Scotland embraces franchising

There was a healthy hum of business at the Scottish Franchise Showcase in June

 

The recent Scottish Franchise Showcase attracted hundreds of visitors and proved there are still many profitable businesses expanding within Scotland, and many people are keen to take control of their futures by investing in a franchise. 

This positive scene brings hope to those interested in the possibility of working for themselves. Franchising, which offers the freedom of self-employment with the security of an already-established brand and support network, is becoming increasingly popular as its business success figures outweigh those of conventional start-ups.

Held at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the event was launched in response to the increasing confidence in the franchising model during the downturn.

Energie Fitness Clubs, Shokk Energie Youth Fitness, WPA, Dublcheck and Snap-on Tools sponsored the event and added to the diverse list of exhibitors attending the showcase, all from a wide range of recession-resilient industries. There was something for everyone at the event; from slimming organisations and elderly care, to house repairs and financial services providers.

The Scottish Franchise Showcase is Scotland’s only event supported by the British Franchise Association (bfa), which works closely with the organisers to ensure ethical franchising at the event and across the industry. As a bfa-endorsed show, all franchises exhibiting are guaranteed to be bfa-accredited so visitors can be confident in all franchise opportunities presented to them.

In order to cater for people with varying degrees of franchise knowledge, the showcase offered a range of seminars designed to guide people at all stages in the research process, from choosing a franchise industry to finalising agreements between franchisees and franchisors.
The bfa ran a series of seminars through the day on topics including running a franchise in an economic downturn, raising funds, franchising a business and taking legal advice.

Mark Robinson who recently retired from the Army said: “It was fantastic to get advice from all the various sectors, and it has certainly given me a lot to think about before I take the next step.”

In addition, the event sponsors presented case-study seminars giving visitors the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the real, everyday lives of those involved in franchising, the benefits of the franchise business model, the services franchises offer and the processes involved in buying one.

More and more people are learning about the advantages of an established brand, proven business structure and on-hand support that franchising offers.

“It’s important for people to realise how franchising can be a real success – even in a downturn – as they are buying into an established brand, with a proven business model and receive as much help and support as they need,” said Michael Seaman, franchise portfolio manager at Venture Marketing Group, organisers of the Scottish Franchise Showcase.
Carol Stewart-Gill, founder and chairman of Dublcheck said: “What a fantastic event, the new format was a real success. Our business is thriving in this so called ‘economic downturn’, which highlights the benefits of this multi-million pound industry!”

The next event will take place on 2 & 3 October at the NEC in Birmingham and will be jam-packed with seminars, initiatives, expert advisors and franchises for aspiring franchisees.”

Visit www.franchiseinfo.co.uk for more information