A hot theme at the moment appears to be “Whats the most suitable choice for starting up my own business? Self-employment or buy a franchise business?”. These are typically people who are out of work due to redundancy or lay off, or still in full time work and just desiring a change of way in their working life.

So what would be the advantages and disadvantages of self-employment when put up alongside a franchise. Both choices do denote a method of working for yourself seeing as whether or not you build up a business based on your own personal idea or buy a franchise, you will still in fact own the company and will be responsible for whether it is a success or fails. So here are some of the main differences:-

Self-Employment

Pros

All takings are yours to administer.
You’re able to work to your own personal ideas and discover a structure that works for you.
A sense of achievement in knowing that you’re building up a business for yourself, in your own personal way.

Cons

Its recognized that self-employment in the UK has a high failure rate with about 4 out of 5 small businesses failing inside 3 years.
You are going to be building a brand and reputation from scratch.

A Franchise opportunity

Pros

The NatWest/BFA annual survey consistently reports roughly 90% of UK franchisees are operating profitably every year. Other countries have comparable figures on franchising.
You are working to a business system that ought to have been tested as successful by a franchisor.
Most franchisors supply training and support backup.
The franchise opportunity could have established branding and reputation which you might benefit from.
There are a wide selection of franchise opportunities obtainable including franchises to suit women, home based franchises, sales franchises and many more. You can read some of the franchise success stories to find out more.

Cons

There will usually be an upfront franchise fee to cover setup and training costs.
Many UK franchises for sale charge ongoing franchise management fees (usually a percentage of proceeds or profit) that cover ongoing training and backup.
You will usually have a contractual agreement with the franchise owner for so long as you work the franchise.

These are really just a rough guide as you can find other points. Whichever selection you choose its essential to notice that investing in a business calls for determination, devotion and a a good amount of hard work!

Domestic Services franchise businesses promote excellent recession tough businesses in the UK. Owing to the fact that most domestic services are necessities its highly likely that any franchise business in this industry will usually grow well in view of the fact that there is constant demand due to services breaking down or requiring service.

Domestic service franchise businesses deal with a range of services for example:-

Domestic Cleaning Franchise businesses
Domestic premises always need cleaning whether it be common house cleaning, fitted carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning and similar.

Handyman Franchise opportunities
Theres always odd tasks that want carrying out in the home and finding a handyman is not as straightforward these days as it was. Dedicated handyman franchises have started up which provide for this market.

Kitchen Service Franchises
Kitchen services such as stove cleaning are the kind of tasks people put off frequently and having someone else do it for them is an appealing offer. Kitchen door replacement franchise opportunities can give a facelift to a kitchen which is in need of a sprucing up.

Utility Franchises
Gas and Electrical services are more and more regulated and there is a continuous requirement for individuals with the necessary skills to see to domestic electrical and gas servicing and upkeep.

As with any business investment, when looking into investing in a Domestic Services Franchise its sensible to do your exploration correctly:-

1. What is it you like doing? Explore the avenues and mull over what works best for you. You can go to our UK franchise business opportunities page for a nice collection of franchise businesses.

2. Take time to assess your resources and assets… what are the franchise fees and start up fees involved in the franchise businesses that are of attraction to you.

3. Arrange to contact the franchisors which attract you and find out all you can in relation to their systems.

4. Organise to go to see the franchisors head offices and get some insight into their franchise business and backup facilities.

5. Pick up a list of franchisees that you can chat to in relation to each franchise system. This ought to offer you a realistic, on-the-ground analysis from those individuals who are operating the franchise day to day.

6. Be sure you are clued-up on the legal side of investing in a business by talking to a specialist franchise solicitor.

7. Many of the key banks maintain franchise sections… make contact with them to discover what funding and services are available.

8. Lastly, make your choice and give yourself yourself to the preparation and running the confirmed system.

Virtually any service that comes to mind can be franchised and many already have. Browsing through various online franchise directories will rapidly give you a measure of the amount of franchise systems accessible to almost anybody by means of some resources to invest, a eagerness to learn, a commitment to follow the system and work hard.

With that in mind what are the benefits to choosing a franchise over conventional self-employment? On the surface it might appear like you are in reality paying a franchise fee to another business to merely work under their banner only, however there are various significant differences which can potentially make a franchise opportunity a preferred alternative.

A tried and tested business system

The focal point of a franchise business is its demonstrated system. A franchisor by and large starts out as a traditional operation who, since proving the business is lucrative, will seek out further ways to expand their already thriving business. The heart of the franchise concept is, very simply, the replication of a established business model. This provides a considerable benefit of self-employment in that the franchisor has already tried out and tested the business and documented it in order that it can followed by another giving them the ability to replicate their success.

Branding and Customer View

Clearly there are the high visibility, familiar, food chain UK franchise business opportunities that by the power of their branding and publicity signify significant advantages when compared to setting up your own unfamiliar named business. Although even with less significant, lesser identified franchise brands, the buyer perception that it is division of a much larger network can in itself bring safety and belief to the buyer that the franchise opportunity is not merely a here today, gone tomorrow business but there is a bigger network behind it.

Financing

A lot of banks look favourably on franchise startups because of their demonstrated background. This can be particularly true for highly recognized franchises because the franchise sections of the main banks more often than not retain records on franchise business opportunities appear to be performing well. This can be an advantage over usual self-employed startups which can be more of a challenge to aquire financial backing and support from the bank.

Support

A good franchisor will provide support and training to ensure the best chance of success. Ultimately, the business belongs to the franchisee and he or she is responsible for its failure or success. Still, if times are difficult or enthusiasm is short it should mean there is an ear to speak to for guidance and help.

These are just a few of the key advantages in selecting a franchise when compared to going it alone. Nevertheless, franchising like any other business is an investment. Taking on any investment requires prudent investigation to make sure of well informed decisions and not throwing care to the wind because a business opening has a ‘franchise’ label. Judge carefully, do your research, speak to existing franchisees and don’t rush.

Of late I have seen the saying ‘Recession Proof Franchise’ doing the rounds. So I wanted to look into what really is this? And is there such a thing? It would appear to be the complete remedy in the current economic climate if there was actually a franchise system that was genuinely ‘recession proof’.

I believe a more exact term could be ‘recession resilient franchise’ since I have yet to come across a business that is guaranteed successful (though please drop me a line if you stumble on one as I’ll be first in line ) and in reality the task is on the operator of the franchise opportunity as to if it is a success or if it fails, regardless of whether its franchised or not.

Types of franchise that fall in line with the phrase, ‘Recession resilient franchises’ are by and large ‘must have’ services and product sales. These class of franchise opportunity often weather the storm well because they are perceived as non-optional or necessity type things as oppose to comfort products or services which may perhaps be good to have but, while cash is tight, are not crucial for existing.

‘Must have’ class franchises typically drop into two categories: business-to-consumer and business-to-business:-

Business to Consumer
These type of businesses cover, for instance, necessary domestic services such as plumbing maintenance, vital home maintenance, cleaning services and the like.

Business to Business
Business to business deals with, for instance, franchise business expense reduction and office cleaning services. These offer fine in view of the fact that their distinctive marketplaces can often be what some are giving the phrase ‘recession proof’… or ‘recession resilient’ as i rather to call it.

This doesn’t automatically rule out franchises which could fall outside of this scope. There may perhaps of course be other types of franchise business that don’t fit into the characteristic ‘must have’ services but look to be thriving nicely in the downturn as their product or service is especially desirable at this moment in time. This is worth considering when doing your research so as not to lose out on what could presently be a profitable business opportunity.

In the end, when choosing from a range of UK franchise business opportunities, one of the most suitable measures to how recession ‘proof’ or ‘resilient’ a franchise system is, is their existing franchisees. When considering a franchise, whether its claimed to be ‘recession proof’ or otherwise, make sure you do your proper research. Get a record of a number of various franchisees from the franchisor of interest and take time to speak to them about how their franchise opportunity is bearing up in the light of the recession. This will present you with beneficial understanding into how well the franchise is doing in what is one of the toughest times in history for businesses all round the word.

When considering starting up in business by means of buying a computer franchise it is first crucial to view information technology in its entirety and whittle down the kind of options offered to you.

From the listing you produce you can then begin to look into which parts of the market are growing or shrinking. You can in addition identify major personal requirements that are desirable.

This will assist you to concentrate on what type of computer franchise opportunity will work right for your business building future.

PC Maintenance

Computer repairs is a service that makes available computer support assistance to all sizes of companies. This can be achieved either in-house or by outsourcing. Outsourcing is on the rise in reputation, particularly in a fragile economy as it allows companies extra flexibility and less liability with employment overheads.

Ink Cartridge Recycling

The popularity of ecologically aware businesses has been growing in recent years and franchising has a substantial part to play in this market. Legislation imposed by the government can help to increase the recycle market as companies become accountable for environmentally friendly policies and obligations.

Hardware

Selling hardware is a business in regression and you will not come across much franchising involvement in this sector. Computers are sold as loss leaders for extra products such as insurance.

Advertising

Online promotion is a developing area in the realm of UK franchise businesses. As traditional publications lie dormant on the shelf, an increasing number of customers turn to the internet via regional searches in the major search engines to uncover valued services to buy.

A lot of computer franchise opportunities don’t necessitate technical skill as training is provided as part of the franchise system package. World wide web Advertising franchises for instance mostly require only that you have simple skills to work a computer and the internet. Whereas ink cartridge and hardware type franchises rely more on sales skills.

Next steps to consider

When taking into consideration which computer franchise opportunity you might be interested in you will need to think about the franchise cost and charges. Furthermore, talk to the franchisees and get their opinions on the franchise opportunity and the assistance provided by the franchisor. This is valuable as they can usually furnish you with beneficial insight into how the franchise operates and also performs in support of them on a day-to-day basis.

After that, you are ready to go to your bank for guidance and additionally get their thoughts regarding the franchise opportunity you are considering investing in. Its also worth opening talks with the franchise association in your country for added advice.

Once everything is decided, sign up, get trained up and keep to the brand’s confirmed system earnestly for best return on your time and investment.

You can usually read numerous horror stories on the internet regarding people starting up a franchise opportunity and losing out as a rogue franchiser takes off with their cash. It’s true that this happens but on the other side of the coin there are profitable franchisees trading now with decent profitable businesses. It may look like some are fortunate and some are not, nonetheless there are some routes you can consider during the buying process of the franchise opportunity to minimise the possiblity of hitting on a ‘rogue’ franchisor and maximise the possiblity of you becoming a of the success stories.

Consider these 5 pointers when researching a franchise business of appeal.

1. Relevant opinions

Who better to tell you whether a franchise system is good or not than people who have in reality operated it themselves. The world wide web is becoming an ever growing voice when it comes to service levels experienced by customers on goods and services. A swift search on the internet for the franchise opportunity together with ‘review’ tagged on the end will often give stacks of results posted by people who have experienced the franchise business first hand, equally good and bad. Obtaining a list of existing franchisees from UK franchise businesses you might be sincerely interested in is an added way of getting some decent insight as you move along the buying process.

2. Support & Training

Make sure you pay a visit to the head offices of any franchisor you think about. It will often grant you some useful insight into their business and while you’re there you can inspect any education facilities and documentation they might be able to give you. Again, its a valuable question to ask their existing franchisees, as a decent franchisor will want to provide as much backup and training as needed to provide their franchisees all the tools they need to be a success.

3. Reputation and Brand

Have you heard of the franchise? And what sort of reputation do they hold? This is common sense in actual fact although its also worth mulling over that there are lots of smaller, lesser known brands which may well still possess decent reptutation and so are still worth thinking about. Not all franchisors retain the capital to brand themselves strongly on TV or ad boards but this is not automatically a basis to disregard them if they can display a track record of industry repute and reliability.

4. Banks Attitude

The franchise sections of the major banks are a great place to find an unbiased view of the franchise business you may be considering. It’s likely the bank will be drawn in as part of the franchise investment as the greater part of budding franchisees will want to have access to capital to pay for their new franchise opportunities. The banks eagerness to lend offers an indication of the confidence they have in any specific franchise. If the franchise opportunity is clearly well-known to them and has a good track record they will often be enthusiastic to lend capital rather than a franchise that perhaps they have no knowledge of or has a bad track record in their experience. The latter clearly affords extra risk to the bank and they will be more cautious to lend.

5. Associations

Most countries have a franchise association of some type which can offer some level of security when it comes down to looking at buying a franchise. Their activity is to present some organization in the franchise market as the franchises they approve usually need to pass various basic checks to ensure they carry proven systems coupled with a track record of success. It’s prudent to talk with the franchise association in your country to find out if the franchise you are taking into consideration is a member and if not has the franchise association heard of them and what opinions they may offer.

Finally, your underlying impression can’t be under-estimated! How do you feel when you get together with the franchisor, the people behind the franchise. Do they stir up assurance and conviction with you? Don’t be fooled by promises of fast, high revenue… in fact a franchisor who appears to have more realistic approach about building up a firm long term business is possibly a better choice. The personalities behind the franchise are the ones you will be commiting to long term so could you see yourself working alongside them?

Taking your current franchise business out of the country is something a number of franchisors are presently considering. A clearly developed system in your own country is most important though before you ponder this as an option. His franchise must be well controlled and he needs to maintain an established team controllling core business development. Once these basics are in place the franchisor is liberated to direct time and resources on international franchising market development.

Well considered preparation and a focused method is needed in order to franchise a business internationally.

Giving consideration to developing markets and economies is the primary point to consider. For example the Middle East is not suffering economically in the same way as Europe and the US. Furthermore new economies such as Brazil even now have a growing economy in 2009.

Secondly, it is critical to think carefully about the operating makeup of how the franchisor’s business can be set up and controlled in a foreign country. There a number of routes to consider. The most frequent practice is by recruiting of a master franchisee. The master franchisee will be taught how to administer and operate the franchise business opportunity. He will take on franchisees and run the proven system in the new marketplace. Selection of the right master franchisee is most important as bad choice could result in holding back or encumbering the business expansion process. Advancement of the franchise opportunity in the new marketplace will bomb or be a success on the skill and dedication of the master franchisee.

The legal agreement is of primary importance. However, it should be considered that if there are disputes the franchisor may well have to wrangle with his legal battles in a foreign court of law. This is time intensive and expensive. It is as a result critical to have indemnity to protect costs and damages should this occur.

Lastly, management and compliance management and logistics are vital to winning management and performance of the franchise in the new market. Any foreign language hurdles may also need to be overcome to make certain of clear stream of key business communication. Financial considerations that control movement of funds and fee costs have got to be unambiguous, manageable and resilient.

Franchising into new markets is not for the faint hearted, it is best for the well organized and proven system. Alot of franchisors make use of the services of franchise experts to make sure they get the most effective help along the way. It is worth mentioning that some franchisors choose to take on a master franchise opportunity themselves instead of their own franchise opportunity overseas. In this way they can cultivate more confirmed franchise systems in their own marketplace. This gives the franchisor power to grow established systems in a marketplace they know and have better control. The avenues are there and the options is yours.

When thinking about buying a cleaning franchise business you should first think about what kind of responsibility you want in the business in addition to the style of trading that interests you. There are loads of types of cleaning franchises in the UK and various distinctive offerings to markets.

Types of cleaning franchise opportunities fall primarily into two groups.

1. Business to Business (B2B)

B2B is where businesses are providing services to other businesses. These cleaning franchises are usually run by white collar executives. This approach to franchise business building requires a strong sales focus and professional approach as well as the aptitude to offer tenders for work to customers.

2. Business to Consumers (B2C)

B2C is where the cleaning franchise owner provides services to the householder. This type of franchise is by and large for those that have a preference for a more hands on approach. Franchise operators should take pleasure in practical work and be very personable and obliging to deal with.

One key advantage to buying and building up a B2C cleaning franchise business in the domestic marketplace is that it normally requires less start up and operating capital to build.

This is the case because the household market pays on the day of the job so cash-flow is usually very good.

One fundamental advantage to buying and building up a B2B cleaning franchise opportunity is that the operation has more scope for increase. This is the case because employing a workforce to provide front line services makes the business more scaleable for development.

Speak to franchisers and franchisees

When thinking about purchasing a cleaning franchise opportunity it is vital to research and consider a number of things.

Firstly, think about the franchise systems and services available. Think about whether they attract you?

Second, consider the outlay of the franchise initial investment and set up expenses, are they within your reach financially.

Third, ask for added information regarding the franchise systems you have identified and study it thoroughly.

Fourth, put together a short list and go to see the franchises for sale of your choosing.

Meet the key faces and check out the support facilities.

Fifth, talk to franchisees and check out if they are happy operating the brand and how their business has been affected by the downturn.

Sixth, obtain a copy of the legal contract and take it to a British Franchise Association lawyer for assistance.

Seventh, talk to your bank concerning account set up and investments.

For the most part banks have specialist franchise departments that will help to give advice to your local manager.

As a final point, isolate which cleaning franchise franchise is most suitable for you.

Sign up, get skilled and stick to the brand’s confirmed structure earnestly for greatest return on your time and initial investment.

Theres quite a spectrum of franchises for sale that require working with children. Singing lessons, gymnastics, maths, language tuition and portrait photography are all common childrens franchise opportunities.
Childrens franchises are on the whole run by women who are returning to work or making a career change and desire to develop their own business around their family.

Starting up a franchise opportunity is not something to be rushed into however. Its important to put aside some time to deliberate cautiously if a franchise business is the most suitable route for you. As with any venture, ensure you do your investigation and consider cautiously the implications of the venture you will be making, both money-wise and time-wise.

10 Things to ponder when buying a children’s franchise:-

First and perhaps most importantly, do you like working with children?

Second it is vital to speak to your family about opening your own franchise and make certain that you have their support.

Thirdly, starting up and pushing forward your childrens franchise will require finances and its important you take into account the sum of this venture wisely. Opening prices for childrens franchises for sale can go from £2,000 to £20,000.

Fourthly, what will you anticipate from your franchise? What sort of hours can you work with children, what time can you make available for promotion and admin and what level of income do you hope to attain?

Fifth, delve into options and apply for additional information from the franchise opportunities of your choosing.

Sixth, make a short list and ask for a visit to the UK franchise businesses you have decided on. It is vital to see the support set up and meet the faces behind the brand.

Seventh, chat to the franchisees and seek out if they are satisfied operating the brand and how their business has been affected by the recession. A list should be obtainable from the franchisor.

Eigth, speak to a British Franchise Association lawyer about the legal issues and additionally show them a copy of the franchise legal agreement which you can acquire from the franchisor.

Nineth, talk to your bank concerning account set up and finances. Generally banks have dedicated franchise sections that will help to advise your area manager.

Finally, isolate which children’s franchise brand is best for you. Sign up, get trained and follow the brand’s established system heartily for best return on your time and investment.

Clearly when looking at buying a franchise the system and market you decide on should be sustainable and one you will enjoy. A beauty franchise business might be a beneficial choice for you if you like working with people and are fascinated in cosmetic and beauty treatments.

Types of Beauty Franchise businesses

If you consider how many different beauty treatments are on the marketplace, there are as many distinctive franchises on hand to cater for this marketplace. Without doubt hair dressing is well represented. A number of UK beauty franchise opportunity brands have risen up covering the increasing market of nail bar concepts. Furthermore, beauty franchise opportunities that assist consumers through weight loss, health and makeovers have matured well over the last few years.

Discretionary markets

The beauty trade is typically classified as discretionary. That means that services might be classified by clients as equally highly needed and nonetheless not a necessity. In these times of downturn it is very important to pick a UK franchise brand and system that is resilient in all economic climates.

Talk to franchisors and franchisees

Its wise to investigate and ponder wisely when investing in a beauty franchise system:-

1. consider the brands and services available. First, consider the brands and services offered. Do they interest you?

2. Reflect on the financial implications, setup costs and franchisee fee and whether its within reach for you.
Third, ask for more information about the franchise opportunities you have identified and look at it carefully.

Fourth, put together a short list and visit the franchise opportunity systems of your choosing. Meet the significant people and check out the support facilities.

5. chat to franchisees and discover if they are pleased operating the brand and how their venture has been affected by the downturn.

Sixth, get a copy of the official contract and show it to a British Franchise Association lawyer for advice.

Seventh, chat to your bank in relation to account set up and capital. The majority of banks have dedicated franchise sections that will help advise you on your choices.

In conclusion, ascertain which beauty franchise business brand is fitting for you. Sign up, become taught and stick to the brand’s demonstrated technique earnestly for best return on your time and outlay.