96
Franchises from £20,000 to £50,000
Recognition Express
Investment level:
s
£30,000 plus VAT
Website:
www.recognition-express.com/franchise
Email:
c
h
i
s
e
f
o
c
u
franchise@recognition-express.com
phone:
f
r
a
n
01530 513 300
classification:
Corporate recognition specialists
he has received. “I can honestly say that the
organisation does everything it says it does
on the label: comprehensive initial training
with refreshers if needed; great support
from head of ce in terms of technical,
marketing and sourcing enquiries, and a
very helpful network amongst the other 46
franchise owners.
“In addition, there are quarterly
meetings with Nigel Toplis, which I have
From badges to
found hugely valuable in helping me to
focus my business in the right direction.
He is a great sounding board for new ideas
business gifts
and opportunities. Recognition Express is
providing me with the base on which I can
build a successful franchise business and
Former accountant Stuart Fisher explains how he made
achieve my personal and business goals.”
Looking ahead to the future, he says: “At
the successful transition from accountant to franchisee
present there’s just myself and my wife Bev,
who works part-time, but I’m planning on
with Recognition Express
bringing Bev more into the business as the
kids become more independent. We’ve hit
F
ROM BRANDED business gifts Following the research, he felt that
“I can honestly
out rst-year target of £75,000-worth of
and corporate promotional buying a business was far too risky for a
say that the
sales and we’d like to double the number
products to personalised name man with a wife, mortgage and two kids. of clients wanting repeat orders. I aim to
badges, staff awards, signs and personalised “I then started looking at franchises and,
organisation
organise myself better this year with a
corporate clothing, the range is huge not knowing much about them, I went up
does
more detailed marketing plan.”
and the market massive. Recognition to Birmingham for The National Franchise
everything it
He offers this advice to new franchisees:
Express is renowned for its high level of Exhibition,” he says. “I knew that I wanted ”Enjoy it and work hard. Plan your time
ongoing franchisee support, advice and to move away from nance and do
says it does on
carefully, because there are a million
programmes in the areas of marketing, something completely different.”
the label”
different jobs to do, from sales and
sales, product sourcing, technology and He came across Recognition Express, marketing to accounting, credit control and
business planning. and after having a chat with Nigel Toplis, the invoicing. Make sure you get your invoices
Centrally designed, managed and company’s managing director, he thought out on time and keep a watchful eye on
implemented direct marketing programmes the franchise had a good connection to the your cash ow. Lastly, network as much as
form the backbone of the marketing business he’d been involved in previously. possible.”
system and are augmented by high quality “After discussing it with my wife, who The Recognition Express franchise
collateral, marketing tools and ongoing thought I was having a mid-life crisis, I took package costs £30,000 (plus VAT), so each
training designed to drive business growth, a bungee jump out of my comfort zone prospect requires a minimum of £10,000
client contact and brand awareness. and purchased a franchise with Recognition personal funding, with the rest to be raised
Stuart Fisher took the plunge and Express in December 2007. My rst proper via bank nance. A territory covers around
became a Recognition Express franchise trading month was January 2008. 9,000 businesses and the package includes
owner a little over a year ago Stuart, 48, “I started the business from home to all the hardware, samples and templates
was a quali ed accountant his whole save on overheads and it was a major someone would need to get started, as
working life, and the past 11 years were culture shock for all the family. The kids well as full central of ce support, initial
spent as nance director for an exhibition actually got to see me in the mornings and ongoing training, a comprehensive
and conference venue. before school. I used to be out of the marketing launch programme (including
He remembers his original introduction house at 6.30am and not back home until appointment generating system) and access
to Recognition Express: “I had always 7pm. The downside is having your of ce to a network that can ful l any order.
fancied running my own business in some in your home so you can’t switch off. I’m For further information, people
shape or form, and following a failed forever checking or replying to emails and are asked to call 01530 513300, email
management buyout I decided to research preparing quotes.
franchise@recognition-express.com or visit
purchasing my own business.” He is impressed with the support that
www.recognition-express.com/franchise ■
April 2009
www.businessfranchise.com
BF096_Recognition xpress_Apr09 x.indd 1 25/2/09 17:59:23
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