Franchise Advice


Buying a brand, not just a franchise


Many people decide to buy a franchise instead of starting their own business because they seek to benefit from the status of an already established brand. Choose carefully, though, as the strength, longevity and reputation of the brand will affect you directly as a franchisee, says Sally Anne Butters


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strong brand is essential for anyone buying a franchise. Starting a new business is always going to be risky, but knowing what you are getting into is comforting


and will ease some of those start-up nerves. A brand is so much more than just a name and logo; for many people it’s a personality, a feeling that they get whenever they come across, purchase or interact with a company, product or service. It is important, therefore, to assess the strength and longevity of the brand that you are buying into. Ask your prospective franchisor how they manage their brand and what support


systems they offer their franchisees in terms of brand guidelines for producing their own promotional literature. Establishing whether or not the franchisor has these systems in place is comforting to many prospective franchisees and is a key factor in the decision-making process.


Martin & Co franchise owners, Peter and Rani Grieve, couldn’t agree more. “Franchising was the best vehicle for us to establish a business quickly from a standing start, with the most important factor being a widely recognised, strong brand. We estimated that growth was at least twice as fast as it would have been if we had opened a business by ourselves,” explains Peter.


22 | Businessfranchise.com | July/August 2014


Franchising also gives companies the option to build their brand on a global level. Baskin-Robbins, for example, is the global leader in its marketplace. Franchisee Azmeena Dewji-Aliu explains: “I decided to buy a Baskin-Robbins franchise because I have grown up with the brand and their products. I have really fond childhood memories of Baskin-Robbins – my family and I would go there for a treat – and I always wanted to be involved in a business with a sweet factor. The power of the Baskin-Robbins brand is truly a competitive advantage. Guests buy with confidence, knowing they are dealing with ice cream specialists.”


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