Posted:02-November-2026
Interview with The Alternative Board franchisees for York and North Yorkshire
- Name: Natalie and Elliot Rich
- Location: York & North Yorkshire
- Franchise: The Alternative Board
- Date launched the franchise: March 2017, marking the tenth anniversary of the current ownership in March 2027. TAB York was originally established in 2009.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your The Alternative Board franchise?
Elliot had spent around 20 years working in business, including within a family-sized, privately owned company. He understood the realities of running an SME, leading people, making difficult decisions and working towards growth.
Natalie has brought significant business and marketing experience, having held roles with organisations including BMW, Boost Energy Drinks and Hallmark Cards.
When the family business was sold, Elliot knew he wanted to use the experience he had gained, including the successes, failures and hurdles, to help other business owners and leaders succeed.
Can you also tell us about The Alternative Board franchise?
The Alternative Board (TAB) helps business owners and leaders grow their businesses, develop their leadership and make better decisions through peer advisory boards and one-to-one coaching.
Our members come together in small groups of non-competing business owners, where they can share challenges, test ideas and learn from others who understand the realities of running a business. Individual coaching helps them focus on priorities and turn ideas into action.
We have supported more than 90 business owners and leaders through TAB York. What makes the model valuable is the combination of peer challenge, practical experience and accountability.
Why did you go down the franchise route?
After around 20 years helping other businesses and people succeed, Elliot wanted to take control of his own journey. He wanted something of his own, where he could work under his own steam and put his mark on what he could achieve.
Having experienced the challenges of running a privately owned business, he wanted to use that knowledge to help others navigate their own business journeys. A franchise offered the opportunity to build his own business while drawing on his experience to make a difference to other owners and leaders.
Why did you choose The Alternative Board franchise over other franchises?
The more Elliot learned about TAB, the more the opportunity appealed to him. It combined the independence of building his own business with an established brand, recurring revenues, proven tools and a wider support network.
He believed in the value of bringing business owners together to share experiences, challenge each other's thinking and make better decisions. TAB gave him a way to do that while building something of his own and developing relationships within the York business community.
What does a typical day or week look like for you?
No two weeks are quite the same. Our time is split between facilitating board meetings, one-to-one coaching, meeting prospective members and developing relationships across York's business community.
We also work on our own business, from marketing and business development to reviewing how we can improve our offering. We have to make time to work on TAB York as well as supporting the business leaders who are members.
How well did the initial training prepare you to run the business?
The initial training provided a good foundation for understanding the TAB model, how the boards operate and the role of the facilitator.
However, learning doesn't stop once the initial training is complete. TAB provides ongoing development through conferences, lifelong learning sessions, monthly online training and opportunities to learn from experienced franchisees in both the UK and internationally.
We are continually learning and developing our skills, which helps us keep improving the support we provide to members.
What regular support do you receive from the franchisor?
There are regular training opportunities, national conferences, monthly online sessions and guidance on specific tools. When we need help, the team at Head Office are at the end of the phone or email and happy to talk things through. Head Office is in Leeds, just 20 minutes away, so we can also pop in when needed.
Our Life Long Learning conferences with other franchisees are another highlight. They give us dedicated time to discuss the challenges and opportunities of running our own businesses, learn from others' experiences and share ideas we can take back into TAB York.
We run our own business, but we don't have to work everything out for ourselves.
Were the initial costs broadly what you expected? And how does the financial performance compare with your expectations before you joined?
The initial costs were clearly laid out from day one, so Elliot understood what he was committing to. It was a leap of faith, but an informed one. The more he learned about TAB, the more the opportunity appealed to him.
We knew building the business and seeing a return on our investment would take time. The opportunity wasn't oversold, and Elliot felt TAB understood him and what he was trying to achieve.
With our tenth anniversary coming up in March 2027, we have paid back our initial investment and built a business that enables us to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. We are now preparing to renew and commit to the next chapter, which says a lot about how we feel about the opportunity.
What surprised you most after becoming a franchisee?
Elliot particularly valued the sense of community and the support available to help him get TAB York off the ground quickly.
What has stood out over the years is the willingness of franchisees to help one another, particularly newer owners. Whether it's sharing advice on launching, developing boards, understanding territories or building local relationships, people are willing to share their experiences and lessons.
That willingness to help others succeed has been a real benefit throughout our time with TAB.
What are the biggest challenges you've faced as a franchisee?
The biggest lesson is that a franchise isn't a shortcut to success. An established brand, proven tools and a support network give you a strong foundation, but you still have to build the business yourself.
It takes resilience, self-belief and a willingness to build relationships. You need to put yourself out there, develop trust in your local market and help people understand the value of what you offer. That takes time, and things don't always happen as quickly as you would like.
Ultimately, the franchise provides the framework and support, but you need the determination to make it work.
Is there a good community among the franchisees?
Absolutely. Our monthly peer board meetings are a highlight, giving us the opportunity to learn from other franchise owners and talk openly about the challenges and opportunities of running our businesses.
Although we operate in different territories, many of the issues we face are similar. We can ask questions, share experiences and learn from what others have tried, without seeing each other simply as competition.
That culture of sharing extends across the UK and international TAB network. We have the independence of running our own business, while being part of something bigger.
Has becoming a franchisee changed your life?
It has given us the opportunity to build a business that works for us, both professionally and personally. We have worked hard to get TAB York to where it is today, but success isn't just about the business or the financial return.
Spending quality time with family and friends is important to us, and for Elliot, golf is a big part of that balance. We believe working hard and building a successful business should go hand in hand with enjoying what you achieve along the way.
For us, it's about balancing ambition, financial security, family and happiness.
How do you achieve a good work-life balance?
Running our own business gives us some flexibility, but we also need to be disciplined about switching off and making time for life outside work.
Elliot enjoys golf, while walking helps Natalie to clear her head and get some perspective. Spending time with friends and family is important to us, and that also means being there to support both sets of parents when they need us.
We are ambitious and enjoy what we do, but we want to enjoy the success we work hard to achieve.
Can you tell us about any community involvement?
Being part of York's business community is important to us. We have developed relationships with local organisations and media, including Business IQ and The York Press, helping us stay connected with local owners and leaders.
Our work through TAB York is also a way of contributing to the community. We have supported more than 90 business owners and leaders, helping them make better decisions, develop their businesses and navigate the challenges of running them.
We believe that better-supported businesses are better placed to grow, develop their teams and contribute to York's wider economy.
What advice would you give someone currently considering joining?
Think carefully about what success looks like for you, and don't define it purely in financial terms. Building a profitable business matters, but so do the freedom, flexibility and happiness to enjoy what you achieve.
Franchising can offer the best of both worlds: the independence to build something of your own, alongside an established brand, proven tools and a wider support network.
It isn't a shortcut to success. Do your research, speak to existing franchisees and be realistic about the time and effort involved. Most importantly, make sure the opportunity fits not just your financial ambitions, but the life you want to build.
What qualities do you think make someone successful in this franchise?
You need a strong commercial mindset, a good understanding of business and enough experience to relate to the challenges owners and leaders face. You are not just helping other people run their businesses; you are running your own, and you need to be able to build it successfully.
You need to be proactive in developing relationships, creating opportunities, winning new members and communicating the value of TAB. Having an established brand, proven tools and a support network helps, but it is still your responsibility to generate business, manage your finances and build a sustainable, profitable franchise.
Alongside that commercial drive, you need to be a good listener, enjoy building relationships and genuinely care about helping other business owners succeed. Resilience, self-belief and a willingness to keep learning are vital, because growth takes time and you need to keep going when things don't happen as quickly as you would like.
For us, the rewards go beyond the financial. There is real satisfaction in seeing the difference you can make to business owners and leaders, pride in building a successful business of your own, and the sense of community that comes from being part of TAB.
What are your plans for the future?
We want to keep working hard, continue building TAB York and support more business owners and leaders. With our tenth anniversary coming up in March 2027 and our renewal ahead, we are looking forward to the next chapter.
Just as importantly, we want to keep enjoying the life we have built around the business. For us, success means continuing to grow, making a difference to others and having time for family, friends and the things that matter.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
Honestly, we don't think we would. We have built a business we love, become part of a fantastic community and had the opportunity to make a real difference to the people we work with.
That impact often goes beyond the business owner. When someone becomes a more confident leader or creates a business that works better for them, it can have a positive effect on their team and family, too.
There have been challenges, as there are with any business, but we are proud of what we have built and still love what we do. That is what makes us excited about continuing the journey.
Interested and want to know more about The Alternative Board?
The The Alternative Board basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity
