Franchise Ireland magazine - past articles

The Franchise Exhibition Preview
May 2007

The Franchise Exhibition in Belfast - now in its second year - is an important development in the growth of franchising for Northern Ireland.

The 2007 NatWest / bfa annual survey highlights the important role in franchising that the Northern Irish market plays, generating £0.2 billion in turnover annually.  In recent years the market has maintained a steady position and today, 32 per cent of franchise systems have a presence in Northern Ireland.  

The Belfast Franchise Exhibition is an excellent opportunity to research the many franchising options on offer and meet with franchisors, franchisees and business service providers face-to-face.  Having taken the decision to visit the exhibition we hope you will use the Show Guide on the following pages to identify which brands you want to see and plan your time.  

Entering franchising means you’ll get the training you need to run any of the businesses on offer, so you don’t have to stick with an industry that you know.  For many people franchising allows the freedom to enter a business that they had not previously considered, giving the opportunity to do what they want to do not just what they have always done.  You do need to realistically assess your income needs and the amount of liquid capital that you can raise without borrowing.  Having so many franchisors in one place will allow you to assess the facts, franchise by franchise.

Talk to the specialist franchise advisors at the exhibition – bankers, lawyers, consultants, accountants and the media.  Plan on using franchise specialists to advise you and find those who suit you.  To help you assess your franchising options, the bfa runs free seminars during the exhibition.  ‘An introduction to franchising’ is aimed at prospective franchisees, while existing businesses looking to franchise their operations will benefit from the ‘How to franchise your business’ seminars.  

The bfa will have its own stand at the exhibition and the bfa team would be happy to answer your questions or supply you with more information to help your search.

So, if you’re looking to start and run your own franchise business, this exhibition is a great place to start.  Enjoy the show, ask as many questions as you can and welcome to franchising in Northern Ireland.