About the Author
Suzie is the Managing Director of Platinum Wave
Franchising – an international, independent, bfa accredited
franchise consultancy firm.
With almost 20 years of first-hand international franchising
experience, Suzie is a well-known personality in the
franchising world. She has been a Judge for the bfa’s
Franchisor and Franchisee of the Year Awards, and is the
current Chairperson of the Scottish Franchise Forum.
Platinum Wave is also the long term joint sponsor of
Scottish Franchise Week and the proud winners of the 2018
British Franchise Association’s Customer Service Award.
Having franchised her own printer cartridge business from
a single retail shop in Edinburgh to a network of over 70
franchised outlets across 6 countries from the Caribbean to
the Middle East, it is fair to say Suzie’s consultancy comes
with an authenticity that is hard to match. Prior to founding
Platinum Wave, Suzie was the Managing Director of a
national recruitment franchise and £30m turnover franchise
network Select Appointments.
around family commitments. That’s not to say it
is an easy option, it is still your own business and
you need to work hard to build it. Moreover, most
franchises are for a five-year term so you need to
make sure it is the right one for you.
My top five tips for business success would be:
1.
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one franchise territory, many franchisees go
on to acquire multiple territories and build
even more sizeable businesses!
been in business, you never stop learning
2.
Everything is possible – dream big, visualise
your goals and go for them. Why stop at just
For information on franchising the British Franchise
Association website – www.thebfa.org --- is a
great source of information on franchising and
the different opportunities available. There are
also a host of franchise websites and publications
offering further information. It is also a good idea
to visit some of the key franchise exhibitions which
take place across the UK where you can meet
franchisors and franchisees face to face. Many
franchisors host discovery days where you can
visit their headquarters and have more in-depth
discussions about the opportunity; if you are serious
about the franchise it is definitely worthwhile
attending these events.
Why not just start up on your own?
Adopt a can do attitude – once you have
committed to running a business you need to
give it 100%
3.
Surround yourself by people you can learn
from – no matter how long you may have
4. Build
your networks – it’s all about contacts
and relationships.
5. Have
fun and love what you do, otherwise
what’s the point!
There are several advantages a franchise can offer:
Proven business model – successful, profitable and sustainable
Brand awareness
Admin Support
Sales and marketing help
On-going training and development
Sharing of best practise
It is in the franchisors interest that you succeed as the more revenue you generate the more successful
the franchise will be through increased royalties.Having been involved in the franchise sector for
almost 20 years, I have seen many more women enter the sector and become highly successful
businesswomen and entrepreneurs. I would encourage anyone looking at starting their own business
to seriously consider franchising.
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