The Franchise Show, which takes place at ExCeL on February 17-18, is where dreams come true
For many of us, the thought of escaping the weekly nine to five is the stuff dreams are made of - no more early morning alarms, no more commuter traffic and no more office lighting.
We’ve all had these desires to become our own boss - a desire to break free from the corporate structure, allowing yourself to think independently and create freely. To have all the responsibility. To be the sole reason a venture is successful.
You may have an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit, exceptional leadership skills, unfaltering determination and a willingness to provide the highest level of energy and effort, culminating in allowing you to do so.
Unfortunately, not everyone fulfils these desires and they’re relinquished to the back of the brain. After all, there are never any guarantees when it comes to starting your own business.
If you’re one of the select few that have that intrinsic yearning to be your own boss and are going to take the plunge, congratulations are in order - you’ve already made it further than most others.
However, why are so many people in the UK choosing to go into business alone? It’s been reported nearly 50 per cent of start-ups fail within the first four years, with the major contributing factors being lack of market need for the product/service (42 per cent), lack of planning (67 per cent) and lack of relevant skills (67 per cent).
What makes it so much more surprising is the fact there’s a viable alternative - franchising Bringing in £15.1 billion in turnover and employing 621,000 people nationwide, franchising is big business in the UK.
For some, investing in a franchise model is the perfect fit. It offers a ready-made business model with a loyal customer base, a tried and tested brand, relationships with suppliers, a dominant online presence and extensive training. All these aspects result in a lower level of risk for your monetary investment.
It’s all there, boxed up and ready to go. If businesses came flat-packed from a certain retail giant, they’d probably look like franchises.
Not to mention that the franchise industry has seen significant growth in recent times and it’s now more diverse than ever before, with the UK proving fertile breeding ground for franchises of all shapes and sizes.
The industry is full of opportunities for both franchise first-timers hoping to get a foot in the door and hardened business owners looking to expand their business portfolios.
With much of the work already done for you, a huge part of getting started in franchising isn’t running the business itself, but researching and pinpointing a franchise model to suit your budget, character and ambition.
Following the success of this year’s first Irish Franchise Show in Dublin, the organiser of the franchise shows in the UK and Ireland are already preparing the next London show, which will be held on February 17-18 ExCeL in London.
Over the last seven years The Franchise Show has helped thousands of people make their move into business, offering access to the latest information and opportunities within this fast moving industry. The London show is now the largest franchise event in the UK and in the past four years has grown from 60 brands to over 180.
The 2017 show already has over 180 brands exhibiting, including Sanondaf, Family Holidays, ActionCOACH, Kall Kwik, Coyote Ugly, Post & Packing and Pizza GoGo. At the heart of the show you will find an unparalleled amount of information, opportunities and contacts spanning every area of franchising conceivable.
Does the franchise you’re interested in have a strong brand and good processes? Is it an easily replicated model and profitable? The show will allow you to scope out the industry, leading to you making informed, educated decisions.
High investment, high return opportunities also feature at The Franchise Show, offering visitors the chance to meet people who have successfully established master franchises.
To complement the UK brands at the show, many international franchises will be present, all looking for willing franchisees to take the reins of their concepts in the UK.
Many of the international brands exhibiting are not currently trading in the UK and are therefore offering you the opportunity to acquire the master franchise license. This will provide you with the benefits of being responsible for not just one, but a whole network of franchises in the UK.
A number of brands from America, Spain, Italy and the rest of the world will be looking for UK master franchisors at the event.
Via a series of 30-minute seminars delivered by the most respected and experienced professionals in the industry, The Franchise Show will provide you with the answers to all your burning questions.
Each free seminar focuses on a different franchise sector. Starting with a brief introduction to franchising, they look at the characteristics of the market, investment levels, expected return, skills needed, the common pitfalls and day to day operations.