The E


rules to


dward Zander, a prominent American businessman, is credited with saying “It is never as good as it feels, and it is never a bad as it seems”. That’s just one version of the


well-known saying, but the point stands in the context of events of the recent past… When Russia invaded Ukraine there was


a great deal of fear and uncertainty globally. We began to see the cost of living climbing and high unemployment was forecast, as well as a recession. At the time of writing, however, we are not currently in a recession, unemployment has hardly changed, although energ osts and ination are rising some stability may be on the horizon. The world has seen similar situations before


 te great finanial ras or te events that followed 9/11. It's imperative to separate emotion from logic – act on the latter while being aware of the former. I have been in franchising for 23 years and in that time have witnessed three periods where people were subdued – to say the least – about the future, but always business and life and, crucially, franchising have gone on. Which takes us nicely to the thrust of this


article – spring is well and truly sprung on and new opportunities and new life will inevitably come forward. We have seen data that suggests that enquiries for franchises are increasing and that is good news for franchisors, and potential franchisors, as well as for those who are actively looking to acquire a franchise – because it says that onfidene returning. So, you may be about to look at becoming


a franchisee and our advice is to avoid hype and emotion. In the meantime, here are some


18


research by…


Whatever’s happening, be positive in your planning! Follow Nick Williams’ olden rules to succeed in franchisin


golden rules to bear closely in mind: Be wary of franchisors who make false


promises, whose ethical stance is weak. In order to avoid them, ask questions and investigate carefully.


 Make sure the franchise you are interested in is uilt on firm foundations  ou need to do research and carry out your due diligence to identify ethical and sound franchises.


 Don’t let yourself be sold to, keep in mind what it is you want from your investment, what’s driving you to run your own business, become your own boss…


 Make sure you like what you will be doing! Ashtons Franchise Consulting has a useful


checklist to use as a guide: https://www. ashtonsfranchise.com/buy-a-franchise/ check-before-cheque/ There will always be good quality


opportunities available to genuine people prepared to invest their heart and mind and energy into establishing their own business – I hope that person will be you. It's easy to be blown off course by gloomy


newspaper headlines, but sensible, serious and committed potential franchisees, (and potential franchisors) always take a balanced view and look at the long-term plan. Franchising is a great way to build a


business and minimise risk and the thought to take away from this piece is that you should: follow your mind, do your research, take your time and get good advice, whether you are planning to become a franchisor or a franchisee! Good luck! 


NICK WILLIAMS is a franchise consultant at Ashtons Franchise Consulting


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