My Personal Small Business Franchise Opportunity

My small business franchise opportunity began while actually working on my current business, which was at the time mobile catering. My business was successful but during the quiet periods I started to reflect on my business and think about my long term prospects.

So I started to ask myself a couple of questions

Where do I want to be in a few years time?
Was it my current business?
Does my existing business offer me long term potential?
Can I leave my business for someone else to manage succesfully?

Well you see what I'm getting at here I'm looking for the long-term benefits in my business. I knew that my business even though succesful was not going to offer me the kind of financial security that I wanted Food Preparation and cooking is time consuming and hard work it was not the type of business that I could entrust someone else to manage

Firstly you had to love food, and enjoy cooking it entrusting the wrong person could ruin your hard earned reputation and affect your business severely.

CHANGE OF DIRECTION

This is when I started to look at the small business franchise opportunity and discovered that a Franchise is one of the safest ways to go into business but at this stage I wasn't sure which type of business I wanted to pursue.

There are so many different types of small business franchise opportunity to suit everyone's taste

I did know one thing though, I didn't want a franchise that was food related but perhaps a business where the employees responsibility were more low key and a franchise with solid long term potential.

Research Different Franchises

So after researching a couple of different franchises, one small business franchise opportunity in particular caught my eye and it turned out to be a Commercial Cleaning Franchise but before I rushed into making an appointment to see the Franchisor I thought I would do my own research .

The Franchise I was interested in seemed to be a solid Company not a vast company but a good size organisation where you could speak to all members of the business including Managing Directors and accountants.I didn't want a massive company where you were just a number but a more cosier relationship and because of their environmentally friendly approach to commercial cleaning they had the backing of a Bigger Parent Company which in itself was a multi million multi national cleaning services provider this was an added bonus and made them more credible in my eyes.

Check Franchise Financial Status

This information made me quite happy but their was one more final check on my chosen small business franchise opportunity to do...their financial status To evaluate their financial status copies of their accounts are available through companies house. I didn't want to hand over my hard earned cash only to discover that they are not a viable company.

You can even order a set of their accounts if you want some figures for your accountant to check through and it's only going to cost you a couple of pounds Armed with my new found knowledge about my chosen small business franchise opportunity I was ready to make the appointment.

These checks are very easy to do yourself

Just go to www.companieshouse.gov.uk Go to Our Services...and simply type in the company name or company number of the business you are researching to receive a free web check...Great resource and free but this only applies to Limited Companies

MEETING THE FRANCHISOR

An introduction was arranged to meet at there head office and discuss the franchise further.After arriving we spoke to their small business franchise opportunity manager and asked all the basic questions...WHICH you prepare in advance It's a good idea to take someone with you such as a friend or even your accountant someone who might ask a different question or see the small business franchise opportunity from a different perspective to yours.

My final question was to ask for the phone numbers of some existing franchises(proof) so that I could call and talk to and get some real feedback fromwhich they were happy to do.

It's one thing to hear the Franchisor praising it's own successful business system but a different thing to hear it from someone who's not directly linked to the company someone who was once just like me.A NEW FRANCHISEE. I spoke with 3 different franchisees about their small business franchise opportunity and got good feedback from all of them.Decision time Was I going to take the plunge? Of Course I Was...but ... Read the next episode and see how things don't go to plan