The dreaded ‘r’ word is on everybody’s lips and more and more people are shying away from investing in businesses of their own because of the forecasted recession. Even banks are extremely wary of investing in small businesses. At times like such, if you want to have and operate a business of your own, then franchising is your answer. Banks are also more likely to invest in franchisees as compared to other businesses. However, make sure that you do your homework well and know where you want to invest in.

Cartridge world that was established in Australia in the year 1988 was established in the UK in 2001 and now has a network of nearly 300 outlets in Harrogate. If you plan to franchise, Cartridge World is looking for you to join in their success story with a franchise of your own. Being the largest retailer of printer cartridges with refilling and remanufacturing being done, with more than 300 outlets in the UK, Cartridge World is quite big and makes for a great franchise opportunity.

According to Ashley Smith, who opened his first franchise in Rotherham in the June, 2003 and a second one in 2008, Cartridge World is where you want to be if you plan to invest in a franchise. The fact that they concentrate on customer service is the secret of their success.

The total cost of this franchise is £29,950 + VAT plus a working capital and this includes the comprehensive training given by the experienced franchisor.

Despite the fall in the economy Cash Generators continue to see a growth in their franchise network. The number of applications to buy, sell and loan franchises have increased enormously in the last 12 months. Almost 15 new stores have opened all over the UK in 2008.

The main reason for so many applications according to the company is due to the down turn of economy. This down turn has forced many people to re think about their careers.

Robin Page, Franchise Director of the company states that he is proud with the exceeding number of applications. Also it is the economy that drove people to venture into franchise options. He also elaborated that with the position they held in the market they were happy to see the applications they were attracting.

They currently own 80 stores all over Wales, Scotland and England that are owned and franchised. The stores provide financial assistance along with cheque cashing and currency exchange.

Robin Page concluded by saying that they had big plans for the year 2009. They would expand their franchise stores and reach out to several entrepreneurs who wish to invest with them while managing multiple stores and expanding further south with focus on the M25 region.

In these bleak times of recession, it is best that if you are looking to have a business, you should franchise. Since franchisees are preferred by banks over other small businesses, it is best to have a franchise, but make sure that when you do franchise, choose the right franchisor.

It is best if you choose an award winning franchise and Creation Station is one such franchisor. With creative activities for children, this franchise is perfect for housewives and mums and since this company deals with children, it is near recession proof.

There are approx 3.6 million children in the UK which is why it is obvious that your franchise would be having a lot of potential for growth. Creation Station is looking for individuals who are good with children, patient and understanding. With an easy business set up, the franchise package includes a comprehensive business start up kit and extensive training. Since this is an easy set up franchise, you can start earning from day one itself.

According to Louise Radford who has a franchise of her own, her experiences with Creation Station have been fun and she has been encouraging creativity in children, provides her job satisfaction. With an experienced franchisor to back her, Louise Radford feels this was the best decision in her life and recommends Creation Station to those looking to franchise.

With an initial franchise fee of £6,999 with a working capital of £3,000 and Natwest and Royal Bank of Scotland offering loans, Creation Station is the place for you.

Recently the Sonic Golf national expansion programme has signed contracts with some of the chief golf companies in the UK and has received an extra boost with the company. This year Sonic Golf is recruiting 10 to 15 franchisees to capitalise on their success.

Sonic Golf founder, Joel Bissitt publicised that they have 56 locations in the UK and have signed contracts with Marriott Hotels, Belfry, and Leaderboard group, De Vere, Crown Golf and the Club Company. Sonic Golf’s main concern locations are for East Anglia, Midlands, areas of Wales and Scotland and the South West of England.

Golf club cleaning machines are at the centre of the Sonic Golf business. This cleaning machine uses ultrasonic technology which is superior to other cleaning methods. Golf clubs are supplied with a minimum 5 machines that are operated by the franchise.

Sonic Golf also provides a Mobile Licence Opportunity. Franchisees that select this choice are provided with tools to operate golf club cleaning within the region on a mobile basis.

Eco Buggy License is the most recent opportunity of Sonic Golf which was decided after communicating with thousands of golf professionals across the UK.

Joel said that to run Eco Buggy and Sonic Golf franchise, they are looking for single-unit and regional franchise partners. These franchisees can run together and can be sold combined to golf clubs.

Sonic Golf provides both classroom and field training course which is conducted at Sonic Golf head office. They also provide franchisees with ongoing field and marketing support.

Exceptional businessmen and women are being searched by a UK firm, in Peterborough, for the designation of business doctors. Business Doctor’s ltd assists small and mid sized companies to grow with the help of practical support, people engagement, profit and sales, and experts.

Director Rod Davies states that the success of business doctors has proved that the owner, founder and director of the 1.7m SMEs in UK require understanding and guidance from experts who will take more interest in their businesses rather than simple advices.

Rod Davies also said that they are looking for both men and women who are motivated and experienced in setting up and running a Business Doctor’s franchise.

He also elaborated saying that this would be the ideal opportunity for an individual to put forward their business acumen and professional experience together along with a business concept that includes innovation, full form training, and customer-focused processes and the strength of a brand that is already established.

Rod Davies finally stated that he saw a lot of scope in Peterborough to expand his Business Doctors as the location for business was ideal and so was the opportunity for the right person. If think that you fit the profile, you can get in touch with Business Doctors today!

Agency Express was established in 1998, has been continually providing great services in a market not many would have thought of; the ‘for sale’ board business. The ‘for sale board’ business is, believe it or not, valued at an around “20 million a year and Agency Express is the UK’s only such business with 96 franchisees that provide a service to almost 25% of all the estate offices in the UK. With almost 4,700 sales a day, Agency Express also has operations in Ireland and is planning an overseas expansion.

This business works on a simple concept. At any given point of time, there are more than 1.5 million ‘for sale’ signs all over the UK. Over a period of time, these signs will have to be updated and changed over to ‘sold’ signs. This means another 1.5 million a day. With such large numbers at hand, business is lucrative and Agency Express wants is looking for people to join the express.

With the package worth an investment of £18,500 (plus VAT which is fully reclaimable), potential franchisees get-

1)    10 year license over their own protected territory
2)    A fully sign written van
3)    Comprehensive training
4)    Ongoing support
5)    SignMaster, a unique online sign and board management system
6)    Public Liability Insurance (£5,000,000) – first 12 months cover included

Fraser Goodwin struggled for 15 years with his challenging job and family commitment. However, his decision of investing in a PCC (Professional Car Cleaning) franchise proved to be the ideal solution that balanced his personal and professional life.

Fraser was not satisfied with his work as a Claim Manager in an insurance company. He worked long hours to complete his task. This schedule hardly allowed him to spend quality time with his family.

Fraser was interested in cars and was looking for different franchise opportunities related to automobiles. He selected PCC because of their track record, experience, professionalism and friendliness. His wife was also impressed by the PCC offer which helped him to take the final decision.

A PCC franchise provides professional car service using a comprehensive range of superior quality products. The potential customers of PCC include corporate clients and private individuals which is a positive sign for the franchise.

Fraser started his PCC franchise and noticed a rapid growth in his business. He promoted his franchise by distributing leaflets and organised some advertisement in the local paper. Now there is no need to advertise his franchise but he does advertise in the Yellow Pages. His business is in full swing. He is enjoying the position of being his own boss.

Fraser is happy with his business due to its continuous development. His lifestyle has improved massively since he started his PCC franchise.

The recession hits everyone including hotels and restaurants. The catering industry is facing a shortage of cooking oil and with the increase in cooking oil prices, FiltaFry has come at the right time.

When New Jarrold press closed down in September 2006, out-of-work Dean Martin used his new freedom to start a FiltaFry franchise. According to Dean, this was his best decision because now, he is his own boss and he is in control of what and when to do things. This has given him flexibility in terms of working hours and enables him to spend more time with his family and loved ones.

Dean chose FiltaFry because with the current oil problems in the hotel industry, it was evident that there was a lot of potential for FiltaFry. With this shortage, comes the fact that more people are opting for the environmentally friendly service of FiltaFry which prolongs the life of cooking oil, and this has helped FiltaFry grow considerably. Since this is a niche market, there is no competition and for a new business, it could not get better.

FiltaFry was established in 1996 and has been franchising since 1997. With 500 franchises and 50 based in the UK itself, it can be clearly seen how fast FiltaFry is growing. FiltaFry does not require experienced individuals, rather those with a strong desire to succeed and an ambition to grow.

For those who are looking to run a business of their own but are concerned because of the current economic state, franchising is often the best option. With franchising, you can now have a business of your own with the support and backing of an experienced franchisor, giving you a sense of security and comfort.

Jo Jingles, a pre-school music and singing class franchise is now looking for franchisees. Established in 1995 and now a full time member of the British and the Irish Franchise Association, Jo Jingles has now grown over to a network of over 100 franchisees spread all over the UK and also overseas. Since there are more than a million individuals below the age of 5 years, this business is to an extent recession proof.

For those looking to franchise with Jo Jingles, the investment is£7,000 – £9,000 + VAT (plus a minimum spend of £1,000 on advertising and PR in the first year). This package includes an exclusive territory and training which includes the manuals and class programmes plus the necessary equipment. A website is also included in the package.

You can be the part of the Jo Jingles family and get an exciting opportunity to be an entrepreneur yourself that comes with its own perks like flexibility of working hours.

Select Appointments is a franchise that recruits office staff. They have recently recruited a franchisee who is all geared up to start and set up her own office in Swindon. Becky Harker, who has come up from being a consultant to a business manager, was offered the golden opportunity to start her own franchise. With eight years of professional experience Becky grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Becky said that this was the best choice she had been offered. She will take this opportunity of being an owner as a new responsibility and enjoy every day of it as a challenge. Also, working so many years in Swindon made her aware of the market value and the industry.

For the past eight years Becky has received several awards including the Chief Executives Special Award for Excellence for her hard work. She was also awarded the Most Improved Office Award and has managed and coached the Top Temporaries Consultant of the year.

While Becky has had a smooth sailing in recruitment she claims that it is due to the proficiency of the well established Select Appointments that she is able to promptly answer any questions ranging from financial advice, property advice, day to day training, development support and operational questions. However, she did admit that she was still in the learning phase.