Jun 1, 2013 | Clients in the Media, News
Michael and Claire Welham
Michael and Claire Welham, franchisees of Coconut Creatives’ client OPC, jumped at the opportunity to expand their Original Poster Company (OPC) business recently. They have been successfully operating the Twickenham/Kingston territory since 2010 and decided to build on the success from their first OPC franchise by buying the neighbouring territory as it became available for resale.
OPC is the world’s leading greeting card distribution franchise, operating in an industry worth over £1.4 billion just in the UK. Established in 1991, OPC’s franchise network has had complete UK coverage for over 20 years and is a full member of the British Franchise Association. In the UK, OPC is a great franchise for those with strong management and customer service skills. Over 90% of OPC’s franchisees surveyed agree that their home-based system gives them the flexibility to enjoy family life.
Prior to buying their first OPC franchise, Michael and Claire had become the proud parents of little Daniel, so they were both looking for an opportunity that would not only capitalise on their skills but also give them a great work-life balance. Claire had previously worked in fashion retail management and Michael had been working in the motor industry for many years as dealer principle, most recently for Land Rover.
“After having our son I mainly worked on a part-time basis and when Michael was made redundant at the start of the recession we were both looking for a new challenge. I was working as a merchandiser for OPC in the Twickenham/Kingston area at the time and I could see the potential in the area I was working in. After having a look into it we both saw it as a great opportunity to utilise my merchandising and his commercial skills. It also appealed to us that we would be in charge of our own destiny and decided this was the right next step for us,” explains Claire.
Some of OPC’s franchisees are currently selling their existing territories as they retire or move on to new business opportunities. So, when Michael and Claire found out that the South West London territory was available for resale they seized the opportunity.
“The South West London territory has a lot of development potential and it has a really big border with our current territory in Kingston. So it made a lot of sense for both of us to buy the territory to further expand our business. We can reach a lot more businesses but we don’t have to drive more, allowing us to also continue to grow the area we already have,” adds Claire.
Michael and Claire receive regular ongoing field support from a dedicated Business Development Manager (BDM) who provides them with all the support they need to grow their sales and keep overheads low, whilst achieving great profit margins in both of their territories.
“OPC helped us with the new stock purchases and the development plan for the new territory, which was really valuable to us. With our new territory it’s now all about building relationships and trust with the national account managers in the area to start stocking our cards in more stores. We now know what we are doing so we don’t need the hands-on support we received when we bought our first franchise but we know that if we need any help our BDM is just a phone call away,” explains Claire.
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!
May 15, 2013 | Clients in the Media, News
ActionCOACH team
Coconut Creatives’ client ActionCOACH strives on continuous development. Their 6 Steps to a Better Business is now an officially certified tool for Continuing Personal or Professional Development (CPD) in the UK; yet another great addition to the raft of tools available to ActionCOACH franchise partners.
The CPD Certification Service was established as an independent UK organisation operating across all market sectors to support further learning initiatives being undertaken by Government, professional institutions, trade associations, individual organisations, training providers, and suppliers.
“We are very excited to be recognised by the CPD. The 6 Steps to a Better Business provides businesses with a structured approach to long-term profit growth, allowing business owners to take their business from a state of chaos to a state of control … the fact that the Workshop now counts for CPD points means that more professionals like Accountants will want to invest a half day of their time attending and when they see for themselves how powerful this model is they will want to invite their business owner clients along,” says Ian Christelow, ActionCOACH’s UK Co-founder.
Business growth and success are key issues not only for the UK economy but also for business owners. The 2012 Inside Startup census revealed that 1 in 3 UK businesses fail within the first 3 years. This compelling statistic highlights the devastating results of a problem that many business owners face in the UK and worldwide. Most business people are excelling at their trade or profession but that doesn’t mean they’re also great at the ‘business of business’.
As a result many business owners fail due to financial trouble or burnout, their hopes and dreams have been lost even though they were trying their hardest to succeed. That’s where Action Business Coaches come in, helping business owners develop great teams, strong finances, powerful systems, unique marketing and selling to give them the business and life they dream of.
The 6 Steps to a Better Business are just one of over 3,500 strategies and tactics that ActionCOACH has developed over the years to assist business owners worldwide in making their business a success.
ActionCOACH’s tools are used on over 10,000 businesses every month with huge success worldwide and also offer Action Business Coaches the opportunity to create a healthy business model for their own business.
ActionCOACH was joint runner up with McDonald’s for the UK’s Best Large Franchisor 2012 Award and has already built a team of more than 100 business coaches in Great Britain & Ireland. They also regularly provide advice on franchising and have recently been asked to participate in the executive television programme ‘Educating Business: A Franchise Model’, which you can watch on the 28th May at 7pm on SKY digital channel 212 and on BBC/ITV freesat 401.
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!
May 10, 2013 | Portfolio
http://actioncoach-franchise.co.uk/
“Coconut Creatives are a joy to work with….they bring strong ideas to the table, fantastic execution and they really listen and get our business,” Ian Christelow Managing Director, ActionCOACH.
Since ActionCOACH’s foundation in Australia in 1993, they have served tens of thousands of businesses and their owners around the world in every business sector imaginable. By showing business owners how to get more time, better teams in their companies and more profit, ActionCOACH has grown to be the number one business coaching firm in the world, with hundreds of proven systems and strategies guaranteed to get results.
ActionCOACH was joint runner up with McDonald’s for the UK’s Best Large Franchisor 2012 Award, sponsored by Lloyds TSB and has already built a team of more than 100 business coaches in Great Britain & Ireland, where their franchise partners have achieved remarkable results with thousands of clients. ActionCOACH worked closely with Coconut Creatives to facilitate further growth of their UK franchise network.
Project Outline:
- Market research project to confirm the key target groups for the ActionCOACH franchise opportunity
- An integrated 12-month marketing plan utilising advertising, events, PR and Media Boost activities
- Creation of new quality marketing materials to support the franchise recruitment process
- Creation of new website specifically targeted at franchisee recruitment, providing targeted information as well as another point of contact for prospective franchisees
- Increase in quality of enquirers who are interested in joining this rewarding business opportunity
- ActionCOACH franchisee shortlisted for 2013 bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Award in the Female Franchisee of the Year category.
May 10, 2013 | Portfolio
“The Coconut team have been a great help to OPC and it’s been fun experiencing all sorts of new things. We have really l
earnt so much and now we’re so much more confident with our social media and far more organised with our leads processes!” Kerry Sherriff, Original Poster Company
The Original Poster Company (OPC) is the world’s leading greeting card distribution franchise, operating in an industry worth over £1.4 billion just in the UK. Established in 1991, OPC’s franchise network has had complete UK coverage for over 20 years and is a full member of the British Franchise Association.
Project Outline:
Some of OPC’s franchisees are selling their existing territories as they retire or move on to new business opportunities. This has created an opportunity for new owners to step in. OPC approached Coconut Creatives to assist them in recruiting new franchisees for these territories. To develop a targeted campaign market research was carried out amongst OPC’s top performing franchisees to identify three perfect franchisee profiles. The findings from this research project where then incorporated in a budgeted and highly targeted 12-month marketing plan.
Project Outcome:
- Market research project to confirm the key target groups for the OPC franchise opportunity
- An integrated marketing plan utilising advertising, PR, events, and keep warm activities
- New quality marketing materials to support the franchise recruitment process
- Increase in quality of enquirers
- Achievement of recruitment targets
May 10, 2013 | Portfolio
http://www.baskinrobbins.co.uk/franchising/
Baskin-Robbins is the world’s largest chain of ice cream speciality stores operating in a market worth $1.8 billion. Since 1945, they have introduced over 1,000 unique, fun and much-loved ice cream recipes and frozen drinks including their famous ice-cream cakes. Headquartered in Massachusetts, USA, Baskin-Robbins is part of Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. along with sister brand Dunkin’ Donuts. Baskin-Robbins currently has 7,300 stores in 50 countries.
Project Outline:
Baskin-Robbins currently has 150 stores in the UK, however their recent decision towards selling franchises comprising of a multi-store portfolio completely altered the target audience and communication needs of this fun international brand. Due to the high level of personal investment necessary to qualify for their franchise opportunity, their new target audience comprised of high-net-worth individuals, who are looking for an opportunity to securely invest their money in a management franchise. A budgeted 12-month marketing plan was therefore rolled out to specifically reach out to these individuals in the business and franchise media.
Project Outcomes:
- An integrated marketing plan utilising advertising, events, PR and keep warm activities
- New high quality marketing materials to support the franchise recruitment process
- Achievement of high quality inquiry targets to progress through to thorough signup process
