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Plan-it Cards Franchise

Est. over 20 years. Plan-it Cards distributes greetings cards & gift wrap to UK retailers. Van-based, home-based franchise. Franchisees from all backgrounds welcome. Top performing franchisees currently earning £5,000+ a month.

Jonathan Waterson Plan-it Cards

Interested in Plan-it Cards?

Contact Jonathan Waterson

I'm happy to answer any questions you have...

At a Glance

Established: 2000

UK Presence: 9 franchisees

Average start up cost: £25,000

Min personal contribution: £10,000

Development type: Single-unit franchisees. Can also be built up to a multi-van operation.

Franchise Membership: bfa Established




Franchise Info

plan-it cards range

Plan-it Cards is one of the leading companies in the greeting card distribution sector. Our success has been built on both the quality and range of our product, and the strength of our Franchisee distribution network.

Founded by Jonathan and Irene Waterson in 2000, they have built Plan-it Cards up as an independent family-owned business with the customer firmly at the forefront of their business model. We now supply thousands of retail outlets up and down the country including petrol stations, post offices, convenience stores (independent and symbol), chemists, hospital shops, garden centres, newsagents and more.  

We continue to invest in new products and designs, making continuous improvements to our systems to maintain the highest quality in everything we do.       

Plan-it Cards is looking for enthusiastic individuals / couples from across the UK to join our growing and successful franchise network.  

Do people still send cards?

YES! The British are a nation of card senders, we send more cards per person than any other nation. Latest industry figures for 2022 from the Greeting Card Association (GCA) confirm it remains a £1.5 billion industry with 90% of all cards still being sold through brick-and-mortar outlets;  it is estimated that there are over 100,000 independent retailers in the UK.

This provides confidence that the UK population continues to be highly engaged with greetings cards. Sending and receiving handwritten cards generates positive feelings and wellbeing, creating an emotional response. The fact that someone has spent the time to make or choose a card, write it, and send it makes the person receiving it feel far more special and cared for than receiving instant texts, emails, or other social media messages.

plan-it cards franchisees

Our franchise opportunity

Plan-it Cards franchisees supply their own exclusive greetings cards, gift wrap and gift bags and display equipment to retailers in their exclusive territory.

Once a month, the Franchisee visits the site to refresh and replace stock sold, introduce new designs and products, and collect the revenue for stock sold from the store. This guarantees the Franchisee a regular monthly income. 

Our top performing franchisees are currently earning over £5,000 a month.

With access to our brand, our product, our systems, and our know-how, the Franchisees role is to build proactive business relationships and sales with the retailers in their own exclusive territory.

The more outlets opened and the greater the volume of Plan-it Cards you can put into each outlet the better the turnover and profit margins.

Building up your account base is made easier because with Plan-it Cards the retailer only pays for what they sell so for the retailer there is no stock write off, no initial outlay and an immediate profit with no financial risk.

Following our system the focus for the Franchisee is to target independent stores and national symbol group chains; Post Office, Co-Op, Londis, Premier, Spar, Costcutter, Budgens, Nisa, Shell, BP and Esso

We supply directly to a number of these chains up and down the country; many of which are currently in areas where we don't have franchisees– this represents a massive opportunity for new franchisees to be earning income from Day 1 in many territories.

Franchisees have access to over 400 designs, available across 2 sizes of cards and 2 Everyday price points and bar codes, so displays can be bespoke to the retail environment.

The range includes everyday birthday cards as well as extensive ranges of occasions, relations and age-related cards, plus packeted gift wrap and gift bags to complete the range.

New designs are released monthly to maintain customer interest and increase sales. In addition, extra sales revenue is achieved through seasonal ranges such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, and Father’s Day etc.

Typically, you will work from home so require access to a vehicle and mobile devices. Initially storage of product will typically be in a garage or suitable spare room. Over time, as your business expands, you may wish to look for your own offices/ off site storage facilities. It is also possible for you to become a multi van operation and employ merchandisers if the business supports this.

plan-it cards range

Key reasons to invest in a Plan-it Cards Franchise

  • A proven business model with over 20 years experience
  • Massive potential - £1.5 billion annual greeting card market with over 90% of greetings cards still sold in physical shops
  • Work with a wide range of well-know customers such as Post Office, Co-Op, Londis, Premier, Spar, Costcutters, Budgens, Nisa, Shell, BP and Esso.
  • Over 100,000 independent retailers in the UK
  • A recession proof industry - every day is a birthday or a special occasion!
  • Monthly visits to retailers means regular monthly income for franchisees
  • Exclusive products and wide range of cards for all occasions - over 400 designs
  • Home-based; low overheads & high margins
  • No experience required; Initial training and on-going support
  • Flexible hours
  • No hard sell - retailer only pays for what they sell 
  • Business can be expanded into a multi-van operation

plan-it cards displays

The investment - set up costs

The total set up costs will be between £22,000 to £27,000 – this will vary by franchisee location & operations. This includes our Re-launch offer with the saving of £5,000 on our Franchise Fee.

We can support you through the process to apply for any additional funding if required.

The figures includes the provision of working capital and other set up costs. Specifically,

  • Training
    • A full and comprehensive training programme is delivered, so no previous greetings card, sales, or business experience is required.
    • Our initial training covers all the elements of running and growing a greetings card franchise.
    • Course includes field training with an existing Franchisee.
    • You will have on loan for the lifetime of your Franchise licence, a full copy of the Operations Manual.
  • Professional Business Plan - Including financial sustainability acceptable to high street banks and other lenders.
  • Business Launch - Hands-on guidance & support to secure retail outlets.
  • Stock and Display Equipment
  • Sundries - Including uniforms, business stationery, shelving and packing equipment.
  • On-going Marketing Support - From launching your business on-going support is provided to help you with the continued sales growth of your business and is tailored to your requirements.

plan-it cards range

Ideal franchise partner

Our Franchisees come from all sorts of backgrounds and walks of life, farmers, policemen, magistrates, members of the RAF, teachers, firemen, petrol forecourt retailers.

You need to:

  • Be enthusiastic and self-motivated with a desire to build a successful business
  • Forthright and honest
  • Not over promise and under deliver
  • Have excellent spoken and written communication skills
  • And be prepared to work hard and have a desire to work in the greetings cards industry

plan-it cards displays

Jonathan Waterson Plan-it Cards

Interested in Plan-it Cards?

Contact Jonathan Waterson

I'm happy to answer any questions you have...


Click on the link below to receive further information on our franchise opportunity. You can also connect directly with us to ask any questions.

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Plan-it Cards Franchise Resales

Success Stories

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Success Story
"I want to be No. 1 and reach a six-figure turnover"

Simon and Caroline Hanna have been running their Plan-it Cards franchise in North Yorkshire since 2014. Having been made redundant, Simon and his wife were looking for a new opportunity that would provide a more secure future for their family. ‘’Caroline and I have been in greetings cards for over 30 years at various managerial levels, including owning our retail business. I have been heavily involved in franchising, and have recently attained the British Franchise Association qfp Franchising qualification in the process.‘’ explained Simon. ‘

Read more
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Success Story
Plan-it Cards impressed me with their passion, professionalism and family values

Maciej Warchocki, the Plan-it Cards Franchisee for London & Canterbury, is a multiple territory owner with plenty of ambition. “Since I left university, I worked in Information Technology but have always wanted to run my own business. I felt restricted and undervalued in my job. I concluded the only way I was able to achieve success in a flexible way was to work for myself .I knew a little bit about greetings cards having moved to the UK from Poland and found a job packing greetings cards. I saw first-hand that with the right product and a lot of hard work I could run my own business.”

Read more
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Success Story
Having the right work/leisure balance

Alistair Black was awarded the Plan-it Cards franchisee of the year in 2016. He had been in a greetings card sales role for over 25 years, but his motivation for joining Plan-it Cards was very clear – even at interview. He wanted to create something tangible from his experience and efforts in the greeting card industry. To build an asset, an investment, that he could develop, grow, and when the time was right, to sell on in the future.

Read more
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Success Story
I like not having to answer to a boss!

Jacky Francis owns and manages the Plan-it Cards franchise in Shropshire, and is the current Plan-it Cards Franchisee of the Year. She had no experience in running her own business when she signed on the dotted line, but she knew a great product when she saw it.

Read more



News

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News
Plan-it Cards is new greetings cards supplier for Welcome Stores

Plan-it Cards, one of the leading companies in the greeting card distribution sector, is delighted to add Welcome Stores to the list of stores they supply greeting cards to across the UK. “We're delighted to be working with Welcome in partnership with Southern Co-op and supplying them with all their Everyday and Seasonal greetings cards, gift wrap and gift bags,” said Jonathan Waterson, Founder of Plan-it Cards.

Read more
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News
Send a card. Deliver a smile

One of the most common questions we are asked when looking at our business opportunity is do people still buy cards? Absolutely! Contrary to the doom and gloom merchants out there, greetings cards continue to hold a special place in our hearts and society. Latest industry figures for 2022 from the Greeting Card Association (GCA) confirm it remains a £1.5 billion industry with 90% of all cards still being sold through brick-and-mortar outlets. This is why a greeting card franchise such as Plan-it Cards makes such an attractive option for those looking to start their own business...

Read more
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News
Plan-it Cards launches 10 new card designs

Plan-it Cards, one of the leading companies in the greeting card distribution sector, is pleased to launch 10 brand-new designs of relation and birthday titles for August.  

Read more
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News
Plan-it Cards celebrates its re-launch with a saving of £5,000 on Franchise Fee

Plan-it Cards, one of the leading companies in the greetings cards franchise distribution sector, is thrilled to announce a limited summertime offer that presents an unparalleled opportunity for potential franchisees. With an extraordinary reduction of £5,000 on our normal Franchise Fee Plan-it Cards is paving the way for potential franchisees to start on the business journey of ‘spreading joy’ with substantial savings.

Read more
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News
Is experience required in franchising?

Like 99% of people nowadays, the first thing I did when I was asked to write this article was to do a quick Google search and ask my newest buddy, ChatGPT, for their advice. The response I got back was, "Experience is not always required in franchising, although it can be beneficial." Well, as someone who had zero experience, here's how I fared.

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News
Plan-it Cards launches exclusive new Fathers Day range

Plan-it Cards is excited to announce the launch of our exclusive new range of Father’s Day designs that are sure to delight Dads everywhere.

Read more


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