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Every successful business launch starts with an opening act. Whether stepping into an established territory or introducing yourself to a brand-new audience, the earliest stages of business ownership often shape everything that follows – from customer loyalty and reputation to long-term growth.
At Stagecoach Performing Arts, CEO Lisa Stead regularly speaks with aspiring franchisees who ask the same questions: How do I build trust quickly? How do I stand out locally? And how do I create momentum from the very beginning? To explore what a successful “opening act” really looks like in practice, in this Q&A, Lisa speaks with Laura Feenan, Principal of Stagecoach Southport, whose school has grown from zero students at launch to more than 65 students across five classes within its first year.
Zambrero, the modern Mexican restaurant group, opened their 15th UK restaurant, and 3rd within The City of London, at 9 Queen’s Head Passage on Tuesday 19th May. The restaurant, which specialises in freshly made burrito and bowls, has been purpose built to cater for busy local office workers in need of a quick and tasty lunch break, by putting technology at the heart of its operations.
The early years education sector has evolved significantly in recent decades. Once commonly associated with small-scale, home-based childcare settings, it is now recognised as a highly professional, regulated and increasingly scalable industry. Today’s childcare providers are expected to meet rigorous legal requirements, maintain high educational standards and deliver environments that reflect the expectations of families. Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, the UK’s largest day nursery franchise, continues to support franchisees in building sustainable businesses within this evolving landscape. Grace Cole, Managing Director at Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, sat down with franchisees Sam El-Labban of Monkey Puzzle’s Purley and Upminster and Nicola Cooper and Laura Cardy of Altrincham and Timperley.
One Less Thing, the management-led domestic cleaning franchise, has announced the signing of two new Business Partners, who will operate territories in Worcester and Liverpool South East. The new Business Partners are due to begin their initial training in June, as they prepare to launch their local businesses using One Less Thing’s established systems, software and support model.
Fast-growing domestic cleaning franchise One Less Thing is pushing ahead with its UK franchise expansion plans after building early momentum across multiple territories since launching in 2023. The management-led domestic cleaning franchise has already established five operational branches across the UK, with a further two Business Partners currently progressing through training as the brand continues to strengthen its national footprint.
Leading fitness franchise Snap Fitness is celebrating an impressive UK record following the launch of Snap Fitness Redditch this week.The 24-hour gym, located in a former retail unit in the Worcestershire town, has opened its doors with more members than any other previous UK Snap Fitness gym, surpassing the previous record set by its Winton branch.
Zambrero, the modern Mexican restaurant group, has opened its latest new restaurant in Basingstoke’s Festival Place - the first for the brand in Hampshire. The restaurant, which opened on Saturday 30th May, is located on Queen Anne’s Square in the Festival Place Shopping Centre, and has created 10 full and part-time jobs. Serving delicious, customisable modern Mexican favourites, the new restaurant offers both dine-in and takeaway options, with seating for 25 customers.
Bubble tea brand Bubble CiTea is continuing to build momentum through a series of high-profile brand collaborations that are helping to drive customer engagement, increase brand visibility and create additional value for franchise partners across its growing UK network. Over the past 18 months, the business has partnered with some of the world's most recognisable consumer brands, including Disney, Miffy & Friends, Mr Men Little Miss, KitKat and Swizzels. These collaborations have delivered exclusive drinks, limited-edition merchandise, themed in-store activations and promotional campaigns designed to capture consumer attention and encourage repeat visits.
Green Machine, one of the fast-growing commercial cleaning franchises, has announced a significant milestone – securing £1.6 million in new contract wins across its franchise network between 2025 and 2026. This impressive achievement reflects both the strength of the Green Machine franchise model and the continued demand for reliable, high-quality commercial cleaning services across the UK.
Green Machine is delighted to announce the continued growth of its franchise network with the arrival of another new franchisee this year, as Fatima takes on the Oxford region. This latest launch marks another exciting step forward for Green Machine as the brand continues to expand across the UK.
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