BFA NEWSLETTER REACHES OUT TO OVER 20,000 POTENTIAL FRANCHISEES

The British Franchise Association’s (bfa) franchisee newsletter – Newsline – has broken the 20,000 subscription barrier.

The monthly email bulletin goes out to potential franchisees who have all actively opted-in to receiving the latest franchising news directly to their desk-tops.

The UK now has 37.8 million internet users (62.9% of the population). The increase in subscriptions to Newsline is indicative of rising internet usage and the growing importance the internet plays for those looking to start their own business and invest in a franchise.

The latest statistics from the NatWest / bfa survey also highlight the increasing importance of the internet as a research tool for prospective franchisees as:-

• 77% of potential franchisees check their prospective franchisor’s website;
• 40% logged onto the bfa website, which is almost the same proportion as the combined total of other franchise specific websites.

Dan Archer, Head of Marketing at the bfa comments, “In addition to the detailed due diligence that every franchisee undertakes it is vital that those considering franchising also take time to understand the franchise industry and this is what Newsline aims to do.

“We always recommend that potential franchisees carry out thorough research however in today’s busy world it can be difficult to do this at the start of a search. The internet allows rapid access to information at their own leisure – be it during a lunch break at work or at home in the evening or weekend. Once preliminary knowledge has been gleaned the franchisee can then undertake a more comprehensive study, giving their search the necessary time.

“Our site also includes breaking news from Express newspapers’ franchise columnist, Alison Coleman. The news is loaded on the site as it breaks, a rare service outside of the media industry and a real plus for the bfa.”