Does anyone here run a franchise? - Business Forum

**Emma** · #1 (**permalink**) 30th July 2008, 09:00 PM

If so, we'd love to hear your tale. Was it wasy to get going? Expensive? Any disasters along the way?

Does anyone own a franchise? As above!

**Mat** · #2 (**permalink**) 9th August 2008, 12:18 AM

I'm also interested in hearing from franchisees about their experiences. I've always thought that if I were to venture outside my industry, I'd look to a franchise.

MattPoll · #3 (**permalink**) 26th August 2008, 02:19 PM

I haven't run a franchise myself before. But, my dad brought a Concept solutions franchise and it didn't work out. He lost over £40,000 and regrets thinking that Franchises are an 'easy' route to success.

**Emma** · #4 (**permalink**) 26th August 2008, 02:42 PM

Thanks Matt. All I hear about is people not succeeding with franchises It's a shame.

John Botting · #5 (**permalink**) 22nd September 2008, 03:28 PM

I ran a mobile dog grooming franchise 7 years ago, for 2 years. I made money at it, was very busy and sold it for nearly twice I paid for it. So I was successful.

**yourlocaltrades** · #6 (**permalink**) 26th September 2008, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Botting

I ran a mobile dog grooming franchise 7 years ago, for 2 years. I made money at it, was very busy and sold it for nearly twice I paid for it. So I was successful.

Alot are successful, but i think people are very quick to mention when it has gone in the other direction!

You couldn't fail with a franchise such as subway-could you?

Dragon-Media-Group · #7 (**permalink**) 17th October 2008, 11:12 PM

My understanding is that the point of a franchise is to offer instant recognition, Costa, Dominos Pizza etc with tried and tested business practices that work and a simple supply chain.
I can never work out why people buy into 'small' franchises - for example what made you pay money for a mobile dog grooming franchise rather than just start up yourself?

promostamper · #8 (**permalink**) 22nd October 2008, 10:21 PM

have just started a franchise - self inking stamps but it is not like any franchise i know as i am able to use my own domain name and my own branding hence i bought promostamper. Not sure how it will go now that the markets are down but i liked the fact that the machine can do pictures - black and white of course - on the stamps useful for photography and crafters. the website i also created myself - i just have to buy the material from the franchisers

Dragon-Media-Group · #9 (**permalink**) 22nd October 2008, 11:20 PM

If you have not bought a business system and licensed a brand that isn't a franchise surely?
That sounds to me like a regular customer and supplier relationship?
What kind of market are you aiming for?

PI Guy · #10 (**permalink**) 22nd October 2008, 11:29 PM

i'm hoping to franchise my biz before too long

promostamper · #11 (**permalink**) 25th October 2008, 08:08 PM

my target market is smes and crafters

**essex_courier** · #12 (**permalink**) 7th November 2008, 08:21 PM

i'm hoping to franchise my biz before too long

I can recommend a great guy who does this, if you are looking at franchising your own business out.

Send me a PM or email - Sarah@arrowlighthaulage.co.uk and I will send you the details

Sarah

**Emma** · #13 (**permalink**) 15th November 2008, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PI Guy

i'm hoping to franchise my biz before too long

Would this be a first? How many franchises are there in the security industry?

adam · #14 (**permalink**) 18th November 2008, 01:30 AM

Maybe I will franchise my ideas. Who knows. There are far too many dodgy franchise scams in vending. My general advice is to stay away from a vending franchies unless you are 100% sure.

UrsulaBarzey · #15 (**permalink**) 8th December 2008, 09:37 PM

I run a franchise business and also provide providing free counsel and relevant education for investors considering franchise business ownership.

Critical to the success of any franchisee is to choose the right system. Thus it is important to spend a lot of time up front understanding and clarifying your motivation and reasons for exploring franchise business ownership.

And during the investigation of any franchise brand, it is important to make sure that you understand how the business model works, how it needs to be executed and then whether or not what is required will take you the candidate twoards your goals and dreams.

Thus this means not only talking to the franchisor, but also talking to a number of franchisees in the system. It also means putting emotions aside and making sure that you focus on the facts.

Far too often, people make a decision -- whether positive or negative -- about a franchise brand without doing a thorough investigation.

SmilePrint · #16 (**permalink**) 17th December 2008, 11:15 AM

Hi,

I'm quite new here, very new, but I have some background in franchising.

I'm in the process of franchising part of my new business and am working hard to ensure I don't become a franchisor in the mould of the franchise I was previously involved with.

In hindsight I can see they were (and still are!) interested in selling franchises. Nothing wrong there, until you realise that they have not implemented any development in over 3 years, until you realise their development process was spearheaded by me the franchisee, until you relaise their corporate video was produced not by them but by me also. etc etc etc.

Be wary of the wolf dressed as a sheep!

Be sure if you're buying a franchise there is a model to run, not just a model to copy and if you float you float, and if you sink you sink. A model that is duplicatable without special skills (Eg sales, telesales) A marketing model that can be switched on at will, and where the marketing system does the work, not your ability to do it personally.

Sorry but thats meandering a little.

I'm currently ensuring that before we go live there is a marketing model that puts out standard results for standard inputs, so that( even dummies) who pay the fee, actually buy a SYSTEM to earn money, not a JOB.

Note the difference when you consider your next "franchise opportunity"

PeteB · #17 (**permalink**) 22nd January 2009, 12:14 PM

I know a guy who has launched yellowtom in Northern Ireland. It's hard work, but a great concept for advertising small businesses.

**Mat** · #18 (**permalink**) 22nd January 2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yourlocaltrades

Alot are successful, but i think people are very quick to mention when it has gone in the other direction!

You couldn't fail with a franchise such as subway-could you?

That's what I've always thought, but I guess it's all down to the area you operate in and the competition you're up against.

LisaTalkingTots · #19 (**permalink**) 2nd March 2009, 06:05 PM

Hello ... I'm Lisa and I'm a franchisor! We franchised our business Talking Tots in September 2007 and we currently have 23 franchises throughout the UK.
Regards,
Lisa.

**FranchiseShop** · #20 (**permalink**) 16th March 2009, 12:09 AM

Hi Lisa and Sarah! (thanks for the plug Sarah

)

I run a franchise directory promoting franchises for sale and although I had no experience in this industry up until 3 years ago, I have been absorbed by it ever since.. The scams, the great opportunities, the ups the downs... Watching small franchisors grow from 2 pilot franchises to 20-60 working and profitable franchisees is just fantastic.

It is an amazing industry; so much so that we recently launched in Australia with our first franchisee and are launching in the USA in 4 weeks too, so for us it is not only great to work in but profitable also as you would hope with any business of course..

What I am not however is a franchisee, it would be great to get more people who run franchised businesses on here to talk about their good experiences. A quick search of UK business forums can bring up many of the bad experiences but so little gets documented of the majority which are happily running a profitable franchise of their own