Franchise Direct UK's Franchise Focus is a dedicated resource for potential and existing franchisees to stay informed about the franchise industry. You will find industry news, franchise tips, trends and much more. If you want to know anything franchise related, post a comment here…
Franchise Direct’s Dublin office received sad but also heart warming news last week, when our multimedia editor and creator of our famous franchise videos - Karen Wrafter announced she was leaving Franchise Direct for a higher cause. Higher than franchising?! Karen is off to Haiti with Irish charity – Haven Partnership. The charity builds houses in many disadvantaged countries across the globe and this coming April, Karen and her Dad will be on a chartered flight with 248 other volunteers – some skilled builders and tradesmen and some unskilled volunteers to take part in their Build It Week initiative in Haiti.
Over one week, 250 volunteers will build approximately 40 houses to provide much needed homes to families affected by poverty in Haiti. Following this amazing week, Karen doesn’t intend on taking a break and will spend another 3 months carrying out other charity work in Haiti – she’s our very own Mother Teresa!!!
While we are all sad to see Karen go, but we are all immensely proud of her big heart and wonderful enthusiasm to help others in need. Karen needs to raise €4,000 to get herself out to Haiti along with materials and supplies to help build the homes in Haiti. If you would like to find out more about Haven or to donate, then visit Haven’s donation website and remember to cite Karen Wrafter as the person you want to sponsor!!
Here is a video from last year’s Haven Build it Week in Haiti, we’re all sure our Galway girl Karen will have loads of fun teaching the Haitian kids the lyrics to The Fields of Athenry or The Galway Girl!!!
Just a quick reminder about this week’s franchise show in Excel London (February 12th and 13th). The show will showcase the variety of franchise opportunities available in the UK and abroad today. The show will feature stands for franchises as broad reaching as print and sign, to health and beauty and pet franchises.
Those at the exhibition will have the chance to attend various talks from established figures in the franchise and entrepreneurship sector such as Steve Bolton of Platinum Property Partners, Professor Roy Seaman and Richard Holden – Head of Franchising for Lloyds TSB. To find out more about attending, visit the show’s profile on Franchise Direct.
Franchise Direct will also have a stand (no. 567 to be exact!)at the exhibition and the team is looking forward to meeting you there. Below is a list of the franchises, which currently feature on Franchise Direct and will also be at the Excel this weekend. Why not read about them today, so you can decide who you really want to meet this weekend. Can’t make it this weekend, explore our calendar of upcoming franchise expos and events.
Today is the last day of the 50th International Franchise Association’s annual convention. This year, the convention takes place in San Antonio, Texas and plays host to a number of speakers from across the franchising and entrepreneurship world, along with key speaker, former US President – George W. Bush.
The convention also features an awards ceremony, honouring those who are deemed to have contributed significantly to the international franchise community, along with a tribute to the lifelong contribution of Russell J. Frith, former member, treasurer and chairman of the IFA .
The convention is a great networking opportunity, and attendees at this year’s convention also have the chance to meet with representatives from many franchises available across the globe including such recognisable brands as 7-Eleven Ltd., Ben & Jerry’s, Build-A-Bear Workshop, ComForcare Senior Services, McDonald’s, Subway and NexCen Brands who are responsible for some of the most successful food franchises including Great American Cookies and Maggie’s Moos IceCream. Some of these franchises ranked very high in our recent Top 100 Global Franchises and have a lot to offer in terms of advice to new and growing franchises. The convention should prove a wonderful opportunity for those franchises looking to expand their franchise network across the globe.
Franchise Direct representatives Jill Ptacek and Chaz Williams along with Marie Andrée Maurice are currently attending the convention so we’ll be sure to provide you with an update of all that went on when they return…and recover!
Franchise Direct has enhanced its reputation as one of the internet’s top resources for franchising data with the release of its definitive study on US food franchising. The world-leading franchise portal has just released six new reports on various food franchise sectors. Combined with its 2009 reports on pizza, ice cream and coffee franchising, Franchise Direct has now produced the internet’s most comprehensive and insightful examination of food franchising, which is by far the most popular franchise sector.
These reports are essential reading for entrepreneurs. We have seen franchising inspire economies out of the doldrums in the past and many people in America and beyond who consider franchising decide to open restaurants. The global popularity of franchising has been led, by and large, by the food business. Since the 1950s, the likes of McDonald’s, Subway and Dominos have shown that a cleverly-branded restaurant with a popular, marketable product can become hugely popular. Hundreds of thousands of restaurants around the world of all shapes, sizes and cuisines are now franchised.
Now Franchise Direct has issued an assessment of the state of food franchising. They have broken the industry into a number of sub-divisions and published brand-new studies on full service, fast food, fast casual, retail, health food and take-out and delivery food franchises. Even though these reports are based on the US Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) of numerous franchises in each sector, plus some additional scholarship, they are good indicators of the future of UK food franchises. Added with their previous reports on food franchising, Franchise Direct can now help entrepreneurs educate themselves on every single strand of the industry.
These reports will give you some important information you’ll need before investing in a food franchise. You’ll find up-to-date financial statistics on each sector, plus reporting on the rise of the health food restaurant and the enduring popularity of retail food distribution. There is also invaluable franchise-specific economic data taken from FDD’s that will tell you how many franchises are currently faring.
All entrepreneurs are told to do their homework before purchasing a franchise. Franchise Direct’s exclusive food reports take the hassle out of this research and make finding out about food franchising easier than ever before. Many people will choose to open a restaurant of some sort when purchasing their first franchise. Click on the following link to read Franchise Direct’s food franchise reports over on our US site before making that crucial investment and find the guidance you need for franchise success.
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with everything going on in the franchise world. So, I’ve done all the trawling and tracing for you. This week, I’m spreading the love with some interesting bits and pieces from the franchise and business world. So read on to find out more about what UK franchises and small businesses are up to, and also some exclusively tasty news from our US franchise portal.
First up, over on our US site, we’ve just published a comprehensive food franchise report – yum!
Loading ...
The convention also features an awards ceremony, honouring those who are deemed to have contributed significantly to the international franchise community, along with a tribute to the lifelong contribution of Russell J. Frith, former member, treasurer and chairman of the IFA .
These reports are essential reading for entrepreneurs. We have seen franchising inspire economies out of the doldrums in the past and many people in America and beyond who consider franchising decide to open restaurants. The global popularity of franchising has been led, by and large, by the food business. Since the 1950s, the likes of McDonald’s, Subway and Dominos have shown that a cleverly-branded restaurant with a popular, marketable product can become hugely popular. Hundreds of thousands of restaurants around the world of all shapes, sizes and cuisines are now franchised. 
First up, over on our US site, we’ve just published a comprehensive 
