Franchise My Business

The Franchising Centre provides the UK’s widest range of specialist franchising expertise. Our team has over 150 years of practical experience in the creation and management of franchise systems around the world.  We have the breadth and depth of experience to help at any stage of franchise development - locally, nationally, and internationally.

How to franchise your business

Franchising can create a world of opportunity for businesses. With minimal investment, a company that has a replicable format can grow quickly and become an international success.

Business Format Franchising is ‘a commercial relationship whereby one party allows another to operate clones of a proven business system, providing initial and ongoing training and support, in return for initial and ongoing fees’. Franchising is an established method of expanding a business via a network of branches and some simple steps will ensure success:

Analyse your business
It is highly likely that the business you operate can be franchised if you meet certain criteria, such as being successful, profitable, easily duplicated and learned. Practical professional help is essential in order for things to be set up properly, ensuring the opportunity is profitable for both parties.

International reach
Many businesses that are reaching capacity in their home markets, whether or not they operate under a franchised system, take their operation into international markets by appointing master franchisees, or area developers, to operate branch networks in their respective countries.

Regional or area development
A method that can be used in the domestic or international market, where a person or existing business is appointed with the skills and resources to open and operate a number of outlets within a geographical area.

Converting managers to franchisees
There are extensive benefits in converting existing managers into franchisees. These have been demonstrated by a large number of businesses that have successfully used this method.

Turning competitors into franchisees
Good locations are notoriously hard to acquire, particularly for retailers. Converting competing businesses to operate under your brand name, and system, is one way of affordably opening a new outlet and taking a competitor out of frame.

Become a franchisee
Another option is to grow your existing business by becoming someone else’s franchisee. There are many independent operators across an array of business sectors that are unable to expand beyond one outlet. By becoming a franchisee, you can simply look after the day-to-day operations of a system that has proven to be successful.

Master franchisee and area developer
A master franchise fee for a whole country for a service-based franchise is often less than the cost of setting up a single unit outlet. The skills required of a master are very different but for someone who is of the mindset of a typical franchisee, master franchising can offer far greater potential than simply running a single franchised outlet.

Buy an existing franchised network
By purchasing an existing franchised network your business expands quickly. Subject to some detailed due diligence, the franchisees will be skilled and motivated operators and will have agreements with the company that commit them to paying the franchisor a percentage of their turnover. New skills might be required to manage franchisees and advice can be gained from The Franchise Training Centre.

For professional advice from experienced franchise consultants, please complete the form below.