Could now be the time to start up an Online Franchise Business?
Nick Strong, MD - Select Your Franchise
With online shopping on the rise and an ever-increasing amount of people looking to the Internet as their first port of call for buying goods and services, online business opportunities are part of a fast growing market. Even for individuals that don’t in fact buy online, the world wide web is becoming a popular destination for individuals to research their options ahead of making a buying decision.
If you take into account the non-geographical nature of online business along with the extensive range of products and services that lend themselves to being traded online, its apparent that internet franchises carry a promising future.
An online franchise business is potentially a very attractive start up option as many of them can be operated from a home office with no real need for commercial office or premises, which in turn keeps operating costs down. The flexibility that this provides, forms an additional part of the attraction in that a web store can be open all day, every day. This means your door is open 24/7 for guests and potential customers even if it is not humanly staffed, as opposed to a conventional business that requires constant staffing at any time that the store of business is open for trading.
A number of the online franchises presently available fall into categories such as:-
Local Community Directory Service Franchise business
These local business, website based franchises are an excellent resource for local communities to learn about businesses and services available in their area. The inspiration behind this kind of business is to sell the directory to local area businesses, offering them Internet-based promotional exposure to their local community.
Web Design and Marketing Franchises
These franchises are based around providing of web site design and marketing services typically to other businesses. The concept of this franchise opportunity is to make available a portfolio of website design & marketing options to probable buyers. In general, minimal technical skill is required by the franchisee as they basically resell services that are sourced and/or made available by the franchisor themselves.
Researching your Online Franchise Options
In common with any other business venture, its sensible to do your research prior to investing in an online franchise. Put aside time to look at your strengths and weaknesses and consider options which match you and the kind of activities you take pleasure in doing.
Finance will also be a big consideration so put aside time to explore funding options with your bank. Make sure you have a chance to visit the franchisor and to look at their setup. It’s also important to have an opportunity to talk to a variety of their franchisees to pick up their views in relation to how the franchise opportunity performs for them day-to-day.
Be sure you also take legal advice as there will be legal contracts involved in starting up a franchise business and its wise to be appropriately informed and aware of what you are signing up to. When you have completed your choice, commit yourself to following the franchise system and making the franchise system work for you.
Tags: franchise opportunities, franchises, internet franchise, nick strong, online franchise, web based franchise
Ten steps to buying a Franchise Business
Nick Strong, MD - Select Your Franchise
Considering a franchise is one thing – actually walking down the path of starting one up is quite another. If you are seriously considering a franchise as a route to starting up your own business, then making the right choices from the outset will help to ensure that you minimise the risk as much as possible.
As you look into buying a franchise, here are 10 things to consider:-
1. Examine your options carefully
Make use of online franchise business websites, franchise exhibitions and franchise publications to study the options available. You will discover a huge selection of franchises out there so don’t forget to search for something you’ll get pleasure from doing and that will suit your way of life and financial constraints.
2. Draw up your shortlist
You will find many different options, but you should quickly be able to elimate those that are of no interest or that are outside of either your available finance or desired trading location. Draw up a shortlist of those 2 or three options that you might genuinely see yourself doing. Request their franchise information packs either via an online contact request or give them a call.
3. Investigate Background
It’s vital that you identify who you are dealing with as you’ll be making a considerable investment decision. Take some time to find out the franchise company’s operating history. You might also wish to investigate the directors of the franchise companies and find out what other ventures they’ve got or are currently connected with. You could make use of online resources, such as the Companies House website, that can help with your research.
4. Get together with the Franchisors
When you are feeling totally knowledgeable regarding your selected list of franchisors, its time to make contact with them and arrange to meet up with them. Visit their head offices and get a feel for their setup.
5. Speak to Franchisees
Whilst you are visiting the franchisor, ask for contact details for some of their franchisees as recommendations. You can call them up and put to them questions on how the franchise performs for them as a business. Have they found the business to be profitable? Would they purchase the franchise opportunity again given what they now know?
6. Explore avenues for Financing
You might be lucky enough to have personal funds to invest from savings or a redundancy. But for many, they will require some external finance in order to start up a franchise. It pays to seek the advice of a bank manager in any case, or visit the franchise section of many of the high street banks. You can lay out your franchise plan and acquire some helpful reaction regarding what funding potential you might have.
7. Gut Reaction
Your gut feel concerning starting your own franchise business can’t be underestimated. It’s natural to have many questions and concerns, particularly as you become close to making a decision. The franchise operator, and any other franchise gurus you seek advice from through the process should be able to present answers and help settle your mind along your way. Nonetheless, if you are feeling overly anxious at any point, take a little time to work out what you might be worried about and resolve it prior to moving forward.
8. Get hold of some Professional Advice
There are a deal of specialist franchise consultants who have a broad understanding of the ins and outs of a franchise. They can help with matching you to a franchise business that works best for you in combination with helping the process move through smoothly. This can be of particular help if you feel overwhelmed by the options or just that extra confidence to help you make good, informed decisions in the buying process.
9. Legal Guidance
You’ll have to sign a franchise contract as soon as you have decided on the perfect franchise for you. It’s imperative that you take suitable legal advice from a franchise specialist solicitor that can help to make sure that any legal requirements are met and that can assist you understand the legal arrangement you’ll be entering into.
10. Lets get down to some good old fashioned work
A franchise opportunity, similar to each and every business, needs hard work. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a franchise will work automatically just because its a ‘franchise’. A franchise opportunity offers a verified system… however the system has to be worked hard in an effort to build a powerful and profitable business.
Internet Marketing Strategies for Franchise Business – Part 3
Presenting at the Franchise Supplier Showcase event 2011, Nick Strong outlines a number of services that can help franchise businesses understand and take advantage of the Internet in marketing their business. With more and more people spending longer online, understanding how to harness the marketing power of the Internet is becoming ever more important. Nick Strong is MD of FranWeb and SelectYourFranchise.com that together provide services to enable you to market your franchise business more effectively online.
For the rest in this series of videos – See Part 1 and Part 2
