Aug 30, 2015 | Clients in the Media, News
Brand Mark Franchising, a client of Coconut Creatives, has been sharing all about how they help 
franchises avoid the pitfalls in franchising.
Did you know that there are 930 franchise models currently in operation in the UK?
However, many of these franchisors fall at the first hurdle or further down the line due to a lack of knowledge or research. Those who are successful have consulted the correct support channels to make sure their operations run smoothly. Whilst franchising is becoming an increasingly popular method of business ownership and expansion, seeing 20% growth between 2008 & 2013, it can be expensive and risky. During the same time period a mere 2.5% increase in the overall economy occurred so surely it is worth it. If you get the right support!
Brand Mark Franchising provides guidance and support around the A-Z of franchising a business. Brand Mark Franchising is a one stop shop for your business development and there are many factors that need to be considered before franchising a business and many franchisors fail to do their due diligence! If you want your business to become a successful franchise, then ensure you download the free expert guide that Brand Mark Franchising provides through their website. Gleaming industry expertise will steer your business forwards, whether you want to build your brand regionally, nationally or internationally.
Many franchisors fall into trouble in the early stages of franchising their businesses due to lack of preparation and knowledge. The main pitfalls include:
- Lack of research into both the market and how to run a franchise operation
- Failure to refine the business concept
- Poor operations – training and support
- Lack of skills by both business owner and staff in how to run a successful franchise.
These are the main reasons for the failure of a franchise but they are so easy to avoid. Failure of a franchise doesn’t just affect the franchisor, it also affects the franchisees who have invested their livelihoods into the business.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing and those brands that I work with to go through a complete health check review to ensure they are set up for serious and sustainable growth,” explains Brand Mark Franchising’s Founder and Director, Paul Davies.
Brand Mark Franchising have experience as both a franchisee and a franchisor so know what motivates business owners, with a full understanding of the franchising process from start to finish. They are also bfa accredited, so are viewed as trusted and experienced ambassadors of the franchise sector.
To find out more about Brand Mark Franchising, contact 07823 526991 or email pdavies@bmf-uk.co.uk
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Aug 21, 2015 | Clients in the Media, News
Want to know more about the Auditel franchise opportunity? Chris Allison, Founder and Managing 
Director of Auditel, a client of Coconut Creatives, has been answering the burning questions many potential franchisees want to know the answers to when they’re thinking about joining Auditel. Auditel is the UK’s leading cost management franchise. They assist and educate clients to make smarter buying and management decisions, leading to business longevity and growth.
Auditel was established in 1994 with one of the main drivers behind the business being the process of the deregulation of the utilities and telecommunication sectors. Chris saw an opportunity to develop a utility bill auditing programme because, with a much larger choice of utility companies and communication providers meant that businesses needed advice on choosing and selecting the right provider. Auditel converted to a franchise in 1997 which provided an opportunity to build a UK-wide brand and broaden the scope of the business offering. It was at this point that Auditel moved from utility bill auditing to cost management consultancy and a more effective way of managing business costs.
- What are some of the advantages of being an Auditel franchisee?
There are many advantages to being an Auditel franchisee:
- We have an award-winning training and support programme. We never stop improving the programme and it is reviewed and updated annually
- We offer a huge range of services and we’re continually broadening the scope of our business offering. This means we can engage with a client to provide further services, making us an indispensable and a valuable outsourced member of the management team for the long-term
- Auditel is a flexible business which allows franchisees to build a scalable business. You can tailor the business to your personal business aspirations. Whether you want to be self-employed and home-based, bring in a partner (free of charge) or become a multi-fee earning, office based business with employees, your business is as big as your aspirations.
- The job satisfaction is high and the business is never boring
- Our franchisees talk about being part of the Auditel family, we really look after each other.
- What qualities do you look for in an ideal franchisee?
Within Auditel there are people from a whole range of careers and business disciplines so we have a wide range of talent in our network. We look for people who will share our values and who are similar minded to our existing franchisees and it’s important that our franchisees are team players. We also look for people with good communication skills, good deductive thought processes and people who demonstrate commercial acumen.
You’ve got to be a self-starter. Even though you provide you with all the training and support you need, you do have to have the drive and passion to build a business. We can’t run the business for you!
- In your opinion, why is Auditel such a great opportunity for someone looking to get into business ownership?
We believe that there’s still a massive opportunity for growth. After 21 years in the business we’ve still only got 1% market share of the total market. Very few businesses can manage all their business costs effectively in-house so ours is a service that will always be needed. In a volatile, uncertain world it’s a much needed service. Business stewardship is the key to commercial success in the future. Many of our younger consultants are looking for careers for the next 20 years and beyond and this is something we welcome.
- What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking of buying a franchise?
Look at the track record of the organisation and the business when completing your due diligence and make sure there is open disclosure in terms of the franchise itself. Talk to existing franchisees with similar backgrounds to yourself and see how they’re running the business day to day so know the ins and outs. Many organisations may have been successful in the past but look at their plans for the future and how innovative they are. You want to know that the business model will stand the test of time.
Before you start looking, think about your own skillsets and how they transfer into the franchises you are interested in. You will be going through a selection process so you need to think about how you will fit into the franchise. Why should they appoint you?
- What can franchisees expect from the training and support on offer at Auditel?
We have one of the most comprehensive training and support programmes in the franchise industry. We won Franchisor of the Year based on our investment into our training, support and mentoring programme. We have a 45 member team supporting our franchisees on a daily basis.
Our training is continual; franchisees can come back to a training session at any time free of charge or attend a refresher course. They also have access to a business review every six months. Whether you’re in the start-up phase or you’re 20 years into the business, we support you at whatever phase you are at in your business. This may even include retiring and exiting Auditel. We take your business from cradle to grave.
To find out more about the Auditel franchise opportunity call Fiona Steels on 0800 583 3355 or visit www.auditelfranchise.co.uk
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Aug 13, 2015 | Clients in the Media, News
Darren Batterbee, has been building himself a career at Snap-on for the last 13 years. As a former 
franchisee, Darren decided to progress to an even higher role within the Snap-on network so took on the role of Franchise Developer and now spends his time working with and training brand new Snap-on franchisees.
Darren is a shining example of where being a part of Snap-on will take you if you have the drive and motivation to push yourself forwards. Who knows where he’ll go next?
“New franchisees spend their first year of business working with me. I spend an initial five weeks working with them all day every day and then look after them until they get to a point where they are able to run a successful business,” explains Darren.
Snap-on is the world’s number one professional tool brand. They are the leading global manufacturer and distributor of tools for the professional technician. Franchisees deliver gold-standard, premium products to technicians up and down the country. Snap-on’s fantastic business offers you the chance to be your own boss whilst being supported by an elite team of industry specialists.
As part of Snap-on’s initial and ongoing training and support, Franchise Developer’s like Darren take the franchisees straight out of training and into the field, walking them through business ownership step by step to make sure they’re not left in the dark after the initial training sessions at Snap-on’s dedicated training school in Dallas.
“Working with the franchisees is great. When they first come out of the training they’re like rabbits in the headlights! It’s a big change for them but we take a lot of the worry away. After the initial five weeks, I revisit them at least once a week and I’m on the end of the phone whenever they need my help or support. I love it when a new franchisee comes in and then handing them over to a Sales Developer after a year when they’ve got a great business under their belt,” adds Darren.
Snap-on offer an outstanding training and support programme designed to launch and grow your business quickly and with maximum impact. Before you even turn on the engine of your custom built mobile store, there is an exclusive territory full of professional tool users just waiting for you to call in. You don’t have to wait for the customers to come to you because we find your customer base before you even start. Our aim is: to empower you with the tools for success.
You can get more information about the Snap-on franchise opportunity by calling 01235 831 053 or visiting www.snaponfranchise.co.uk
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Jul 31, 2015 | Blogs, News
As the quietest period of the franchising year, summer is the best season to prepare your franchise recruitment marketing for the busy autumn period, says Sarah Carlile, Founding Director of Coconut Creatives.
As mentioned in my previous blog, enquiries during the summer slowdown rapidly as most people go on holiday or have their children at home to look after. The quiet summer months are the perfect time for you to review your marketing material and create some up-to-date case studies to use once the busy autumn recruitment season starts. With fewer enquiries to follow up, you should be left with a little extra time to really focus on refreshing your marketing material.
Case studies
Case studies are a great tool to use in attracting new franchisees. They amplify word-of-mouth about your brand and describe how your business or products have benefitted either one of your customers or an existing franchisee and will portray your company in a good light to prospective franchisees who may not have come across your business before.
I recommend updating your bank of case studies on a regular basis. This will help you to showcase the continued success of your brand and will give you a great selection of latest stories to use in your collateral over the busy autumn period.
The key to writing the best case studies is to pick an existing franchisee who has faced a problem, found a solution with your help and has benefitted from being part of your franchise network since they joined. The problems they face can be anything from recovering from illness, overcoming redundancy by buying your franchise, producing great sales during a recession, to wanting a better work-life balance and more family time.
If you don’t have a bank of franchisees to write about, ask one of your customers that you have helped to resolve a problem instead. This shows prospects how committed you are and that your business concept actually works.
When you have found the franchisees or customers you want to write about, you need to make sure you are asking them the right questions in order to produce an interesting and compelling case study. I recommend creating a survey to send out with questions such as:
- Where did you hear about us?
- Why did you decide to join/work with us?
- How have you found the training/support?
- What have you particularly enjoyed about working with us?
Asking personal questions about hobbies and their family situation will give your case study a more personal touch and allow prospects to identify with your case study – reaching the “if it worked for them, it could work for me” stage.
For further advise on what you can do to boost your recruitment marketing over the summer please contact us, we’d love to hear from you!
If you missed Part 1 click here! Also don’t forget to view our free resources which are designed to help you improve your marketing!
Jul 31, 2015 | Clients in the Media, News
Matt Thorton, a new starter at Snap-on
Snap-on, a client of Coconut Creatives, recently welcomed 23 new starters to their network between April and June this year. This is great news for the network and the team at Snap-on is looking forward to seeing what each and every one of them will achieve.
The new starters include 13 new franchisees and 10 second franchisees. The second franchisees are employed by existing franchisees who have decided to expand into a second territory. They take second franchisees on to run the new round or second van in exactly the same way as a normal franchisee so they are able to run the business as effectively as possible. The opportunity also puts them in a great position to be able to purchase the franchise from the owner later down the line if they wish to do so.
Graham Cullis, a new starter at Snap-on
Snap-on is the world’s number one professional tool brand. They are the leading global manufacturer and distributor of tools for the professional technician. Franchisees deliver gold-standard, premium products to technicians up and down the country. Snap-on’s fantastic business offers you the chance to be your own boss whilst being supported by an elite team of industry specialists.
Colin Pipe is just one of the new franchisees. He’ll be heading up his operation in Luton. With previous experience in the motor trade, Colin was looking for a new challenge when he decided to join Snap-on.
“Being a mechanic, I’ve always worked with Snap-on tools and it’s always been something I’ve liked the look of. I like being my own boss and being able to meet and talk to new people everyday. There’s a lot of banter in the motor trade so you have to be able to keep up!” explains Colin.
Another former mechanic, Matthew Thornton, has just joined the network in Halifax. Having felt that he could no longer progress in his previous career, Matthew decided to take it upon himself to build a better future.
“I’m looking forward to the independence that being a Snap-on franchisee will bring me. You feel like your own man and that’s better than being in employment. I’m really busy at the moment but enjoying it too. I’m meeting new people, seeing old friends I used to work with and getting to work in different areas. At the moment I’m still trying to get my head around everything but I’m looking forward to getting stuck in,” adds Matthew.
In an independent industry survey, Snap-on was the clear number one choice of the professional technician. For 80% of respondents, Snap-on was the top choice for hand tools and 65% chose Snap-on for tool storage. With a global franchise system of over 4,700 franchisees selling over 22,000 products you can have complete confidence that partnering with Snap-on means joining forces with the best.
If you want to be part of a brand that really values its franchisees, you can get more information about the Snap-on franchise opportunity by calling 01235 831 053 or visiting www.snaponfranchise.co.uk
Jul 29, 2015 | Coconut in the Media, News
We are pleased to announce that we have grown our team from 7 to 12! Our business will be continuing to deliver the exceptional service which has made us famous for obtaining almost all our work via recommendations in the franchise world over the past decade.
Our 12 years of research results on the complex franchisee decision making process points towards building an integrated marketing campaign for any franchisor serious about recruitment. We know it’s vital that a wide range of activities are undertaken for maximum impact for UK franchise lead generation. Our specialist franchise recruitment team provides:
- Strategic direction
- Marketing communications planning
- Prospectus and collateral development
- Website design, content and SEO
- Graphic design and brand development
- Copywriting
- PR and media relations
- CRM process and system solutions for franchisors
- Marketing manual development, training & support for franchisees.
Success is in the integrated mix of these activities, not just one tool out of the box. We now offer our coaching and training services to franchisees too, developing their local marketing techniques. Through our Market Your Franchise programme, we help to bridge the gap between knowledge and application and support franchisees to take their businesses to the next level and thus become outstanding advocates of your brand with shining testimonials to prospects considering joining.
We are delighted to welcome the newest members to our Coconut team:
- Paul Clegg, Marketing Account Director
- Adam Lovelock, Head of Online Marketing
- Adam Knight, Head of Technology and Systems
- Rachel Crooks, Marketing Assistant.
All four members complement the skills of the existing team and each has something new to bring to our clients marketing. For more info on team members and what they do for our clients click here.
As the franchise market grows and technology evolves alongside how people buy franchises, Coconut has always strived to evolve to match this demand. We can now offer in-house the very best and up-to-date marketing technology for franchise lead generation. This assists us to maintain our position as market leaders in the franchise industry and voice of authority on the subject of UK franchise recruitment.
We are bigger, better and more skilled across a wider range of marketing tools than ever before. Meet our new team members at one of our forthcoming events.
franchises avoid the pitfalls in franchising.
