Franchise Roadshow arrives in Leeds

Leeds United FC's Conference & Exhibition Centre is the next stop in a popular UK franchise roadshow for the first time February 2009.

Those budding businessmen and women based Yorkshire and the North East will have the chance to meet 40 of Britain's most innovative and exciting franchise and business opportunities - and all of them with licenses available for Yorkshire & the North East.

Free seminars run throughout the day: examples include:

• 'mums mean business' - hosted by two mums from BBC TV's The Apprentince, Jen Celerier and Kristina Grimes
• 'white collar franchising' - impartial advice for making the jump from office desk to MD
• 'Post Credit Crunch' franchise finance advice - with Natwest Bank's Franchise team
• 'motor franchise theatre' - business ideas for mobile franchises

All the seminars include a Dragons' Den style event - allowing the franchises to pitch their idea to the audience, who can then fire questions in return.

But why are these companies all coming to Leeds? Mark Monument, of exhibition organisers Job Done, explains: 'Our exhibitors are a pro-active bunch. They don't expect visitors to trek down to Central London, Birmingham or Manchester. They see the value of making it easy for potential franchisees to meet with them.

All the visitors are people who live - and wish to run their business - in their own local area. Therefore, the franchises are more than happy to showcase the territories/licences they have available in that same local area'

Mark adds: 'It's not all about making (or investing) fortunes. Most exhibitors are looking for dedicated individuals who want to carve out a pleasant full or part time living and lifestyle for themselves. It's a genuine and realistic career option from the pressures of economic downturns at work.

There's a bit of everything here for all career backgrounds - for 'petrol heads', for skilled tradesmen, for white collar careers, for those interested in property investing, for those looking at retail outlets, or catering, or IT. And, for once, you don't have to travel in to Central London to see it all'.

The Leeds event follows other successful roadshows in Reading, Leicester and Norwich - and organisers hope this event to be the largest attended yet.

The show takes place on Friday 27th February 2009 from 12.30pm until 7.30pm. There is no entrance fee; there's plenty of free car parking and all the seminars and advisory sessions are without charge too. It seems you just need to be a free thinking, budding entrepreneur to benefit from it all.