Exhibition has Jan focusing worldwide

Mar 26 2009 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A BUSINESS with ambitious plans to conquer Europe is expanding its net further after receiving enquiries from Asia and the Middle East.

Photography for Little People, which started out on a barrow at the MetroCentre in 2005, was only launched as a franchise in October last year. But it has already attracted more than 130 enquiries from people interested in taking the idea abroad after attending an international franchising exhibition in London.

The business, founded by Jan Massey from Sacriston, and her daughter Melanie Crow to take photographs of babies and young children, has just returned from the British Franchise Association’s (BFA) international show at Olympia.

The team had been up for three BFA awards but although the business did not win, Photography for Little People didn’t return home empty handed.

Ms Massey, who was named North East Entrepreneur Woman in Retail in 2007, said: “It was a very, very busy show. These are people who have seen the literature that has gone out beforehand, they have come to us either because they knew about us beforehand or they are looking for a franchise opportunity.

“They are self-generated [leads], they are not ones we have hunted down. We are very excited by that.”

The 133 enquiries included four or five from India, interest from Dubai, Pakistan, the Philippines, UAE and China, plus Poland, Portugal and Ireland. Overseas visitors were looking for ‘master’ franchise ideas to buy and take back to their own countries.

Ms Massey, who gave a talk at the event, said: “Although there seems to be a lot of doom and gloom around, there isn’t in the franchising industry. Women are becoming a bigger part of that. There are so many women who want to work for themselves.”

The business itself is an all-woman team employing 10 people. Setting up a Photography for Little People Franchise costs around £20,000.

The franchise business model traditionally fares well during recessions when there are high numbers of people being made redundant. They have redundancy cash to invest in tried and tested franchises, which are often viewed as less risky than new enterprises.

They are self-generated [leads], they are not ones we have hunted down. We are very excited by that."

The 133 enquiries included four or five from India, interest from Dubai, Pakistan, the Philippines, UAE and China, plus Poland, Portugal and Ireland. Overseas visitors were looking for ‘master’ franchise ideas to buy and take back to their own countries.

Ms Massey, who gave a talk at the event, said: "Although there seems to be a lot of doom and gloom around, there isn’t in the franchising industry. Women are becoming a bigger part of that. There are so many women who want to work for themselves."

The business itself is an all-woman team employing 10 people. Setting up a Photography for Little People Franchise costs around £20,000.

The franchise business model traditionally fares well during recessions when there are high numbers of people being made redundant. They have redundancy cash to invest in tried and tested franchises, which are often viewed as less risky than new enterprises.