Business Franchise articles from November 2008

Business Franchise archives from November 2008

Weathering the storm.(Editor's letter)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FOR WATCHERS of the economy, the timing of the recent National Franchise Exhibition (NFE) in Birmingham could hardly have been more telling: 3-4 October, at the end of a week during which shares plummeted,...

Ingredients for success.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A FRANCHISEE has provided the missing ingredients for Jamie Oliver's latest television programme, Jamie's Ministry of Food. The Signs Express (Sheffield) centre based in Rotherham has produced the banner...

Franchisee growth at Papa John's.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... PAPA JOHN'S has said it expects to exceed this year's target of 20 new store openings, despite the difficult economic climate. The company also predicted that it would open 100 new stores within the next three years in the UK. ...

Falcon best.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... A former lecturer of Social Sciences has given up his comfortable salary and desk bound job for a franchise in bird and pest control. Peter Burke from Sheffield, a new NBC Bird and Pest Solutions franchisee, is enjoying his current status and...

Wendy's recipe for growth.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FORMER BANK employee Wendy Harrison (above) from Chorley has opened her second Lancashire-based O'Briens cafe business in under a year, following a successful launch in Preston last Christmas. Her latest...

Multi-unit franchisees enjoy success at Card Connection.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... FORMER AA manager Mark Miller has been recruited by greeting card publisher and franchisor Card Connection as the new franchisee for the Loughborough/ Nuneaton and Leicester/East Corby areas. Mr Miller, previously a senior operations...

A year on, Ovenu's Clive cleans up.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... OVENU FRANCHISEE Clive Wallace is celebrating the anniversary of his first year in business with his most successful trading month yet. Over the last year, Mr Wallace, from North Common, South Gloucestershire, has valeted more than 300 ovens...

Phat Pasty reaches final of lunch awards.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... THE PHAT PASTY Co reached the finals of the Lunch! Retailer of the Year Awards. At the recent awards ceremony, the franchise ended up as runners up in the "independent" category behind London-based Amano. Marks & Spencer, meanwhile, won...

Cash Gen franchisee a Bourne winner.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... NICK BOURNE has been presented with the Franchisee of the Year Award for 2008 by Cash Generator after just two years of trading. After achieving excellent results in his first year, Mr Bourne, 43, went on to double the sales figures in...

Top honours for Asian food franchisee.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... Mohammad Adil, chairman of Adil Group, scooped top honours at this year's Lloyds TSB Southern Jewel Awards. As winner of the Entrepreneur Jewel Award, he was chosen from thousands of nominations from across the region, spanning business,...

Taking a look.(NEWS SHORTS)
November 1, 2008... Look Media, the mobile outdoor advertising contractor, has licensed three European franchises to use its Scootermedia advertising display trailers and Look Walker mobile advertising boards. The company has reached agreements with firms in...

Auditel scores a six.(NEWS SHORTS)
November 1, 2008... Auditel's latest training course has ended with six new franchisees extolling the high quality of the recruitment process and the training course. Adrian Kay, Keith Page, Natalie Davies, Denis Brennan, Terry Crouch and Eleanor Mill all...

Making the jump.(NEWS SHORTS)
November 1, 2008... Franchise thebestof has turned to Streamline Press for a new digital media management system that reduces its franchisees' print and design costs. The system, called Jump, enables franchisees to control the design and printing for all their...

Franchising's Lewis Hamilton!(NEWS SHORTS)
November 1, 2008... Congratulations to John Dickson, managing director of NBC Bird and Pest Solutions, for winning business Franchise's Racing Challenge at The National Franchise Exhibition, Birmingham, last month, He won with a phenomenal fastest lap time of...

Movie work earns kudos for franchisee.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... A Racoon Group franchisee who produced graphics to promote the movie The Darjeeling Ltd has won a national award. Sam Williams, Raccoon's Hampshire franchisee, won the Vehicle Graphic of the Year award at the recent Sign Industry Awards...

Simon travels from Ford to Fastsigns.(Franchise news)
November 1, 2008... SIMON REES is putting his extensive experience of car manufacturing to good use with the launch of his new business, Fastsigns. The new centre is located in Minster Court, Valley Way, Swansea, and he already has work lined up, creating design...

Govt launches new 130 million [pounds sterling] community scheme.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... The government has launched a [pounds sterling]130 million scheme to encourage businesses to pledge support to community causes. The Grassroots Grant Scheme offers community causes grants of between [pounds sterling]250 and [pounds...

Late payments endangering SMEs.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... Smaller businesses can wait up to five months for payment of their invoices, a poll conducted by credit firm Experian has discovered. The report supports the findings by direct debit company BACS earlier this year, which revealed that almost...

Parking charges bad for business.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... Businesses have reacted angrily to a government suggestion that councils should raise parking charges in built-up areas, Local government minister John Healey had told the Local Government Association that councils were not exploiting the...

Happiest employees work for small companies.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... Staff working for small businesses are the most satisfied at work. A Trades Union Congress-sponsored report noted low morale amongst one in four of the UK's companies and organisations put it also revealed significant levels of lob...

Small firms warned of court action.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Small businesses need to be prepared for a possible increase in court actions against them. Companies and individuals are more inclined to pursue claims to recover debts, damages and losses than they would be if...

Data protection Watchdog shows its teeth.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... A Middlesex accountant has been successfully prosecuted for offences under the Data Protection Act and fined [pounds sterling]300 plus court costs, The prosecution followed a failure to register with the Information Commissioner (a nominal...

Holidays out of the question.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... Pressures at work are preventing owner-managers from taking a break from the business, according to communications firm Unicom. Its study of work patterns in 2008 reveal that 42% of small firm owners have discounted the possibility of a...

School recruits not up to it.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... Despite a record number of both GCSE and A-Level passes in 2008, the Forum of Private Business suggests that SMEs are unimpressed with the quality of young new staff coming through into employment. The forum's research has found that some...

Home-based biz owners optimistic.(Small business round up: ESSENTIAL UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION FOR FRANCHISES AND SMEs)
November 1, 2008... Home-based business owners believe they are better placed to weather the economic conditions than their larger counterparts, a new survey has found. More than 70% self-employed, home-based entrepreneurs say they will be able to grow or...

Franchising's showcase deemed a huge success: the National Franchise Exhibition 2008 in Birmingham provided two days of great business for visitors and exhibitors alike.(The National Franchise Exhibition)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE NATIONAL Franchise Exhibition and the Growing Your Own Business Exhibition & Conference 2008, which was held at the NEC Birmingham in October, concluded with visitors and exhibitors alike commending the...

UK's top franchisees honoured: the Franchisee of the Year Awards, held in Birmingham recently, celebrated the best in UK franchising.(bfa news)
November 1, 2008... HOSTED AT the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham on 2 October, nine franchisee finalists sat anxiously waiting to hear the result of the 2008 bfa Franchisee of the Year Awards. Sponsored by HSBC and Express Newspapers,...

Time for tee: playing in aid of the charity The Back Up Trust, various faces from the franchise world got in the swing at the 2008 bfa Chairman's Charity Golf Day.(bfa news)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE ANNUAL bfa Chairman's Charity Golf Day was held recently at the Hellidon Lakes course in Northamptonshire. With a mix of players ranging from the near-professional through to, well, the less professional, the...

In front for 20 years: Pirtek UK might be celebrating 20 years at the top of the hydraulic hose replacement sector, but the company is still on the expansion trail.(Cover story)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S 1988 and the UK is witnessing its first ever Comic Relief "Red Nose Day"; cinema audiences are flocking to the year's big movie, Die Hard; while in Dublin, an unknown Canadian called Celine Dion is winning the...

Multiple choice: not satisfied with just one franchise outlet, some franchisees have chosen to take on more. Carol Davis assesses the pros and cons of becoming a multi-unit franchisee.(MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISES)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT DOMINO'S, as with many other franchises, two units are better than one. And even 50 units is okay. Encouraging franchisees to take on multiple outlets is entrenched in the pizza giant's business model. The...

Try cleaning: one of the rock solid foundations of the franchising sector is the cleaning market. John Bensalhia examines some of the top players in the industry and finds out why they are continuing to perform as strongly as before, even in troubled economic climates ...(MARKET FOCUS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS MONTH'S Market Focus could include all of the jokey puns such as "Clean up with a cleaning franchise", Not that this magazine would ever advocate that, but when it comes to the cleaning market, this is a...

The future's bright: despite only having launched in 2008, Activ Web Design is reaping the rewards, and is looking forward to an even more successful future.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ACTIV WEB Design launched as a franchise just six months ago and already it has recruited over 50 franchisees across the UK, twice as many as it expected to recruit in such a short period of time. This level of...

Good fortune: Fortune Network Mortgages is enjoying busier times, despite the current economic climate.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FORTUNE NETWORK Mortgages has never been busier. With the relentless reports about the state of the economy, more and more people are looking into their finances. And with 1.4 million homeowners coming out of their...

In the driving seat: planning for expansion at only three months into a franchise? Well, that's what PCC franchisee Nick Craven did ...(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FRANCHISEE NICK Craven has just completed his first year as a franchisee with the growing Professional Car Cleaning (PCC) network, but he says that after only three months into his business he already recognised...

Setting the stage: Razzamataz Theatre Schools teaches youngsters the art of performance while boosting their confidence.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RAZZAMATAZ THEATRE Schools (RTS) was established in 2000 in Cumbria. After expansion and a pilot 'arms length' school, the company decided to launch the franchise in 2005. After launching in Glasgow, Edinburgh and...

Fields of gold: fashionistas can work from home with made-to-measure garment specialist Harper & Fields.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HARPER & FIELDS is a business that is ideally suited to those who love fashion and want to work from home. It is a made to measure garment specialist that produces individual clothes for both men and women....

A world of opportunity: Travel Counsellors franchisee Stuart Woodford explains why his successful business has been the journey of a lifetime.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TRAVEL COUNSELLORS, one of the UK's leading independent travel companies, is offering individuals from outside the travel industry the opportunity to join its award-winning team of travel professionals through its...

Maid(not)2Clean: Maid2Clean is a management franchise where the franchisee never has to clean. (FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling].
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAID2CLEAN describes itself as "the trading name of a franchisee's future trading interface with the public", rather than a description of what the franchisee has to do. Established in 1993, the company now boasts...

Clean up with aid to freedom: Aid To Freedom launches into the franchise market with 175 franchises on offer throughout the UK.(NEW LAUNCH: Franchises up to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE DOMESTIC cleaning market is a multi-billion pound industry in the UK. Even in economic downturns, this industry has continued to generate income, as people need cleaners for a variety of reasons. Aid to Freedom...

Revive and kicking: the current economic situation has had a positive effect on the franchisees of Revive!(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 10,000 [pounds sterling to 20,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FRANCHISE COMPANY Revive! UK is reporting significant growth in its business and its franchisees' businesses. Revive! provides minor paint repair services to vehicles, predominantly working with car...

Auto mobile: with a passion for cars, Chris Schild found an Autosheen franchise too good to ignore.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 10,000 [pounds sterling] to 20,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT THE AGE OF 22, Chris Schild is one of fleet valeting franchisor Autosheen's youngest franchisees, but his working life to date has been all about caring for cars. He was formerly a windscreen fitter for the RAG,...

Atlantic stars: Atlantic Business Resources spells out its plans to expand with over 100 territories available.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 10,000 [pounds sterling] to 20,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ATLANTIC BUSINESS Resources is a fast cost reduction and profit management company, It provides cost management and service solutions to companies of all sizes by leveraging some of the 5 billion [pounds sterling]...

Top marques: more opportunities await new franchisees at dent removal franchise Dent-Technique.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 10,000 [pounds sterling] to 20,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PAINTLESS DENT-removal franchise Dent-Technique says it is enjoying a big increase in business as motorists opt for repairing cars rather than replacing them, The company was launched in 2006 to meet a rapidly...

Franchise's national health food service: catering for hungry but healthy clients up and down UK workplaces, Mibox provides the healthy alternative to packed lunches.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 10,000 [pounds sterling] to 20,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RECESSION IS just a cycle that happens every so often It's like the new year out with the old and in with the new, a time to reevaluate what companies are doing and to make changes. This is what health food...

Accounting for growth: Lasertech says there have been many factors behind its strong performance this year.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 10,000 [pounds sterling] to 20,000 [pounds sterling])(Company overview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LASERTECH HAS enjoyed a strong 2008 with sales up by 40% compared to last year. Sales director Justin Williams explains why the company's product is so popular: "Printer cartridges and off re products are necessity...

X-Press delivery: two X-Press Legal Services franchisees look back on the success of their first year in business.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] x-PRESS LEGAL Services franchisees Adam Margolis and Max Furman recently celebrated the first anniversary of their successful business providing property searches and reports for solicitors, conveyancing...

Unlock your potential: with demand for mobiles still high, FoneSolutions is hopeful of attracting many franchisees to its business.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FONESOLUTIONS is a new franchise opportunity in the sector of mobile phone unlocking, repairs and accessories. The demand for the same day (while you wait) mobile phone repairs and unlocking is rapidly growing the...

Franchising fills the training gap: with a trained workforce necessary for a successful economy, there is demand for Pitman Training.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SKILLS AND training have never been higher on the UK's agenda, with businesses and individuals realising that a well-trained workforce is critical for a successful economy PitmanTraining, which began with Sir...

Prestige industry in excellent health: amid such economic uncertainty, Prestige Nursing says now is the time to invest in a franchise in one of the most resilient markets of all.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "THE LAST time the UK entered a period of economic turbulence, back in the early 1990s, Prestige Nursing continued to grow strongly" So says Jonathan Bruce, managing director of Prestige Nursing, a leading player...

Natural select-ion: meet a franchisee who 'selected' to be part of the company that she worked for, Select Franchising.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BECKY HARKER loved the company she worked for so much, she bought a part of it! With a progressive career in recruitment and four promotions under her belt at Select Appointments alone, she returned to work...

IT support, door to door: saving customers a visit to a busy shop with a broken down computer, Pitman Computer Support franchisees do the job.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ACCORDING TO recent research, many people rate their home PC or laptop as being more important to them than a television, stereo or microwave and have been known to experience 'computer rage' when technology lets...

Bank on it: meet a former banker who made the wise decision to abandon that profession and become a ChipsAway franchisee instead.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHIPSAWAY FRANCHISEE David Reckitt has particular reason to be delighted with his rapidly developing business. Before joining ChipsAway, he worked for a large bank, with responsibility for sales of portfolio...

GreenThumb day: GreenThumb enjoys a spectacular 2008 with massive growth levels contradicting the reports of economic doom.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ONE OF the UK'S biggest and longest established lawn treatment franchise has grown by an impressive 30% during 2008. Despite the present economic situation, many of GreenThumb's 180 franchisees nationwide have...

Heading to new cities: commercial and contract cleaning firm New City Contract Cleaning plans a big expansion programme for the next 12 months.(NEW LAUNCH: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW CITY Contract Cleaning, the Telford-based commercial and contract cleaning firm, has embarked on an ambitious and challenging schedule of expansion through franchising which looks set to take it into numerous...

Self reliance: with employment disputes more commonplace, Reliance Employment Law offers opportunities.(NEW LAUNCH: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EMPLOYMENT LAW is a rapidly growing area. In 2006-2007, the number of employment tribunal claims rose to 239,000 from 156,000 in the previous year. The courts have also been keen to extend employment protection to...

Busy times: with a rapidly growing franchisee network and an appearance on BBC2's Working Lunch, Bluebird Care's profile is higher than ever.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 20,000 [pounds sterling] to 50,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LAST month has been as busy as ever at the fast growing care franchise, Bluebird Care. The company has now grown to 36 offices across the UK and Ireland. The latest franchisee training course attracted...

The power of trade: barter specialist Bartercard is pulling in franchisees as demand for its business grows further.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises from 50,000 [pounds sterling] to 10,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE ADAGE that whilst cash may be king, 'barter is smarter' has been demonstrated by the last few months of increased growth for Bartercard, the world's largest trade exchange. Now in the middle of a massive...

Return to send: packaging and freight forwarding franchise Pack & Send is enjoying success in the UK.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises over 100,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEO TORTORICI and Nicholas Woodward, two members of Pack & Send's Australian team, put their money where their mouth is and 'packed and sent' themselves to the company's store in Reading to spend October" and...

Monkey business: Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries has created a successful new method of communicating with its franchisees.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises over 100,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... SINCE LAUNCHING in 2005, Monkey Puzzle has a network that is about to total 20 outlets. Comprising 1,300 child places, the business has grown to become one of the childcare sector's major players, Directors Mark and Rebecca Crosby, who...

On the move: ready to make a move into franchising? One company is taking this literally as Two Men And A Truck looks to launch in the UK.(NEW LAUNCH: Franchises over 100,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TWO MEN And A Truck launched at The National Franchise Exhibition in Birmingham in October. The franchise has grown to over 200 locations worldwide, and now offers opportunities across the UK for those interested...

Sole power: foot Solutions is expanding rapidly with a number of new stores to be opened in the very near future.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Franchises over 100,000 [pounds sterling])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FOOT SOLUTIONS, the successful US franchise, launched its first European store in Cork in June 2007 and commenced its roll out of stores across Ireland and the UK. In the last 18 months, it has opened five stores...

Personal hygiene: Chemex International has reported a sharp rise in demand for franchises over the last quarter.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Further franchise opportunities)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHEMEX INTERNATIONAL is Europe's leading supplier of cleaning and hygiene products and is also the only UK franchise in its sector. Its products are an everyday necessity for customers and as a result of this,...

Time to clean up: a successful US commercial cleaner is offering master franchises in the UK.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Further franchise opportunities)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AN INCREASING number of entrepreneurs have invested in master franchises in the UK and Ireland. This is the case with businessman Gavin Peacock, who last year acquired the UK and Irish country master franchise for...

Happy marriage: handyman franchise system Hire A Hubby has appointed its first UK master franchisee.(NEW LAUNCH: Further franchise opportunities)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AUSTRALIAN HANDYMAN franchise system Hire A Hubby has just completed the appointment of its first master franchisee to the UK market. A former Australian franchisee of five years, Michael Bishop, has secured the...

Positive action: ActionCoach is aiming to almost double its franchisee base over the next 12 to 18 months.(FRANCHISE FOCUS: Further franchise opportunities)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "THERE ARE approximately four million SMEs in Britain--therefore the demand for business coaching is expected to enjoy a massive growth in popularity." So says ActionCoach, the world's largest business coaching...

Uplifting support: for his penultimate diary entry, Martin Davis of Signs Express explains how support has been vital to providing an effective level of service.(Franchisee Diary)
November 1, 2008... THERE'S ONE area of franchising that has been particularly beneficial to me on a continuous basis--and has never been in short supply. Support from head office and even from other established franchisees within the network has been constantly...

Starting out: taking your first steps into franchising? Richard Watson offers some wise words of advice ...(FRANCHISE ADVICE: Franchise value)
November 1, 2008... TO PRODUCE a successful franchise network relies on a clearly defined set of operational rules, methods and instructions contained within the franchise manual. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let's take a positive approach and examine some of...

Know choice: Manzoor Ishani assesses what franchisors look for when picking franchisees.(FRANCHISE ADVICE: Franchisee rights)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALTHOUGH EACH franchisor will have its own criteria for selecting franchisees, there are nevertheless certain qualities which every franchisee is expected to possess. The prospective franchisee should take into...

Power to the franchisee: far from suffering from the ubiquitous economic gloom, franchisees are revelling in opportunities.(FRANCHISE ADVICE: HOT topic)
November 1, 2008... ON RETURNING from a recent holiday, among the heap of unsolicited mail awaiting me was a colourful brochure promoting an extraordinary assortment of allegedly "designer" merchandise, none of which I need nor am conceivably able to afford....

Did you know? The three major franchising awards shows are: the bfa Franchisee of the Year Awards; the bfa Franchisor of the Year Awards; and the Franchise Marketing Awards.(FRANCHISE ADVICE: Q&A)
November 1, 2008... THE PANEL Cathryn Hayes is HSBC's head of franchising and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. She has been in her present appointment since 1994 and has a high profile within the franchise industry. Among many important...

Recognition Express / ComputerXplorers.(FRANCHISE RESALES: RESALE OF THE MONTH)
November 1, 2008... First impressions really do count. It is crucial that the image companies project is both positive and enduring. Every organisation needs to be instantly recognisable in today's highly competitive market place. Recognition Express has...

A-Z franchise directory.(Directory)
November 1, 2008... Keyterms * Number of outlets Current number of franchise units in network * bfa member status Franchisor's lever of bfa accreditation * Initial franchise fee Initial amount paid to franchisor ...

Franchise services.(Directory)
November 1, 2008... Consultants Franchise Development Services Roy Seaman t: 01603 620301 e: enquiries@fdsltd.com Locations covered: UK Are you considering franchising your business? Or are you an established franchisor? Our 25 years...

TV rage: many franchisees place great faith in shows like "Dragons' Den" and "The Apprentice". But perhaps the behaviour on these programmes make that faith misguided.(BEST Practice)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DO YOU remember that advert for the BBC's business idea show "Dragons' Den"? It featured all five "Dragons" (a term that I can only use with ironic speech marks) strolling up to the camera in slow motion, brushing...

Time, gentlemen, please: this month, Bill Ewbank reflects on the ravages of time, and how its passing affects the world of franchising.(Last word)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE TROUBLE with time is that it ages everything. I'm always taken aback by the photographs that feature in obituary pages. They often show heroes from World War II, portrayed in black and white, uniformed and in...