The UK Franchise Directory

Cash Converters is a global franchise business and is now the largest retailer of second hand goods. Visit any of the many hugely successful Cash Converters Stores around the UK and you'll find a wide selection of products on sale margins often considerably higher than when the product was originally sold.

Combine this unique buying and selling retail concept with a range of popular financial services and you have a business that is less susceptible to fluctuations in economic conditions than virtually any other. Some of our franchisees will even tell you that our business is recession-proof.

All have realised the great potential of the Cash Converters concept, and in fact many own more than one store. Occasionally, people in business make investment mistakes, but rarely do they repeat them.

Cash Converters Franchisees also now benefit from an exciting online Auction facility plus a high profile TV campaign to further build the brand.

At Cash Converters we believe that our franchisees should do the talking. That is why, if you are interested in taking a Franchise, we encourage you to meet existing Franchisees as part of your decision making process. Joining a Franchise is an excellent method to save time and money by using a tried and tested formula - choosing the best Franchise is key.

If you would like find out more about the exciting and profitable world of Cash Converters, we would be delighted to meet you to discuss this opportunity.

For more information about this opportunity, please complete the information request form below ...

A Franchisees Perspective

Having owned a Cash Converters franchise for over a decade, and with five stores operating in London and Essex, Gary Lewy is well placed to offer advice and encouragement to would-be franchisees. Not that they need it of course, given the degree of professional help readily available from head office.

At each stage of a new franchise's development, head office and fellow franchisees are on hand to impart advice and trade knowledge from where it really counts " the shop floor.

"The company's moving forward," Gary enthuses. "The training's fantastic and the IT support is great. If we have a problem, we can put a question out on the Intranet and get feedback from other franchisees who have been in the same situation.

"We all get together on a quarterly basis and swap ideas," he adds. "There's a good network in place for new franchisees coming on board."

For Gary, the potential for growing business was obvious from the outset. "With Cash Converters, your money is guaranteed; there is no gamble involved," he notes, adding that he believes the Cash Converters concept to be 'recession proof'.

Gary's own route into Cash Converters was initially about keeping it in the family. "I actually found it for my Dad to do," he recalls. "I saw an ad in the Daily Express under the franchise section and phoned up. He went to visit a store, got a partner on board and they tempted me into coming to work for them. Pretty soon I ended up begging and borrowing to buy out my Dad's partner."

When it comes to setting up a store, location is obviously crucial "but equally important is having a good team of people working together who understand the Cash Converters concept," says Gary, "and don't try to buy everything very cheaply. Sometimes you think 'I've got a fantastic deal, buying something for a tenner that's going to retail for £100,' but that guy will never come back to you.

"By giving a fair price customers will come back and sell you something else," Gary advises. "Without people selling us things, or loaning money from us, the business can't carry on." Cheque cashing has proved popular for Gary's customers, while the Western Union facility also draws people to the stores. "We're not just all about making a fast buck; we have to think about why people come to us in the first place."

As for future ambitions, Gary Lewy wants to open more of the smaller Cash Converters stores, because they can be run with fewer staff. "Ultimately the profit margin can be just as good even if you don't retail as much as the larger main stores," he marvels.

But his biggest advice for would-be franchisees is to listen closely to other franchise owners, who are only too happy to impart the positives and negatives. "There's proper training at each stage and we've realised that if we supply our staff with ongoing help then we get a lot more back."