Christmas is most definitely the time of year to enjoy some well earned time off work, take pleasure in having a break from the office, spending time with loved ones and indulging in all your favourite things.

New Year is the time for re-evaluating your circumstances, identifying the areas of your life you’d like to improve and making those all important New Years resolutions.

For many, January is the time to start thinking about a career change however, with numerous roles failing to materialise as budgets are cut, many are turning to investing franchising.

Franchising is a proven business process with a higher success rate than starting your own business, providing you with the independence of being your own boss so that you can plan your work load around spending time with your family or leisure activities.

With cost reduction being the number one issue facing the UK economy, there has never been a better time to take the step into self-employment and invest in your own ability with Expense Reduction Analysts.

An Expense Reduction Analysts’ franchise could be the ideal option for you as it offers;

• The freedom of being your own boss whilst having support from the franchisor
• A low overhead business you can run from home
• Substantial earnings that truly reflect your efforts
• A better work life balance, meaning you can take more holidays and time off
• A service that businesses are interested in regardless of the economic climate

Your skills and ambition, combined with Expense Reduction Analysts’ knowledge, tools, training and support brought together in our dynamic business structure, can provide you with the formula for success that you are looking for.

To find out how you can become an Expense Reduction Analyst Franchised Consultant benefitting from a better work/life balance and incredible earning potential, click here to request more information.

The UK’s franchise sector is set for an influx of new business start-ups and job opportunities through increased interest in franchising and a growing ambition to expand their networks, according to latest edition of The UK Franchise Directory.

The just published directory provides new statistics on the size of the UK franchise market. Among its findings are:
•    There are over 1,500 companies offering franchise opportunities.
•    236 new franchise opportunities on the market since January 2010.
•    The current number of franchised outlets in the UK is over 90,000.
•    Franchisors are seeking to grant a further 20,000 franchises to aspiring business owners across the UK.

In a user-friendly size, The UK Franchise Directory includes well-known brands such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, CeX and Cash Converters who are looking to recruit further franchise owners this year. Also included are over 70 pages of comprehensive advice and guidance for prospective franchise owners and franchisors covering a range of topics that introduces people to the exciting world of franchising.

Over 1,500 franchise listings and opportunities are split into key business categories. Additional input comes from Sir Bernard Ingham, President of the British Franchise Association (bfa), Tom Endean of the bfa, Richard Holden of Lloyds Banking Group, John Chambers of Chambers and Co Solicitors and many more.

This edition of The UK Franchise Directory also presents key findings from Insight: An Industry review of Franchising in the UK 2010, a study that was conducted by MBA business students of the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Franchise Development Services (FDS).

The 24th edition of this award-winning directory is a fundamental research tool and is an absolute must read for anybody considering franchising.

The UK Franchise Directory 24th edition is published by Franchise Development Services Ltd and is available to order online.

Hundreds of business owners and marketing professionals around the world convened to learn how to leverage blogging as part of their overall marketing strategy. WSI, the world’s #1 digital marketing consulting firm, organized its monthly educational webinar last week, where enterprises from all industries tuned in to gain valuable insights on establishing an effective blogging campaign to enhance their online reputation.

The virtual training was conducted by Eric Cook, a WSI Consultant based in Michigan, USA, and an avid blogger who has been leveraging blogs as part of his overall Internet marketing strategy to promote his business for years.

“Though a blog is commonly known as a personal online journal, it is also a tool that companies can leverage to communicate with their customers, prospects and shareholders,” says Eric Cook, webinar presenter and WSI Consultant.

Attendees left the virtual training with a strong understanding of where to begin launching a company blog and how to take their blog to the next level. Specifically, Eric discussed ways to engage readers, generate conversations and how one should incorporate social media elements, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, into a blogging strategy.

Ron McArthur, president of WSI, says, “WSI takes pride in leading the change in today’s fast-paced digital marketing space. With the rise of blogging and social media marketing in general, WSI continues to stand at the forefront of this evolution by educating businesses on today’s emerging trends and how to best leverage these digital media tools.”

WSI launched this educational initiative in 2009 to give business owners worldwide a channel to increase their knowledge on various topics related to digital marketing. These monthly webinars are delivered by Internet and social media marketing experts within the WSI network, and each month an accompanying whitepaper is also made available.

You may have always dreamt of owning your own business, but you might now have the knowledge to be able to start it from scratch.

An excellent alternative is to get involved in franchising. This is viewed as a much more secure way of owning your own business. You run the business to a proven business model that is overlooked by the franchisor.

With franchising, you are not simply left to fend for yourself; you have the support and backing of the franchisor. If something goes wrong or you need help and advice at any point of your venture, you can rely on the franchisor to offer it.

The great thing about franchising is that there is a lot less risk involved than if you start a business from scratch. Before you invest in a franchise, you can see it at work and you can already see how successful it is. The franchisor takes the stress of arranging a business model and simply leaves you to get on with the managing, promoting and marketing of the business.

Always having the support and backing of a franchisor can really put your mind at rest. So if you’ve always wanted your very own business, then franchising could be the key.

The recession is still claiming victims right across the country. And being made redundant is a really frightening and stressful experience.

But what a lot of people don’t realise is that it can actually be beneficial in the long run because redundancy can force you to find your real calling in life.

It may be that you were stuck in a job that you didn’t enjoy without even realising it. And now that you have been made redundant, you have the chance to start again and try something new. Perhaps you could try something that you were always curious about. And a great way of doing this is through franchising.

This is because, in order to be a franchisee, you don’t need to be an expert in the industry that it is involved in. So long as you are willing to learn and that you have the management skills to manage your team, you will be able to take on any challenge that you wish in the franchise sector.

Being made redundant is a terrible experience, but it could be the beginning of something new and exciting and a career that you will be really happy with.

Some people are not cut out for working for other people. There are certain personalities who want to manage and lead. And for these people, owning your own business is the best option.

There are a few ways that you can go about this but a lot of people find that franchising offers them a great compromise.

In the world of franchising, you can have the independence of having your own business, leading your own team and striving for your own ambitions but you also have the comfort of having the backing and support of the franchisor.

When you start to work for a franchise, you will be trained and guided through the process and you will be shown exactly how you need to work in order to get your franchise off the ground.

A franchise will normally have a system in place for you to adhere to and this will be the same across the network. This will be a proven system which is already established and successful meaning that you are given the confidence and reassurance that it will be a success for you.

Franchising is a great way to put your management skills to good use, but it has the added benefit of being supportive when you need it to be.

When it comes to getting involved in the world of franchising, there are plenty of options. But you must make sure that you choose the best option for you; and this is easier said than done.

Before you dive into the world of franchising, you need to sit down and decide on how much you want to spend and what type of franchise you want to become involved with.

In order to decide on the right type of franchise, you should consider what skills you have and the experience that you have picked up in your previous roles. Don’t feel like you have to enter into a similar field as you were working in before. Often, franchisees find that it is more beneficial to choose a franchise which is completely different to their previous industries. This can be a lot more exciting and with the training that franchisors offer, you can learn everything you need to know before you begin working at your franchise.

So long as you have the right management skills and the willingness to learn as well as the ability to pass your knowledge on, you will find that you can fit into any franchise opportunities you wish.

Some people assume that going into franchising is easier than many other forms of business. and while it is true that it can be less risky to get involved in franchising rather than starting your own business, there are still a lot of things to consider before you take the plunge.

The first thing to consider is whether you are suited to franchising. This depends upon your skills, personality and your commitments and it also depends upon your finances and whether you can afford to invest in the franchise.

You then need to carry out some research into franchising and take a look at the franchise opportunities that are available. Assess your skills and knowledge to decide upon which type of franchise would suit you best. Once you have established the type of franchise that you want to become involved with, you should find franchise opportunities available within that sector.

It’s then time to arrange your funding and to check the legal agreements including the franchise agreement. Check that you are happy with the terms stated in the agreement. Once you have visited the franchise to make the final decision, you can finalise the legal agreement.

The final step is to meet with the franchisor and sign the agreement. Then you will be ready to enter the world of franchising and begin a new and exciting career as a franchisee.

A lot of people are put off from franchising because of the financial investment that has to be made. But usually, they are only put off because they don’t understand what kind of money is involved in starting a franchise. Here is a quick guide:

Deposit: Some franchises will charge a deposit. This is usually fully or partly non refundable. This money is used to look into the right location for your business and to find a property for it.

Initial franchise fees: This can vary and is only paid once the franchise is granted. This fee will be used to cover the training costs, costs of recruiting, and equipment that is needed and the costs of launching the franchise.

On-going franchise fees: This amount will vary and will depend upon a percentage of the gross revenue of a franchise. The amount of fees will depend upon the split of responsibility between the franchisee and the franchisor.

Advertising fee: These fees will be used for regional as well as national marketing and advertising for the franchise network.

It’s important to know where your money will be going when you begin a franchise. By looking understanding the fees, you can make an informed decision as to whether you can afford to begin a franchise.

Being made redundant is an unpleasant experience, which unfortunately, a huge amount of people have been experiencing over the last couple of years.

But for some people, redundancy can offer an opportunity to take a new and exciting direction in their career. One such person is Roger Catchpole who used to work as an IT Manager, but was made redundant twice during his career.

After the second time, he decided that he would invest in a ChipsAway franchise. He has gone on to build a successful and profitable business that he is enormously proud of.

Before he took on the franchise, he was worried about taking a risk but he realised that franchising was one of the safest ways of becoming self employed. He found the ChipsAway franchise opportunities which repair scratches, bumps and damage to paintwork on cars.

He attended an open day to get more information and advice on the franchise. He spoke to franchise owners and was convinces that this was the right path for him to take.

Since he took on the franchise, Roger has enjoyed huge success and is always completely booked up. with so much success, it seems that redundancy really was the beginning of something new and beneficial for this franchisee.