Starting up a Domestic Services Franchise Business
Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise
A domestic services franchise can be a great business start up option, especially when you consider that the services provided are often based on necessities for pretty much any home owner.
With over 25 million homes in the UK, and 7 out of 10 being owner occupied, thats over 175 million potential customers in the UK for anyone in business providing domestic services. A fair sized market by any standards.
There are many different types of franchise business aimed at providing domestic services:-
Domestic Cleaning Franchise businesses
The need for cleaning never ends! And for those ‘cash rich, time poor’ families, having someone to do the job of keeping the house clean is an attractive option. But that’s not all – there are also franchises which cater for more specialised services such as carpet and upholstery cleaning – another job which many prefer to pay to have done.
Handyman Franchises
For those not all that enthusiastic about DIY, fixing that loose door hinge, that persistently leaking pipe, that broken fence, can all seem like too daunting a task. Finding a handyman is usually the first port of call for such people and so a franchise business in this area means you have a wide variety of different manual labour based jobs to take on.
Kitchen Based Services
Sprucing up your kitchen by replacing the doors has become very popular in recent years, since it alleviates the need for a total ktichen refit, but also gives it a new lease of life. Oven cleaning is another popular domestic services franchise business option to meet the needs of those who do not wish to undertake the job themselves.
Other Domestic Service options
There are many other different domestic service franchise businesses available from gas and electrical servicing, to chimney sweeping, to disaster restoration services.
Of course, whatever option you decide you will need to make your choices carefully. Do your research properly to ensure you know all you can about the franchise business you are considering. Meet with the franchisor and also make sure you have the opportunity to speak to some of their existing franchisees. They have walked the path you are taking and can offer you real feedback on how the franchise performs and what to expect.
There are plenty of options for advice when it comes to choosing a franchise opportunity such as online franchise directories for research, franchise associations, franchise consultants and other industry professionals.
Ultimately, you will be responsible for making your new business a success so be prepared to stick to the proven franchise system and to work hard at it.
Tags: domestic services franchises, franchise opportunities, franchises, franchises for sale, joel caws
The Benefits of a Franchise Business
Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise
Back in 2002, when I initially began working within the franchise industry I was surprised on the huge variety of franchise companies out there, from the well-recognised, fast food chain restaurants that grace pretty much every shopping centre, to a multitude of home based franchise opportunities that you could call upon to have your boiler serviced, your garden tended to, your carpets cleaned, or the stone chips in your car paintwork repaired.
I think my biggest surprise was that I had, in fact, used many of these services myself with out even being conscious of their franchise heritage. Just about any service you can think can, and probably already has, been franchised. Browsing through any of the on-line franchise directories will quickly provide you with an idea of the quantity of franchise options accessible to pretty much anybody with some capital to invest, a willingness to learn, a dedication to stick to the system and put in some hard graft.
So what are the advantages to a franchised business over traditional self-employment?
A proven business system
The heart of a franchise enterprise its is proven business formula. A franchise is often born out of a traditional business which, after proving itself profitable, prompts the business owner to look for further ways to expand their already profitable business. The essence of the franchise concept is, quite simply, the replication of a proven business formula.
Having a business model which is already proven offers the key advantage over self-employment in that the franchisor has already done the hard work of trying and tested the business model. They have then documented the processes and procedures that makes it successful in order that it can then be adopted by another, giving them the power to duplicate their success.
Customer impression and the advantage of branding
Of course you don’t have to think hard to recognise the power of some of the big fast food franchise restuarants. This strategy of constantly enforcing a brand message means you go into any franchise outlet knowing what to expect… the same service, the same quality, the same product. This can provide a significant advantage over establishing your own personal unknown branded business. There are of course many smaller, lesser known franchise brands which even though maybe not as widely publicised, the customer impression that it is a part of a much bigger network can in itself deliver security and confidence to the shopper that can provide you with that all important edge over competition.
Funding
When providing funding for any business start up, the bank will always assess the most important thing – How likely is the business to succeed, and therefore, is the banks funding secure and likely to be repaid in a timely fashion.
Many banks look favourably on franchise start ups because they have a proven track record. Even in these more difficult economic times, the story from the banks is still one of being open for lending. The recession though, has put even more emphasis on the bank scrutinising any business plans to ensure that the chance of success is as high as possible; another benefit of choosing a franchise business since the franchisor can provide evidence of success to help backup the franchise business plans you go along with to the bank.
Training and support
Part of a franchise package is training and support to help make sure your business has the best chance of success. This doesn’t relinquish you of any responsibility, it is your own business after all, but it does mean that you are as equipped as possible to run a successful business or that there’s someone to talk to for advice and help when times are tough.
These are just some of the key advantages in selecting a franchise business over going it alone. However, franchising is ultimately an investment like any other business. Starting up a franchise business requires initial care and attention to make informed choices along the way and then working hard to ensure best possible chance of success.
2012 brings growth boost for Franchising?
Joel Caws - Technical Director, Select Your Franchise
I’m sure many would agree that 2011 has been a tough year. Rising unemployment, the Euro-zone crisis and the possibility of a double dip recession have become all too familiar topics in the media.
It seems nobody has been immune to the aftermath of the recession during 2011, but an interesting report commissioned by the International Franchise Association, has indicated that franchising looks to be on path for growth in 2012. Of course, these figures relate to franchising in the US, but could it also be a sign that franchising in the UK could be on target for a similar growth pattern?
The report indicates that personal services such as educational services and health-care will lead the way whilst even retail and property based franchises look set for growth in 2012. If a similar trend was to follow in the UK, it will make starting up a franchise business in 2012 a very attractive proposition, especially in the light of continued ‘doom and gloom’ speeches by the government at the turn of the new year.
Choosing a franchise business can present a great way to start up your own business without the ‘suck it and see’ of non-franchise self-employment. By building your business on an already proven business model, you can help to reduce some of the risk of starting up your own business. No business venture is without risk, but doing all you can to reduce the risk of failure wherever possible is just good business sense.
