I am very proud indeed to be associated with Unzè. Having worked with Franchise Director Kamran Saleem and his team for a number of months back in early 2005 to develop the franchise programme, it was clear from the start that Unzè was a great concept, and that there was something very special in the way they did business.

Being family owned, there was always that keenness to do things very professionally, as if they were personally stamping their mark on all that they did. This personal approach has clearly paid off, with their franchise network developing at a pace here in the UK and with substantial interest now from overseas.

Head of the family Mohammed Saleem said to me that his personal aim was to always have a huge queue of customers outside the doors of every store on launch day, which is something I know has been achieved time and time again!

My summing up would therefore be a great concept, fantastic product range that has real selling power, and a friendly, caring head office team completely focused on driving the business forward. Unzè is destined to be a major brand on the high street!

Paul Hague: What are the origins of the company?

Kamran Saleem: Unzè was formed by my father in London in 1989, in pursuit of his ambition to have a successful business of his own.

PH: How many franchisees do you have and what's the geographical spread of the network?

KS: Currently we have 20 franchisees operating. There is quite an even spread in the North and South, however with more concentration in London.

PH: How many franchisees do you aim at recruiting annually?

KS: We aim at 15 to 20 and are achieving this.

PH: What is your maximum recruitment target?

KS: 500 stores internationally.

PH: Do you have priority areas for recruitment?

KS: Yes, wherever we feel the business can flourish and where there is a large concentration of established fashion retailers.

PH: What's the range of products or services you offer?

KS: Our range is massive. We offer a vast variety for ladies, men and children for all occasions.

PH: What types of customers do you have?

KS: Our customers have an eye for fashion and look for uncompromising quality.

PH: Have you any plans for product diversification?

KS: Of course. As we expand we would like to ensure even greater diversity of our products.

PH: What training do you offer?

KS: We offer complete retail, customer services, accounts management and stock handling training.

PH: What support do you offer?

KS: Our support for our franchisees is immense in all matters of business, ranging from shop maintenance to financial management advice.

PH: How do you communicate with the network?

KS: We communicate using telephone, email, fax and one-to-one meetings.

PH: What qualities do you look for in a franchisee?

KS: Dedication and commitment to the business and also an ability to work within a predetermined system.

PH: Do you have export potential?

KS: We have already exported our franchise and as we speak a shop is being launched in Limerick in Southern Ireland. Now we are very close to opening in Dublin and California and there are more than 100 enquiries from 30 different countries.