After operating a successful central London office a mile from London Bridge, Coconut Creatives decided to move to the tranquil and creative location of Charlton Musgrove, a village just off the A303 past Stone Henge.

The reason for the move came about after a surge of clients in the South of England!

However, since the move the Coconuts have been traveling back to London at least once a week to work with London based businesses which use their marketing services on a regular basis.

Chris Livett, owner of Thames Luxury Charters and Waterman to the Her Majesty the Queen requested for Christopher Cook to work on several projects this year. “At the moment, I feel like I have the best of both worlds, I spend a day or so a week in London and the rest of the time in Somerset,” remarks Chris Cook, Coconut Creatives Partner.

As mentioned in a previous feature, one of Coconut Creatives main objectives is to help owner managed businesses reach their goals. “Moving out of London has always been a consideration as I grew up in the countryside. I know I am very lucky to be able to help so many businesses work towards their own goals and it is a bonus that it has brought me closer to my own,” says Sarah Dyer, founder of Coconut Creatives Ltd.

So whether you are aiming for a hotel on the moon or a cocktail on a Friday night, “aim high,” say the Coconuts, “you never know when you’ll get an opportunity to move closer to where you really want to be.”

Although since the move back in June, Coconut Creatives has attracted several new clients in the Yorkshire region, so we wonder where they might be located in the future…

First and foremost, prospective franchisees must already have some degree of knowledge of the franchise industry otherwise valuable franchisor time is wasted in explaining ‘wanabe’ business owners the logistics of a franchised business rather than the benefits of their specific franchise offering. 

Identifying well prepared prospective franchisees is the first step in determining whether or not they are worth spending valuable time and resources on pursuing.

With this in mind, it is advisable to concentrate franchise advertising efforts towards on/offline channels which are designed specifically for franchisors. That way, franchisors should almost always attract a well informed prospect.  

Once a propsects knowledge level has been determined, franchisors must identify the driving forces behind their desire for a franchise. There are many reasons why individuals want a franchise but they all have one overriding reason; they are dissatisfied with their current situation. All prospective franchisees are looking for some kind of fulfilment, whether it is a change in career, daily routine, family life, relocation or just simply the desire to be their own boss.

When franchisors understand that every unique enquiry they deal with is from a dissatisfied candidate, their approach to them changes along with the chances of converting them.  

Your offering

I have seen many different types of ‘teaser and taster’ franchise information packs both good and not so good along with long winded and complicated ‘franchise steps’ and sales lead processes. Again, the overriding rule here is to keep it brief and keep it simple. Prospects need to be led, so don’t give too much away in the post, on the telephone or via email. To truly convince a prospect to part with their hard earned capital, YOU need them to want more information and you want them to experience it at first hand. A face to face meeting at your template franchise is the best way to achieve this (see my previous article on The Value of a Template Franchise). 

Do YOU want them?

While it can sometimes seem a struggle to get those first few franchisees. Lessons can be taken from experienced franchisors who have reversed the mentally from pursuing every possible sales lead to considering whether those individuals are suited to their franchise. Much like a job interview process, these franchisors go through a selection process and only progress those key enquiries that truly fit the bill.

Some Do’s and Don’ts to Attract Profitable Franchisees

• Keep your offer simple and realistic
• Concentrate your advertising efforts on franchise specific channels
• Don’t turn a prospect off by quoting high potential turnover figures. Consider that the prospect is likely to be experiencing some degree of dissatisfaction and they are more likely to be pessimistic than optimistic while in this state of mind.
• Always speak to prospects on the telephone before sending them out any information
• Always stay in control of the process; they have come to you because they are searching for a solution. As long as your franchise is seen as a solution, the more chances you have of converting them into a franchisee 

Next feature; Teaching new franchisees to look after themselves