the time recruiting in the area and providing the
business owner with the knowledge of the centre as it currently
stands. This means that as soon as the franchise owner is in, he
can start trading and continue generating profit from day one.
There are huge benefits within the counties in the South West.
For example jobs in Gloucestershire are highly sought after.
Economically dominated by the service industries, and with a
strong financial and business sector, this South West location is
currently experiencing vibrant growth amongst its existing
business community which increases scope for business in the
future. The existing business, has an excellent reputation
amongst its established customer base and receives a substantial
amount of repeat business within the area.
With business opportunities in Dorset, or if you are looking to
buy a business in Gloucestershire and businesses in Somerset all
helping to bring the region through the recession.
With over 80 centres nationwide and 20 years of experience under
its belt, Signs Express business opportunities are growing as
more franchisees reach retirement. There are many business owners
who joined Signs Express having worked for years in various
industries and who were looking for security as they reach
retirement age. This means that now, some years later, they have
reached their potential and are set to retire and enjoy the money
that they have earned through their own hard work over the years.
The key to starting in business and in particular buying an
existing franchise in is its distribution channel. The franchise
has built up an enviable customer base as a result of time and
experience, meaning the customers would already be there and at
the new business owner’s disposal. The same goes for suppliers.
Signs Express has its own preferred list of suppliers and in a
resale situation these relationships have already been made with
the centre and therefore any problems already ironed out.
As a management franchise, prospective franchisees require no
industry experience as full training is provided. Your skills
will be based on your own management and sales experience and
your ability to lead a team. Ongoing support is available from
sales and marketing, accounts, IT, HR, operations and technical
as well as initial training to learn more about technical aspects
and business techniques.
Date Published: Jul 14, 2010 - 10:05 pm
Family-run Bluebird Care franchise office is scooting ahead
Family-run Bluebird Care franchise office is scooting ahead
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Care-at-home provider Bluebird Care in Taplow is helping people
get back on the road to full employment by investing in
environmentally-friendly scooters.
Ian and Anne Inglis, owners of Bluebird Care South Bucks and
Slough, hope to create 40 new jobs in the area by the end of this
year – giving a major boost to the local economy.
During recruitment, they became conscious that some first-class
job applicants were being ruled out, automatically, because they
were without personal transport.
Anne said, “Obviously our priority is to recruit care workers who
can offer high standards of care, in a friendly, empathetic and
ultimately professional way.
“However, we became increasingly aware that some applicants were
unemployed through no fault of their own, and their job prospects
were hampered by not having transport. We’ve worked with the
local JobCentre, and have now invested in two scooters, so lack
of transport is not an automatic ban to being a Bluebird Care
worker. The scooters have the further benefit of being
environmentally friendly and a cost-effective and quick way to
reach our customers!”
One staff member to benefit from the scooters is Diane Weston,
who lives in Slough. She joined Bluebird Care in April and is
proving very popular with customers, thanks to her outgoing,
enthusiastic and hard-working nature.
Diane said, "I am so grateful to Bluebird Care for providing me
with a scooter allowing me to get back into work, and do a
job that I love. The provision of care to people in their own
homes is so rewarding, and having the scooter means that I can be
even more certain of being on time for visits as I am less
affected by the traffic problems that car drivers face on the
roads. What's more, scooters have the added benefit of being
environmentally friendly, so I am doing my bit to control carbon
emissions in the area too!"
With a population of 182,000, the area covered by the Bluebird
Care team includes Slough, Beaconsfield, Burnham, Denham, Dorney,
Farnham Royal, Fulmer, Gerrards Cross, Hedgerley, Iver, Langley,
Stoke Poges, Taplow and Wexham.
Ian and Anne set up the Bluebird Care office last autumn and have
over 45 years’ management experience between them. They have
teamed up with sister-in-law Cindy Inglis, who was recruited as
Care Manager after 16 years spent in the care industry. With
Ian’s mother previously a recipient of care at home, they had
first-hand experience of the importance of providing such a
service.
Ian added, “We had seen with my Mum how important a service like
this is to people and we wanted to be part of that. Our ethos is
that we consistently put people first and ensure that we deliver
a service that is both flexible and person-centred at all times.
“Our combined experience has resulted in a strong team delivering
what customers want.”
The office has quickly established itself as a professional
organisation, meeting the strict guidelines laid down by The Care
Quality Commission. It is also a member of The United Kingdom
Home Care Association and The Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire
Care Association.
Date Published: Jul 14, 2010 - 10:05 pm
Better way of life with Maid2Clean
Better way of life with Maid2Clean
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Mike Padley was a self employed Plumber for 4 years, after being
in the Army for 23 years but always thought there must be a
better way of running your own business, franchising offered him
a tried and tested system which was more likely to succeed than
struggling on his own.
Mike says that “I decided that Maid2Clean was the right franchise
for me due to the low overheads and the fact that it could be run
from home. The Maid2Clean franchise had the added advantage that
it could also be run on a part time basis to begin with, in order
to build it up to a desired level.”
Mike raised the finance partly from his personal savings and
partly via a business loan from his bank.
The training and support Mike received from Maid2Clean included
initial management and administration training at the
franchisor’s location. Followed by IT system training. Ongoing or
refresher training is always available on request and any day to
day issues can be addressed on the Maid2Clean franchisee forum.
Mike has had challenges to face like balancing his time around
his current full time work and his new franchised business and
getting enough cleaners in the right areas. But that is the
beauty of franchising, his franchisor has been there, lending a
supportive hand, throughout.
Mike now plans to grow his business enough in order to run it
full time and make a good living from it so that he can then give
up his current full time job.
“Maid2Clean has been a great support,” adds Mike “offering good
solid back up from someone who is very hands on. If Mike Hanrahan
(MD of maid2Clean) cannot sort a problem out himself, he knows
someone who can!”
“I would definitely encourage others to do what I did. It can be
very satisfying to be in charge of your own working life. This is
quite low cost for a start-up, and low risk from then on.”
Date Published: Oct 27, 2010 - 10:05 pm
Retaining independence with Cafe2U franchise
Retaining independence with Cafe2U franchise
South West England Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Having run and sold his own logistics business, Brian wanted to
find a business he could operate with his wife, Angela, which
would challenge them both yet allow them to retain some
independence.
They operate the business every day together, and haven’t looked
back.
“We were looking for a business that ticked three very important
boxes:
- A franchise business with a proven track record which, with hard work, would make a solid profit, after working in the up and down world of transport.
- A business with a low investment entry level, ensuring costs are kept low, so we would be working with minimal debt.
- A business fairly early in its development, providing us with a challenge, as well as excellent growth potential both in our business and in the wider network.
“With these objectives in mind, it was not long before we
realized Cafe2U was a perfect fit. The fact that we are working
with great people, selling great coffee, working in the fresh
air, and making people happy were all bonuses.”
“We are not trying to say that it is all a bed of roses, nothing
is! We have found it to be better than a lot of jobs we could be
doing. It is mostly rewarding, and the returns are certainly
there if you work hard.”
Date Published: Feb 14, 2011 - 9:05 pm
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