50 Fantastic Franchises!

The UK's Best Franchise and Direct Selling Opportunities for Small Businesses

Emma Jones

• Publisher: Harriman House
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781908003027
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Auditing
• Index: Business

Have you always wanted to run your own business but feel nervous about having no support? Perhaps you have great business skills but are having trouble dreaming up a product or service that everyone will want...Setting up a franchise or direct selling business means you can be your own boss, be in control of your own profits and still have the safety net of a tried-and-triumphed business formula.Small-business expert Emma Jones has been foraging through the franchise world to find you the very best opportunities available. The franchises she has chosen all offer great training, ongoing support and a chance to be in control of your business.Plus, Emma has scouted out companies that will offer you sound business models at an affordable price, making them appropriate for any first-time business owner.Emma also shows you what to look out for when you select your franchise business and offers advice and guidance for getting your new business off the ground.So whether it's editing a local magazine, running food-tasting parties or managing a fleet of couriers, you'll be sure to find an inspiring small business opportunity, and advice to get you on your way, with Brightword's 50 Fantastic Franchises.

The Profiles

The 50 fantastic franchises profiled in this book

In alphabetical order

1. 0800 Handyman – Maintenance/repair services
2. Arise – Telesales
3. Avon – Beauty
4. Barking Mad – Pet care
5. Barrett & Coe – Photography
6. Best in Glass – Beverages
7. Captain Tortue – Children’s clothing
8. Families – Magazine
9. Funky Feet – Children’s activities
10. Girlie Gardening – Gardening
11. Harmony at Home – Recruitment
12. Ice Jewellery – Jewellery
13. Jamie at Home – Cookware
14. Kiddy Cook – Food
15. Kleeneze – Household products
16. Kumon – Education
17. Linen At Home – Home wares
18. LIPA 4:19 – Performing arts
19. Maid2clean – Cleaning services
20. Mucky Pups – Children’s activities
21. Music Bugs – Music
22. My Little Wrapper – Food
23. My Secret Kitchen – Food
24. Neal’s Yard Remedies – Beauty
25. Ounces2Pounds – Gold
26. Pampered Chef – Food
27. Pets, Homes & Gardens Co., The – Household products
28. Poppy’s Books – Books
29. Pyjama Drama – Children’s activities
30. Raring2go! – Magazine
31. Razzamataz – Performing arts
32. Riverford Organic Veg – Food
33. Sales Recruitment Network, The – Recruitment
34. Shoes Glorious Shoes – Footwear
35. Spanish Amigos – Education
36. Stardust Ltd. – Children’s clothing
37. Talking Tots – Children’s activities
38. Tatty Bumpkin – Children’s activities
39. Team Lollipop – Children’s products
40. Temple Spa – Beauty
41. Thebestof – Marketing/promotion
42. Time For You – Cleaning services
43. Travel Counsellors – Travel
44. TruGreen – Gardening
45. Tumble Tots – Children’s activities
46. Tupperware – Household products
47. Usborne Books – Books
48. Veterinary Thermal Imaging – Animal products
49. Vie at Home – Beauty
50. YogaBugs – Exercise

In order of budget (ascending)

1. Ounces2Pounds – Gold – £0
2. Kleeneze – Household products – £10
3. Avon – Beauty – £15
4. Linen At Home – £25-£125
5. Vie at Home – Beauty – £35
6. Usborne Books – Books – £38
7. Team Lollipop – Children’s products – £49
8. Arise – Telesales – £50
9. Neal’s Yard Remedies – Beauty – £95
10. Girlie Gardening – Gardening -– £99
11. My Secret Kitchen – Food – £99
12. Tupperware – Household products – £99
13. Ice Jewellery – Jewellery – £99
14. Poppy’s Books – Books – £100
15. Pampered Chef – Food – £110
16. Jamie at Home – Cookware – £115
17. Best in Glass – Beverages – £150
18. Stardust Ltd. – Children’s clothing – £150
19. Temple Spa – Beauty – £160
20. Captain Tortue – Children’s clothing – £225
21. My Little Wrapper – Food – £799
22. Mucky Pups – Children’s activities – £1,500
23. Spanish Amigos – Education – £2,500
24. Pets, Homes and Gardens Co., The – Household products – £2,997/£4,997
25. Kumon – Education – £3,000
26. Harmony at Home – Recruitment – £3,300
27. Funky Feet – Children’s activities – £4,500
28. Pyjama Drama – Children’s activities – £5,850
29. Thebestof – Marketing/promotion – £5,995
30. Families – Magazine – £6,500
31. Music Bugs – Music – £7,000
32. Talking Tots – Children’s activities – £7,700
33. Shoes Glorious Shoes – Shoes – £7,800
34. Kiddy Cook – Food – £7,995
35. Raring2go! – Magazine – £9,995
36. Veterinary Thermal Imaging – Animals – £9,995
37. Maid2clean – Cleaning services – £9,999
38. Sales Recruitment Network, The – Recruitment – £9,999
39. Tatty Bumpkin – Children’s activities – £10,000
40. Travel Counsellors – Travel – £10,000
41. Barrett & Coe – Photography – £10,050
42. Razzamataz – Performing arts – £11,500
43. Time For You – Cleaning services – £11,750
44. Barking Mad – Pet care – £13,350
45. LIPA 4:19 – Performing arts – £13,350
46. Tumble Tots – Children’s activities – £13,500
47. 0800 Handyman – Maintenance/repair services – £15,000
48. YogaBugs – Exercise – £15,000
49. Riverford Organic Veg – Food – £18,500
50. TruGreen – Gardening – £27,000

1. Ounces2Pounds

• Company: Ounces2Pounds
• Direct selling or franchise: Direct selling
• Initial investment: Just your time and commitment
• Online: www.ounces2pounds.com
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/Ounces2Pounds

Ounces2Pounds offers a small-business opportunity that is sure to appeal to any reccesionistas looking to supplement income or try something new. This party-planning endeavour offers two opportunities; either to become a ‘gold expert’ and company representative or to be a hostess and offer unique ‘pure gold parties’.

As a host, you invite guests to bring along any unwanted or broken gold, silver or platinum jewellery. The Ounces2Pounds gold expert attends the party, values the jewellery and offers a price for it. So in effect this is ‘direct buying’ rather than direct selling! The host earns 10% of the total payout at the party and if the total gold bought at the end of the party amounts to more than £700, Ounces2Pounds will even pay £35 towards entertainment costs of the party.

A second option is to become a ‘gold expert’. The only investment required from you to become an expert is your time: Ounces2Pounds will fund the training and supply all the equipment necessary. They will even accompany you to your first few parties and help with promoting parties in your area. When making payments at parties, these are drawn from cheques that withdraw from the Ounces2Pounds account, as opposed to your own!

You are expected to generate four parties or more a month. For this you’ll receive a generous commission of 9% of the value of the gold bought at the party.

If you have the skills to create a fun and relaxing atmosphere at a party and to generate plenty of events, this could be an enjoyable and profitable small business venture for you.

To find out more about becoming a gold expert or hosting a party visit www.ounces2pounds.com or email [email protected].

Case study story: Caroline Stevens, Ounces2Pounds

In the spring of 2009 Caroline Stevens was made redundant and started to think about working from home. It was at this time that Caroline read an article about buying gold at parties. She searched online for the gold party company referred to in the article. This company was Ounces2Pounds and Caroline was happy to sign up as a representative, impressed by their professional image and positive profile.

“After the interview and meeting the managing director at their head office in London, I knew I could be a franchisee/party planner for this company. Buying and selling gold has an image of not being the most elegant of professions but Ounces2Pounds has changed that with its professionalism.”

As a representative, Caroline hosts two to three parties a week, mainly in the evenings. Caroline is earning as much as she did when working in a job for four days a week and she now has time for home life, too.

“I promote my services at each party. Next to my gold-testing equipment I lay out my business card, ‘host a gold party’ card, and a ‘book a party’ sheet. Once I have finished the transaction I mention that the client can host their own party, briefly explain how the commission system works, and ask them if they would be interested. If they are, I take their name and number. I suggest I ring them in a week’s time once they have had a chance to ask around friends, family, colleagues etc. It has been very successful for me.”

The beauty of being a representative is that Caroline is her own boss but can also count on support from the central team at Ounces2Pounds. The company offers training, dedicated IT support, help with administration and, most important, assistance with booking parties and offering moral support.

“I was lucky to find Ounces2Pounds as it offers me a way of working that fits my requirements and lifestyle perfectly. For anyone else considering becoming a party-plan representative, I would say you have to like and believe in the product or service. I truly enjoy what I am doing, so that selling smile comes naturally!”

2. Kleeneze

• Company: Kleeneze
• Direct selling or franchise: Direct selling
• Initial investment: £10
• Online: www.kleeneze.co.uk
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/kleeneze_info

Kleeneze is a well-established brand in the direct-selling market, with over 400,000 door-to-door sales specialists across the UK. They offer a broad range of products encompassing household goods and health and beauty products.

Having the weight of a national brand behind you can be helpful from a marketing point of view, as many customers will have encountered the products before. Likewise, you know you are receiving well-organised training and operating within a tried-and-tested scheme.

As a sales specialist for Kleeneze, you are responsible for packaging and distributing catalogues in your neighbourhood, collecting orders and placing them online and then delivering the products to the customers.

Income also comes from recruiting new people to join your team of sales specialists; for every new recruit you sponsor you will receive a proportion of their future sales. The rates of commission are between 21 and 31%.

As with all direct-selling opportunities, your success is dependent on the work and hours you put in and on whether there is a demand for the products in your neighbourhood.

To find out more about building a home shopping business with Kleeneze log on to www.kleeneze.co.uk. There is an initial investment requirement of £10, although Kleeneze do sometimes offer free trial periods.

3. Avon

• Company: Avon
• Direct selling or franchise: Direct selling
• Initial investment: £15 registration fee
• Online: www.applyavon.co.uk
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/joinavonuk

Started in 1886, Avon has become th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Publishing details
• About the Editors
• Introduction by Emma Jones
• The Profiles
• Where to Go for More Information
• About this eBook
• About Brightword Publishing
• Other products from Brightword