Nov 25, 2013 | Coconut in the Media, Coconut News, News, Workshops
[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]This year sees the 6th anniversary of our popular Coconut Workshops for franchisors! Since 2010 we’ve had 200+ franchise brands from across the franchise industry benefiting from our practical workshop programme to fine tune their franchise recruitment and marketing performance. They grow year on year and we’re really excited to share with you what 2016 has in store.
Coconut franchise recruitment workshops deliver valuable insights and ideas for the franchise brands who attend. We advise franchisors on all aspects of their franchise recruitment marketing with proven results using examples and case studies. Our workshops are designed to cover a range of up-to-the-minute, relevant topics with helpful tips and techniques that you can readily apply to your franchise back in the office.
Franchisors attend our workshops because they want to:
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- Recruit more franchisees
- Spend their recruitment budget in a smarter way
- Improve their own skillsets in franchise marketing
- Learn the latest techniques and methodologies in recruitment
- Understand how social media can support franchise recruitment
- Help their franchisees obtain more sales.
[/fancy-ul][vc_column_text]NEW for 2016! Our workshops have received Qualified Franchise Professional (QFP) qualified event status from the bfa! This means that you can now attend our workshop programme as part of your own QFP training.
Each day of our QFP workshops is worth 250 points and will count towards your overall QFP qualification.
Click here to book via our contact form
Our 2016 workshop programme looks like this:
1st March 2016
How to Market your Franchise and Recruit for Network Growth: Day 1 – Setting a SMART approach to franchisee recruitment (250 QFP points)
Suitable for both new and seasoned franchisors this jam-packed workshop looks at how you can set a strategic approach to your marketing and recruitment. On the day we will take you through:
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- Current market conditions for franchisee recruitment (looking at the macro environment and how consumer behaviour changed since the 2007 crash and its effect on franchising)
- The micro environment: franchisee profiling, industry-wide and company specific
- The franchisee selection/sales process (learning from a decade worth of research across 200 franchise brands) looking at best practice models for building a franchisee profile
- Discovery Days vs 121 meetings
- Right recruitment techniques and collateral for each stage of the selection process
- Corporate responsibility: the legal and ethical role of the franchisor
- Relationship between recruitment selection and network quality
- Why develop a strategic plan of action for marketing and recruitment (leading onto day 2)
[/fancy-ul][vc_column_text]2nd March 2016
How to Market your Franchise and Recruit for Network Growth: Day 2 – Franchise marketing new media: The role of social (250 QFP points)
We’re told time and time again by franchisors that they don’t fully understand how to utilise social media for marketing and franchise recruitment. On this workshop you’ll learn crucial social media skills and we’ll take you through:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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- Developing an integrated marketing communications plan in franchising
- Setting budgets, timescales and monitoring ROI
- The roles of traditional offline media (exhibitions, magazines, newspapers, referrals)
- New movements in the marketing and selection process
- The roles of online new media in recruitment
- Your franchise sales process & where social media fits to support it
- The latest recruitment marketing techniques delivering results in the industry right now
- How to set up, personalise and automate social media channels to save you time & money
[/fancy-ul][vc_column_text]14th April 2016
How to motivate your franchisees (250 QFP points)
Your franchise network is your most valuable brand asset, they are out there every day representing you. This workshop will help you understand what you can do to steer your network in the right direction using a wide variety of tools to educate and motivate each individual franchisee. This workshop deals with these and many other sensitive issues that are at the heart of the franchisor / franchisee relationship covering:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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- An overview of bridging the gap between franchisee knowledge and their application
- Using tools to help your franchisees represent your brand effectively
- Using the franchisee toolbox: the Franchise Agreement, the Operations Manual, the Marketing Manual and Franchisee Business Plan
- Using a month-by-month support structure for your franchisees
- Recognising and rewarding franchisee achievement
- Leading and motivating franchisees through their life cycle (different methods for different lifecycle stages)
- Setting KPIs & targets on an individual basis and how to monitor these
- Understanding your leadership skills and how to use these to motivate the network
- How you can work to best practice guidelines as a franchisor.
[/fancy-ul][vc_column_text]14th July 2016
Exhibiting and speaking effectively for franchisee recruitment
Many franchisors are attending the same shows year on year but unfortunately don’t make the most of them year on year. As a franchisor you are in a room full of other franchise brands competing for the attention and contact details of the same visitors. So being noticed as a high-quality opportunity and making the most out of your initial contact with a prospect is key to exhibiting successfully. On this workshop you will cover:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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- How to plan your exhibition attendance like a military operation
- SMART collateral to have on stand (including your perfect pitch!)
- How to make YOUR franchise stand out from the crowd
- How to maximise your exposure during the show
- How to use presentations to generate more franchise enquiries at exhibitions
- Effective follow-up tools that will turn your leads into franchisees!
[/fancy-ul][vc_column_text]11th October 2016
How to Market your Franchise and Recruit for Network Growth: Day 1 – Setting a SMART approach to franchisee recruitment (250 QFP points)
As above!
12th October 2016
How to Market your Franchise and Recruit for Network Growth: Day 2 – Franchise marketing new media: The role of social (250 QFP points)
As above!
9th November 2016
How to motivate your franchisees (250 QFP points)
As above!
Structure & Pricing
We will happily offset any payments made for our Coconut Workshops should you become a Coconut retainer client within the 12 month period.
Coconut Franchisor Workshops are proudly sponsored by
If you are interested in learning more about our 2016 Workshop Programme please contact us via the form below and one of our team will be in touch![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][contact-form-7 id=”5974″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Nov 11, 2013 | Clients in the Media, News
Kate Kent has recently become the second female Mac Tools franchisee. Kate was working as a teaching assistant in a 
local school when she started helping out her fiancé, Adrian Griggs, who is already a Mac Man, during the school holidays. Kate enjoyed helping Adrian so much that she decided to open her own franchise.
Mac Tools franchisees are the trusted tool specialists for professional technicians in the automotive industry. Mac Tools is part of Stanley Black & Decker, a £7+ billion global organisation and owner of world-famous brands such as DeWALT, Facom and Britool Expert. Over the last three years Mac Tools have achieved 25% year-on-year growth in what is considered to be a flat market.
“I caught the Mac Tools bug whilst I was helping Adrian out on his van. I love being part of Mac Tools, it feels like one big family and everyone’s passion for the business shines through – it’s infectious. Initially, the training was the most petrifying thing I’ve ever done, I was taken way past my comfort zone in every way possible but it helped my confidence grow so much. The support from the team was great, it made a difficult situation so much easier. You leave the training believing in yourself and it really helped my character to develop in a huge way.”
“The ongoing support from Mac Tools has also been fantastic, it doesn’t stop with the initial training. I had support on the road with me for two weeks and the franchise team, customer services and other franchisees are always on the other end of the phone if you ever need any help. Everyone’s got time to help and no-one thinks your question is too silly!”
Being one of only two female franchisees in a male dominated industry could be seen as challenging but Kate has found it quite the opposite.
“I haven’t found the experience uncomfortable at all, even though I thought it would be when I walked in to my first automotive repair shop. Prior to joining Mac Tools I was a teaching assistant in a local primary school specialising in maths intervention and I didn’t even know the difference between a flat head screwdriver and a Philips – it just goes to show you’re never too old to learn. Many new franchisees have to learn about the huge range of over 18,000 tools that we have to sell and I think I get a better reception as being a woman in this business is a novelty to my customers; sometimes they even make me a cup of tea!”
“My fiancé Adrian has also been extremely supportive throughout the whole process. He will always help me if I have a question or if I need advice. He will even quiz me on the products for ‘tote and promote’ in the evenings when he gets in from work!”
“My best achievement to date has been beating Adrian in one week’s sales. I’m very competitive so it was a good moment for me!”
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!
Nov 7, 2013 | Clients in the Media
Martin & Co, the UK’s largest single brand residential lettings business, is pleased to announce that it will start trading on AIM before the end of the year. This Bournemouth-based company that has successfully expanded through the franchise model hopes that this move will see them take advantage of a “fragmented” but growing rental market. Martin & Co hope to raise £15-£17m from the flotation, and expects to be valued at about £30-£35m. With anticipated end-of-year pre-tax profits of £1.92m, the company would be trading at an earnings multiple of just over 15.
Martin & Co will release shares worth up to 50 per cent of its value. The company is 95 per cent owned by its two founding partners – Richard Martin and Kathryn Martin while chief executive Ian Wilson owns 5 per cent. The flotation represents a part exit for the two founders, although all owners will retain a holding in the company after flotation, which is to be managed by broker Panmure Gordon.
Martin & Co has a 1.7 per cent share of the overall letting market in the UK. Although this figure is small, it is the largest business in the sector, underlining how fragmented the market is. Mr Wilson said the company was likely to pursue acquisitions of smaller rivals. “In a fragmented marketplace there’s always someone who can come in and consolidate.”
Privately-rented households in the UK have increased by 50 per cent over the 10 years to 2011, according to Census data. In 2013, Rightmove and Savills Rental Britain predicted that the number of such households would rise by 1m by 2016. “Even for people within the industry, it’s surprising the extent to which letting has mushroomed,” Mr Wilson said.
Martin & Co operates through a franchise model that offers property sales, letting and investment products where franchise owners, on lettings income alone, on average turnover £275k in year 3 and can expect to build a business value to in excess of £450k in just 5 years. Franchise owners then pay 9 per cent of revenues to the company which provides them with extensive support from the franchisor’s team at head office.
The letting market has changed over recent years with the rise of websites such as Zoopla and Rightmove. About 85 per cent of Martin & Co’s revenue comes through websites,“I think there will be consolidation in the market – it’s getting more sophisticated, you need proper training, you need digital and social media expertise,” he said. “It’s no longer enough to stick an advert in the local paper.”
Richard Martin, one of Martin & Co’s founders, is naturally very positive about the move. “This is an entirely positive development for the Martin & Co Group and all of its franchise owners and employees. A public listing will provide a platform to raise new capital which will be used to further expand and develop our franchise owners businesses through a programme of acquisitions. We may also use the funds to enable us to expand our footprint into new territories by assisting with the re-branding of competitor businesses, who may wish to develop with the backing of the biggest property franchise brand in the UK.”
This press release was featured on a variety of franchise related websites and also generated social media coverage. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us!
Nov 2, 2013 | Clients in the Media, News, Uncategorized
With the worst winter for decades predicted for 2013, you might think that ice cream sales are likely to fall throughout the winter 
months. However, the new range of Hot Treats at Baskin-Robbins, now available all year round, mean that you can continue to enjoy ice cream without feeling too chilly. The Hot Treats range consists of a variety of hot desserts accompanied by your favourite ice cream flavours.
In preparation for this winter, Baskin-Robbins have added two brand new treats to the range. Buttermilk brownies and sticky toffee pudding will be joining the existing range which already includes:
- Brownie
- Waffle
- Chocolate fondant
- Rockslide brownie.
For 65 years Baskin-Robbins has been creating irresistible treats to make you smile and feel good. The Baskin-Robbins franchise opportunity offers rewarding potential. 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. To make sure that their customers keep coming back and can discover new flavours to suit their personality on a regular basis they employ a dedicated team of chefs who explore new flavour trends and create new recipes as well as innovative new products for the ice cream market.
“The Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlour concept is fun and unique, I love the fact that there are 31 different flavours of ice cream, including fat free, sugar free and yogurt varieties available, so there is something for everyone – even those on a diet!” explains Franchisee Prem Gotru.
Baskin-Robbins are constantly updating their products to keep them interesting and more appealing than their competitors’ products. In a market with such strong competition as the ice cream market, incremental product innovation is key to establish and maintain a substantial competitive advantage. Additionally, incremental innovation, if executed properly, offers distinct advantages to franchise businesses as changes can be operationalised quickly by franchisees.
Baskin-Robbins employ a dedicated teams of chefs who explore new flavour trends and create new recipes as well as innovative new products for the ice cream market such as fondue and crepes. These new recipes and products are then tested using focus groups in the US whilst also being evaluated by franchisees in the UK.
As a result of their excellent process of incremental product innovation, Baskin-Robbins is at the forefront of offering a variety of products that meet various consumer needs across all seasons.
This press release has created wide spread coverage on franchise related websites and social media. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not contact us!
Nov 1, 2013 | Clients in the Media
Ringtons taste tester at work
Mobile tea and coffee business Ringtons pride themselves on delivering top quality products to their customers. As a testament to this, their highly popular Scottish Strawberry Preserve was awarded an outstanding two star rating in the prestigious Great Taste 2013 awards.
The Great Taste awards is widely regarded as the world’s largest and most rigorous food awards. Great Taste judges blind taste over 9,700 entrants to find the very best food and drink, so it is a huge honour for businesses to be recognised by the awards.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that our constant strive to produce the best quality products has been recognised in this way. Our delicious Scottish Strawberry Preserve wowed the judges in the scheme! We sell over 80,000 jars every year so we know our customers love it and Great Taste clearly agree,” says Jon Malton, Brand Director of Ringtons.
Ringtons franchisees deliver first-class products with exceptional service and a personal and friendly touch to over 260,000 UK households. 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.
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 Service Fee (MSF) over four years.
From award-winning food and drink to unique heritage collectables, the team at Ringtons head office continues to increase product range and quality to ensure their franchisees are able to offer the very latest and finest items to their ever expanding base of loyal customers.
“What we offer new franchisees is totally unique. We provide financial assistance for them to own a business which guarantees income from day one. We want our franchisees to hit the ground running with everything they need not only to operate their business successfully but with the skills and confidence to deliver exceptional customer service. We’re looking to partner with people who are passionate about starting and growing their business and being part of, and continuing, the proud Ringtons tradition,” explains Chris Clarke, Franchise Manager at Ringtons.
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 was featured on a variety of franchise related websites and also generated social media coverage. To find out how Coconut Creatives can help you generate great PR why not
contact us!
