On September 8th and 9th, Dublin’s RDS was a hub of activity as the Franchise Show returned to Ireland for its second year. The show featured over sixty-five exhibitors from both Irish and international franchises. Seminars featuring insider advice from successful franchisees and business experts took place at regular intervals across both days. The Show provided the opportunity for both potential franchisees and those already operating their own business to gain expert financial and business insights, and proved to be an invaluable experience for those interested in the world of franchising. The franchise industry in Ireland is worth an estimated €2.5billion and the Franchise Show demonstrated that the future of franchising in Ireland is promising. There are currently over 4,000 active franchise units operating in Ireland and 43,000 full-time jobs are available in the industry, statistics that are very encouraging in a post-recession economy.
The Show also allowed us at Franchise Direct to catch up with some of our clients who had stands at the RDS. The Bricks4Kidz stand was particularly busy during the two days of the Franchise Show. Karl Fitzpatrick, Master Franchisor in Ireland, offered plenty of advice for potential franchisees, encouraging them to examine the background of the management team behind the franchise on offer: “Is there a track record of success?” Fitzpatrick also advised people to be mindful of the longevity of their franchise, noting the importance of there being “a massive amount of content behind that particular brand to ensure that the business is sustainable.” Bricks4Kidz is certainly a sustainable business model, as franchisees can benefit from up to twenty income streams, ensuring that it is a scalable, full-time business opportunity for franchisees.
Matt Goddard from Fit4Less is delighted that the popular énergie brand has now expanded to Ireland. “The health and fitness market in Ireland is fairly new but growing, and we felt there was a great opportunity to franchise the gyms in Ireland. We’re doing really well; we started off last year with four clubs and by 2018 we hope to have fifteen clubs in Ireland.” Goddard also encouraged potential franchisees not to be overwhelmed at the possibility of franchising, particularly in a market that they might not be familiar with: “We always say to our franchisees that it’s your business, not your gym. Just go for it; as long as you have a really good support system behind you, which Fit4Less provides, you’re going to do well.” Mike O’Mara and Daragh Moore of Wine Buff were also optimistic about the franchise sector. They regard the benefits of being involved in a franchise to be plentiful: “You are buying into a structured business plan, something that has been successful in the past, which minimises the risk involved with setting up a new business.”
Businesswoman Majella Leighton established Game Machine in 2013 after identifying a gap in the market while organising her son’s birthday party. “Essentially, we were looking for somebody to do what we do and couldn’t find anyone supplying the service we wanted, so we ended up doing it ourselves at home and realised that we were on to something. We did further research and found out that what we do is very big in the U.S., so we downsized to suit the Irish market and came up with Game Machine.” Leighton also shared her thoughts on the benefits of running a franchise; “You get to set your own hours, which offers a great degree of flexibility. You’re not answering to anybody else, which is the main benefit; you decide what you do. You create your own destiny.”
Franchise Direct was delighted to be in attendance at this year’s Franchise Show, and we hope to return again the next time the Show comes to Dublin. Here are some final thoughts from our Irish Account Manager, Marie Devereux: “Franchise Direct were delighted to exhibit at The Franchise Show 2017. It was a great opportunity for us to promote our network of websites to both franchisors looking to expand, and to potential franchisees who are researching the opportunities available. Well done to the organisers for all their hard work that went into making the show a success once again this year.”