Jun 11, 2012 | Clients in the Media
Cafe2U, Making Money Magazine, March 2012.
Tim Shaw manages three vans over two Cafe2U territories in Berkshire and has plans for further expansion.
Cafe2U is the world’s largest mobile coffee franchise system, delivering fresh espresso coffee and great food to businesses, events and functions. Cafe2U is an associate member of the British Franchise Association and has over 50 franchises in the UK.
Franchisee Tim Shaw’s background is in customer experience transformation and, prior to starting his Cafe2U business, he had been a customer service consultant for eight years and a telecoms manager for seven years.
Sensible Option
He explains: “I knew about franchising from the obvious franchise brands on the high street such as McDonald’s and when I decided to start my own business, I didn’t quite have the confidence to go it alone completely, so franchising seemed like the sensible option. It took 9 months from initially deciding on buying a franchise to signing up and launching my Cafe2U franchise.
“Although I had worked in a bar several years ago, I didn’t really have any food service or retail experience and had never made a proper coffee in my life. I did have several years’ worth of experience helping organisations manage customer experience as a consultant, so this was more about putting my money where my mouth was. Catering or retail experience isn’t essential with this franchise, it is much more important to put yourself in the customers’ shoes and understand what they require from you – this is something that is taught throughout your training.
Tim says he had always been interested in opening a coffee shop, but loved the concept of selling quality coffee in various locations. “My customer service background really kicked in when I met the Cafe2U team and spent some time with a couple of franchise partners”, he says. “I could see how their impeccable service was another winner.
“The initial training was fantastic. I received an initial week’s worth of training as part of the Acceleration package, where I learnt the basic barista skills and how to manage the business, prior to this I had completed an online food and hygiene course organised by Cafe2U. I then worked closely with my Franchise Development Manager over the following three weeks, who pretty much camped on my doorstep and was the driving force in launching my business. I learnt so much over this period and this is what gave me the confidence to go on and manage my business successfully.
Tim adds: “The ongoing support has been very good. Cafe2U have adopted very much a collaborative approach and provide both simple operational tips to more strategic thinking to help develop my business.”
With plenty of competition on the high street, the UK’s coffee market is an established one, but this is where Cafe2U comes into its own. The company delivers its coffee to non-traditional locations via its eye-catching and ear-catching vans, which are fitted out with the latest barista-quality equipment and musical airhorns.
Business Model
“The competition from well-known café brands has not been an issue for us”, says Tim. “Firstly both the quality of our product, professionalism and service that we provide sets us apart from many established coffee businesses. Secondly, the nature of our business model (delivering coffee directly to the customer) is unique to our area.
“It’s a huge buzz to see customers’ faces when they enjoy a good cup of coffee and I have great job satisfaction but this is also a business that provides an income so that I can spend time with my family and enjoy my hobbies. The mobile system means you can focus on times of peak demand and do not have the expense of operating a shop at less busy times.’
“We are operating ahead of forecast. Since we became operational 17 months ago, we have grown to operating three vans across two territories. On a typical Monday to Friday we have 23 stops per van each day and can sell anything up to 30 cups per stop plus a variety of snacks and sandwiches during lunchtimes.”
Tim is pleased that he chose Cafe2U and that the company chose him. His advice for those looking at buying a Cafe2U franchise is: “Get experience with existing franchise partners. I visited two Cafe2U franchise partners before I signed up. It taught me a lot, and I was inspired to aim for expansion right away. Think about what your objectives are and capture these in your business plan. Define a way of measuring success so that you know how close you are to meeting your objectives. And, don’t worry, you won’t be on your own as Cafe2U will help you with this and much more along the way”
Tim’s enthusiasm for Cafe2U has rubbed off on everyone he meets: “I’m particularly pleased that I have also made an impact on other people looking to start a franchise. Amazingly, I served someone at the Caversham festival last summer who lives in the USA and he is now hoping to be one of the first franchisees to launch Cafe2U in the States!”
If you would like to know more about Cafe2U, why not call on 08456 444708 or view the video on their website www.cafe2u.co.uk
Jun 11, 2012 | Clients in the Media
Mac Tools, Making Money Magazine, March 2012
Mac Tools expands its franchise network support team
At a time when many companies are downsizing, Mac Tools, manufacturer of high-quality automotive tools, has taken the bold step to review operations to cater for its growing franchise network.
To cope with the demands of its growing network, Mac Tools re-organised its mobile distribution sales operations in the second half of 2011 and made three new key appointments to support the expansion.
Tony Prueitt, sales director of the UK’s Industrial & Automotive Division, explains: “Our business is expanding so we have recruited an additional national franchise manager, Steve Gotz, and two regional franchise managers, Keith Bush and William Hamilton. With the reinforced team we will ensure we continue to deliver first-class products and service to our customers and we know we are well-placed to leverage our growth into 2012 and beyond.”
Understanding
Steve Gotz brings with him over 20 years of franchise experience. He was one of Ribbon Revival’s very first employees and has helped build its franchise network worldwide. Steve says: “Along with my two new colleagues, I’m able to bring a clear understanding of the franchise world which will help support our franchisees and grow the Mac Tools business in these exciting times.”
Keith Bush looks after the North West and West Midlands. Prior to joining Mac Tools, Keith had worked in hospitality retail management for a number of years before becoming a small business advisor for Business Link. During his ten years in that role, he learnt a lot about franchise models. Armed with this knowledge, he opted for the Mac Tools franchise as, in his opinion, it operates like a true partnership. Keith says: “Mac Tools franchises are built for the long term and the support you receive is excellent.”
Taking care of the East of England region is William Hamilton, a former RAF propulsions engineer. With several years subsequently spent as a franchisee for another automotive tool brand, William brings invaluable hands-on experience with him, meaning he understands the needs of the franchisee better than anyone: “Mac Tools is a brand that’s really going places and offers one of the best franchise opportunities available. I’m very much looking forward to developing strong relationships with the franchisees and sharing my knowledge. My goal is to give them the support they need and to ensure they operate to their full potential.”
Mac Tools is part of Stanley Black & Decker, an $11+ billion global organisation employing over 30,000 people worldwide and owner of the world famous Stanley and DeWalt brands. The Mac Tools line consists of over 8000 professional tools including screwdrivers, ratchets, wrenches, and assorted air tools, as well as its own toolboxes. With 100 Mac Tools’ franchisees operating across the UK as trusted distributors of what are considered to be some of the best quality tools on the market, they are taking on the challenge of becoming market leaders in this market estimated to be worth over £150 million a year.
From Defence to Distributor
Jason Dowle spent 23 years in the Royal Army Medical Corps working his way up the chain of command to Warrant Officer Class One Regimental Sergeant Major. So starting a new career with Mac Tools in July 2011 was quite a change of scenery. His keen interest in motorcycle racing meant that Jason had always been aware of the leading tool manufacturer, so when he learnt that the company also offered franchises it offered an ideal opportunity to put his tool knowledge to good use.
“I had known for a while that I wanted to work for myself or work within sales, but I wasn’t sure about the direction I wanted to take”, explains Jason. “After leaving the Army and spending some time lecturing and designing course programmes with another company, it then took me about 4 months to make the decision to sign-up with Mac Tools.
“Thankfully my family were behind me all the way – this is a factor I would strongly recommend everyone to consider when buying a franchise. I knew there was going to be a lot of work involved on my part, but I also needed to be happy that the effort wouldn’t impact on my family in a negative way, especially after spending so much of my life away from them already.
“I did look at other franchises as well, including some that were in direct competition with Mac Tools. Although their products and services were similar, in the end it came down to personal confidence because, having used the brand myself, I knew the product quality and felt that this would offer excellent knowledge to assist customers with their buying requirements.
“It was also much easier to get bank funding for a franchise than creating a business from scratch – there is often less risk involved which strengthens the business plan you present. Likewise, I had the added security of having a large company brand behind me that was already well-renowned in the industry.
Jason completed an initail four days’ training at Stanley Europe’s headquarters in Sheffield, a parent company of Mac Tools. this was followed by five days’ in-depth tuition at Mac Tools in Columbus, Ohio and another three days in Sheffield. Three days of mentor training in Jason’s home town of Weston-Super-Mare for hands-on, guided experience followed.
New Challenge
“This new career is very different to what I have been used to and a complete new challenge in its own way. However, I am feeling really confident about running my own business because the Army teaches you how to think dynamically and deal quickly and effectively with problems as and when they occur.
“I would recommend that someone with an interest in starting their first franchise should talk to at least two existing franchisees, preferable someone who has just recently started and someone who has been in the business for a long time. Make sure this is what you want to do and that you are prepared for the work that you will have to put in to making it a success.
An average day for Jason starts around 8:30am and the majority of his customers are from the automotive trade. “I prepare the van for the day, which involves having customer orders ready and deciding which products to promote”, he explains. “I arrive at my first call just after 9am and, once I’m parked, grab a few items from the van, as well as any customer orders.
“My first port of call is always to the Garage Manager or the senior Technician to announce my arrival and deal with any issues for the garage. I then work methodically through the garage or dealership until I’ve spoken to all the staff who may be interested in the product I’m talking about.
“I’ve tried working through lunch breaks and tea breaks but these appear to be set in stone in the motor trade! I usually wind up the day about 5pm and I’m home by 6pm. I sit down again at about 7pm to read emails and check in tools, but this usually only takes about 45 minutes. I work for a couple of hours on Saturdays; cleaning the van and restocking tools delivered on a Friday night.
“I’m enjoying the fact that I only really work a five-day week. This means that I am able to spend much more time with my family. Although I often miss the action and adventure I had in the army, the response from the local motor trade has been terrific and I’m kept really busy raising awareness of Mac Tools. It’s definitely an encouraging start.”
For more information please call 08450 6000 60 or email: franchise@mactools.co.uk
Company website: www.mactools.co.uk
Jun 11, 2012 | Coconut in the Media
You know how some franchises just seem to be everywhere? Ever wondered how they do it? Follow an integrated marketing approach and you’ll be one of them.
A perfect pitch is a psychologically proven method of engaging with someone to help them understand quickly and simply, what you do, how you do it, why you are good at it and why it is relevant to them.
In short this process goes through four fundamental stages of:
1. Clarity
2. Credibility
3. Relevance
4. Believability
Across the business world outside the franchise industry, it is common for a company to have a perfect 90-second style pitch that they use at networking events or to train the sales team. They understand the value of having it, the power it provides in consistency of approach and how it helps engage their target audience.
This is such a powerful tool in franchising, once you understand how important it is and what impact it can have on your business, then you will realise why spending time developing your perfect pitch is paramount.
By utilising a perfect pitch approach, you can train your staff on the phone, email, on your website and at events to engage more effectively with prospects. As so many franchisors and franchise owners attend exhibitions (and we have the spring exhibitions approaching fast) we are also sharing some thoughts on improving your event success.
Exhibitions
Getting to the exhibition with an innovative stand design, appropriate merchandise and plenty of enthusiasm is a great start but there are a few more tricks to a successful show. We always prefer to have at least two people working on a stand, or more depending on stand size. Brief your stand team on what you want them to do and how you want them to record the number and details of visitors to the stand, remembering to cover any data protection issues. We like to set our clients’ stand teams individual goals. For example, if you want 100 leads over a two-day show and you have five people working on the stand that is 50 leads a day, 10 leads per person. Five before lunch and five after lunch each, per day. Breaking it down like this makes it less daunting for the team.
Multi-media
An exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for you to showcase any videos, testimonials, events, discovery days, case studies and product demos on a screen. Visitors naturally stop and watch and this gives your team a chance to approach them.
On-stand speaking
Some of our most successful clients adopt a system for attracting visitors onto the stand in a non-threatening way. A great way to do this is through the use of speaking slots. By scheduling a few speaking slots on your stand, you attract prospects to you.
Speaking at the show
Most exhibitions offer breakout rooms for seminar sessions. At the point of booking your stand, it is vital to get one of these slots. They massively affect the success of your presence at the show.
Don’t forget the press
Leave your media pack in the press room for any interested journalists to pick up to find out more information about your franchise. Always ensure that you include your perfect pitch in your press pack too.
After the show
Details of interested prospects that have actively opted in to receive further details on your franchise should be followed up fast! An eye-catching branded email and personal phone call works best.
Jun 11, 2012 | Coconut in the Media
Through our work at Coconut Creatives, we have been able to help franchise companies identify and streamline the best marketing solutions for their franchise recruitment needs. This type of experience is something we are keen to share, as we believe that the art of franchise network growth and enrichment is something that any franchisor can adapt to suit their business and individual industry.
Franchisees are all individuals. They are governed by their own unique needs, desires and business objectives and therefore their interpretations of your marketing support and how it relates to their individual territory, will vary. You therefore need a well-defined blend of options that will give you a clear scope of coverage in accordance with your franchise network team.
An organised, well-guided plan is essential
At Rosemary Bookkeeping, we have implemented a professional marketing structure that has been underpinned by Chartered Marketer principles. This means each plan is SMART: specific, measureable, achievable, realistic and timely.
Every plan is then explained and delivered to new franchisees through the initial training process with ongoing ‘check points’ to ensure they are undertaking key activities. This is a structure and system that Coconut Creatives has put in place for a wide range of franchisors across industry and sector both very large established brands and small start-ups.
Who does which bit?
As most franchisors take a royalty from franchisees, it is important to show them value for money!
Communicate all the brilliant activity you are doing in a number of ways:
- Newsletters
- Intranet
- Forums
- Webinars
Also consider circulating the core marketing plan so franchisees can arrange complementary activities in their area. By demonstrating to your franchisees that their hard-earned cash is being spent on promoting the brand nationally, it helps to benefit them as more people will be aware of their business and what it offers.
Don’t forget that communication is a two-way thing. Involve them in the process, take onboard their ideas and suggestions, yet ensure you stick to your overall plan on the best way forward. Some fantastic ideas have come from the Rosemary Bookkeeping network in the past and many of these are now implemented across the network, alongside the activities that were already planned.
Regular contact
Regular contact with the franchise network is essential – via telephone and email communication as well as regularly scheduled face-to-face meetings, ideally with these being held in groups and on a one-to-one basis.
Building and maintaining a relationship with the franchise network adds value to their investment but also ensures that the franchisees feel supported and appreciated both as individuals and as part of the team. Whilst being part of a franchise can provide franchisees with the freedom and flexibility that is not always associated with more traditional roles, they still need to know that they have a point of contact should they require – this of course being a major benefit and attraction to prospects when considering franchising from the outset.
Showcasing case studies
Once you have built a strong relationship with your franchise network and assisted them to win business, you can help them further expand on this.
This task should be quite straight forward as franchisees are often keen to promote their territory and the good work they are doing. Case studies and testimonials are one of the best tools for new franchisees to use when looking to win business in their territory. It says to prospective clients of the new franchisee “I’m new to this business, but the business isn’t new”.
The other bonus to this is that franchisees are often keen to talk about their experiences and successes, in a tone that is relatable by the prospective franchisee audience. Give them the best opportunity to do this by holding an interview with them in their work environment, and if you can video at the same time you have a useful tool for social media too. You never know what you might gain from the material that you collect as well as receiving first-hand feedback about your franchise. This material is great for inspiring other people to take the plunge into franchising, as well as winning more business for the network as a whole.
Public relations
PR is also very important when creating a strong national strategy, especially during the launch of a new franchise territory. Yet PR doesn’t work alone. It is a proven fact that people need to see or hear a product or service at least 7 times before they will engage with it. You can help your franchisees build up their communication touch points by providing them with templates and structures that support key messages and their fundamental activities. For example: if your business is highly dependent on business networking, then providing them with e-shot copy and templates to use on a monthly basis to keep people they meet at networking warm, is another touch point ticked off the list.
Press releases, keep warm activity and well-scheduled newsletters are great to encourage and maintain interest. You may also find that national press releases can be incorporated within your POS and marketing collateral designs. Again, franchise case studies can be used as PR but, if so, we recommend for there to be a clear message or story that resonates with the target audience.
Social Media
Social networking as a promotional tool is gaining pace like the proverbial juggernaut. On Facebook there were 901 million monthly and 526 million daily active users recorded on average at the end of March 2012. Also at the end of March, Twitter is said to have had more than 140 million active users posting 340 million tweets a day.
Originally designed for friends, family and businesses to communicate and stay connected through text and photographs, the coverage of social media is something that can be tapped into quite readily. Twitter has already proved useful to the emergency services for sending out vital information like emergency phone numbers or locations of hospitals requiring blood donations. Users have even beaten traditional media in reporting news such as when the US Airways Flight 1549 experienced multiple bird strikes in January 2009 and crash landed in the Hudson River in New York. A passing ferry passenger took a picture of the plane as passengers were evacuating and tweeted it via TwitPic before traditional media arrived at the scene to report the news. Just think what this tool could do for a business!
As the internet is being used more frequently for business, utilising the possibilities for sharing your product information with different target audiences is becoming easier and cheaper. As well as Facebook and Twitter, you can also use LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, blogs and many more.
Unfortunately, many people can become so focused on utilising the different social networks that they attack it in a rather hap-hazard way; posting updates and messages that haven’t been thought through. We say integrate it into your marketing. This way, you will know what you are going to say and when, therefore you’ll also have a better handle on whether it is working for you.
You can encourage your franchisees to utilise social network sites for themselves. They may then be able to generate additional local interest and build relationships with their customers. It is worthwhile to consider some guidelines however, to ensure the brand message is conveyed accurately and that external comments are managed in the most appropriate way. Having a dedicated ‘Social Media Keeper’ at head office is a good option.
In Summary…
Talking to your existing franchisees, building and maintaining trust is the best way to ensure your company continues to flourish. It’s very much a case of keeping an ear to the ground and being conscious of the fact that the best feedback to use within your marketing may well come from those outside the head office who have day-to-day direct contact with the end-customer and portray the brand in the public domain.
If franchisees understand the importance of the marketing you deliver for them, you should find that they are willing to return support as it protects their individual investment, return and territory reputation as much as it does for the overall franchise.
If you wish to discuss your franchise in more detail, or have any queries about the content of this article, please contact me at coconutcreatives.co.uk or call 01725 511673.
May 24, 2012 | Coconut Workshops, Events
Does social media baffle you? Do you know whether Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn will yield a better result for your business? This is a unique opportunity to gain up to date insight on the latest social media marketing techniques that can help boost your franchise recruitment.
Topic: How to Utilise Social Media Platforms to Support Your Franchise Recruitment
Date & Location: 7th February 2013 – Midlands
Places available: 10
View our 3 minute workshop video
Our Social Media workshop is presented by speakers that work in their area of specialism. They are up to date with the latest thinking and theories and test them in practice. The workshop is designed to help you understand and get fresh ideas on how a Social Media Strategy works and how it fits with franchising. This includes sessions on how to integrate your perfect pitch into Social Media, how to utilise video marking and some practical solutions to using Social Media to help convert your prospects.
What you will take away:
- How social media fits with franchising
- Specific ways to use social media to help convert your leads
- Integrating your Perfect Pitch into social media channels
- Benchmarking your current performance against other Franchisors – see how you currently perform!
- Plus, personal feedback on our 1 to 1 afternoon sessions, worth £450!
“I would not hesitate to recommend the Coconut Workshops, they really get you thinking about the methods and details that are so important in franchise recruitment,” says David Lydiat from Mail Boxes Etc.
Current Promotion
Places booked 6 weeks in advance will be entitled to our early bird offer – 2 places for the price of 1.
Please email Lucy or call 01725 511673 for more details, to make a booking or receive an agenda.
Been to a workshop? Want something more bespoke? We offer a limited number of Strategy Sessions at our Peak District and Bournemouth offices. Click here to review how this could help your business.
