A new generation driving the success of multi-unit franchising
Published: 15 February 2018
London’s first multi-unit franchise conference will be held at Olympia on 9 March. The event will offer exclusive insight into the evolution of multi-unit-franchising.
As a teenager, Neel Sodha worked evenings and Saturdays in one of his father’s Domino’s stores. At the time Neel had no idea that this would be the grounding for his future in franchising. Upon graduating from university, he joined the business full time, taking up the position of store manager. Neel was immediately set a challenge and was put to work at the family’s least-successful site.
It wasn't long before Neel had learnt the ropes and improved performance, so he took on more outlets and, with the help of the franchise team at HSBC, he expanded his horizons beyond the family’s chain of Domino’s units. EE and Anytime Fitness are now included in the family’s franchise portfolio, which today extends to 27 units across the three brands.
HSBC Franchising has over 30 years’ experience supporting the UK franchise industry, and Neel benefited from being part of their ‘Super Group.’ The brainchild of Andrew Brattesani, UK Head of Franchising at HSBC, the Super Group was designed to bring together the next generation of multi-unit franchisees to facilitate the development of best practice in a modern franchise business.
Delegates at the Multi-unit Franchise Conference, sponsored by HSBC, can hear from Neel Sodha and two more talented ‘Super Group’ young franchisees, as they participate in a panel discussion, The future of franchising: the young guns revolutionising the franchise industry.
Panellist Angelina Mouralidarane has franchising pedigree in her blood and, after pursuing nine years of medical training and practice to PHD level, Angelina returned to the family business, Iceking, to push forward their portfolio of KFC and Pizza Hut franchises.
A talented, forward-thinking young franchisee, Angelina has been focussing on people development. She comments: “As my previous profession demonstrates, helping people is very important to me and so this is a priority for me within the business. I have put in place a programme of people development to help career progression, and I enjoy creating opportunity for people where there might not have been any. This in turns helps our business to thrive and grow.”
Completing the line-up is Ricky Patel, Director of Amsric Group, which operates 39 stores for the Starbucks, KFC and Anytime Fitness brands. Ricky is currently focussed on delivering ambitious growth plans for this already successful multi-unit operation. Amsric employs over 1,000 employees and attributes its success to their employees working in unison with a shared set of common goals and values.
Andrew Brattesani comments: “Just like any other business, franchise brands have moved with the times, embracing new ways to engage with customers and to sell their products and services. Familiar brands are operating very differently to twenty years ago. As such, the skillsets and knowledge needed to run these businesses have also evolved.
“At HSBC Franchising we’re proud to have created a platform which encourages the development of the younger generation of franchisees via our Super Group.”
Andrew continues: “I look forward to the panel of young guns at the Multi-unit Franchise Conference exploring how they leverage the many advantages of the franchise model, while bringing their own unique approach to the business.
“The energy, drive and ambition of these young franchisees are propelling already successful businesses to new heights as they introduce new brands in new sectors to their portfolios, and manage operations in different ways.”
Franchising has seen significant growth in the UK for several years, and 90% of all franchise-owned units are reported to be profitable. This has led to 29% of franchisees[1] now replicating the success of the franchise model across multiple franchise units and multiple brands.
The Multi-unit Franchise Conference serves those entrepreneurs looking to harness the potential of franchising across several operations, whether they are new to franchising and have sights set on investing in multiple ventures from the outset, or they are existing franchisees looking to expand beyond the units they already hold.
Places are limited at this exclusive conference, and those wishing to attend should book by 2 March to benefit from an early bird rate of just £35 (£115 thereafter).
To secure a place, please call 020 8394 5223 or email Nathalie.Farrugia@vmgl.com
[1] Source: bfa NatWest Franchise Survey 2015
