If you are serious about starting your own business, now is a better time than ever before to take action. In this edition we bring you some feedback on the recent IFE expo, news and views from the world of franchising and conclude, as always, by bringing you a few of the questions visitors to our site asked our panel of experts, and their answers.
The International Franchise Exhibition (IFE) 2007 took place from 3rd to 5th May at the Sandton Convention Centre. Over the past few years, it has evolved into South Africa’s – and the African continent’s – premier franchise exhibition. Franchise opportunities in the following sectors were on display: food, entertainment, health and beauty, retail, real estate, automotive and all manner of services.
whichfranchise.co.za was launched exactly one year ago, at IFE 2006. We have grown dramatically since then, with 52 038 page impressions recorded during March 2007. We attracted many visitors to our stand with the live link to the website. We also won a Bronze award for stand design at the show. The unofficial count of visitors for this year’s show is in the region of 8 250 visitors. If you missed this year’s event, we would like to remind you that whichfranchise.co.za is a virtual exhibition of franchise advice and opportunities available to you 24/7!
To mark whichfranchise.co.za’s first birthday in an appropriate manner, we are launching a printed version as a companion directory, to be known as Which Franchise? Which Franchise? contains a listing of qualified franchise opportunities. This means that we only list franchisors that are either members of the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) or have been vetted and approved by Absa. Remember, Which Franchise? is much more than a mere listing of franchise opportunities. It contains articles on every aspect of interest to an individual who considers becoming a franchisee.
Many people – and this includes sector insiders who should know better – talk about “buying” a franchise, or even “selling” one, but this is misleading. It could even be said that it amounts to a misrepresentation of facts because a franchise is granted, never sold. Read on and you’ll soon see that we are talking more than mere semantics here.
If you buy something, you generally own it, and you can do with it as you please.
A franchise is granted for a specific period only, and the grant is subject to the terms and conditions that are laid down in the franchise agreement. Unless you adhere to these conditions, the grant could be withdrawn by the franchisor.
The “Ask an expert” section of whichfranchise.co.za deals with franchise-related questions all the time – see the end of this newsletter. Each month, we select those questions which we consider to be of interest to a wider segment of our target audience and reprint them, together with the answers given by our panel of experts.Before we dive in at the deep end, an important policy statement: From time to time, we receive questions regarding the viability of a specific franchise. As a matter of principle, we are unable to assess the merits or otherwise of a specific franchise opportunity. We will be happy, however, to provide pointers on how you can avoid unwelcome surprises as far as possible.
Q: At what stage am I entitled to receive a network’s disclosure document? I am asking this because the franchisor I am negotiating with wants me to sign the franchise agreement before he will give me a copy of the disclosure document. This does not sound right. Read more…
Butterfield Bakery – bakery
Founders Grill – Meat restaurant with a relaxing and family orientated atmosphere
Hole in the Wall - Business services organisation focusing on the home renovations market
Click here for a full directory of franchise opportunities
If you ever wondered what types of businesses can be franchised, consider this: Pet Butler describes itself as the No 1 in the No 2 business and is the leading pet waste clean-up service in the US. They have been in business for two decades and operate through a nation-wide network of franchisees. They offer clean-up services to home-owners, multi-family communities and the administrators of municipal parks. Read more…
This brings us to the end of this edition, but it is not where our service to you, dear readers, ends. Should you have questions that relate to the concept of franchising rather than a specific franchise opportunity, we invite you to send an email to experts@whichfranchise.co.za. Our panel of experts will provide an answer to your question, usually within 24 hours. This is a free service that places you under no obligation whatsoever.
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