A note from the bfa’s CEO, Pip Wilkins…

Franchise Exhibitions Are an excellent opportunity to research the many franchising opportunities on offer and meet with franchisors face to face.

Our most recent survey identified 935 business brands franchising in the uk with everything from retail to personal services, so there really is something for everyone in franchising. and although the failure rates in our sector are much lower than other types of new business venture, there are still risks involved so research into your chosen franchise company and the market is key!

The first step to take when attending an exhibition is to plan your day. Have a look through the show guide and identify the brands you want to investigate – don’t just stick to the sectors you know – the great thing about franchising is you will get the training you need to run any of the businesses on offer.

You do also need to realistically assess your income needs and the amount of money you can raise to invest in a business. Try not to be influenced too much by the personalities of the people you meet on the stands at the show – stick to assessing the facts of the business.

To give you the right tools to explore your future in franchising, we run free seminars during the exhibition. ‘Buy A Franchise’ is aimed at prospective franchisees, while existing businesses looking to franchise their operations will benefit from ‘Franchise Your Business’ seminars.

We also have our own stand and myself and the bfa team are always happy to talk to you and help you explore your entrepreneurial side to the full!