Aug 7, 2014 | Clients in the Media, News
Helping out in their communities is just one of the ways that Ringtons ensure that the brand is well-known in their local area. 
Ringtons in Newcastle is no exception having recently partnered with a group of business students to assist them in setting up their own coffee bar!
Ringtons, a mobile tea and coffee business, doesn’t just deliver first-class products with exceptional service, it’s now one of the most exciting business opportunities available! Founded in 1907, the business has a rich heritage of which it is immensely proud and the core business is still family owned to this day.
Ringtons teamed up with a group of business students from St Thomas More School in Blaydon who have researched and developed their own idea to open a coffee bar in their school. Located in the sixth form common room, the coffee bar caters for over 600 students and is manned by the older pupils at the school. The bar has proven to be a massive success and students and teachers have flocked to buy the wide selection of barista quality coffees, smoothies, frappes and lattes being served up to them by their fellow pupils.
The project involved the students agreeing a budget, meeting with various suppliers, writing up their findings and developing a business plan to support the coffee bar on a long-term basis. The research culminated in a student-led presentation to their board of governors outlining their research and naming a recommended supplier.
“We were incredibly impressed by the knowledge and professionalism shown by the sixth form students at St Thomas More School. As part of their research, we invited the students and their teacher, Fiona Shaw, into Ringtons in Newcastle to meet with us, taste a variety of teas and coffees, and have a go on some of the espresso equipment we have in our training suite,” explains Steven Drysdale, Head of Ringtons’ Beverages.
“It’s great to see such promising students taking on a practical project like this and it has given them a real insight into the process of researching and appointing a supplier and, of course, how to make a great coffee!”
By taking part in these kinds of ventures, Ringtons set themselves apart from the competition in their chosen territories and ensure that the brand is well known, helping them to generate more business on their daily rounds. Ringtons franchisees deliver first-class products with exceptional service and a personal and friendly touch to over 260,000 households in the UK.
“The students really enjoyed the on-site visits to Ringtons and we were really excited after the hands-on training they received during the tour and on our own espresso equipment when it was installed in our new coffee bar. The students love coming up with new coffee concoctions using their new found barista skills and even the staff are queuing up to see what’s on the menu each day,” adds Richard Bell, Chief Manager at St Thomas More School.
Joining Ringtons as a franchisee has never been easier or more attractive. Ringtons are so confident in their franchise model that they are now offering an unprecedented level of financial support for new franchisees. The new fee structure opens the franchise opportunity up to a significantly wider audience with the initial franchise cost being just £5,000. Ringtons will then fund the remaining £10,000 which franchisees can repay through an increased monthly management services fee over four years.
As part of the fully comprehensive training and launch package, new franchisees are guaranteed a minimum of 1,800 new customer orders from day one. The package also includes an exclusive territory, in-depth training programme, £3k of stock, a 3-month deposit on a VW caddie van plus all the equipment needed to successfully launch and run the business.
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Jul 30, 2014 | Clients in the Media, News
Andy Wilson, a franchise owner with The Alternative Board (TAB) since April 2011, likes to make sure that he is involved in his 
local community as much as possible. Not only does he run his own rock music schools for children in the area, he has also recently completed an impressive, self-organised charity bike ride.
The bike ride saw a group of 11 cycle 330 miles from Paris to Lyon over three and a half days and was undertaken in order to raise money for their chosen charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). The charity is close to Andy’s heart as the child of a close friend died at the age of 14 from a heart condition that had not been diagnosed. In the following year Andy and a group of friends decided to host an event in order to support the child’s family and give them something positive to focus on. With a large network of board members, Andy certainly wasn’t short of support!
TAB is the world’s largest peer-to-peer support and business advisory franchise. Their franchise owners run dynamic, membership-only board meetings to facilitate peer-to-peer support and offer one-to-one coaching for business owners. TAB empower business owners to achieve more; more profitability, productivity and personal fulfilment.
CRY works to reduce the frequency of sudden cardiac death in the young and supports young people who have been diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement and support to families affected by Young Sudden Cardiac Death (YSCD).
The bike ride is now in its second year and is getting bigger! This year’s raised enough money (£4,000) for a specialist scanner that can be used to detect heart problems in young people. The group specifically asked for the scanners to be used for children in order to identify those with cardiac risks.
Combined with the first event, the group have now managed to raise a whopping £10,000 for the charity and they don’t intend to stop there! Next year, the group are planning to cycle from Lyon to Nice and after that they plan to extend the trip so that eventually their final destination will be Istanbul.
“I made sure that the bike ride didn’t clash with any of my board meetings and it was done over the half term and bank holiday so it minimised the impact on business and clients. My board members have all been extremely supportive and thought that the bike ride was a fantastic idea so I don’t think any of them minded me being away for a couple of days!” explains Andy.
Since 1990, TAB franchise owners have helped over 13,000 business owners achieve their personal and professional goals. They have close to 25 years’ experience in the SME sector and their worldwide network of over 200 franchise owners are supported by a team of experts in all essential business disciplines. TAB are an associate member of the British Franchise Association, promoting ethical franchising.
There are almost 5 million businesses in the UK with a combined turnover of £3,300 billion. In 2013, SMEs accounted for 99.9% of ALL private sector businesses. Using exclusive TAB planning and development tools, franchise owners unlock the real world experience and skillsets of their board members to deliver an invaluable and inspiring service. Franchisees enjoy a regular and predictable income stream with significant opportunity for additional revenues.
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Jul 16, 2014 | Clients in the Media, News
The UK’s largest property franchise is celebrating the opening of its northernmost office this month, as Martin & Co Inverness 
arrives.
The latest franchise owners to join the team are husband and wife duo, Tony and Karen MacIver, who both have a strong business background having previously owned a teddy bear franchise and their own property and letting sales business in the city. Although they enjoyed running their own property business, Tony and Karen were keen to join a nationally-recognised brand and to benefit from faster income growth, so they made the move to rebrand their business as Martin & Co.
With strong high street and online presence, the secret of Martin & Co’s franchise owners success is that they can provide local property knowledge whilst being backed by a national brand. It’s no wonder Martin & Co has been recognised for its award-winning service by its clients winning Gold for Best Large Letting Chain at the ESTAS (Estate and Letting Agent awards) in 2009 and 2012, as well as Silver in 2010, 2011 & 2013 and Bronze in 2014.
“We chose Martin & Co because we wanted to be part of a growing and successful business. The brand is recognisable nationwide, so we were keen to adopt the reputation of excellence in the business and credibility of being part of a public limited company. We also felt comforted by the continuous support and guidance that is on offer,” explains Tony.
Franchise owners like Tony and Karen take market share in their dedicated franchise territories using Martin & Co’s support, sales training and understanding of best practice in the property industry. On lettings income alone, on average, Martin & Co’s franchise owners who are high-street based turnover £245k in year 3 and you can expect to build your business value to in excess of £380k in just 5 years.
Tony’s background in sales and Karen’s experience in the financial industry provided the skills and experience they needed to run their own Martin & Co franchise. As property investors themselves, Karen and Tony are aware of the high standards expected in the industry and are confident that they can achieve this. As locals to the area, they felt Inverness would be the perfect location for a lettings and estate agency franchise.
Now couldn’t be a better time to invest with Martin & Co. The property market is thriving, with research indicating that the private rental market will continue to expand by 50% in the next decade. By 2016, it is estimated that one in five households will be renting in the private sector. It is not just the lettings market that is booming. The current demand for sales property is insatiable with an estimated 12 prospective buyers to every new property on the market. With no end to this boom in sight, Martin & Co franchise owners look set to have a bright future in the property industry.
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Jul 10, 2014 | Clients in the Media, News
Baskin-Robbins ice cream will be available in even more locations across the UK this summer. Dunkin’ Brands, the parent 
company of Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donut, have announced a partnership with Welcome Break, one of the largest independent motorway service operators in the UK. Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts products will now be available in selected motorway service areas in the UK.
Baskin-Robbins shops are due to be added to a range of Welcome Break sites over the coming weeks and Dunkin’ Donuts baked goods will also be added to a selection of sites. These kinds of partnerships are great news for Baskin-Robbins’ franchisees as brand awareness increases across the country and brings in more local business too.
“We’re extremely excited to partner with Welcome Break and bringing Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts products to their customers,” explains Jim Johnstone, General UK Manager for Dunkin’ Brands.
For 65 years, Baskin-Robbins has been creating irresistible treats to make customers smile and feel good. Since their foundation in 1945, they have introduced over 1,000 unique, fun and much-loved ice cream recipes, frozen drinks, and ice-cream cakes. Their stores continue to be popular as their treats are an affordable treat for families. Baskin-Robbins sells in excess of 300 million scoops of ice cream each year across 7,300 stores in 50 countries.
“We look forward to serving travellers our delicious Baskin-Robbins’ ice cream, sundaes and frozen beverages, as well as Dunkin’ Donuts baked goods – what could be better after a long journey on the motorway?!” adds Jim.
The Baskin-Robbins locations at Welcome Break services will feature the brand’s premium hard scoop ice cream as well as its frozen beverages and ice cream sundaes. In addition, a range of donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts will be available at selected locations as part of the partnership, so travellers can treat themselves while they’re on the go.
“We’re pleased to partner with Dunkin’ Brands to bring two of the world’s most loved restaurant brands, Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts, to select Welcome Break across the UK,” said Rod McKie, CEO of Welcome Break, “We strive to offer travelers a wide range of food, beverages and services when they need a break from the road, and this partnership will give them even more delicious options.”
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Jun 25, 2014 | Clients in the Media, News
It’s a double celebration for The Alternative Board (TAB) as they celebrate their 5th anniversary in the UK and 
host their 4th annual members’ conference.
TAB was officially launched on 5th June 2009 at the Yorkshire International Business Conference. Over the last five years, TAB’s network has grown and the UK network now has 277 members, 26 facilitators and 600 UK SME business leaders have taken advantage TAB’s services.
The 4th annual members’ conference was held last month at Oulton Hall in Leeds. The conference is designed to be educational, engaging and inspiring and gives members the opportunity to come together from boards across the country. The aim is for them to take away information that can help them in their businesses.
TAB is the world’s largest peer-to-peer support and business advisory franchise. Their franchise owners run dynamic, membership-only board meetings to facilitate peer-to-peer support and offer one-on-one coaching for business owners. TAB empower business owners to achieve more; more profitability, productivity and personal fulfilment!
This year, 13 franchisees attended the conference and 55 members from all over the UK attended to share their knowledge and experience with fellow members. The conference also gave TAB an opportunity to celebrate the success of their members with an award ceremony to finish off the day’s events. The Member of the Year award went to Philippa Keith, MSP Secretaries, and recognises members who have really excelled over the past year. Winners also included Adrian Inman, Afinite, who won the community award for being involved in everything that TAB has to offer, and Richard Fuller, County Battery Service Ltd, who won the ‘Riding the Wave’ award for using his board to prepare for the year to come.
“What a powerful day! This has been my third members’ event and for me it has been the best day by far, especially as all of the content was delivered by TAB members or facilitators. This demonstrates the depth of knowledge and experience present in the TAB membership. Book me onto next year’s please,” Tony Miles, Milestone Management Solutions Ltd.
Since 1990, TAB franchisees have helped over 13,000 business owners achieve their personal and professional goals. They have close to 25 years’ experience in the SME sector and their worldwide network of over 200 franchisees are supported by a team of experts in all essential business disciplines. TAB are an associate member of the British Franchise Association, promoting ethical franchising.
There are almost 5 million businesses in the UK with a combined turnover of £3,300 billion. In 2013, SMEs accounted for 99.9% of ALL private sector businesses. Using exclusive TAB planning and development tools, franchisees unlock the real world experience and skillsets of their board members to deliver an invaluable and inspiring service. Franchisees enjoy a regular and predictable income stream with significant opportunity for additional revenues.
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. It will also be included in upcoming print publications. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us
Ringtons in Newcastle is no exception having recently partnered with a group of business students to assist them in setting up their own coffee bar!
