Celebrating success is something we British are often very blasé about. In franchising, however, this can be a key indicator to prospective franchise owners about your credentials. Sally Anne Butters, Head of Media at Coconut Creatives, explains how best to promote your achievements.
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Sally Anne Butters, Director of Media at Coconut Creatives, points out important content franchise prospectuses should contain.
You know you want a holiday in Portugal in a private villa so you go online, narrow your search down to three places – your dates are available and they have some good reviews – so you ask them to send you brochures. They arrive and are full of wonderful photos of the villa and surrounding area, so you decide on the mid-range priced one.
Three months later you arrive to find that there are roadworks going on just outside your villa waking you up at 7am every day. You always had that niggling feeling in the back of your mind that this might happen.
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Motor mechanics have claimed back thousands of pounds from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) thanks to a partnership between supplier of automotive tools Mac Tools and tax refund specialist Refunds Direct.
With many mechanics unaware of their entitlement to claim back money on tools they have previously purchased, Mac Tools decided to bring in Refunds Direct to see if its team of tax refund experts could help its customers.
With claims going back as far as 1997, motor mechanics are missing out on a potential goldmine in tax refunds that could see them claim back thousands of pounds from HMRC. Carrie Large from Refunds Direct is now advising all mechanics who have bought tools within the past 15 years to assess their own personal circumstances to see if they are in line for a rebate from the taxman. Carrie said: “Many mechanics don’t realise the potential windfall that’s sitting in their toolbox. Tax can be quite a complicated subject and our service exists to take away that hassle. We’ve helped thousands of mechanics unlock that revenue with average pay-outs typically reaching £500 a time.
“Since last September, by reaching our market via Mac Tools franchisees we have put over £36,000 back into the pockets of its customers. We have many more claims ongoing and know that there are a great many more Mac Tools customers who still haven’t claimed.”
The service works on a no refund, no fee basis and is therefore risk-free for employed mechanics who would like to find out if they are in line for a rebate. Having pioneered its mechanic tool refund service, Refunds Direct has now helped secure millions of pounds in payouts for over 5,000 mechanics.
Typical payout usually happens within 12 weeks and to qualify mechanics need to have spent at least £1,500 on tools since April 1997. Carrie added: “When you start adding up the figures you soon realise that HMRC is sitting on millions of pounds that mechanics up and down the country are entitled to claim back on. In today’s times of austerity, those in the industry need as much help as possible in order to survive. By putting money back in their pockets via tax refunds to potentially spend on their business is a good thing for the economy.”
Mac Tools franchisees are trusted distributors of what many consider to be the best quality tools on the market for customers such as car dealerships, automotive repair shops, manufacturing units, and engineering companies. Currently there are over 100 franchisees operating in the UK with a potential UK market of over £150 million.
If you’re ready for a new challenge and have the drive to be part of this successful franchise network, please visit www.mactools.co.uk or call 08450 6000 60 to request more details.
With the growing popularity of coffee and an expanse of loyal customers, Cafe2U are pleased to welcome two new franchise partners to their network. Milo Steeden and Jon Hinde will launch their exclusive territories in mid-July after completing their training.
Jon Hinde, Cafe2U franchise partner
Cafe2U is the largest provider of mobile coffee in the UK. They deliver fresh espresso coffee, hot chocolate and a range of snacks to non-traditional locations in over 50 franchise territories across the UK. These locations are mainly work places, business parks and industrial estates situated away from the high-street.
Milo Steeden, who will be running the Cambridge East & Newmarket territory, has just returned from his honeymoon with new wife, Laura. Milo previously worked as a Lean Specialist in the pharmaceutical industry which meant he was in charge of quality control and helping people get the best results whilst being efficient with resources. Milo says, “In my new role with Cafe2U, I’m particularly looking forward to the lifestyle change – moving from the traditional corporate style of working, to running my own business with more flexibility. Of course, it will be nice to be my own boss as well.”
Cafe2U provides industry-leading training using the unique Cafe2U Accelerated Launch Programme, which guarantees sales of £250 per day during the first two weeks of operation. This support is ongoing and once Milo and Jon are up and running, Cafe2U vans can also be booked to attend events and functions, ensuring that a fully-contained quality refreshment service is available all day. Event attendance is optional, but can provide great additional profit for franchise partners as well as boosting interest within their territory.
Jon Hinde will now be running the Preston North West territory after working as a Postman for the Royal Mail. He decided to join the Cafe2U franchise because it meant he could be his own boss whilst having the support of a strong network and recognisable brand behind him. He adds that, “The opportunity to have more control over my work-life balance was a huge attraction to the Cafe2U franchise.”
The UK coffee market is strengthening day-by-day with approximately 20 million people buying premium coffee on a regular basis. This brings the UK coffee market to an astounding £782 million total worth, so it is clear to see that Cafe2U and their new franchise partners may have many good returns going forward.
To find out how you can join this thriving franchise network, please contact 0845 6444708 or visit www.cafe2u.co.uk to request more information.
Carolyn Donaldson, MD at Contempo Lettings, is expanding her lettings franchise throughout UK and explains why this is a great business to invest in.
Carolyn Donaldson, MD at Contempo Lettings
“With Britain’s economy predicted to spend several more years in the doldrums, the rental property market is expected to thrive over the next few years. With falling wages and rising house prices, there are fewer first-time buyers and these people who opt to rent private accommodation are now also carrying-on doing so well after they have had children, meaning that many families are now renting their homes instead of buying.
“Over the last few years, there has been a rise of 86% in families who are now renting their home instead of buying. It has been predicted that, by 2020, the number of home owners in Britain under the age of 30 will drop by 46% and 1.5 million of 18-30 year olds will be renting a home while the number of young people remaining at home with their parents will rise to 3.7 million.
“As a result of the increase in people looking to rent property, the rental market is set to continue to expand extremely quickly with first-time buyers only making up 23% of the people intending to buy a property in the next twelve months. Figures show, in 2011, 58,000 more properties were available for rent than in 2010 and the number of properties available for sale in 2011 dropped by 12,000.
“A Cambridge University study has predicted that only 27% of the population will be in ‘mortgaged home ownership’ by 2025 if the British economy remains in its current state. The number of private rented households is set to increase to 20% in 2020 compared to 14% of households in 2008. If the economy does not improve dramatically it is likely that family housing will remain in the private rental sector.
“The lettings market is already a lucrative business and is set to continue to expand over the next decade. We already have seven excellent Contempo Lettings franchises operating in Scotland and we would like to award 30 franchise territories over the next 3 years across the rest of the UK. ”
Alan Govan, based in Glasgow switched from estate agency to lettings when he started his Contempo Lettings franchise in 2009: “My biggest motivating factor to this move was my belief in the future of the lettings market. I expected that the impact of the credit crunch and the uncertain economic times would mean that more people would be forced to consider renting and that existing tenants would remain in rental properties for longer. The drop in interest rates has also encouraged savers to seek alternative forms of investment and the buy-to-let market offers some excellent opportunities; all making a strong business for me.“
If you would like to know more about Contempo Lettings then you can contact Carolyn Donaldson on 0845 519 1550 or visit www.contempolettings.co.uk