Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Franchise : Get Ready To Select The Best

Enough has been already said about franchise business. So what’s that basically? The answer is simple; it is one of the easiest means of distributing products and services and is also one of the popular ways to expand retail outlets. One good point about franchisee business is that, the name is already established, the marketing strategies are tested and well approved and hence the risk associated with it is rather low.

If you are looking for a great opportunity to start a small to medium sized business with little experience then look for the franchise option. In fact today there are a number of well known franchisee businesses in UK available in almost every industry. While some are well established others are relatively new but it is however important to choose the franchise business that suits you to not only reduce the risk but also to enhance the chances of success.

It is therefore indeed important to evaluate any franchise opportunity in UK which you may consider.

First know yourself evaluate your strength and weakness and also consider your level of knowledge to select the franchise option. No wonder then you will be in a better position to strike the best deal.

Now it is the best time to evaluate your financial set up and analyse your financial commitments. As the obvious next step, try to understand the concept of franchising in UK. Research on the concept and find out all the information about franchising. Concentrate in understanding the unique relationship which exists between the franchisors and the franchisees. Search online to select the UK franchise business that suits you. You never know your online research might open up alternatives which you may not have considered before!

Prior jumping into any franchise answers the following questions to yourself.

• How much money you can invest?

• Can you afford to lose money? If yes, how much?

• Will you need the financer?

• If you need financing, where will you get it?

• How good is your credit score?

Finally, after you make a selection, discuss the franchise disclosure document and contract terms with an experienced attorney.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Franchise : Stay Tuned

It’s a fact indeed that we have recently witnessed an economic meltdown which has created enough ripples, but now it’s time to ignore. The global economy is improving slowly however to stay protected it’s time to take steps after you well calculate each ditch, each cliff and each potholes. In today’s economy if you want to make your money grow then it’s indeed better to follow the ‘risk free’ route and invest in the franchise business to get the best bang of your dollar. With the economy in shambles and finances in disarray, it’s the perfect time to think about the franchise business concept to retrace your entrepreneurship skill.

Still the logical mind never ceases from asking why franchises or why at all investing in the franchise business. The answer is simple, now the ‘buy ins’ are rather cost effective and even companies are more than willing to bend backwards for people who have the finance ready to buy their franchise. Well, the key to success remains in finding something which is stable, secured and as they say ‘recession proof’ and the franchise business seems to be the right answer.

Franchise business offers you the brand name to make your business folder credible and recognizable. Buying a franchise is indeed a great idea because here the methodologies are proven and tested and the brand name further supports you in generating income right away. So it’s time to zero down on the best one.

It’s all about zeroing down on the business idea, which has stood the test of time. One good thing about such recession proof business idea is that these are easier to spot than you actually think. One such recession proof franchise idea is the hair cut franchise. Think about the children’s salon franchise, yes that’s certainly a great business idea to ponder on. Hair always grows no matter how hard the economy remains and if you manage to tap the loyal clientele within no time you will see profits.

Cleaning franchise is another virgin market, and stands as one of the recession proof business ideas. Cleaning is also an inseparable part no matter what climate is there in the economy, so investing on a residential cleaning or the commercial cleaning franchise will be good enough to fetch some profit as soon as you ajar the doors.

Honestly, it is your creativity which ultimately matters in developing a business model for your franchise business.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Franchise : Now Fortify Your Business

Do you really think that putting money on a franchise business is somewhat a major investment and that will burn a hole in your pocket? No that’s wrong actually because these days even low cost franchise option exists which is possibly not a scam! Do not worry, if you do not have $100,000 to $500,000 to buy a Subway, 7 Eleven, or McDonald's franchise, there are still some other options to rely on. Do it step wise to find out your low cost franchise option.

First, research well and research online on franchises and franchise contracts. The best way doing it is by understanding the market first and before prioritising your option. You can even choose a recession proof franchise option such as the hair cutting franchise or the cleaning franchise to stay comfortable even in severe economic meltdown.

Now consult a franchise broker prior zeroing down on any option. The franchise brokers can provide you with a lot of information on different low cost franchise option. However, do not let the broker push any particular business idea on you. Keep your eyes open while selecting a low cost franchise business in UK. It is also advisable to judge your franchiser well prior signing any contract. Find out about what business experience the president and the principal officers of the franchise company have. Also try to find out if they ran any other companies.

Last but not the least; before embarking on a journey or before even making any kind of payments, try to work on your franchise business plan thoroughly.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Franchise : Steps To Franchise Your Business

Have you ever seen a businessman lamenting over the fact that his business has become too successful? Never right? Anyone whoever is successful in business desires nothing but success out of their business. However, at times, the serious endeavor of doing business becomes devastating simply because often the products and services exceed the capability of a local business in assuring success. This is when you need to seriously think about the franchise option.

Franchise business is indeed a great way in continuing the success and growth of your business. And if you have people asking, if your business is for sale or whether or not you provide franchise, then it’s indeed the time to consider franchise business in UK.

And if you are interested here are few significant steps to ensure that you franchise your business in the right way:

Branding: As a matter of fact your franchise needs to be branded. Let’s face it, when people think of buying a franchise business they look for the recognizable branding and if you franchise has the logo, the name and the credibility then people will definitely take it! This is when the significance of ‘branding’ comes into play. If you think of making your business big then initially spend the time and money to make your business recognizable.

System: When people look for a franchise opportunity what they actually looks forward, is a tested and proven business plan which can work for them. So your franchise business needs to be a part of a particular system. The fact is, by offering a system that best represents you and your business; you provide a proven and well approved business model to your customers.

Extensive support service: Do you know what makes the franchise business successful? Well, it’s the overall support service that it offers. You also need to provide extensive support service which includes training on how to successfully run the franchise and other ongoing support to make your franchise business successful.

Financial agreement and provisions: If you want your franchise to be a good value, to be something in which people will want to invest or rather feel like investing then it’s time to chalk out a proper financial plan. It is therefore important to understand the agreement, chalk out the various charge and cost involved and also fix the percentage or fees which you will be paying to the franchise owners.

Recruit the franchisees: So now that you have almost decided to take your business to the next level, it’s time to recruit the franchisees. Decide what fees you will pay, what cost you can bear for sales and marketing and then start interviewing the franchisees.

Becoming the franchiser: Well, it’s the final stage indeed; however there are few more significant steps! Take expert advice and test the franchise in the typical form of a pilot operation for 12 months or longer. Also, establish a central management core and then develop marketing, sales and other ad strategies to promote your franchise network!

Franchise business not only promotes your business but also provides countless opportunities to the budding entrepreneurs in satisfying their dreams of becoming small business owners themselves.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

CityLocal Franchisees : Are You Considering?

Before the advent of online business directories such as CityLocal, searching the Internet for a local company often proved problematic. While it was possible to find a business that provided the product or service you were looking for, it was normally a challenge to gain information beyond a phone number.

Established in the summer of 2006, and the new website launched in Autumn 2010, CityLocal's mission is to make it easier for people to find the businesses they need. It's not just consumers who are able to benefit from CityLocal, though, as companies are afforded a new level of exposure that simply wouldn't have been possible from a newspaper.

The website is also providing opportunities for franchisees to establish their own local business directory under the CityLocal brand - allowing entrepreneurs to take advantage of an industry that's going from strength to strength.

So, for businesses considering CityLocal's services, what are the benefits they can expect to receive?

• By advertising in CityLocal's directory, businesses can be searched and found every day. By contrast, being listed in a newspaper lasts for a day or a finite number of days before the paper is thrown away or recycled.

• Each business profile will contain the company's name, address, phone number, fax number, email address, homepage link, a 500-word description, an image and a business logo.

• CityLocal claims that business and franchises that sign up to its service can boost their income significantly.

These benefits are being realised by franchisees looking for a new, lucrative career path. A further selling point is that CityLocal has established a reviews system, which allows potential customers to learn more about a business's reputation.

These have proven useful, but the feedback system isn't perfect. While reviewers can leave testemonials, they cannot submit star ratings - meaning that some reviews may not be complete. A further point of contention is that businesses have to pay money for their adverts, so if one received unfavourable reviews, the franchisees managing that business may choose to remove it.

However, there is little doubt that businesses and franchises have been able to achieve greater publicity by using CityLocal. Much of the website's content is search engine optimised, which means adverts rank highly on the results pages of search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo.

So, what else can CityLocal franchisees expect? Well, upon setting up their directory they'll also establish a community website, while the directory itself is updated on a daily basis by information provided from head office - including cinema listings, events listings and local news stories.

Having started to market its franchise opportunities in 2007, CityLocal now has more than 40 franchisees managing a variety of local websites, all of which have benefited from earning a respectable income while running a business that suits their lifestyle.

Referring to its franchisees as 'local business promoters', they are able to earn a living by encouraging local companies to place adverts on their site - something that increasing numbers of businesses are doing thanks to the power of the Internet. While start-up costs do have to be found, many CityLocal franchisees are earning a salary while achieving a work-life balance that may have been previously not had.