Businesses and consumers have become more environmentally conscious than ever. And while global warming impacts us with record-breaking temperatures, bush fires, and energy poverty, many people in the UK are looking for new ways to help protect the planet from further damage.
The most common ways of minimising environmental impact are:
- Solar panel installations, garnering power from the sun
- Alternative heating sources, such as air-source heat pumps and biofuels
- Electric vehicles, minimising reliance on fossil fuels
- Recycling and upcycling
While there's a genuine desire for individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint, it can be challenging to implement effective strategies to use less and recycle. This is where green and eco-friendly franchises come into their own: helping businesses and consumers live greener, cleaner lives.
But living a greener life doesn't just dictate how we use and save energy. There's a distinct increase in interest in programmes that share excess or leftover food within the community, home and garden products with Library of Things initiatives, and alternative ways to furnish and decorate our homes.
Green franchises focus on sustainability - in other words, they take steps to help preserve the planet's resources. They help businesses and individuals reuse their resources and save energy - in short; they help businesses grow and homes run without destroying the environment.
So, if you're investigating a possible career change, consider investing in a business that has the planet's health at its heart. Check out our fantastic green- and eco-friendly franchise opportunities, and make a genuine difference to the quality of everyone's lives.
Franchising
Starting up in business is fraught with challenges that threaten the ongoing financial well-being of a company. The most hazardous period for all new companies is the first five years, as they aim to establish themselves. Independent companies often struggle for visibility amongst their competitors, making those first five years very challenging.
However, investing in a green franchise business offers a more secure way of entering the marketplace. This is because the parent company has already established itself within the existing ecosystem. The parent company have:
- Established their branding, making their logo and business identity instantly recognisable.
- Developed an operational model that has already overcome the challenges of a startup business.
- An existing supply chain that offers the best possible efficiency and economy on products and services that reinforce your green agenda.
- An existing reputation for excellent services and customer relations.
- A customer base that already knows and trusts the business.
In short, a green franchise offers a much surer start to becoming your own boss.
As well as an established operational model, the parent company of your green franchise usually offers excellent training opportunities that ensure that you can maintain their hard-earned reputation. It's in their interest to provide your new business with the expertise that made the parent company successful, so you get a great support package with a green franchise.
As well as ongoing training support, green franchises often supply a range of essential HR functions that help ensure your new business operates in line with current employment-, financial-, and business regulations. Compliance is nearly always the reason for business owners' sleepless nights, so this support mechanism is undoubtedly worth its weight in gold.
Investing in a green franchise permits access to an existing customer base in a super-competitive marketplace, helping your new business cut through the noise of your established competitors.
Starting a green or eco-friendly business without the support of an established partner makes breaking through a very challenging proposition indeed.
Franchise Direct offer access to an excellent choice of innovative green franchises that provide:
- A reputation and branding that brings instant curb appeal
- An operational supply chain
- Ongoing business support
- Training
- HR support
Facts About Green and Eco-Friendly Franchises
The "green" pound surged in value over the past decade to a whopping £122bn in 2020, proving that green franchises and eco-friendly businesses are no longer niche cottage industries - they're the big players in the economy.
But it's not just green products that excite the UK's imagination; ethical products and services are also big business in the 2020s. Ethical companies aim to operate FairTrade and fair employment conditions for their staff with an equal focus on ethical, cruelty-free sourcing of materials.
Businesses deemed to operate unethically saw a £3.9bn drop in UK sales in 2021, which was £600m greater than the previous year.
In fact, the UK population is now more likely than ever to boycott companies they believe to operate unethically, instead favouring businesses that push the green agenda.
UK shoppers spent £61bn on services and products deemed "ethical" in 2020 - that's over 30% more than in 2019.
Green and eco-friendly franchises offer a vast range of products and services, including:
- Secondhand clothing
- Plant-based food and fashion
- Home utility management
- Green cleaning businesses
- Alternative fuels for vehicles
- Biofuels for home heating
- Energy efficiency for both domestic and business customers
- Ethical food and drink
- Fairtrade and organic products
- Ethical farming and food production
It's quite clearly evident that what was once a rather niche corner of the market is now the real driver of innovation in people's homes and businesses. It's no longer good enough to destroy the earth's resources with a profit-first approach - the UK public demands green and eco-friendly products and services - and they're clearly willing to pay for it.
There’s never been a better time to consider investing in a green franchise!
Franchising Vs. Independent
Of course, all new business ventures require capital, and green franchises demand a minimum investment, ranging from a couple of hundred GBP per month to a one-off fee of several thousand.
And while many green and eco-friendly franchises demand lower minimum investments than other business types, most individuals require funding to gather together the initial investment. And this is where the franchise model comes into its own.
Most moneylenders and banks tend to look favourably upon franchise businesses because they represent less risk on a financial return. This is because the parent company has demonstrated that the business is sustainable, profitable, and capable of healthy growth.
Independent companies starting up without support from an established and experienced franchise partner, however, often struggle to gain the funding required to meet their startup goals. This is because the business model hasn't been tried-and-tested, unlike a franchise opportunity.
In fact, over half of all independent companies find themselves in dire financial straits throughout the majority of their opening five years while they struggle to establish their new business among their competition. Unfortunately, almost half of all indies go bankrupt within five years for this reason.
On the other hand, franchise businesses often thrive from the moment they open their doors to the public, more able to rely on the instant curb appeal of their parent company’s branding and the ready-made reputation for the products and services.
So, if you're looking to change the way you live and work, consider investing in a green franchise and make each working day a better experience for yourself (and the planet).
Green Franchises
Check out Franchise Direct's impressive selection of green franchises, and help the UK hit zero emissions by developing an ethical marketplace for everyone's benefit.
Find your brand new start with Franchise Direct.