Market Focus LULULOCAL
one month you’ve got to sell another 10 next month just to stand still, so it can be hard getting growth. With LuluLocal, our business clients sign up for monthly subscriptions so these recurring revenues seem to really be building up month by month as I add new clients.
T
iz Bell-Richards (centre) has worked in small- and medium-sized businesses in Tunbridge Wells for 20 years, and last year opened a LuluLocal franchise there.
What attracted you to franchising? Having set up my own businesses from scratch in the past, I was very aware of the initial time and financial investment required in branding, marketing, publicity, systems, etc and I decided to seek a new venture that was already established in these areas. The support and networking aspects of a franchise also appealed to me; I enjoy being self-employed but it can be very lonely if you are completely on your own.
Why did you choose LuluLocal in particular?
I wanted to do something locally in Tunbridge Wells, preferably in the service sector. What immediately attracted me to LuluLocal was the aspect of support for local business, giving them the opportunity to publicise themselves more widely to local customers. I was impressed that it wasn’t just another directory but a means for a business to communicate their product or service, offers and promotions to the local community on an ongoing basis. I have lived in Tunbridge Wells for over 25 years and I knew that there were businesses that would jump at the opportunity to be on LuluLocal. I was also immediately struck by the clear branding, cohesiveness of the marketing materials, energy in the development of the brand and by the approachability of the franchisor, who was keen to hear about new ideas and developments.
The business model was really attractive too. I know from my previous experience that if you sell 10 widgets
How have you found your experience so far? It’s working really well. As I predicted, local businesses have been keen to sign up to a web-based form of marketing that puts their offer into the heart of the Tunbridge Wells community. The response has been tremendous, one client could not believe the amount of extra enquiries she had as a result of signing up to LuluLocal and publicising her business.
“Every business needs more customers, and therefore sales, to hit the bottom line”
What kind of support have you received from the franchisor? I believe that the most important thing about taking on a franchise is the initial brief and training. Mike Tapia’s enthusiasm and passion in explaining his reason for setting up LuluLocal was contagious. He was able to talk though the logic behind every part of the business and gave me a strong and clear sales pitch that I was able to understand, agree with and use to hit the ground running. Taking on a business is complex and having clear sensible systems in place made the whole transition very easy, from publicity to marketing approach, record keeping, taking payments and invoicing it had all been thought through very carefully, and was easy to follow.
Once I had understood the business idea and began to take it into the community, I found Mike was really supportive. He is always available on the end of the phone, making time to talk issues and ideas through and taking the time to contact me to ask how it’s going. His encouragement has been very welcome.
What are the advantages of working in the B2B sector?
Every business needs more customers, and therefore sales, to hit the bottom line. LuluLocal is a cost-effective way of getting a business seen by hundreds of potential customers, and everyone I have spoken to
has been interested in LuluLocal, viewing it as a benefit to the business community.
What advice would you give to anyone considering franchising? Search very carefully for a business that you believe in and can feel passionate about. Make certain that the franchisor can make you feel excited about his or her vision – if they can’t, you are not going to be able to convince the customer. Ask questions to ensure that there are decent and workable systems in place for the entire business journey. The availability and approachability of a franchisor is very important; you need to be able to get hold of them and talk things through. I was looking for a two-way street – I was happy to take on someone else’s vision but I wanted to be able to contribute by giving my own ideas too. Not all of them are taken on board, but a good few have been!
SELECT APPOINTMENTS
A
lun Williams has owned a Select Appointments recruitment agency franchise in Bristol since 2008, which he runs and manages with his
son Peter. Alun comes from a background of high-level management roles within the healthcare sector.
What attracted you to franchising? After a career in the healthcare sector at senior director level, I was after a business to provide a good income and be flexible enough to allow me to maintain other business interests such as the non- executive directorships I hold, with the franchisor’s approval. I also wanted to involve my son and have a legacy business to pass on to him when I retire.
April 2014 |
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