Franchising in Ireland is on the rise! Through existing franchises and new entrants to the Irish market, franchising is an industry in Ireland that has witnessed rapid expansion in recent years, with further growth predicted for the near future.

By helping to drive forward the development of the Irish economy, franchising has been described as one of the essential new enterprise sectors contributing to general wealth creation.

The Irish economy in general has been flourishing, which in turn has led to a greater confidence in people and a desire from them to create wealth. Recent studies have shown that as much as 40% of the Irish population have conveyed a desire to start up their own business. Whilst the majority of business start-ups in Ireland are predominately in sectors such as services, IT, manufacturing and construction, more and more people are actively seeking information on franchising.

Franchising in Ireland – Facts & Figures

The following information was taken from the 2004 “Franchising in Ireland” survey, sponsored by the Bank of Ireland.

The Economic Impact of Franchising in Ireland
Franchising continues to grow in Ireland although at a slower pace than has happened over the past decade. Although the rate of growth in Ireland is slower, it compares with an annual growth in Britain in 2003 of 2%. However, with 695 franchise systems in Britain compared with 201 in Ireland, there is significant room for further growth in the future as new and different franchise opportunities enter the Irish market.

Employment
As a time of continuous threats to employment growth within the more traditional sectors of agriculture or manufacturing, it is heartening that franchising continues to grow the number of people in full-time employment. In 2001, 14,400 people were employed in franchising. In 2003 this figure stood at 17,890, an increase of 24%.

Turnover per Employee
The turnover per employee, a measure of both efficiency and profitability, has remained relatively static over the period with a marginal rise from 70K Euros in 2001 to 71K Euros in 2003.

Origin of Franchises
One of the significant findings in the survey is the continuing small percentage of Irish based franchises. This situation will not change unless there is a positive approach to the nurturing and development of indigenous Irish Franchises. Currently 39% of franchise systems in Ireland originate from the US, 31% from the UK, 11% from Ireland and the remaining 19% originating from elsewhere.

Like in Britain, Ireland has a dedicated franchise association – Irish Franchise Association – that has an accredited group of franchise members. This coupled with the emergence of new Irish franchise media, has made franchise information and advice more accessible to potential franchisees and has contributed greatly to the rise of franchising in Ireland.

To find out more about Franchising in Ireland, including free franchise information and advice, as well as a list of Irish franchise opportunities visit www.whichfranchise.ie