It has been my long held and passionately believed view that the franchising model offers a highly credible opportunity to assist in the regeneration of a local/regional (some would assert national) economy. Even the UK government is finally waking up to the point that self-employment is the engine house of growth for the British economy. […]

This is a ‘cheap and dirty’ way for you to assess if you have the ‘make-up’ to be a franchisee. 12 questions with two points for each answer. I would want 20 points or more to be sure. How to mark is at the end. I sometimes feel I’ the victim of outside forces   […]

Taking on a franchise is a big decision – right there with marriage and moving house – so it requires careful and due examination. So rule number one – don’t rush and don’t let the Franchisor rush you. Second rule, when you think you have found the right business, the right opportunity – stand back […]

Does anybody wake up in the middle of the night shouting about wanting to become a franchisee? I doubt it! Franchising is not always (or ever) the easiest thing to get into: Where do you start? Who can give advice? What business do you open? Who’s done it before? What were the results? The essence […]

When you buy into a franchise you are buying into a system, a level of business support, a brand but most of all you are buying into an opportunity. However, what you are not buying into is guaranteed success. You, the franchisee, have an obligation to follow the system, to work hard, to be persistent […]

Ideal marriage, bitter divorce or happy co-habiting? Franchise guru, Nigel Toplis, examines the relationship between franchisor and franchisee  In my view there is no single definition that totally explains the nature of the franchisee/franchisor relationship. What I can say is that the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee is absolutely fundamental to the success of […]

We have always had good relationships with all the major banks and in my 22 years’ experience I have found that banks are far keener to lend to good reputable franchises rather than general start-ups. Given the research that consistently tells us four out of five independent start-up business go bust within two years whilst […]