Scottish Franchise Week 2015

Taking place: 28 April – 1 May
Supported by: HSBC and Platinum Wave

The British Franchise Association (bfa) is once again teaming up with franchising professionals to host Scottish Franchise Week at the end of April, celebrating the strong performance of the sector in Scotland and raising awareness of the outstanding opportunities available to individuals and businesses.

The week is a series of events and activities that aim to inspire more people to get involved in franchising. Open to all with an interest in the sector, Scottish residents can benefit from free educational seminars alongside social activities and business events.

Scottish franchising in 2013 accounted for:

• £700m revenue
• 28,000 jobs
• Around 2,000 individual businesses
• Almost 500 different franchise brands in operation

“Ethical franchising is now a major contributor to the Scottish economy with franchisors and franchisees seeing substantial growth,” said bfa chair, Simon Bartholomew. “Franchising is a proven and reliable route to becoming your own boss which is far more secure than going it alone.

“During Scottish Franchise Week we will reveal what franchising is about, its benefits and what the public should be looking for when choosing a franchise business. Scotland has a rich tradition of successful franchising and a wealth of experts ready to offer good sound advice on all aspects of franchising. We encourage members of the public to tap into this knowledge and expertise during Scottish Franchise Week.”

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

The week features a mixture of business, educational and social events, as follows:

Tuesday 28 April: Prospective Franchisor Seminar, Edinburgh (FREE for Scottish businesses)

Educational event for businesses looking to expand and explore franchising as an option. Featuring specialists from the bfa, together with a franchise consultant and a banker, the contributors are positioned to answer any franchising query. In addition, established franchisor and franchisee speakers will illustrate both sides of the franchise relationship.

Wednesday 29 April: Golf at Douglas Park, Glasgow; Social Evening at Rox

Community is an important aspect of good franchising and this day is all about relaxing and networking with old friends and new connections. Golf with refreshments at a championship course during the day, and a social evening at the stunning Rox boutique in the heart of the city.

Thursday 30 April: Business Breakfast, Radisson Blu Glasgow; Best Practice Forum, Glasgow

The Business Breakfast is the flagship event of SFW and sees around 250 people come together from across the entire Scottish business community, including organisations such as Entrepreneurial Spark and Business Gateway. The keynote speaker is Carol Smillie, TV presenter and entrepreneur, who alongside her television duties has founded and runs a thriving international business. Carol will be joined by franchisor Freddie St George of Raring2Go! sharing his experiences of growing his regional magazine business from one branch to a national success; and Paul Lagar, franchisee for swim school brand Swimtime, who covers the whole of Scotland and has made significant achievements over the last six years.

The forum highlights the community that is franchising: franchisors and professionals in the sector coming together to share experiences and support each other through business challenges. Brand owners across all sectors and sizes setting the agenda and sharing growth strategy – it’s like nothing else to be found in the business world.

Friday 1 May: Prospective Franchisee Seminar, Glasgow (FREE for Scottish residents)

In-depth seminar which gives all the information needed to explore self-employment through franchising. Objective, balanced advice from senior bfa managers, qualified experts and real-life stories from franchisees will showcase the potential in the sector – and what to avoid.