Whether you are just simply considering a change of direction or whether you already have your heart set on starting up a franchise business, the Franchise Show 2012 at ExCel, London will be the place to be on the 24th-25th February.

The Franchise Show is a key event for anyone considering a future in franchising as a place to find out about over 100 different franchise systems ranging from home-based and part time to master franchises all under one roof.

As an attendee, you will also have the opportunity to take advantage of the packed programme of over 70  seminars from industry experts to well-known UK entrepreneurs.

Attendance is completely FREE, so if you don’t yet have your tickets…. click here to get some.

Select Your Franchise will also be present at the Franchise Show for the 3rd year running – come see us on Stand 619.

Mark Scott - Director, Franchise Development, NatWest

I am delighted to announce that NatWest are the Lead Sponsors for the second year running, for the Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) Awards 2012:-

The EWIF awards recognise the work and achievements of women, in all aspects of franchising during 2011 .

The individual Award Categories are as follows:

• The NatWest Award for Woman Franchisee of the Year 2012
  Recognising the most successful woman franchisee during 2011 .
• The Recognition Express Award for New Woman Franchisee of the Year 2012
  Recognising the most successful woman franchisee during 2011 that became a franchisee after 1st January 2010.
  

  The Encouraging Women Into Franchising Awards

• The Coconut Creatives Award for Woman Franchisor of the Year 2012
  Recognising the most successful woman franchisor during 2011 .
• The WPA Award for New Woman Franchisor of the Year 2012
  Recognising the most successful woman franchisor during 2011 that launched their franchise after 1st January 2009.
• The Owen White Award for Franchisor Woman Employee of the Year 2012
  Recognising the most successful franchisor woman employee during 2011.
• The Franchise Show Award for Woman Franchise Service Provider of the Year 2012
  Recognising the most successful woman franchise service provider during 2011.
• The Business Options Special Achievers Award 2012
  Recognising the work of an individual who has made a major contribution to franchising.

Note: Individuals can not nominate themselves for this Award. The winner will be chosen by the judges based on their knowledge of the special work of the individual.

Award Entry Forms are now available via an editable PDF, which can be downloaded from the EWIF website. All entries must be received using the official PDF editable entry forms. The closing date for Award Entry’s is 25th February 2012.

I can also confirm that the Awards Ceremony will be held at the NatWest/RBS Building, 280 Bishopsgate, in Central London on Thursday March 29th, between 10am and 3pm. This is very near to Liverpool Street Station.

Mark Scott – Director, Franchise Development, NatWest

Brian Duckett addresses the attendees of the Franchise Supplier Showcase

The 2011 Franchise Business Booster and Supplier Showcase was held this year at the National Motorcycle Museum on 18th November.

The event achieved its goal of saving franchisors the research required to seek out good suppliers of specialist products and services for their businesses. One franchisor summed the day up by saying “It would take me months or even years to discover all of these suppliers on my own”.

Another interesting view of proceedings came from the companies present who are taking their first steps in to franchising. Many were genuinely surprised that there are so many suppliers with offerings that are bespoke to the franchise sector. One commented “This is a whole new world for us and this event has opened it all up for us.”

The event is organised by The Franchising Centre and Chairman Brian Duckett commented “Franchisors tell us they like this event because it saves them time and effort sourcing suppliers. To support them further in this direction we have launched a new website that is a directory of franchise suppliers. We anticipate it will become the first port of call for any franchisor looking for a supplier and it’s even an easy name to remember:  franchisesuppliers.co.uk”.

Once again proceeds from this event went to the Trussell Trust’s Food Bank charity.

For details of the 2012 Franchise Business Booster and Supplier Showcase or to find a franchise supplier visit www.franchisesuppliers.co.uk.

The Business Booster Conference and Supplier Showcase 2011

Next week, on Thursday 17th November at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, many franchisors will be gathering to hear about the latest service developments that could benefit their franchise networks with a view to streamlining and boosting business for both themselves and their franchisees.

The day will be filled with opportunity to meet and chat to many different service providers all under one roof that understand franchising and have products and services tailored to suit your needs of franchisors.

In addition, there will be presentations by many of the service providers which is a good chance to understand the benefits of using new systems and also to find out about new developments of service providers you might already use.

Main features of the day:-

• Guest Speaker Brody Sweeney – not to be missed!
• An update from Franchising Works – have you registered yet?
• International Franchising – a new, low cost route to expand overseas
• Suppliers – more products and services to help you run your business

For full details of the event or to book your place, click here for a peek at the flyer for the event and booking information.

Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise

I just noticed today that this is the 500th posting on the franchise blog. Thanks to all our valued contributors in helping to make this a real franchise industry resource since its launch late in 2009. We are pleased to be running what is one of the most respected and resource-filled blogs on franchising in the UK.

The franchise industry in the UK really is going from strength to strength. Despite the recession and rising unemployment, there are many strong franchise businesses out there that are continuing to expand and build their networks. If you are new to the idea of a franchise business, a business format franchise is quite simply a proven business model which has been documented and packaged in such a way that it can be replicated by another budding business owner (A long explanation can found in our post on “What is a franchise“).

The new business owner can benefit from the business system which has been tried, tested and refined by the original business owner who, by franchising the business, becomes the franchisor. In addition, you can benefit from the training and support offered by the franchisor in helping you setup and run a successful business.

If you have been thinking for sometime about starting up your own business… you can take some time to browse an online franchise directory to get some ideas of the type of business you could be running.

Mike and Catharine Chalton of Home Instead Senior Care - Gold Winners of the 2011 bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards

Mike and Catharine Chalton of Home Instead Senior Care in the Wirral were last night revealed as the 2011 bfa HSBC Franchisees of the Year, supported by Express Newspapers.

Amongst 14 exceptional finalists, the Gold Award winning pair provide a wide range of one-to-one, tailor made, services and home visits for the elderly. They were praised for their commitment to providing high quality care in an industry where some businesses have caused criticism over standards. The judges noted their passion for tackling this serious issue and spearheading an initiative which sees Home Instead Senior Care working closely with the NHS with the aim of raising healthcare standards across the country.

Also celebrating wins last night for their efforts were:

• Silver Award – Afia Sirkhot, McDonald’s (Birmingham & Dudley). Afia was praised for her dedication to training and developing high quality staff and working with the Birmingham and Dudley communities to build two hugely successful McDonald’s franchises.
• Bronze Award – Ian Cain, NBC Bird and Pest Solutions (Edinburgh). Ian was awarded in recognition of his commitment to ethical business and environmentally responsible wildlife management and for building relationships with, and retaining, a portfolio of high end customers across Scotland.

Mike and Catharine Chalton commented on their achievement: “Winning this award is fantastic recognition of the lengths our whole team has gone to to make a positive change in the community we live in. To be named as the 2011 bfa HSBC Franchisees of the Year is a great honour and a very exciting reward for everyone at Home Instead Senior Care. We are extremely proud of this achievement which also helps to raise awareness of the company and its vision to change the face of elderly care in the UK.”

Home Instead Senior Care is the fifth largest care provider in the UK. It is part of a growing worldwide organisation, Home Instead Worldwide, which currently has over 900 franchised offices worldwide, with over 100 in the UK and Ireland.

Cathryn Hayes, Head of Franchising, HSBC, commented: “It was a pleasure to witness so many enterprising businesspeople who are excelling through planning, perseverance, innovation and creativity. Mike and Catharine’s passion for providing excellent customer service came across strongly and it is great to see how it has resulted in their successful business going from strength to strength. They are a true credit to the franchising industry and an inspiration to small businesses across the UK.”

Seán Hammond, Head of Franchising, Express Newspapers, stated: “These Awards continue to reveal the business talent we host in the UK. Their success stories provide food for thought to existing and potential franchisees, and I congratulate every finalist on their enormous achievement.”

Brian Smart, Director General, British Franchise Association (bfa), said: “There were so many strong stories this year, revealing the small businesses which have truly taken advantage of the franchise model to deliver success. We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2011 bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards and are particularly pleased to see the level of commitment the winning franchisees have placed on supporting their communities and adapting their businesses to reflect the challenges of the economic environment.”

Along with the overall Gold, Silver and Bronze Award winners, five regional winners were selected.

Regional winners:

• London and the South East
  Asad Hamir, Amar Radia and Adarsh Radia, O2 (London W1)
• Scotland
  Ian Cain, NBC Bird and Pest Control (Edinburgh)
• The Midlands
  Afia Sirkhot, McDonald’s (Birmingham and Dudley)
• The North
  Mike and Catherine Chalton, Home Instead Senior Care (Moreton, Wirral)
• The South West and Wales
  Lorraine Thompson, Driver Hire (Oxford)

For further information, visit www.thebfa.org or call the bfa on 01235 820 470

The Business Booster Conference and Supplier Showcase 2011

This year’s Business Booster Conference and Franchise Supplier Showcase takes place on Thursday 17th November in Birmingham.  The purpose of the event is to save franchisors the extensive time and effort it takes to source good suppliers that can help make their businesses more efficient and profitable, by bringing them all together under one roof for a day.

The event is organised by The Franchising Centre and Managing Director Brian Duckett commented “A frustration for many franchisors is knowing that there are good products and services out there that can help them develop their business, but they don’t have the time to go through the whole process of searching for and interviewing potentially good suppliers. The purpose of this event is to gather together lots of suppliers under one roof that know and understand the franchise market so that franchisors can speak to a number all on one day.”

The event provides a nice relaxed atmosphere in which franchisors can speak to suppliers to learn about their offering without the stresses involved in a more traditional sales environment.

The event also aims to provide information which is useful and interesting to franchisors with a number of guest speakers and presentations. Back by popular demand this year will be Brody Sweeney with more inspirational words about his own experiences in the world of franchising – anyone who saw him last year will tell you that he is not to be missed!

All proceeds from the event will go to the Trussel Trust’s Foodbank project which provides an immediate source of emergency food for those who unexpectedly hit hard times here in the UK.

More information about the event is available at www.franchisesuppliers.co.uk

Today, our Twitter account @Franchises_UK reached 1,000 followers! If you have an interest in franchising whether it be as a franchisor, a prospective franchisee or simply someone with an interest in the franchising industry, following us on Twitter can be a great way of keeping up with the news.

Our Twitter updates feature the latest updates from our franchise blog as they happen aswell as individual franchisor news articles which might be of interest. Twitter is also a great way to interact with us and let us know you opinions on any article we post or your views on the franchising in general. We read every Tweet that comes our way!

We would like to thank all our followers for discussing the big wide world of franchising with us

Cathryn Hayes - HSBC Head of Franchising

The 2011 bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards, supported by Express Newspapers will once again bring together the franchising industry to celebrate excellence within the sector and the commitment of those franchisees who ‘set the standard’ for best practice in the industry.

Taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on Thursday 29th September, the black tie Awards Dinner, a firmly established event in the franchising calendar, will see 5 regional winners announced from the 14 finalists. In addition, national Bronze and Silver winners will be announced with the overall Gold winner being crowned bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year 2011.

Individual tickets for the Awards Dinner are £87 + VAT or book a table of 10 for the price of 8.

Bookings for the Awards Dinner are now well under way so make sure you book your place(s) as early as possible, if you have not already done so, by completing and returning the reservation form you will have received through the post. Alternatively, you can book  by calling 01235 820470 or by booking online through the awards area of the bfa website.

We look forward to seeing you!

Cathryn Hayes - HSBC Head of Franchising

As the National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham is just around the corner, we explore why our enthusiasm for the UK franchising industry is continuing to bloom.

Franchising contributes £12.4 billion to the UK economy and provides jobs for an estimated half a million people working in the franchise industry.

Four out of five franchisees feel that being part of a franchise has given them a competitive advantage in the last year, when compared with similar businesses that are not franchised. The recent bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards revealed just how much franchisors are doing to support their franchisees. All finalists displayed a wealth of expertise in what excellence means in practice.

HSBC has supported franchising for over 25 years, and our approach to providing finance has remained consistent. In 2010 we doubled our lending for franchisees compared to 2009, and we are looking to further build on this record performance.

The key thing here is risk – good ethical franchising is less risky than conventional business start ups and that’s why banks will look favourably at applications from franchisees. But are they a safer option?

Franchising covers a wide spectrum of industries and even though some have performed better than others during the downturn, the risk is diversified for the sector as a whole. The risk of failure is lessened further by the support and tried-and-tested model provided by successful franchisors. It is in your best interest that the franchisee’s business remains in good shape and you continue to receive income in the form of ongoing management service fees.

Funding is more likely to be available to quality applicants who can demonstrate they have a good understanding of their chosen franchise model, the skills needed to realise the opportunity and a firm grasp of the financials of the business.

As we begin to emerge from the recession, now is the time to start recruiting new franchisees, ready to expand your business during the long-awaited upturn. Keep your bank updated with your most recently audited accounts, any initiatives you have put in place to assist your franchisees and details about how your business is performing. Your bank will work with you to ensure your franchisees obtain the right funding package, enabling their business and yours to thrive.

Posting from the monthly HSBC Connections newsletter. For more information or to get on the mailing list for the newsletter please email franchiseunit@hsbc.com

Mark Scott - Director, Franchise Development, NatWest

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 outline 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.

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.

The annual NatWest/BFA Survey was also launched last month where BFA members now receive a copy as part of their membership package. The survery is also available at a cost for non members.

For further information or to contact NatWest or RBS please go to www.natwest.com/franchise or
www.rbs.co.uk/franchise

Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise

According to the 2011 British Franchise Association(bfa)/Natwest franchise survey (which is available free to all bfa members), the number of UK franchised units in the UK reached record levels in 2010 at 38,600 units. This is the biggest yearly increase in the number of franchise units since 2007, just prior to the recession, which is a great sign that positive optimism is returning.

With unemployment still remaining a problem, more people appear to be looking at starting up their own business and these figures indicate that many of them may well be realising the benefits of choosing a franchise business.

Despite the recession, the franchise survey also shows that even in 2008-09, the number of franchise units still grew, indicating a measurable confidence in starting up a new franchise business regardless of the economic climate.

The accelerated growth over 2010 brings an even more positive outlook to the franchise industry.

For those not familiar with franchising, a franchise is quite simply a proven, replicable business model. This is to say that typically, you can run a franchise as your own business venture but with the advantages that come with the right to make use of the franchisor’s established trademark, branding and proven trading model.

Choosing a franchise as a route to self-employment can give advantages over starting a brand new business idea from scratch.  The franchise survey shows the historical, impressive trend of 9 out of 10 franchisees running profitable businesses, to have continued during 2010.

It’s clear that the future remains bright for franchising… could a franchise business be a part of your future?

Brian Duckett - Chairman, The Franchising Centre

The Franchising Centre is reporting a big upsurge of interest in franchising from businesses looking for new ways to expand during these difficult economic times.

There has been a lot of talk recently about redundancies in the public sector and the need for the private sector to lead the way out of recession, creating employment as it does so. Interestingly, as painful as any job losses are, the statistics show that the current level of unemployment is not as high as many had predicted it would be by now and the transition from public to private sector is starting to happen.

Franchising has its part to play in the important task of getting the UK economy back on track and the good news is that the sector seems to be rising to the challenge. The Franchising Centre certainly endorses this view as both its domestic and international divisions, who deal with businesses who are aggressively chasing growth by seeking to franchise their operations, have seen vast upturns in enquiries since the turn of the year. This can be seen as an early pointer as to what is happening in the economy even though the impact may not be felt for some time.

Chairman Brian Duckett commented “It appears that the dam has burst and pent up demand is being released. During the last couple of years it was apparent that many business people were holding off from making big decisions. However, since the start of this year we have received more enquiries and taken on more new clients than ever before. It’s great to see the energy and drive of independent business people helping the cause and this seems to herald a new phase in the growth and significance of the franchising sector”.

Duckett also went on to say “We ourselves now have the challenge of growing and coping with the number of enquiries we are getting from businesses who wish to explore franchising as an option for growth. We are currently seeking experienced franchising practitioners to be trained to add to our team of franchise consultants so we can continue to play our part in helping the expansion of businesses across the UK and around the world.”

“Our team are at the coal face talking to businesses every day about what their plans are for the next few years and we can report that growth is very much back on the agenda and that franchising is leading the way.

Cathryn Hayes - HSBC Head of Franchising

Entries for the British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards 2011 are now being accepted, so why not nominate your most enterprising franchisees? The awards, supported by Express Newspapers, highlight the outstanding efforts and achievements of the franchisees in the UK who ‘set the standard’ for the industry.

The awards, celebrating their 22nd year, offer franchisees the opportunity to showcase their inspirational stories of success. From turning pioneering business ideas into reality, developing new community initiatives, or achieving growth despite the challenges of a difficult economic climate, the Awards recognise the individuals who have demonstrated best practice in franchising.

This year the awards will include a regional winner from each of five regions: London and the South East, the South West, the Midlands, the North and Scotland. Each regional winner will receive £500, courtesy of HSBC.

Franchisors can enter up to five of their franchisees for the awards, one nomination per region. Three finalists will then be chosen from each region, with these going forward for the national awards.

The Gold Winner of the Award will receive £5,000 from HSBC, together with a commemorative trophy and the title bfa & HSBC Franchisee of the Year.

The Silver and Bronze Winners will receive £3,000 and £2,000 respectively.

The deadline for entries is 20 June 2011, and finalists will be invited for interview with the judging panel on either 27th or 28th July. Winners will be announced at a gala dinner, being held at the NEC in Birmingham on 29 September 2011, prior to the National Franchise Exhibition on 30 September and 1 October.

Further information and entry forms can be found in the Members’ Area of the bfa website.

Posting from the monthly HSBC Connections newsletter. For more information or to get on the mailing list for the newsletter please email franchiseunit@hsbc.com

Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise

According to the recently released 2011 Franchise Survey, commissioned by Natwest Bank and the British Franchise Association:-

“4 in 5 franchisees reckon that being part of a franchise has given them a competitive advantage in the last year when compared with similar businesses that are not franchised. “

This is great news for any one considering starting up a franchise business, and food for thought for anyone who is choosing to start up their own ‘stand-alone’ business venture.

Being a part of a franchise network may well give an advantage over a stand alone business. Here are a number of things to consider:-

• Starting up a franchise business can give reassurance to potential customers that you are not just trading alone but have the backup of a larger network behind you.
• Some franchises have become recognisable brands which can help sway a customer in your direction as they may  prefer to buy from a brand they recognise and are familiar with.
• Some franchises run local or national advertising campaigns which benefit, and can drive business to, the entire franchise network.

It’s easy to see why many people choose to start a franchise business, as the advantages above are much harder to realise when starting your own business from scratch.

Of course no business venture is without risk and so researching and business planning should form an essential part of your preparation when thinking about starting up a business, whether it be a franchise business or a business of your own making. It’s often wise to consult with your bank or a financial advisor to ensure you have all the bases covered in terms of your investment, and also a legal expert to advise you on any franchise contracts or agreements you might need to sign.

Non-bfa member Franchisors invited to Heritage Motor Centre to find out more about the bfa

Hosted at the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire, The British Franchise Association (bfa) is inviting non-members to attend an Open Day Luncheon. Thursday, 23rd June will be a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the bfa and all the benefits of becoming a member.

Becoming a bfa member allows you to display the prestigious bfa members badge which gives confidence to potential franchisee prospects, as well as access to bfa approved franchise service providers, exclusive bfa members forums and more.

The open day will run from 11am – 2pm and includes lunch. You will also have the opportunity to browse the Heritage Motor Centre’s impressive car collection at the end of the open day.

If you are a franchisor who is a non-bfa member and wish to attend, please contact the bfa for an invitation at:-

British Franchise Association, Centurion Court, 85f Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RY
Tel: 01235 820470  Email: mailroom@thebfa.org

ENCOURAGING WOMEN INTO FRANCHISING (EWIF) AWARDS 2010 – SPONSORED BY NATWEST

Encouraging Women into Franchising Awards

The inaugural Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) Awards Ceremony took place London on 10th May 2011. The Awards were the first of their kind providing a unique opportunity to formally recognise the growing contribution women franchisees, women franchisors and women franchise service providers make to this sector.

The finalists and winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony held at the NatWest building in central London, and were attended by over 150 people from throughout the world of franchising.

Clive Sawyer, Chairman and Founder of EWIF, and Managing Director of Business Options one of the UK’s leading Franchise Consultancies commented:  “We were absolutely delighted at the response to these inaugural EWIF Awards both from the number and quality of entries received. It was especially pleasing that we had entries not just from the large very well know franchise brands but also from smaller less known franchises as well. The large turn out for the Awards Ceremony is an indication of the level of support EWIF has from the whole franchise industry”.

There were four Awards presented and the winners were:

• Woman Franchisee of the Year – Sponsored by NatWest
  Lisa Tobias – Domino’s Pizza
• Young Woman Franchisee of the Year (under 30) – Sponsored by Recognition Express
  Amanda Perkins – Musical Minis
• Woman Franchisor of the Year – Sponsored by Stevens & Bolton Solicitors
  Sophie Brooks – Clive’s Easylearn Pop Music Schools
• Woman Franchise Service Provider of the Year – Sponsored by Business Options
  Sarah Cook – Coconut Creatives

Encouraging Women into Franchising Awards Winners (at front)

Graeme Jones, Head of Franchising, NatWest said: “As the number one bank for Franchising, NatWest was proud to sponsor these awards and encourage more women to realise the benefits of running a successful franchise. NatWest are committed to developing female entrepreneurship, we have our own dedicated Women in Business Service as well as links with everywoman.”

The ENCOURAGING WOMEN INTO FRANCHISING Group (EWIF) was established in 2008, by Clive Sawyer, managing Director of Business Options, with the mission to inspire, encourage, educate and support women considering or involved in franchising through its network of Ambassadors. The Group is made up of representatives from throughout the whole franchise industry.

For people wishing to find out more about the EWIF services or would like to discuss joining EWIF please visit www.ewif.org

Cathryn Hayes - HSBC Head of Franchising

A shortlist of 13 franchisors has been announced in the 2011 bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards, supported by Express Newspapers. The finalists were selected from entries spanning multiple sectors, business size and locations across the UK to reveal this year’s potential Award winners.

The Awards represent an opportunity for the UK’s best franchisors to gain recognition for their achievements in 2010; a year when many businesses had to work harder than ever to compete successfully in a tough economic climate. Finalists will now meet the judges face-to-face to bring to life the people, the passion and the stories behind their businesses which will inspire the next generation of franchisors and franchisees.

Franchisors shortlisted are as follows:

The winners in each of the three categories will be announced at the 22nd British Franchisor Awards gala dinner on 16 June 2011 at the Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire.

In a departure from our usual vane of franchise news we thought it might be of interest to our readers to post a few of the more interesting stories that ran in the press today:-

• Good news for budding Astronomers as it seems Pluto might once again be a part of our solar system:-
  Branson buys Pluto, reinstates as planet
• Worrying news on taxes as The Mirror reports plans by the coalition governments for ‘Fresh Air Taxes’:-
  Coalition plans tax on fresh air to ‘help improve environment’
• Google announces the latest innovative way to interact with Gmail:-
  Introducing Gmail Motion
• And finally, those pessimists who shun the existence of unicorns will be dismayed to discover that Unicorn bones have been uncovered at the Tower of London:-
  Unicorn at Tower of London? It’s raven mad

Please note that we cannot vouch for the validity of any of the above news

Franchise Videos can give insight

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, how many is a video worth? Our newly redesigned franchise videos section can give great insight into many of the great franchise opportunities available around the UK.

We have worked hard these last few months in getting more and more video footage online so that you can meet the people behind many of the franchise opportunities you can find on our website. It’s a great way to get a feel for what they do, find out about their training and support options, and find out why they are a good investment.

Our Franchise Video section

Our franchise video section contains videos from many of the franchisors on our site laid out in an easy to view way. Read a little about what they offer then simply click play on the video if you wish to hear more about what they offer.

Visit our Franchise Videos section

The Select Your Franchise YouTube Channel

Many of the videos are also available on our YouTube channel which you can subscribe to in order to get notifications of any new videos we upload as and when they become available. Many more videos are being added each month so subscribing can be a great way to keep up with what is going on.

In addition, we post any other relevant franchise videos on our YouTube channel which can be other general news or other informative content.

Visit our YouTube Channel

Brian Duckett of The Franchising Centre & Nick Strong of Select Your Franchise present a cheque to Trussell Trust Director Chris Mould

As increasing numbers of people in crisis turn to UK foodbanks for emergency food, exhibitors and delegates that attended The Franchise Supplier Event in November are continuing to help to make sure that more families struggling to put food on the table receive emergency food. This year The Trussell Trust’s foodbank network will 60,000 people nationwide, compared to 41,000 last year. There are over 90 Trussell Trust foodbanks operating across the UK, but to meet the demand every town needs a foodbank. By raising £2,247, The Franchise Supplier Event is funding a Regional Foodbank Development Coordinator for one day a week for a period of 6 months, helping to open more foodbanks nationwide.

The Trussell Trust charity uses a social franchising model to enable local churches and communities to open foodbanks across the UK. Each foodbank works with local care professionals such as doctors and social workers to identify people in crisis and provide them with three days of emergency food and support.

As a charity clearly linked to franchising and experiencing a huge demand for its services, The Franchising Centre & SelectYourFranchise decided to use their recent Franchise Supplier Showcase Event to raise much-needed funds for The Trussell Trust.

The Franchising Centre Director Bill Pegram says: ‘As a business that helps franchises to grow, it seemed only natural to support the foodbank network which is using a social franchise model to launch more foodbanks nationwide. The foodbank is such a simple and effective project that is changing the lives of people on the breadline and we are delighted to support such a great cause.’

Trussell Trust Director Chris Mould says: ‘Every day foodbanks meet people who are struggling to put food on the table. We see parents who are skipping meals to enable their children to eat, or people on low incomes forced to choose between eating and heating or paying rent because they have hit a crisis. People turn to foodbanks for reasons ranging from redundancy or fleeing domestic violence to something as simple as receiving an unexpectedly large bill when on a low income. The Trussell Trust is working hard to launch more foodbanks across the UK and The Franchise Supplier Showcase’s very generous gift will help to make this possible. We are immensely grateful – their support will mean that more people facing crisis in the UK receive emergency food when they need it most.’

To find out more about the charity visit www.trusselltrust.org. For details of the next Franchise Supplier Showcase & Business Booster conference call 0870 458 6682.

Encouraging Women into Franchising Awards

The “Encouraging Women into Franchising” (EWIF) Group is delighted to announce that the 2011 ENCOURAGING WOMEN INTO FRANCHISING AWARDS, sponsored by NatWest were officially launched at The Franchise Show in London on 18th February. The Awards are the first of its kind providing a unique opportunity to formally recognise the growing contribution women franchisees, women franchisors and women franchise service providers make to the this sector. The winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on 10th May 2011 in London.

The EWIF Group was established in 2009 and is dedicated to encouraging women into franchising. Its members come from all areas within the franchising industry and include: Franchisors, Franchisees, Banks, Consultants, Accountants, Solicitors, Media Providers, Exhibition Organisers, as well as other associated businesses.

The mission of EWIF is to inspire, encourage, educate and support women considering or involved in franchising through its network of Ambassadors. EWIF has three main target groups that it helps:

• Women looking to become franchisees
• Women business owners looking to expand through franchising
• Existing franchisors that have businesses that are suitable for women franchisees but currently women franchisees are under represented.

Clive Sawyer, Chairman and Founder of EWIF, and Managing Director of Business Options one of the UK’s leading Franchise Consultancies commented:  “EWIF Group members inspire, educate and support women who are considering, or who are already involved in franchising, through its network of Ambassadors,” he explains. “The EWIF Awards are an exciting way of publically recognising the successes of women within the franchising industry. I am delighted that our main sponsors NatWest are so supportive of the work undertaken by EWIF as well as the other sponsors: Business Options, Recognition Express, and Stevens & Bolton.”

The EWIF Awards will cover four categories of women in franchising:

• Woman franchisee of the Year – Sponsored by NatWest
• Young woman franchisee of the year (under 30) – Sponsored by Recognition Express
• Woman franchisor of the Year – Sponsored by Stevens & Bolton Solicitors
• Woman franchise service provider of the Year – Sponsored by Business Options

Graeme Jones, Head of Franchising, NatWest said: “As the number one bank for Franchising, NatWest is proud to sponsor these awards and encourage more women to realise the benefits of running a successful franchise. NatWest are committed to developing female entrepreneurship, we have our own dedicated Women in Business Service as well as links with everywoman.”

EWIF Award application forms are available from the EWIF website at www.ewif.org with the deadline for entries being 31st March 2011.

For people wishing to find out more about the EWIF services or would like to discuss joining EWIF please contact Clive Sawyer at Business Options on 01420 550890 or at clive.sawyer@businessoptions.biz

Mark Scott - Director, Franchise Development, NatWest

The new, dedicated NatWest Franchise Fund has been created to mark 30 years of NatWest’s involvement with the UK franchise sector. Today, we are as committed as ever to helping new franchisees make that first step to
running their own business.

What the Franchise Fund offers

The NatWest Franchise Fund aims to make it easier for franchisees to secure funding for their plans by providing financing through a dedicated Franchise Fund. The benefits of this being:-

• Benefit from a 1% reduced arrangement fee, available for the first year
• Take a 12-month repayment holiday in your first year. Interest will continue to accrue during the payment holiday and your monthly payments may increase afterwards
• Receive 20% off NatWest RiskRemedy, the compliance service offering guidance on Employment Law and HR and Health & Safety issues for up to 20 employees
• If your business is a start-up or has been running for less than 12 months you can also receive 2 years’ free business banking

Get the benefit of NatWest expertise

We are offering full support via the NatWest franchise team. With their depth of experience and expertise, they will be able to ensure you have the right business banking arrangements in place so everything runs smoothly. Plus, we can help guide you through the challenges associated with starting out as a franchisee.

Working with the British Franchise Association

The NatWest Franchise Fund is endorsed by the British Franchise Association (BFA). As the number one bank for franchises in the UK, NatWest works with the BFA and other affiliated members to support the franchise sector.

For further information you can visit: www.natwest.com/franchise

Where else can you find out about some of the industries leading franchise opportunities under one roof?

Where else can you chat informally to a range of franchisors, find out who they are and what they do?

Where else can you get helpful information and listen to some informative seminars on franchising?

The Franchise Show of course!

From 18-19th February, The Franchise Show at ExCeL in London is a great opportunity to do just that. Furthermore, the Select Your Franchise Team will be on Stand 227.

If you do come down to The Franchise Show don’t forget to come and say hi to us! We are actually very nice and really we don’t bite It’s now only two weeks away so don’t forget to book your FREE tickets. Click the banner above to get yours!

In addition, Nick Strong will be giving an informative presentation on ‘Social Media use for Franchise Growth’; a must for franchisors or franchisees who want to find out more about harnessing the power of Social Media for growing their businesses. For further information on Nicks seminar click here.

Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise

As the new year begins, it seemed like a good opportunity to reflect on what has gone on in the franchise blog over the last year, to see where we have come from and what we have learned.

With this in mind, here are some of the best and most useful postings I have come across seen in 2010.

• Franchise Tips: Our series of 10 franchise tips can give great in depth insight in the franchise start up process for any would-be franchisee.
• Our with the old in with the new: Cathryn Hayes of HSBC rounds up the years financial and economic news and its affects on business and franchising into 2011.
• Could a Franchise Business be right for you: Nick Strong looks at what it takes to be a good franchisee.
• Working from home business Ideas: Our most re-tweeted post of 2010… obviously a popular subject!
• Franchising could help Unemployment worries: 2010 saw the official end of the recession, but the unemployment left in its wake was still a big topic.
• How to maximise online presence and Social networking sites are just for kids right?: Social Media has been another big topic in 2010. Social Media is playing an increasingly important role in business and building customer relationships.

We hope you have enjoyed our franchise blog over 2010 and we look forward to presenting more informative postings on franchising in 2011!