With a population of around 180,000 Hammersmith & Fulham is the fourth most densely populated local authority in England and Wales. With its excellent transport links to central London and Heathrow Airport, the borough attracts both small and medium-sized companies and multinational firms.
If you are looking to start a business, or have just started one in Hammersmith and Fulham, the Business Enterprise Centre (BEC) provides a variety of support services to meet your business needs. The aim of the BEC is to create a high class, high quality resource which
acts as a focus for local businesses and contributes to improving their competitiveness.
Big brand names such as McDonalds, Thorntons, Pizza Hut, Snap-on Tools, Costa Coffee, Apollo Window Blinds, Bang & Olufsen, Kall Kwik and Dominos are all
franchises that are often run and owned by independent business people like you. However, before you start visualising yourself as the owner of a top name business, you need to undertake serious research into what franchising is and if it’ right for you.
Read more about consider franchising as your route into business start up
If you are buying a franchise, you are going to be working, selling and promoting the product or service for a long period of time. You can’t change or develop the product or service, so make sure that the franchise has long term appeal and its market is not threatened in any way.
There are various stages you need to go through before becoming a franchisee, from identifying whether franchising is the right career move for you, finding a solicitor to review your franchise agreement for you or assessing the suitability of your chosen franchise.
For a guide of the steps involved to becoming a franchisee click here
The Business Plan explains what you hope to do, how much money you need to do it with, and how you propose to pay the money back. By answering questions on your product or service including pricing methods, your customers and competition, it will help you to clarify your business ideas, aims and objectives. Producing a business plan is essential for all successful business people
Some franchisors charge a deposit that may be fully or partially non-refundable. Often the deposit is used to research the territory or to help you find a suitable property.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE FRANCHISOR TO HELP YOU ASSESS THEIR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY
Here are some questions you might like to ask. Please bear in mind that there are many types of franchises and you may have to tailor these questions to suit the specific franchise you are enquiring about. 20 + Questions
In order to become a franchisee you will have to enter into a legal agreement with the franchisor, known as the franchise agreement.
Franchising isn't for everybody. It involves particular mind-set and attitudes, like willingness to work to someone else's system. It also requires a degree of management ability.
Following on from the success of
last years franchise seminars, whichfranchise.com have delivered another franchise seminar in Hammersmith and Fulham during May.
The events allowed residents of Hammersmith and Fulham, and the surrounding areas the opportunity to find out more into the world of franchising, and with Johnny Sellyn of whichfranchise.com hosting the seminars the delegates were given an impartial and informative insight into franchising.
Post your questions free of charge to our panel of UK franchise experts.
Hammersmith and Fulham is an area alive with business activity. To support this there is a number of events taking place in and around Hammersmith and Fulham that may be of interest to you.
Click here to find out what events are taking place
“Franchising has enabled me to realise my ambition to have my own business and also allows me to manage my time effectively to achieve a good work-life balance,” says Manjit Panesar, X-Press Legal Services franchisee covering a large area of West London and parts of Middlesex.
The first FASTSIGNS® sign and graphic centre near central London has opened in Hammersmith and is targeting business customers in and around central London.
More about the Business Enterprise Center