Member Article

Franchising continues to offer attractive investment prospects

Franchising is proving an attractive option to many investors with the sector growing worldwide. In the UK, the sector has grown from an annual turnover of £5billion 20 years ago to £12.4 billion according to the NatWest/bfa Franchise Survey 2011.

There are considerable financial benefits to running a high-level investment franchise and, although these businesses may require more investment than other franchises, the cash and percentage returns are also likely to be higher.

For those who would like to investigate investment and business opportunities, there will be seminars on the theme of High-level investment franchising as part of the conference programme at The British Franchise Exhibition taking place at Manchester Central on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 June.

These seminars are valuable to potential investors, providing help to identify which companies are selling at the top end of the market, and why they prove an attractive option. Speakers include Steve Bolton, Founding Partner of Platinum Property Partners, who will explain why property is such a tremendous wealth creation tool in his seminar Three simple steps to earning £50k-£150k net profit per year in 2-5 years from a property portfolio worth £1-£5 million. In his talk_Buying the right franchise: 1000_:1, Paul Davies, Franchise Sales Manager at United Carpets, will explain how to identify and evaluate the many franchises to find the one that suits you.

For those who want to enjoy to rewards of a higher-return investment, but would like to stay connected to the day-to-day runnings of a business, a hands-on franchise can offer the best of both of these worlds. McDonald’s will be holding open sessions at the exhibition, allowing high-level investors the opportunity to find out what it takes to be a McDonald’s franchisee; to remain hands-on in the operations of their business whilst benefitting from being part of one of the world’s biggest brands.

The British Franchise Exhibition gives visitors the opportunity not only to find out about investing in franchising at these seminars, but also to meet a wide range of franchise businesses with investment opportunities at different levels. Together, these elements provide visitors with a thorough introduction to franchising.

There are many exhibitors across a range of sectors including food and drink, retail, property and travel. These have all been accredited by the British Franchise Association (bfa), in accordance with its code of ethical franchising, ensuring all companies at the event have proven to be a viable and reputable enterprise.

For those with a large amount of liquid capital to invest on a high return franchise, the VIP High Level Investment Lounge, sponsored by Platinum Property Partners and United Carpets, is the perfect place to explore business opportunities and network with other entrepreneurs and franchisors.

Simon and Anna Mackaness are Platinum Property Partners franchisees based in Northampton. They joined in July 2007, with a desire to find a business they could run together and one that would quickly generate enough cash flow to pay for their children’s education. They had looked at a number of franchise opportunities, but found most of the businesses uninspiring.

“Most of the opportunities we looked at seemed to involve huge numbers but a relatively tiny profit”, says Simon, a former insurance broking director. “I just couldn’t see a long-term future that I’d be happy with. Platinum Property Partners was the only franchise business we looked at that really caught our interest. Most of my family are involved in property in some way, and it seems a very logical, sensible basis for a business, with tangible short and long term profitability and excellent pension provision.”

To register for The British Franchise Exhibition, call +44 (0)844 257 8668 or visit www.franchiseinfo.co.uk. Callers can purchase tickets by credit card for £8 each or £7 each for two or more. Admission on the door is £10. Visitors can, however gain FREE admission by using the promotional code MEDHI when they register on the website.

The British Franchise Exhibition is open from 10am each day, closing at 5pm on Friday 8 June and 4pm on Saturday 9 June 2012.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Ward .