Category: Business and Franchise Advice

We often talk about the life cycle of franchisees, starting from the franchisee being in the stage where they are the euphoric first time to becoming a rebellious teen, to finally maturing into an established, and stable franchisee. We have been told how to optimally manage the franchisees through these changes and that it all begins with managing the expectations of the fledgling incoming franchisee. However, the lifecycle of a franchisors has, for the most part, been ignored- leaving franchisors exposed to unanticipated challenges. Lindy BarbourGraduated from the University of Natal with B.Comm in Management & Marketing. She joined the …

Because franchising can be adapted to almost any business sector, the range of franchise opportunities is extensive. A lot depends on whether the offer is a turn-key operation with retail outlets or a man-in-a-van service franchise or a franchise that can be run from home. The return on investment is often linked to the cost of the franchise; a hot-dog trailer may be affordable but the returns are not as high as a high-end restaurant which will cost in the millions to set up and has the potential for high turnovers – so prospective franchisees must always bear this in …

Reflecting on the world in 2022, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby had this to say in his 2021 Christmas sermon: “We all face uncertainty, uncontrollability and unpredictability, from huge companies to those sleeping rough.” That is one of the principal themes of the book Thinking the Future, by renowned scenario planner Clem Sunter, co-authored by Mitch Ilbury and myself and published by Penguin Random House in July last year. Clem SunterClem Sunter is one of the world’s most admired scenario planners and futurologists. Chairman and CEO of Anglo American’s Gold and Uranium Division when it was at its zenith, …

According to Roz Sandham of franchise consultancy Franchising Plus, “with the unpredictability of the future and the undeniable change in the way we work, counter intuitively planning becomes even more important for the survival of businesses.” “Previously we had historical trends on which to base our future plans, for most businesses these trends have been turned on their heads. Leadership needs to be brave and reasonable when setting goals and objectives for the next period of trade. Make sure that you are reading as much as possible about what the future may hold. Also, engage with all the stakeholders in …

Everyone dreams of owning their own business, writing their own salary cheque and being successful. But in reality, only a small proportion of people realise that dream as the barriers to setting up a business are often quite daunting, the costs often prohibitive and the expertise needed to make the business work often lacking. Where franchising comes into its own is in the fact that it gives all the advantages of operating your own business, but without many of the headaches that go with setting up a new business, researching it, finding the suppliers, marketing it and managing it. In …