The Franchising Blog

As part of a new “Introduction to the World” franchise development and marketing package for
aspiring international franchisors, the International Franchising Centre (IFC) has arranged a British Franchise Village at the International Franchise Exhibition (IFE) to be held in New York on June 15th-17th 2012.

Launching the new initiative at the Franchise Business Booster Conference & Supplier Showcase event last November, Brian Duckett, chairman of The Franchising Centre, said, “It’s time UK franchisors realised the potential for exporting their business systems. Provided they proceed with caution and the right advice there is a world of opportunity out there and it fits with the government’s aim of increasing exports and trading our way out of difficult times”.

Another event which is part of IFC’s new initiative is the “Passport Through Europe” Global Master Franchise Forum to be held in Venice on March 23rd and 24th. Arranged by Franchise Pool International, a group of consultants and brokers which operates throughout Europe and of which IFC is the UK partner, this event gives franchisors from all around the world the opportunity to learn about individual European franchise markets and to meet franchise brokers representing qualified investors from more than 20 countries. More information can be found by clicking on International Franchising Event

Duckett went on to say “Whether you are new to international franchising or are an experienced international franchisor, we have the experience and contacts to help take advantage of the potential in international markets.”

Details of the “Introduction to the World” package, of which these two events form just a part, are available from info@thefranchisingcentre.com or by calling 01904 561598.

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It’s a beautiful morning on the gallops and an excited new owner is looking forward to his first glimpse of the horse he has just “invested” in…

The experienced trainer goes on to patiently explain to his new client that the advantages of this arrangement are that he still gets to go to the races as an owner AND split the costs of ownership with the other nine 15% stakeholders in the horse.

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Alan Gibson

The Franchise Development Centre is delighted to announce that Alan Gibson has joined them as a franchise consultant. Over a thirty year career Alan has worked with and advised many businesses ranging from small family concerns to multi-nationals and also has experience in the Not for Profit sector.

Managing Director Brian Duckett commented “We aim to recruit the very best talent in franchising to join our team. It requires a blend of experience and knowledge in the franchise sector to be qualified to advise others on the subject. Alan brings an abundance of both as well as the personal skills required to be a professional advisor. “

Alan’s previous role was head of franchising at The Camping and Caravanning Club. He says “Having worked closely with the team at The Franchise Development Centre over a number of years I have always been impressed with the quality and integrity of their work and the comprehensive range of services provided to the franchising industry. After 12 years leading and managing a range of franchise brands I am keen to use my experience to help new entrants to the sector and existing franchisors. I am delighted to be joining the team and as a franchise consultant and becoming a fully fledged member of the leading team of advisors in the UK.”

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BUOYANT FRANCHISE INDUSTRY SHAKES OFF RECESSION WITH RECORD £12.4 BILLION TURNOVER
·         Employment rises to over half a million

·         Majority claim franchise model offers a competitive advantage

As the UK looks to its businesses to lead the way to recovery, there are welcome signs of growth in the latest survey by NatWest and the British Franchise Association (bfa). Throughout 2010 franchising has further increased turnover by £600 million (+5%) to £12.4bn. Since 2006, the sector’s turnover, and number of franchise systems, have both grown by 15%, despite a UK GDP growth rate of only 9.4% in the same period.

 
 
The number of franchise systems operating in the UK has grown to 897 over the past year, increasing the number of franchise units to 36,900. An extra 56,000 jobs have been created, taking total employment in the sector to 521,000. Franchising is also helping to drive international trade. Around a third of UK franchisors have units located outside of the UK, additionally, 38% of domestic only franchises plan to expand abroad.

Peter Ibbetson, Chairman small business, NatWest, said: “With 87% of franchisors planning to expand in the year ahead, we’re already seeing strong demand for our new £100m franchise fund. We bank more franchise businesses than anyone else so our discounted loans will play an important role in financing further industry growth.”

Brian Smart, Director General of the bfa, said: “Yet again franchising has demonstrated its inherent tenacity and stability, despite a tough climate last year. This means many more sustainable business start-ups and jobs have been created by ethical franchising – further helping the UK economy get back on its feet”.

Four out of five surveyed say being part of the franchise model offers them a competitive advantage over similar businesses that aren’t. Appearing to be a larger business, standardised products/services and quality expectation were cited as the three main advantages. Franchisors also see better prospects for themselves than the rest of the economy, with 75% expecting improvements for their business over the next year while only 31% expect the economy to pick up.

The franchise model is becoming an increasingly attractive option for those looking to run a business for the first time. Two thirds of franchise businesses trading less than two years reported to make a profit. Average start-up costs also reduced for a second year to £46,600.

While 9 out of 10 franchisees remain profitable, confidence may have taken a dent for some as 1 in 8 rely on the public sector for over 90% of sales – proving the industry is not totally immune to the recent economic fall out.

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NatWest / RBS Franchise Fund Update

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Dear all,

As it has been 4 months since the launch of the NatWest/ RBS Franchise Fund on the 7th February, I thought it would be useful to drop you all a short email outlining some of the things that have happened at RBS/NatWest as a direct result of the launch and its success.

I am very pleased to say that the fund was extremely well received by both the franchise sector and the media. A successful communications, media and broadcast campaign was undertaken, reaching an estimated audience of 17 million people, with interviews on 29 regional radio stations, appearances on BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Wake Up To Money & Today Radio 4. A number of National & Evening Newspapers also picked up on the story and this continues across the regions. This is fantastic news for franchising in general.

Since its launch, we have seen at least double the number of leads & enquiries in the team and we think this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. So far, we have over £44m of loans under consideration or agreed. I have taken the opportunity to attach details of the fund, which can be passed to new franchisees or added to your internal communications for existing franchisees, should they be looking to expand or similar.

More recently, we have revamped our external RBS & NatWest websites and links are attached below. You will see that amongst other things, we have added details of the fund and a newly created “Call Back Service”, which makes franchisee interaction with us even easier – please direct your new & existing franchisees to the sites and of course feel free to link your own franchise pages to them.

Mark Scott ACIB QFP
Director, Franchise Development
NatWest/RBS Franchise Team
1st Floor
280 Bishopsgate
London
EC2M 4RB
For NatWest 0800 092 9117
For RBS 0800 073 0265
Mobile 07801 034063
Fax 020 7672 4382

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BFA MEMBERS GAIN EXTRA PERKS

The Franchising Centre used the recent BFA Conference at Gaydon to launch its Exclusive Privilege Book. Only available to BFA members, it provides a range of discounts and special offers on an array of services to franchisors including training, staff recruitment, network development and events.
The new Franchise Escalator product was a particular feature of the launch and chairman Brian Duckett  explained “We provide a range of services to franchisors aimed at helping them develop their businesses to be more profitable. Typically clients for this type of work tend to be more mature franchise systems that have reached a plateau and want to use our knowledge of current best practice from the UK and beyond to take their business to the next stage.”
He added “The services available are a good fit both with the BFA membership and the BFA’s own goals of raising professional standards of franchising in the UK. We have always supported these ideals and it is why we have made this range of offers exclusive to BFA members. ”
To find more about this offer contact The Franchising Centre at info@thefranchisingcentre.com or by calling them on 01904 561598.

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