The UK’s largest franchise exhibition to be held in September

Featuring over 150 proven franchise concepts, the National Franchise Exhibition, which is taking place on 30 and 31 September at the NEC in Birmingham, is the largest franchise exhibition in the UK.

To help prospective franchise owners to get a full grasp of the range of franchise concepts available, exhibitors come from a range of business sectors from recruitment to property care, and will cover a number of business formats including management and van-based franchises.

The British Franchise Association (bfa) is sponsoring the exhibition and, so that visitors can be confident that the brands exhibiting are proven franchise concepts, all exhibitors have met the bfa’s Code of Ethics.

The exhibition is not solely aimed at prospective franchise owners, but also at business owners thinking of franchising their business model. To help both these groups get the most out of the exhibition, there will be a programme of free conferences that will cover different sections of the franchise industry.

Included in these conferences is a series of bfa hosted seminars in which a panel of experts cover all aspects of franchising, including how to find funding, who to go to for legal advice and what a franchisor looks for in a franchise owner. Other topics covered include: growing your own business; high-level investment franchising; franchise resales; executives in franchising; hands-on franchising; and families in franchising.

The exhibition will also feature a Franchise Starting Point, where a team from the bfa, along with specialists from leading banks, accountants, lawyers, existing franchise owners and franchisors, will be on-hand to speak to visitors completely new to the concept of franchising and offer their advice and guidance.

Additionally, leading high street bank, Lloyds TSB, will be sponsoring a Business Plan Clinic, which will provide visitors the opportunity to learn all about securing funding and enable them to receive professional advice on drafting a business plan, which all prospective franchise owners will need to secure funding from banks or other investors.

Adrian Goodsell, Franchise Exhibition Manager at Venture Marketing Group, organisers of the National Franchise Exhibition, said: “This event will be packed with proven business opportunities with highly reputable established brands, that are a valuable asset, and all the sources of advice they need to start a new career.”

Written by Derin Clark