000 Founders of Franchising DS 5/3/07 9:33 am Page 1
STUART
ANDERSON
Founders of franchising
‘We’re creating national
brands that people can trust’
Local Services has developed a
However, this comes with its own immediate interest from prospective
problems as the tradesmen cherry pick franchisees. “We were the first franchise
successful formula for trade- the best jobs and, because they know in the UK to train and qualify its
based franchising that sees it
they are in demand, they don’t treat you franchisees in plumbing to NVQ level,
or your customers well.” and it created a high level of response -
on the verge of launching its Born of these frustrations was the we had around 1,500 enquiries in the
third franchise network. Stuart
idea to apply franchising to the first month,” he reveals. “We were
business, an idea that has germinated as planning to start with five to 10
Anderson talks to the group’s
two trade-based franchise networks: franchisees in our first year, but because
Founder Steve Baker
PlumbLocal and ElecLocal. “I saw the we already had the infrastructure in
success Dyno-Rod was achieving place through our previous 10 years of
through franchising, and began to supporting sub-contractors, we were
“A
n ideal franchisee must seriously look at the idea,” Steve recalls. able to recruit and support the launches
have the ability to be a “While putting together a Business of 38 franchisees in year one. The
self starter,” says Steve Format Franchise package, I started network is now up to 73 franchisees, and
Baker, Chief Executive of the Local reading in the news about white collar we are looking to achieve virtually full
Services Group. “The franchisor workers leaving the city to re-train as coverage with 150 franchisees in total by
provides a business in a box, but the plumbers, gas engineers, etc. It struck the end of next year.”
franchisees are expected to run and
operate it themselves. Our ethos is that
we are here to support you, but you’ve
‘Putting the plumber into the businessman
got to be proactive - the system works
but only if you follow it.”
rather than the other way round attracts the
It is this emphasis on pursuing
quality individuals to provide the right calibre of person.’
service that brought Steve into
franchising in the first place. After a me that by putting the plumber into the In 2005 Steve launched a second
career as a city stock broker, Steve businessman rather than the other way franchise under the auspices of the
returned to Essex to take over his round I would be able to attract the newly formed parent company the Local
father’s electrical contracting business, calibre of person who would provide the Services Group. ElecLocal carried
and experienced the frustrations of right level of customer service and be PlumbLocal’s premise of bringing
dealing with a contracted workforce. committed to building up our brand. business builders into the franchise
“Our company was one of the This has enabled us to transform the network and training them to the highest
largest in the South of England way the business is delivered, and we industry standards. “ElecLocal is the
employing over 200 people, but it was challenge any of our competitors to only electrical franchise to train
run not by the management, but by the deliver such a consistently high level of franchisees as fully qualified electricians
unions,” he reflects. “I left to start my customer satisfaction!” in order to comply with new government
own facilities management business, Steve launched the PlumbLocal regulations,” comments Steve. “In fact,
and then the unions were broken up and franchise in 2004 through The the same type of legislation now applies
most tradesmen became self-employed. Franchise Magazine and generated to plumbers as part of the government’s
160
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