Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How important is the franchisor’s brand to the franchise owner’s business?

Question: How important is the franchisor’s brand to the franchise owner’s business?

Answered by Nigel Toplis, Managing Director of Recognition Express (pictured top): When you buy into a franchise – one of the most important things that you get access to is the brand. Certainly the business system, the training and the support of the management team is important but the brand is the cement that holds this together.

A brand is something that is created, nurtured and developed over time, and of course, what a franchise owner is buyingessentially is a short cut on time. An independent business owner has to spend time, money and effort building his or her brand and often these owners have little marketing experience so building the brand takes a lot longer and its development is more haphazard.

Plus, limited resources mean they can probably only build their brand locally.

When someone buys into a franchise they have a short cut to the time it has taken to develop the brand, they have had no expense in creating the brand and they have the use of a brand with generally a national (and in some cases international) reputation. Research done some years ago indicated that customers were twice as likely to buy from a franchise rather than an independent business. That is the power of a good brand.

Question: What support will the franchisor give its franchise owners with regards to managing staff and employment law?

Answered by Simon Dalziel, Franchise Manager of Bluebird Care (pictured second from top): The employment requirements of each business will vary. A franchisor will know their business inside out and so the model on which the franchise business is based should have the necessary employment contracts and staff training to cover this key area in the franchise. The Bluebird Care business is dependent upon employing the right staff and, therefore, the employment and management of staff is an important part of the business system.

Question: What are the advantages of investing in a franchise over starting a business for yourself?

Answered by Geoff Whittle, Managing Director of Prokill (pictured third from top): The Prokill franchise is a fast-track to market, overcoming the initial hurdles associated with start-ups. In addition, our franchisees inherit our accreditations and national recognition that cost many man hours and significant financial investment to achieve over several years.

Question: Do I need previous experience in business to buy a franchise?

Answered by Sandra Venables, Managing Director of Well Polished (pictured fourth from top): No previous experience is required when buying a franchise. Someone who has no experience in business is probably the ideal candidate to become a franchise owner. One of the major benefits in buying a franchise is that you will be given full training when you start and will learn every aspect of the business.

Question: How will buying a franchise affect my work/life balance?

Answered by Jonathan Banister, Director of Oakleaf (pictured third from bottom): Running a franchise is running your own business. All new businesses require dedication and hard work to grow, so be prepared to work all hours. Once established, that’s when time becomes more your own and you become free to enjoy more time off than would be possible as an employee.

Question: How can I get a realistic idea of how much it will cost to set the franchise up?

Answered by Matt O’Neil, Director of Snack-in-the-Box (pictured second from bottom): This information should be readily available from the franchisor. You should also have the opportunity to speak with franchise owners as part of your due diligence process. Beware of coming into business under-funded.

Question: Am I able to put my own ‘stamp’ on the franchise by introducing different products or initiatives?

Answered by Brett Murray, Sales Manger of Chemex (pictured bottom): As with any franchise, the ‘brand’ has been created following years of research and development. This means that the system of operation, products, marketing in fact anything that you consider business relevant has been evaluated and detailed out in your operations manuals. However, we are always keen to improve this with new and innovative ideas which is one of the key benefits of a franchise.