When you think of the term 'serial entrepreneur', Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou certainly fits the bill. Having started his first company (Stelmar Shipping) at the age of 25, the Greek-Cypriot born graduate of the London School of Economics has created a massive media profile both for himself and his multiple 'easy' branded ventures through the easyGroup.

Stelios first came to prominence nationally with easyJet, the pioneering budget airline created in 1995 (when he was 28) and which last year carried 33 million passengers. However, through easyGroup he has diversified into other areas of the travel industry, as well as entering the entertainment, communications and fast food industries.

As his activities have proliferated, Stelios has made use of franchising to achieve network growth, and easyGroup is currently offering franchise opportunities under its easyHotel, easyPizza and easyInternetcafe brands. "At the beginning of this decade the easyGroup was expanding into more and more industries and countries, and I was looking for ways to manage and assist this growth," Stelios explains. "The main benefits of franchising from my point of view are managing the execution risk and sharing the financial risk with fellow entrepreneurs who will be hands-on experts in managing the risks in their part of the world."

easyGroup first started franchising its easyInternetcafe concept in 2002, and the brand's network has trebled to nearly 70 stores across Europe in the subsequent five years. This growth encouraged the group to begin franchising two more concepts in 2005: easyPizza which has established 10 units in under two years, and easyHotel which now has franchisees either operating or committed in writing to operate some 44 hotels globally.

"Obviously franchising is a tried and tested means of growing a business combining the respective strengths and weaknesses of a big, well-known brand with the cost control and focus of a local entrepreneur, and I am happy with the way it has helped the easyGroup to grow too," says Stelios. "But I think it is still early to say exactly how successful franchising has been for any one of the easyGroup businesses or which other and future easyGroup businesses will benefit from offering franchises."

With Stelios preferring to concentrate his role as "Brand Manager", he continues to develop the 'easy' name and extend it into new areas, entrusting the day-to-day running of his networks to their own management structures and individual units to their franchisees. He sees this ethos as well-suited to franchising: "Franchisees are individuals or organisations that are, like me, trying to be entrepreneurs. We enjoy being our own bosses and running our own businesses and are prepared to take the financial and other risks involved. The big advantage that the easyGroup can offer franchisees is a well known and trusted brand operating businesses which are already up and running.

"From a brand point of view I am fully hands-on. I make sure that I meet all of my franchisees, and I hope that will continue to be possible as individual easyGroup businesses develop further relationships with even more franchisees. I also enjoy acting as a spokesman and ambassador for each of the businesses, as well as lending my support for PR purposes.

"However, each easyGroup business that offers franchises has its own management team who support their franchisees. On the operational side I prefer to allow the management of each individual business to remain in charge of the day-to-day running of the business. With 17 different easyGroup businesses it is a good idea to have management in place for each of the individual businesses once they have reached a certain size and are offering franchises of their own. "

Stelios reveals that franchising is very much in his future thoughts as he looks to continue fuelling the growth of his 'easy' empire in the UK and abroad, suggesting the easyOffice brand (which will launch this Summer offering flexible office space) as his next possible franchised venture. "Once the business is established I see no reason why it should not take on franchisees, and I think the same is true for any easyGroup business where there are not regulatory or political barriers," he reflects. "Even easyCruise could be franchised, although the large and relatively expensive assets in the business may be a barrier to some. But once you have established a business under a clear and well known brand you are in an ideal position for franchising both as the franchisor and the franchisee.

"The 'easy' brand is possibly the most valuable asset that I possess and is one of the greatest strengths for any one easyGroup business or franchisee of that business, so both the easyGroup and its franchisees are mutually interested in promoting and protecting the brand and in maintaining the brand to a high and consistent standard."