Help for novices to earn their wings in business

Mar 4 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

BUDDING entrepreneurs, who want the buzz of working for themselves, but not by themselves, are being offered a free helping hand after the launch of a major franchising campaign in County Durham.

Be Franchising is an innovative free service being offered by Sedgefield Borough Council whereby advisers can steer would-be entrepreneurs through the maze of buying into a franchise.

Many companies, including high street names such as McDonald’s, O’Briens, Cash Generator and Prontaprint, offer franchises in which people buy a blueprint to run a branch of the business for themselves.

The campaign will highlight that there is more to franchising, with hundreds of less well known opportunities available. Quite often people don’t know how to take advantage of these successful and profitable franchise opportunities and Be Franchising aims to help.

Through Be Franchising, advisers can help with everything from finding funding and loans, negotiations with banks and help with legal services through to setting up administration systems and book-keeping help.

The new service is open to residents or businesspeople in Sedgefield borough and Wear Valley, Derwentside and Easington district areas.

Brian Jackson, of Be Franchising, said: “For the right person, buying a franchise can be a great way of starting a business. Quality franchise opportunities offer ongoing support, training and advice so that a person is never alone.

“Working alone can sometimes be a challenge and the great thing about a franchise is that there is always someone there to turn to. Plus franchises usually have an established brand, so the risk in starting up is reduced.

“The aim of the Be Franchising campaign is to raise awareness of the many opportunities and encourage people to seek advice.” As well as being an option for people starting out in business, franchising can also offer established businesses the opportunity to grow.

A publicity campaign will start shortly with seminars, high street events and promotional activity to let people know how they can tap into the free help.

Franchising is a huge industry in itself and latest figures from the British Franchising Association reveal a growing market.

Record figures from 2006 reveal the franchising industry grew twice as fast as the UK economy, with an estimated annual turnover of £10.8bn – in 1984 the figure was £1bn.