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Yorkshire Franchise Show arrives in Leeds for second year running
The exhibition showcases 35+ innovative, inspiring and proven franchised business formulas handing you a safer and supportive way to start your own business. And all exhibitors have licenses available for the Yorkshire region and beyond
The event is a one-stop-franchise-shop for the general public - and the shows are hosted with a smile. They're are unstuffy, relaxed, informative and somewhere amongst the exhibitors youre sure to find your perfect business format.
Free entry. Free car parking. Easy to find venue. And once here, you can browse the businesses on offer and take in drop-in workshops advising on finance and start up enterprise
You're looking for that new challenge this year? Then well see you at Elland Road in February and well hand you the keys to a new self employed career.
Saturday, 27th February 2010
Elland Road Conference Centre
Leeds United FC
LS11 0ES
Can Technology change the way we franchise?
Whether you are developing your own franchise business or looking to join another, you need to outsmart the competition, keep your overheads down and above all conquer the ever talked about recession. So how can you not only survive the recession, but come out the other end smiling? One common claim by franchisors is that software can be a valuable weapon, helping you manage and grow your business. But are these claims really true?
We asked industry expert George Perfect, a consultant for Biznik, how he feels software is used in franchised businesses today. He stated that "Although most businesses use IT daily, many restrict this to just the basic accounts and office software. Some companies have now gone further and started to use software to manage relationships between franchisees and franchisors, improving the franchisees experience and making their business more competitive"
Many franchisors have experienced the benefits that a well-designed franchise management system can bring. Simon Albert from The PC Support Group chose to use software to help manage his franchise as he felt it would help with his franchise recruitment. "The fact that we use central software to manage basic sales lead activities like appointment setting and opportunity management is a big bonus for new recruits - it shows just how much we care about their success". His fast growing IT franchise used Franchise 360 designed by GreyRidge Software "because it works the way we do, fast and to the point."
Another success story comes from Ginny Murphy, BFA member and CEO of The Wheel Specialist. She bought in software to gain a better understanding of her business as a whole and to help her monitor her growing franchise network wherever she was in the world. The software we use directs us towards activities that will help us to grow, giving us the efficiency and visibility that helps our business succeed."
Many businesses worry that investing in software is an expense that they could do without. George Perfect disagrees "Actually, it is the other way around. Those that don't invest in smart systems are stacking up big problems for themselves and might well lose their competitive edge over time. Plus, due to the recession there are some great deals around at the moment".
If you are looking to invest in technology, experts recommend that you work with a good supplier, who knows exactly how your business can benefit from a system. Many software houses will tell you that each franchise is the same and an off the shelf product will do. Realistically, only you know your business, if you can work with a supplier who understands what you need your system could deliver great results. As ever in franchising keep your eyes on the money and shop around until you find a system and a supplier which suits the way your business works.
How To Deal With Low Morale During A Recession
Worry causes stress and right now job insecurity is every employee's biggest worry - no-one can guarantee that people won't lose jobs - who knows how much longer the recession will last - but what you can do, as a team leader, manager or business owner, is be aware' of the signs of low morale and stress, and step in as quickly as possible to do something about it.
If you are a sensory' manager or business owner - you will actually feel' low morale. You will sense a deadness or an apathy in your people. And being sensory you will pick up that lack of energy very quickly.
However, for non-sensory managers or owners, there are some very clear signs that morale is dipping in your team or business.
The signs are:
Sickness levels will increase as people start to succumb to various bodily symptoms - headaches; insomnia; an increased susceptibility to colds and flu because they are feeling low
Accidents will increase as a result of low attention to detail
Productivity will be affected - and no amount of whip cracking will help
So here are my ten tips for dealing with low morale and worker stress during a recession - or during ANY turbulent times...
1. COMMUNICATE - in the absence of real information (even bad news) employees will speculate; the gossip mill will be rife and stories become embellished with the telling. Be honest and be honest frequently. Keep people informed
2. Celebrate the good stuff - even if there isn't much to celebrate right now FIND SOME THINGS - and do this also on a frequent basis - like Today we salvaged a customer who was going elsewhere and we did it by offering them the very best customer service and care'
3. Involve your staff - have regular brain storming session about ways to create efficiencies and reward the best ideas with 2 movie tickets ($40 won't break the bank)
4. Have a theme' of the week - like this week we are going to have a quality' drive - anyone who can improve the quality of any system or process can have Friday afternoon off
5. Do an employee draw and let the winner spend a morning in a different department - amazing what people see in another area
6. If the office or plant is fairly quiet - ask everyone to write down ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN on a piece of post-it pad - and ONE THING I'D LIKE TO TEACH - and let people pair up for a couple of hours a week
7. Offer a Mystery weekend for the very best idea anyone can come up with for a new product or service
8. Organise a few impromptu things - like ask everyone to bring in a plate and have a joint breakfast - organize a temp for ONE HOUR to man the phones - use this opportunity to let your people know how much you value them.
9. Have a weekly employee draw and let the winner go out and visit a client or a supplier- getting to know our customers and suppliers face-to-face is a huge energy boost for both parties - they may even come back with an order or reduced supply cost!
10. Instead of an employee of the week' which has become a bit yawn, yawn, have a competition one Friday afternoon for joke of the week - or song of the week - or story of the week... prize can be as simple as a bar of chocolate
When I sent the tips over to the journalist she commented that what I seemed to be saying was have more fun' at work. Yes and no. Fun is great - I have no problem with creating a fun place to work. But this is about more than fun - it is about re-energising people; which is very different from just having a fun day. After all, who will appreciate a fun theme when their job is at risk - it is almost insulting.
So the theme to my tips is more about finding cheap ways to keep people energized and interested - there is nothing that affects productivity so much as lack of energy.
My belief is that if you keep finding ways to keep the energy levels high, even though sales might be low, people will be motivated to come to work; they will be motivated to get involved in all the productivity improvement ideas, because involvement has been fun and creative rather than a whip across their shoulders.
Recessions can be the best thing that has ever happened to your business. They can actually bring your business to LIFE!
About the author: Ann Andrews is a specialist in working with high performing teams. An ex work study engineer and initiator of self-managed teams in a manufacturing organisation, Ann is now an international speaker; HR consultant; team facilitator; author and the creator of The Corporate Toolbox. She has written four books and contributed to five others. One of her books Did I Really Employ You? is being translated into Arabic and Russian. Ann is a past National President of NSANZ (National Speakers' Association of NZ) and a CSP (Certified Professional Speaker) one of only 120 women in the world who have achieved this standard of accreditation.
Seeking the Holy Grail of Online Advertising
Because online advertising can seem easy at first, many companies go about it the wrong way. Too many people see online advertising in the same way as traditional offline advertising. In the real world a business succeeds partly through making their brand constantly visible, regularly bringing it to the attention of potential customers, through such media as mail shots, flyers, leaflets, business cards, radio and television. But this principle does not apply online in the same way.
Bombarding people with banner adverts and emails will more than likely result in your email address becoming added to spam lists, and rarely seen.
Banner adverts are becoming less popular as more and more people use software which filters out banners and adverts on web pages. Instead, tactics such as article distribution, backlinks, reciprocal links, search engine optimization and other techniques help to advertise and promote your business using a form of online advertising more akin to voting.
It is the companies online who are linked to, recommended, promoted and referred to across many different websites who become more visible, rising up the search engine results and being viewed more frequently on Google.
Knowing your niche market, and identifying appropriate keywords will help you to tailor your online advertising and promotion to the audience you are trying to reach. With so many millions of people online, it is important that your advertising is designed to target the right people, in the right way, rather than attempting to bombard as many people as possible with your brand.
One of the biggest challenges as far as online advertising is concerned is identifying ways in which you can communicate your message to the right people in ways which will not have your advert either ignored, overlooked or specifically filtered. The problem is that most users have become wise to banners along the top of websites, and vertical skyscraper banners along the side of some pages too. This has resulted in many users developing filtered vision, so that they become unconscious of these adverts.
To overcome this method of not seeing or overlooking adverts, some advertisers have developed adverts which cannot possibly be ignored or overlooked, with flashy colors, vibrant hues and rapid movement designed to grab attention. The trouble is that most of these adverts are embedded on web pages that the user has specifically navigated to for the purpose of finding out information, rather than being bombarded with a carnival of hypnotic gaiety designed to wrestle their eyeballs to the ground and force them to read the advert.
The trouble here is that this often results in resentment - not a good start for anyone attempting to use online advertising to attract customers.
Most modern web browsers have the option to filter certain advertisers'
messages and adverts, and if you resort to gross harassment of the peripheral vision, you are likely to find your adverts never even seen.
This begs the question - how can you possibly be successful when it comes to advertising online if an increasing number of visitors have developed the art of blinkered vision for those adverts which are calm and gentle, and actively filter those adverts which jump out in an attempt to grab attention?
The answer is simple - as with all forms of advertising, whether on the internet or in the real world - you have to think along different lines.
There are many examples of internet advertising trends which have become hugely successful, and although copying these ideas doesn't necessarily guarantee success, in some cases they can be worth pursuing, and if nothing else, they serve as examples of the fact that alternatives do exist.
Viral videos or viral advertisements are perhaps the greatest success story in online advertising. This is where a company or business creates what seems to be a spoof advertisement, or simple a very clever one, which has a massive appeal that makes people want to share the video with their friends and family. A hilarious, quirky, weird or thought provoking video, which may not even make it explicitly obvious at first that it is an advert at all, can often find itself receiving millions of hits, and being forwarded and shared across the internet at a rate which no normal advertising medium could possibly hope to match. Although instances of this are rare, they do exist, and are well worth considering.
One of the modern trends in internet technology is the wide range of ways in which people can share links, through website such as del.icio.us, digg.com, stumbleupon.com and network sites such as FaceBook. Finding a way to encourage users to share your adverts, videos and other content through these sites is perhaps the best possible way of promoting your site or services, at relatively little cost. It's not guaranteed, and does represent something of a gamble, but the benefit of success in this field of online advertising is phenomenal, and unrivaled by any other form of advertising.
Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal. This Franchise Opportunity is for people who would like to work from home and be their own boss.
The Revolution Is Here
With over 21 years proven success worldwide this unique product for laying a decorative continuous concrete edging has a target audience of over 25,000,000 homes in the UK and Ireland and no competition.
If you are genuinely interested in starting your own business where substantial profits can be achieved with minimum working effort and would like the profits to go directly to you with no ongoing fees or charges and have total control of your own success. Then change your life today.
As property prices hit rock bottom, we give you our Top Tips on making fast cost savings
Q) In the current economic climate, what
would be your top tips for helping
companies make fast savings in their
property costs?
A) There are 4 key strategies. The first one
would be for example, to try and pay your
rent monthly instead of quarterly. Secondly,
it may be worth trying to trade one of your
lease clauses, for example you may be able
to negotiate a period of 3-6 months rent free
in exchange for handing something back to
the landlord. A common one would be for
example a break clause. Thirdly, if you are
struggling to pay your rent, it may be
worthwhile contacting your landlord and
negotiating a short term period of reduction,
whilst you are finding it difficult. Finally if
you have part of your accommodation
empty it could be possible to sub-let part of
that accommodation. You would of course
need to check your lease, but it’s something
that’s worth considering
Q) What other options are available to
companies if they now have empty floor
space, due to downsizing?
A) It could be possible to lodge an empty
rates application on the vacant parts of the
accommodation. It could be rooms or it could
be sections of a building. As a rule of thumb,
you would pay nothing for 3 months on
vacant shops and offices and you would pay
nothing on industrial properties for 6 months.
Q) Does the space need to be empty to
qualify for the relief?
A) Not necessarily, each local authority is
different but as a rough rule of thumb, I would
usually recommend moving any office
furniture into the least valuable space.
Q) Is there any other scope to reduce
business rates?
A) Yes it is still possible to actually
challenge your normal rating assessment.
They revaluate every 5 years. The current
one is still effective until 2010. You can
appeal their decision and get a reduction all
the way back to 2005.
Q) Typically from your experience, what
savings can be achieved?
A) It does vary depending on the property
types, but on average we can achieve a saving
of 14% per annum.
First Come First Served
To mark Marla Custom Blinds (MCB) debut appearance at the National Franchise Exhibition in October, the company is announcing a substantial reduction in its franchise fee for the first five successful applicants. By waiving the licence fee, the franchise start-up costs have been slashed to less than 10,000 an attractive proposition for individuals in search of a healthy combination of both value and quality. In fact, the only things franchisees have to pay for are those things that constitute a direct cost to the companys head office. These include a two-week training course, launch marketing, all promotional materials, and essential tools and equipment.
Says MCB founder and Managing Director, Martin Froud: Were looking for franchise owners to help us expand outside of the Portsmouth and Southampton areas. The significantly reduced entry cost gives an added incentive to potential franchisees that want to come and meet us at the NEC. The reduction will make all the difference to someone who has real business drive, but who might feel held back by a lack of investment capital. In the current economic climate, we feel that waiving the franchise fee is the right thing to do, and it will certainly give new franchisees the head start they need.
MCB has been manufacturing and supplying blinds in Hampshire and throughout the South West for almost 15 years, and has an enviable portfolio of repeat customers such as Portsmouth City Council, BBC South and the Beaulieu Estate. As well as being bound by the British Blind & Shutter Associations (BBSA) strict code of ethics, MCB are also fully vetted members of the Checkatrade scheme, an independent monitoring service allowing customers to publicly judge the companys performance. With high customer voting scores averaging 9.7 out of 10 for MCB, Martin is proud of the companys achievements so far.
Of his new deal for franchisees, Martin says: Although were offering the reduced price on a first-come, first-served basis, we wont just be taking on the first five people who walk through the door with a cheque in their hand. Were looking for five dedicated foundation franchisees quality people with drive and ambition and well be maintaining our stringent selection process until weve found them. We have a valuable reputation to uphold, one thats been painstakingly built up over the last 15 years. Its important that new recruits maintain that reputation and build on it within their own territory.
Adds Martin: Ethical trading should be a priority for all franchised businesses, particularly in the home improvement sector where there are a lot of rogue operators. Its something we take very seriously; we insist that all MCB franchisees are monitored by Checkatrade to ensure consistency across the brand, and a high level of satisfaction for all customers.
In Hampshire, MCB are also members of the Buy with Confidence scheme, which lists only reputable and vetted businesses and prevents customers from being conned by rogue traders. Franchisees joining MCB will benefit from their association with these organisations.
Busy investment franchise thrives as professionals switch career.
This trend reflects that reported in the 2008 NatWest/bfa survey, published at the start of this year, which showed franchising economic contribution to growth at nearly five times that of the national GDP growth (15% economic growth in franchising against a 3.1% GDP growth).
Further investigation by PPP into the backgrounds, lifestyles and aspirations of enquirers shows just how hard the recession is impacting on career professionals. The majority come from corporate backgrounds and while some have been made redundant, others have simply become disillusioned with the level of future security and opportunities open to them if they remain on their current career path, or have made the decision to step away from high-profile positions in order to improve their quality of life.
This reflects the backgrounds of those already in the franchise, which is made up of a broad spectrum of high-calibre individuals. Current Franchise Partners (PPP’s term for Franchisees) include the former worldwide Finance Director for the Norwich Union group, a physiotherapist, a Harley Street psychiatrist, a solicitor, a former estate agent, and the former European Central Services Director for Coca Cola Enterprises,
Neil Mansell (30) was working in a dead-end job as a business development manager in the City three years ago. He launched his own property investment franchise with PPP and now earns over £130,000 a year gross profit from twelve buy to let properties. “On the one hand I can’t believe how far I’ve come in such a relatively short space of time, but, then again, you definitely get out what you put in, and I have put in a lot of time and effort to make my business work,” says Neil, who is about to complete on his thirteenth property purchase.
Opting to run your own business following redundancy or for lifestyle reasons carries significant risks, especially during an economic recession. However, franchising traditionally flourishes in difficult times as people decide to buy into a proven business model and business support from the franchisor. Platinum Property Partners founders, Steve Bolton and Nick Carlile, use their considerable experience and passion for training and mentoring to guide investors like Neil Mansell in what can be a complex market sector.
“We are advising a growing number of people who have cash reserves and some business experience but major questions about where to invest those reserves,” says Steve Bolton. “They need an annual income but also want to retain the value of their investment. We have worked hard, and applied our expertise to make sure the PPP franchise provides a robust core property investment model, unaffected even by falls in capital values. I think this accounts in part for the busy year we are having.”
PPP run regular events for Franchise Partners as well as the Platinum Wealth Workshops which tackle the major issues around UK and overseas property investing
‘Smart altruism’ – a recession-busting business model
Responding to the need for more visionary thinking and leadership in business, Steve is challenging UK companies to adopt a bit more ‘smart altruism’ in the boardroom.
Steve’s company is the buy-to-let property investment franchise Platinum Property Partners (PPP) which expects its Franchise Partners to adopt the company ethos embodied in its mission statement – Be More, Do More, Have More, Give More when they join the investment network. Putting something back into society is part of the PPP corporate DNA, deliberately built into the way the franchise operates and markets itself. As a result the company is building a community of like-minded, high net worth individuals who want to create wealth, not only for their own financial security, but in order to share it with others and make a difference in the world by giving something back.
“Never before has so much been expected of the nation’s true wealth-generators,” says Steve Bolton. “Growing companies like my own have a responsibility to profitably provide incomes and work opportunities, but we must ultimately have a positive impact on the communities we live and operate in. In our case this means giving our Franchise Partners the skills and know-how to operate profitably and the wisdom to choose how they use that profit. This way both business and community benefit.”
Founding directors Steve Bolton, Nick Carlile and Richard Davis have combined their experience of property investing with a passion for mentoring and training. The business franchise model enables partners to learn and develop their business skills, manage their portfolios profitably, share their knowledge and experience and then to participate in charitable or active citizenship. For example, all three directors are Patrons of Peace One Day, the UN-ratified international campaign to make 21st September a focus for the cessation of conflict, and the Platinum Partners Foundation channels support to projects in Uganda, India and Toxteth.
Last September, Caroline Marsh, one of PPP's foundation franchise partners, was chosen to appear on C4's 'The Secret Millionaire', and since then has been involved in a number of national business, entrepreneurial and charity campaigns and events. Highlights have included being on the judging panel for 'Enterprising Young Brits 2009' and working alongside Esther Rantzen for the '4Children' charity's Family Commission. Her speaking engagements around the UK have ranged from inspiring young people to be more entrepreneurial in their thinking, to encouraging other businesspeople and property investors.
Steve Bolton continues: “I would like to know whether ‘smart altruism’ is alive and well in the UK. Judging by the conversations I am having, there is a growing desire for ‘more to life than business’ and people are realising that this very ethos can help their businesses. It’s now up to us as corporate leaders to kick-start economic recovery in new and imaginative ways.”
Franchisee of the Month
In 2006 Neil Mansell was working as a business development manager in the City, in a job which his boss had told him offered no real prospects for advancement. Just three years later, Neil has his own property investment franchise - a portfolio of twelve buy to let properties – works for himself, and is making over £130,000 a year gross profit, from rental income alone.
“On the one hand I can’t believe how far I’ve come in such a relatively short space of time, but, then again, you definitely get out what you put in, and I have put in a lot of time and effort to make my business work”, says Neil, who's currently in the process of buying his thirteenth property.
Neil’s father had been involved in property renovation and refurbishment, but it wasn’t until Steve Bolton, founder of the Platinum Property Partners franchise, explained to Neil how he could build and run his own portfolio as a viable business that he considered it as a real ‘employment alternative’.
Following some intensive one-to-one mentoring and ongoing support from Steve, Neil spent 14 months doing his ‘day job’ and working on building his portfolio in the evenings and at weekends. By early 2007 the rental income from Neil’s first three investment properties had replaced his salary, and he was able to quit his paid employment to concentrate on property full time.
When Steve and his business partner Nick Carlile franchised their buy to let property investment business model in July 2007, Neil became one of the first ten ‘foundation’ franchise partners (franchisees). Franchise Partners follow PPP’s tried, tested & proven systems and strategies to fast-track their success, maximising cashflow and capital gain. Ongoing support & guidance is provided by market-leading property, legal and financial professionals.
“The PPP franchise opportunity was a ‘no brainer’ for me”, says Neil. “Using their systems and strategies, and being able to access their support network has enabled me to grow faster and more profitably than I ever would have done on my own. Being involved in an organisation that is always seeking to move forwards and develop strategies in line with the shifting market means that I can continue to grow and improve my portfolio, taking best advantage of the opportunities out there.”
Neil’s current portfolio, worth over £3m, is made up of multi-lets - where individual rooms are rented out to young working professionals on an all-inclusive basis – and single-let properties bought at substantially below current market value. He employs two staff, which frees him up from the day-to-day running of the business.
Says Steve Bolton, “Neil is incredibly committed, business-minded and creative, and his success is absolutely deserved. For the past year, he has also been working for PPP internally, sharing his expertise by mentoring new Franchise Partners, embracing the company ethos of giving back. He’s become a close friend & business colleague and is a very valuable member of the franchise community, showing others what can be achieved.”
It started with a Nib
To celebrate its fifth anniversary, MP-PR announces its new brand identity and radically revamped website.
During a consultative process that included one graphic designer, two franchising professionals, and a visit to the pub to scratch out some ideas on the back of a beer mat, MP-PR’s new branding was born.
Having spent the last three months locked away in a darkened room designing, developing and fine tuning the website, MP-PR founder Matt Pigott and company director Alex Waite are now ready to pull up the blinds to tell the franchising world about the company’s latest developments.
Says Matt: “I’ve always loved the pen as part of MP-PR’s branding, but now it’s got a more modern, abstract feel to it. The silhouette of the pen nib on the new site represents the passion that we have for high quality writing and design.”
With a host of added extras, including valuable hints and tips to help franchisors recruit franchisees, the new site is an altogether better browsing experience.
“The vibrant pink was chosen to contrast with the standard blacks, whites and greys of the business world,” says Matt. “I wanted a certain joie de vivre to leap out from the brand, and I think we’ve succeeded in achieving that. Now we have a highly memorable, future-proof identity. Who knows, one day I might even franchise the business myself!”
Adds company director, Alex Waite: “As a PR consultancy that specialises in franchising, MP-PR’s new website needed to demonstrate a clear understanding of the franchise industry, a firm grasp of good copywriting, an eye for design and a handle on social media and modern marketing techniques. What people are realising today is that good sites aren’t just online brochures; they are entities that live, breathe and develop. Moreover, they should be interactive to encourage people to revisit the site. And that’s why we’ll be moving with the times and adding new content to the site every day.”
Designed and built entirely in-house MP-PR’s new site is simple to use, easily navigated and creatively fuses elements of business and fun.
Listen to MP-PR’s tune of the week, follow the directors on Twitter, get handy marketing hints and tips and learn more about MP-PR’s services as the franchise industry’s leading PR specialists
'Strengthen your business by giving more'
We get what we focus on most of the time, and if your world becomes too introspective when times are hard, personal and professional relationships can falter, you can lose perspective and morale will become low. While batoning down the hatches may save money and enable the business to keep ticking over in the short term, you'll probably find it's unsustainable.
Successful business is all about successful relationships and people who excel in lots of areas in their life tend to be fundamentally positive, optimistic, giving people. They achieve success in the broadest sense of the word and it's because they take a holistic view of life, understanding that you get back what you put in. In simple terms, success to me means being happy, fulfilled, healthy, wealthy, and contributing to others every day in a positive and meaningful way.
My personal mission, and the mission of our franchise business, is: "be more, do more, have more and give more". Over the past 10 years I've spent over a hundred thousand pounds of my own money learning from multi-millionaires and billionaires and it's the best investment I've ever made. It’s helped me understand that when people create sustainable wealth, financial freedom and time freedom, it's not entirely because of what they do, but because of who and what they are. And that 'giving' element doesn't simply refer to money; it's about having an 'abundance' mentality: help others get what they want and you'll find they'll help you in return, on many different levels.
When people are naturally generous and have a spirit of wanting to share time, skills & money, it's a good sign that a relationship will be reciprocal & lasting, and those people tend to have a high level of success in business. People who are the reverse, and have a 'scarcity' mentality feel there's not enough to go around, play their cards very close to their chest and keep their ideas, knowledge and contacts to themselves. They hold a mistaken belief that they'll have an advantage over their peers and competitors, but these people tend not to achieve either success or happiness in the long term. It's been proven that the more positive contacts you make with other successful people, the more your own success will grow. As Mark Victor Hanson said, "Your network equals your net worth", and the more you give, the more you'll get back.
And so in times like this, when the economy is hitting everyone hard – business owners, investors, employees, families - it's even more important that we all make an effort to positively impact those around us and society at large. Forget about money, think about what else you can offer; what knowledge and skills could you share, and how much time could you give to help others? There are always going to be aspects of business – for example the availability of loans, demand for a product or service, etc – that you can't do anything about. Instead, think about where you can make a difference and achieve success, because that will make you and those around you feel happier and more fulfilled.
Last year, one of our franchise partners, Caroline Marsh, was chosen to feature on the C4 prime-time programme, 'The Secret Millionaire'. Nine months on, she is continuing to support two projects in Toxteth, through on-going business and personal coaching, and as a result of the programme and her elevated profile, she's been able to become involved with local and national charities and business networks, joining people like Esther Rantzen and Peter Jones in not-for-profit enterprises.
As well as running her own successful property business and being a wife and mother, Caroline regularly gives up her time to speak and network at business, property and charity events, inspiring and motivating people. While she's certainly busier than she's ever been, she's also more fulfilled and happier. She acknowledges she's growing and improving as a person every day, thanks to the people she's meeting and the opportunities she's being given, and takes enormous pleasure in knowing she is helping others.
And for me, that's the greatest reward of all. Knowing I can help others achieve success and make a difference to their lives is why I choose to spend so much of my time mentoring and coaching. In your business, look at your staff, suppliers and associates and think about how you could positively impact them; look at how you can be more and do more, to enable you to have more and give more.
New Maid2Clean Head Office Appointment
Maid2Clean® is a rapidly expanding business. The business is based on their very successful operations in Cheshire which has now been rolled out across the UK using their very successful franchise model. This gives it’s franchisees the security of a large organisation supporting all their members with the very best systems and processes together with locally owned businesses, thus ensuring their Clients, receive the best possible service whichever local office they use.
New Maid2Clean Head Office Appointment:
Mike Hanrahan, Maid2Clean Managing Director has announced the appointment of Graeme Pirie as Operations Director within the Franchise Business. Like Head Office, he will be carrying out this role in addition to his own Maid2Clean business, where he has managed to remove himself from the day day noise of dealing with 'clients and and cleaners' - something many franchisees aspire to achieve.
Over the past few years, the Maid2Clean business has grown into a very significant operation, and it is continuing to grow. As franchisors, the main aim of Maid2Clean is to provide the best training and support in the industry to all franchisees enabling them to grow their businesses to the level they want as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
Mike has become very aware that as the business has expanded, he has been less able to provide all the support required to everyone, therefore the timing of this appointment is the right one and is effective immediately. Mike adds that “Our franchisees will already know that Graeme Pirie is Maid2Clean’s most successful franchisee, to date, and that he has demonstrated exceptional managerial and techinical expertise in growing his own business consistently by around 200 Clients per year over the last 4 years.”
Graeme’s main responsibilities will be to provide in depth start up training to new franchisees as well as offering ongoing training and support to existing Maid2Clean businesses. Many of the Maid2Clean franchisees will already know Graeme well, and feel that they will welcome this addition to the head office team and will agree that his appointment to the role will bring significant additional skills and resources to the Franchise business and enable all franchisees to reach their aspirations even quicker.
________________________________________
Graeme Pirie - Operations Director Maid2Clean
“I’m very pleased to be part of the Maid2Clean Franchise operation.”
Graeme joined Maid2Clean in Jan 2005 as a Franchisee. Four years on he has a business with over 800 Clients and a turnover exceeding £250,000. This has been achieved simply by
doing the same things as everyone else and by constant learning from everyone else in the business. He now wants to share those experiences and help other franchisees reach the levels they aspire to.
Graeme says that “I realise that everyone has different aspirations for their business – some will be happy with the growth and performance they already achieve whist others may appreciate some additional support. Naturally we want to focus our support on those who want to grow their businesses further.
There are some initial changes we’re putting in place mainly to simplify some of the activities we do and to enable us to focus our attentions on “making money”!”
From June 1st Maid2Clean will have streamlined the system whereby franchisees submit their monthly returns and it will has the facility to email their results directly A copy email will be sent to their own email address so they have a permanent record and can reconcile their accounts easily.
Maid2Clean will also restart the NML fund. Initially they envisage using this to pay for remote access software – so that they can assist you remotely without the franchisees having to create and pay for their own remote account. They are also going to fund the website completely, so there will be no need for franchisees to pay for this directly. Optimisation work on the main website will commence shortly and they will also be providing help and advice for any franchisee who wants to do SEO directly on their individual sites.
The especially good news is that Maid2Clean are going to drastically change the “NML Burden”. they know it’s not very welcome (although it is necessary) so rather than add to the monthly fees, for the foreseeable future they are setting it at a standard level of £15 per franchisee per month by mandate which is well below the contractual obligation. It will not be payable by new franchisees in their first 12 months of trading, a separate account will be set up for this and maod2Clean will inform them of the details shortly.
Graeme aims to be able to email all frachisees each month with a summary of the progress they have made – and to share “good ideas” that have arisen, but the main activity will of course be ongoing support where it’s needed. Graeme is based in the Midlands so is within reasonable reach of most Maid2Clean franchisees.
The franchise model is robust and has proved itself to be a model that can be replicated by almost anyone, anywhere. But the biggest strength is the wide range of skills across the business which Graeme aims to share across the entire network.
Graeme adds that “I’d like all maid2Clean franchisees to ask themselves just one question – “Am I happy with the growth and performance of my business?” If the answer is no, please get in touch!”
MollyMaid And Betterware
The MOLLY MAID competition features in the March edition of the Betterware catalogue that is distributed to over 12 million homes across the UK. As well as this MOLLY MAID will feature on the Betterware website that has hundreds of thousands of shoppers visit every day.
This is a fantastic opportunity for us and we are excited to be partnering with such a big household brand as Betterware. We are excited about how many potential customers this activity will help us reach, Betterware have a vast network of representatives that will be distributing the catalogues with MOLLY MAID on. says Pam Bader OBE FRSA, CEO of MOLLY MAID UK.
UK PLCs Missing Major Cost Saving Opportunity
It isn’t just MPs and Cabinet Ministers Iwho should have an eagle eye on their
expenses. The same goes for businesses
throughout the UK, according to a new study
conducted by research organisation YouGov.
More than a third (34%) of the 1,320 board
directors and senior managers interviewed
said that their organisations had not put in
place any cost reduction programmes for
business expenditure during the last six
months and nearly half of respondents (46%)
had not conducted any contract renegotiations
with suppliers since September 2008, when
the steep decline in the economy started. And
more than half of all respondents (56%) felt
they could achieve cost savings of 6% or
more for their businesses.
The study – Is your Business COSTING
you? - was commissioned by the Expense
Reduction Analysts’ Centre for Cost
and Purchase ManagementTM, to gain insights
into business expenditure management
from board directors and senior
managers across the country and a range of
industries.
Other findings included:
where contract renegotiations have taken
place, only 16% had gained an extension
in credit terms; and just 8% had
managed to change payment terms from
advance to arrears. In addition, just 36%
had negotiated a reduction in prices and
only 18% had agreed changes to service
level agreements to be more appropriate
to their requirements.
just 33% of those interviewed said their
organisations had measured cost
reduction achievements and only the
same percentage had benchmarked
suppliers’ costs in the marketplace over
the last 12 months.
less than 1 in 10 of respondents were
very satisfied with their organisations’
drives to reduce such business expenditure.
the biggest barrier to reducing costs, as
experienced by respondents, was lack of
time (39%).
39% of respondents said they had not
carried out any checks on the financial
standing of their suppliers and 18%
indicated that they had only conducted
checks every year or longer than a year.
51% of those interviewed did not feel their
checks on suppliers were adequate.
Robert Allison, Managing Director of
Expense Reduction Analysts, the UK’s
largest Cost and Purchase ManagementTM
consultancy says: “It is clear that a major
opportunity to retain profit during these
harsh times is going begging.
The prime focus for companies is the top
line – with 57% of respondents stating
increasing sales as the priority for increasing
profitability. However, the study highlights
that there is also a major opportunity to
increase the bottom line by reviewing and
taking action on day-to-day business
expenditure, which in many cases has gone
unchecked for a long time.
The survey also reveals that there is an
opportunity to renegotiate contractual
terms harder with suppliers during these
tough times. However this should not be
at the expense of the quality of service you
receive as this could impact on your
service to customers.”
He added: “It should be noted that any
reductions in business expenditure go
straight to the bottom line. Therefore, on a
typical industry profit margin of around
8%, a business would need to generate
sales of a quarter of a million pounds to
make the same bottom line impact as cost
savings of just £20,000.”
Colin Mills, CEO and Founder of The FD
Centre, a provider of part-time Financial
Directors, comments: “It is clear to see
that there is a significant untapped
opportunity for businesses of all sizes to
reduce costs, particularly important during
the current harsh economic climate.
Companies have been feeling the pressure
of the recession for some time now and they
really now need to step up to the mark in
terms of developing effective cost
management strategies, whether it be wider
and tighter benchmarking of suppliers,
measuring cost reduction achievements or
renegotiating contractual terms. By doing so
not only will they steer their
organisations through the current economic
crisis, but they will also ensure their companies
will be stronger when recovery returns.”
World Famous Founder Set For St Albans Seminar
John Schnatter, the youngest person ever to be inducted into the US Business Hall of Fame, has built his delivery and takeaway chain from one store in a Kentucky broom cupboard to 3,400 outlets across 30 different countries - generating a staggering $1.13 billion in 2008 alone.
Still the current chairman and CEO of the global phenomenon, John became fascinated with serving quality food while working in a local pizza parlour at the age of 15, and later sold his treasured Camaro to fund the purchase of his first oven and mixer.
Today the Camaro is back, sitting proudly in the foyer of Papa John’s multi-million dollar head office in Louisville, Kentucky – and the man behind the empire is ready to pass on some of the key points behind his success at a seminar in St Albans on Tuesday May 12th 2009.
The event will take place from 3pm to 4pm at Papa John’s St Albans store, 182 Hatfield Road and places are offered free of charge, but are strictly limited and registration is required.
Papa John’s UK managing director Ian Saunders is delighted that the company founder, who was also named as one of the Outstanding Young Americans at the turn of the century, will tell his story to UK business people.
M/F
He said: “John is one of the most inspirational people on the planet when it comes to putting your finger on the desire and drive that you need to turn a germ of a business idea into a huge success story.
“Opportunities to hear him talk in this kind of format are very limited and we are honoured that he has agreed to take some time out of his UK tour of stores to tell people how it all happened for him.
“As a franchise business we know that this country has a whole host of budding entrepreneurs who are looking for help and advice on how to really take their ideas and ambitions and turn them into results – and there is no better role model for that than John.”
Celebrating 25 Years Of Success
Today MOLLY MAID stands as the UKs largest domestic cleaning brand, with 70 Franchise Owners, 350 MOLLY MAID cars on the road and over 800 MOLLY MAID staff making peoples houses sparkle from top to bottom. Pam Bader OBE is the CEO, and the heart of the UK operation, she was there from the very beginning and is extremely passionate about the brand From the moment I heard about the MOLLY MAID business I knew it was going to be a success, it took hard work and dedication from everyone involved and still does, but it is such a strong brand and such a great service we know we will be here for many years to come!
Help around the home is becoming an ever more essential part of the household budget. No one wants to spend their free time doing housework so are turning to MOLLY MAID for a high quality service that they can rely on. The number of customers calling on MOLLY MAID keeps growing and over the last 10 years MOLLY MAID has cleaned the equivalent of all the bathrooms on Buckingham Palace (of which there are 78) 41,691 times!
Pam credited the continuing success of the business to a combination of the hard work from Franchise Owners and their staff, as well as a desire to provide exemplary customer care with the strength of the MOLLY MAID brand.
MollyMaid & Betterware Have Teamed Up
The MOLLY MAID competition features in the March edition of the Betterware catalogue that is distributed to over 12 million homes across the UK. As well as this MOLLY MAID will feature on the Betterware website that has hundreds of thousands of shoppers visit every day.
This is a fantastic opportunity for us and we are excited to be partnering with such a big household brand as Betterware. We are excited about how many potential customers this activity will help us reach, Betterware have a vast network of representatives that will be distributing the catalogues with MOLLY MAID on. says Pam Bader OBE FRSA, CEO of MOLLY MAID UK.
A Country-full of Opportunity
Envos, the hottest franchise of 2009 was launched just 16 weeks ago with a record number of enquiries and franchisees already onboard. This unique franchise opportunity sits within a rapidly growing market estimated to be worth over £500 million in the UK alone.
From January 2009 Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are required by law for all commercial buildings, with very few exceptions. Much like the ‘A, B, C' energy efficiency ratings we have on household white goods like fridges and freezers, the Envos franchise responds to the new government legislation to provide similar ratings on commercial buildings throughout the UK.
Envos has received over 200 quality enquiries after just weeks of launching with many individuals now selecting their franchise regions and starting their training. Many enquiries have come from individuals that are facing redundancy and are looking for a secure future for themselves and their families.
A New Concept with Repeat Business
Envos franchisees will provide energy certification, carbon and environmental management systems audits which support the new government legislation. There are two types of surveys, one that lasts for 10 years and one that is renewed annually so this ensures a steady long term flow of contracts and repeat business.
Envos surveys to government approved standards to maximise the overall efficiency of the building, whilst keeping the customer compliant with legislation. Franchisees will take advantage of their unique position within the market and gain all the necessary training to confidently run their business under the Envos brand.
One of the first Envos franchisees to come onboard is Mark Doe. Mark is operating within the Kent region and has big plans for the future of his Envos business. "Right now, I will be concentrating on building my Envos franchise and doing the assessing myself. In the long term I will have a team of assessors undertaking the surveying for me and this will allow me to move into a more management style role," says Mark.
Franchisees need to be qualified to undertake the surveying themselves, yet this hasn’t stopped another new franchisee, Mike Clarke from getting started. "I am currently training to be an assessor so that I can undertake some of the surveying myself. So that I didn’t loose any time capitalising on surveying opportunities since the legislation came in, I approached some freelance agents and they currently undertake the surveying on my behalf. This ensured I was up and running really quickly."
New franchisees will benefit from the knowledge and skills of the rest of the network and a great sense of satisfaction in knowing that these efforts will contribute to the long term energy efficiency of the corporate world.
Envos Franchisees Share their thoughts…
Mike Clarke, Richard Russell, Mark Doe and two others are among the first individuals to join Envos. With backgrounds in pig farming, manufacturing, property management and entrepreneurial business ventures they all identified Envos as a super business opportunity capable of providing a secure future.
"This franchise offers all the added benefits of a national brand: national clients, technical help background, training, support and being the first to deliver new services," explains Mark Doe who was the first to sign up. The appeal of Envos is that it is a professional organisation acquiring a good national identity. This gives the individual more credibility when approaching larger organisations.
Second to sign up was Richard Russell. With a degree in Polymer Science and Technology and experience in sales and running his own business, Richard had a mixture of skills that has led him comfortably into franchising. "This franchise is set up to offer gradual expansion while also having the opportunity to take advantage of the initial gains while commercial property owners catch up with the legislation changes."
Mike Clarke feels confident that Envos can provide him with the backup required to build a profitable future for himself and his family in Devon. “Being part of the Envos brand will ensure that I am able to pitch to larger organisations that wouldn't have considered me as a small independent business. I definitely see Envos providing a valuable mix of support, skills, connections and brand clout so that I can build a profitable business.”
The latest franchisee to join is not new to running his own business, in fact he has had several businesses over the last 2 decades before joining Envos. “I chose Envos because of the potential within the market. The Envos business is very professional and well thought through. I would definitely recommend the Envos opportunity to other people, just as long as they are not in my area!” this new Envos franchisee will be running his franchise in a professional management style role in the North East.
Over 216,000 energy audits will be required in the first few months of 2009. With even more audits required in 2009 and beyond, ranging from new build commercial property to public sector buildings, there is massive potential for new franchisees to generate significant profits while providing a valuable service. Yet even with all this potential, Managing Director, Wade Barker encourages individuals to do their homework “Be confident that the market is there for whatever franchise you are looking at. Don’t just take the word of the franchisor.”
MollyMaid Hits Record Numbers
They announced a record global turnover of over 140 million pounds, a 21% growth on the results from last year. With over 450 MOLLY MAID franchise Owners across the UK, Canada, USA, Portugal and Japan the MOLLY MAID brand is tickled pink' with these results.
In the UK alone a 4.1% growth in turnover for 2008 was reported, and the Franchise network continues to grow with 2 new starts already for 2009. The domestic cleaning company is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the UK this year and is optimistic about the future for domestic cleaning. With such a strong quality service offering and the benefit of 25 years of experience in the industry MOLLY MAID is leading the way, Pam Bader OBE and CEO of MOLLY MAID UK explained "As an organisation we have already been through one recession and came out of the other side. Sadly we saw some of our competitors go out of business, but this does gives the businesses that remain the opportunity to thrive in the market and invest so that they are ready to exploit the upturn when it comes."
MOLLY MAID credited the continuing success of the business to a combination of the hard work from Franchise Owners and their staff, as well as a desire to provide exemplary customer care with the strength of the MOLLY MAID brand.
MollyMaid Visits Noel's HQ
The national domestic cleaning company went on to present Pam and Steve Long with a well earned break from cleaning for a year.
Kirsten Crisford appeared on the show with Noel Edmonds, she said "Pam and Steve are amazing, they have devoted the last 28 years to adopting and fostering more than a dozen chronically ill children. Providing consistent care and a loving home to the most venerable and needy is just the start, they are also heavily involved in a local charity to support chronically ill children and their families. I don't know where they find the time, we hope that by giving them a break from the cleaning will help a little."
The special valentines show was full of surprises for everyone, not least Pam and Steve who were stunned and delighted at the thought of having some time off from the regular household chores. The ever popular show was watched on Saturday night by over 400,000 people around the UK so was also a great opportunity for MOLLY MAID, who are celebrating 25 years in the UK this year, to increase their brand awareness.
New Maid2Clean Head Office Appointment:
Like Head Office, he will be carrying out this role in addition to his own Maid2Clean business, where he has managed to remove himself from the day day noise of dealing with 'clients and and cleaners' - something many franchisees aspire to achieve.
Over the past few years, the Maid2Clean business has grown into a very significant operation, and it is continuing to grow. As franchisors, the main aim of Maid2Clean is to provide the best training and support in the industry to all franchisees enabling them to grow their businesses to the level they want as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
Mike has become very aware that as the business has expanded, he has been less able to provide all the support required to everyone, therefore the timing of this appointment is the right one and is effective immediately. Mike adds that "Our franchisees will already know that Graeme Pirie is Maid2Clean's most successful franchisee, to date, and that he has demonstrated exceptional managerial and techinical expertise in growing his own business consistently by around 200 Clients per year over the last 4 years."
Graeme’s main responsibilities will be to provide in depth start up training to new franchisees as well as offering ongoing training and support to existing Maid2Clean businesses. Many of the Maid2Clean franchisees will already know Graeme well, and feel that they will welcome this addition to the head office team and will agree that his appointment to the role will bring significant additional skills and resources to the Franchise business and enable all franchisees to reach their aspirations even quicker.
________________________________________
Graeme Pirie - Operations Director Maid2Clean
"I’m very pleased to be part of the Maid2Clean Franchise operation."
Graeme joined Maid2Clean in Jan 2005 as a Franchisee. Four years on he has a business with over 800 Clients and a turnover exceeding £250,000. This has been achieved simply by doing the same things as
everyone else and by constant
learning from everyone else in the business. He now wants to share those experiences and help other franchisees reach the levels they aspire to.
Graeme says that “I realise that everyone has different aspirations for their business – some will be happy with the growth and performance they already achieve whist others may appreciate some additional support. Naturally we want to focus our support on those who want to grow their businesses further.
There are some initial changes we’re putting in place mainly to simplify some of the activities we do and to enable us to focus our attentions on “making money”!”
From June 1st Maid2Clean will have streamlined the system whereby franchisees submit their monthly returns and it will has the facility to email their results directly A copy email will be sent to their own email address so they have a permanent record and can reconcile their accounts easily.
Maid2Clean will also restart the NML fund. Initially they envisage using this to pay for remote access software – so that they can assist you remotely without the franchisees having to create and pay for their own remote account. They are also going to fund the website completely, so there will be no need for franchisees to pay for this directly. Optimisation work on the main website will commence shortly and they will also be providing help and advice for any franchisee who wants to do SEO directly on their individual sites.
The especially good news is that Maid2Clean are going to drastically change the “NML Burden”. they know it’s not very welcome (although it is necessary) so rather than add to the monthly fees, for the foreseeable future they are setting it at a standard level of £15 per franchisee per month by mandate which is well below the contractual obligation. It will not be payable by new franchisees in their first 12 months of trading, a separate account will be set up for this and maod2Clean will inform them of the details shortly.
Graeme aims to be able to email all frachisees each month with a summary of the progress they have made – and to share “good ideas” that have arisen, but the main activity will of course be ongoing support where it’s needed. Graeme is based in the Midlands so is within reasonable reach of most Maid2Clean franchisees.
The franchise model is robust and has proved itself to be a model that can be replicated by almost anyone, anywhere. But the biggest strength is the wide range of skills across the business which Graeme aims to share across the entire network.
Graeme adds that “I’d like all maid2Clean franchisees to ask themselves just one question – “Am I happy with the growth and performance of my business?” If the answer is no, please get in touch!”
Sunshine Cleaning With MollyMaid
staring Emily Blunt and Amy Adams, this film is on general release from the 26th June.
The competition is being advertised in the local cinemas and through the local press, one lucky winner will be able to have some time off from the housework with a voucher for MOLLY MAID to come to their house and make it sparkle from top to bottom! Having been around for the last 25 years MOLLY MAID are the most experienced domestic cleaning company in the UK and are excited to be teaming up with this film. Pam Bader, OBE says "MOLLY MAID is a strong brand and these sort of partnerships just continue to strengthen our offering and brand awareness both nationally and in MOLLY MAID areas."
Help around the home is becoming an ever more essential part of the household budget. No one wants to spend their free time doing housework so are turning to MOLLY MAID for a high quality service that they can rely on. The number of customers calling on MOLLY MAID keeps growing and over the last 10 years MOLLY MAID has cleaned the equivalent of all the bathrooms on Buckingham Palace (of which there are 78) 41,691 times!
ServiceMaster Hits Gold
Started in the UK in 1959, ServiceMaster was one of the founding members of the British Franchise Association.
Over the last half a century the company has helped businesses grow and prosper across its family of brands including TruGreen professional lawn care, Merry Maids domestic cleaning services, Furniture Medic furniture repair and restoration services and ServiceMaster Clean business offering both programmed carpet cleaning services and daily office cleaning services.
Steve Emmerson is Managing Director at ServiceMaster Ltd; "2009 represents a huge landmark for ServiceMaster in the UK; our 50th anniversary just goes to prove that our businesses really do stand the test of time."
"We truly believe that a franchised business can be the perfect proposition for someone with an enthusiasm for business and that having the support and backing of a long established company like ServiceMaster can make all the difference."
“However, we will never be accused of getting complacent and are constantly striving to make sure we offer our franchisees the best support package possible. We are taking a fresh look at all of our brands for 2009 and are in the process of implementing a comprehensive sales and marketing support plan which will continue to build the profile of each of the ServiceMaster brands, ensuring that our businesses are able to prosper even during these challenging times.”
Envos Franchisee Profit Increases
With a limited number of Regional Franchises left in the UK, Envos offer a sustainable and long term business opportunity. From January 2009 Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are required by law for all commercial buildings.
The Envos franchise responds to the new government legislation to provide energy ratings on commercial buildings throughout the UK with very few exceptions.
Envos has recently launched a range of new sustainability assessment services not reliant on property transactions and therefore offer franchisees additional revenue streams for their Envos business. These cover commercial and domestic markets and complement the existing services that Envos franchisees currently offer.
One of the Envos additional services called carbon2020tm responds to changes in forthcoming legislation including the EU directive which promises to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020.
"It is sensible and logical to offer practical sustainability solutions to businesses in the UK. The draft legislation which is currently under consultation will mean a group of around 5,000 businesses will soon have to pay a total of approximately £660m a year for their greenhouse gas emissions. By using the services available through our franchise network, we are able to reduce their emissions and save them money," explains Envos Managing Director, Wade Barker.
Franchisees will also be able to offer BREEAM audits which set the standard for best practice in sustainable design and have become the best measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.
The recent franchisee training seminar successfully set 5 new Envos franchise territories live. Envos franchisees are in excellent hands with the combined effect of Government legislation bringing about new market opportunities and an experienced business management team positioning Envos franchisees to fulfil demand.
