10 Must Know Franchising FAQ's - Answered...

Franchise Development Services' publication stand draws hundreds of visitors curious about the concept of franchising at every UK franchise exhibition it attends. We answers 10 of the most common questions asked.

1. How successful is franchising in the UK?

The UK franchise industry continues to go from strength to strength, contributing £12.4 billion to the UK economy in 2010-2011.

This has been a result of the number of franchise owners growing year-on-year for more than a decade. The NatWest/British Franchise Association (bfa) 2011 Franchise Survey reveals that the number of non-dairy franchise units in the UK in 2010 was 36,900, representing a rise of six per cent since 2009. These franchises have been awarded by 897 brands offering business format franchises (compared with just 842 in 2009).

Brian Smart, Director General of the bfa, said: "Franchising has demonstrated its inherent tenacity and stability, despite a tough climate last year. This means many more sustainable business start-ups and jobs have been created by ethical franchising – further helping the UK economy get back on its feet."

2. Do I need relevant experience of the sector?

'No prior experience required' is one of the most common quotes you will read from a franchisor seeking franchise owners. The reason for this is the commitment within the franchise industry to franchise owner training, in fact all business format franchisors provide it.

Comprehensive training opens up the availability of a franchise opportunity to a much wider population of potential franchise owners, enabling the franchisor to select the best candidates in terms of commitment, drive and enthusiasm for the business rather than searching for relevant experience.

3. Do I need to know how to run a business?

The somewhat clichéd claim 'in business for yourself, but not by yourself' has become a classic marketing line for franchisors marketing their franchise opportunities, justified by the support services supplied to the franchise owner network by the franchisor. In making available a franchise to individuals with no previous business experience, many franchisors recognise the need to assist new franchise owners in getting their business off the ground. The ongoing management service fee, paid by franchise owners, funds this support. Basic pre-launch support will cover putting together the business plan, right the way up to pre-agreeing funding packages with lenders. Site selection is another area in which franchisors can provide assistance, while telephone support is practically a given when it comes to franchise owner support.

Dedicated IT and operational support is usually offered for franchise owners in more complicated sectors, while technical advice is essential for specialist areas. As franchise owners gain more experience they will require less constant advice and guidance from the franchisor, leading many franchisors to promise an intensive initial support system followed up by a more general programme for the more experienced network.

4. Is my investment safe with a franchise?

As franchises have a 95 per cent success rate, banks are more willing to provide funds. For example, NatWest set aside £100 million in 2011 specifically for the franchise industry. The reason for this is that by investing in a franchise, the majority of franchise owners ensure that their business concept is offering a product or service with proven demand and profitability. The systems and procedures will be professionally constructed, supported by experienced management staff and the franchise owner will benefit from realistic financial forecasts.

5. What types of businesses offer franchises?

The United Kingdom Franchise Directory identifies three major sectors of franchising: Food & Beverages, Retail and Services. For an impression of the variety of opportunities available via franchising, read through the brands listed in The United Kingdom Franchise Directory or see the brands actively recruiting franchise owners in the National Franchise Showcase within The Franchise Magazine.

The types of franchises can be divided into categories: Job Franchises, where the franchise owner operates the business hands-on; Sales & Distribution Franchises, where the franchise owner is on the road, selling and/or distributing products in his territory; Executive Franchises, where the franchise owner runs a one-man, white-collar business; Retail Franchises, where the franchise owner invests in commercial property, staff and inventory to help operate a shop-unit; Investment Franchises, where the franchise owner puts up the capital and appoints a manager to run the business; and Management Franchises, where the franchise owner manages a team of operatives.

6. What is the growth potential of a franchise?

Franchising offers the franchisor a route to national expansion that is usually much speedier than company-owned growth, because a franchisor will not need to build up huge staff and premises costs - rather the franchisor's capital can be committed to developing a small central organisation with a few highly skilled staff. By speeding up expansion through franchising, a network of franchise owners achieves higher economies of scale earlier, stronger brand awareness, is much sooner able to challenge for national contracts and, in the case of a fledgling market, is in a much better position to capture early market leadership and establish a dominant position over its non-franchising competitors.

7. Will I have to cope with making sales and bringing in business?

This depends upon the role of the franchise owner within the franchise system. Most franchises require their franchise owners to take responsibility for generating sales for their own businesses, and many identify sales and marketing orientated individuals in their franchise owner recruitment requirements.

However, there are a number of franchises, mostly termed 'hands-on franchises', where the franchisor takes some or all responsibility for winning accounts allowing the franchise owner to concentrate upon providing a high quality service. Similarly, some management franchises in-source this aspect to allow their franchise owners to devote their time to building the infrastructure of the business.

8. What exclusivity do I have for my franchise?

Franchisors divide the UK up into territories when they are planning out their national franchise expansion programme. The size and nature of the territory awarded by the Franchise Agreement will depend on the type of business and specifics of the concept. For example, a site-based concept, such as a restaurant or a retail store, might be guaranteed a radius from their location within which no other franchises and/or company-owned operations will be sited. The size of this radius should depend upon the catchment area of the site. A restaurant located in a low population area should expect exclusivity for a sizeable area, while one sited in a city centre may expect to see other units open within the same city as the company seeks to maximise its brand presence and potential business.

This is one of many forms of per capita territory sizing, which allows the franchisor to award territories equal in potential across the network, or otherwise alter the franchise investment fee to create a fair investment return.

9. What are the limits to the development of a franchise?

Its territory will limit a typical franchise, and a growing number of established franchise owners are investing in multiple franchises in order to continue their ability to develop growth in their businesses. However, for more ambitious prospective franchise owners some franchisors offer alternative franchises.

Area Development Franchises offer enlarged territories such as major cities or provincial areas in which the franchise owner can develop a chain of managed outlets. Regional Master Franchises offer a similar territory, but allow the franchise owner to sub-franchise - effectively becoming a franchisor in their area and earning a management service fee from their sub-franchise owners' turnovers. National Master Franchises are awarded by foreign franchise brands seeking a suitable indigenous individual or organisation to develop a sub-franchise owner network across the entire UK.

10. Is my franchise legally protected?

All franchise owners sign a Franchise Agreement with the franchisor in order to secure their franchise, the main function of which is to clearly set out the extent of the rights to be granted, the territory in which those rights apply, the exclusivity of the rights in the territory and the term in which the rights exist.

A typical agreement will outline the franchise owner's exclusive rights to market, build a business under, profit from and possibly sell sub-franchises under the brand within the territory for a reasonable term.

There are a number of specialist franchise lawyers operating in the UK, and many are affiliated to the British Franchise Association. Because they are familiar with the nature of the franchising relationship, these practices will be able to judge a franchise contract that not only protects your business, but also keeps in mind commercial considerations.

Article updated December 2011