Jackson Fire: How to get the most out of a franchise exhibition visit – and how to follow up

Franchise exhibitions are great opportunities for aspiring franchisees to meet with a number of businesses to gain key information about the different options available within your industry. At exhibitions, you can discover franchises that you may not have been aware of and learn more about how they work and what benefits they offer, all while better understanding the onboarding and partnership process.

But what happens afterwards? What do you do with all this great information you’ve gathered from the exhibition? Beforehand, you most likely will have researched the exhibitors. While there, you should have collected lots of information, but afterwards, there’s a lot more you need to do before making any decisions.

Here’s our simple five-step guide to choosing the right franchise:

1. Shortlist all your favourite franchises.

After having spoken to all the possible franchises, you need to narrow them down to the ones that would work best for you. Eliminate any that are not in your budget or require more time than you have available. It is also important to check that they have territories in your area. Once you’ve done this, weigh up the information they’ve given you and do some research to see which offer the best deals for you in the short and long term.

This is a process that requires a lot of thought and consideration on your part, with one wrong move possibly costing you a fantastic partnership with a franchise that has bags of potential.

2. Get in touch with them one by one.

Next, it’s time to contact the few franchises who have ticked your boxes!

Don’t forget to go in prepared; have a set of questions jotted down and record the answers they give you to see how well they fit in with your vision and ambitions for this future partnership. Compare and contrast each franchise to see which has the strongest offering out of them all. Confidence is key here, so be sure to take note of the franchisor’s professionalism and ability to answer the questions you set out to ask – treat it almost like an interview but be more informal.

They should treat you with respect and impress you with their level of professionalism.

3. Design your detailed financial plan.

Now you have a better understanding of your franchise options, it’s time to create a financial plan that’ll help to give you an idea of your current finances, goals and strategies to achieve them.  It’s all well and good having lofty ambitions, but if you can’t afford to see them through, then you’ll only be fighting a losing battle at the end of it. That’s where a financial plan comes in.

What financial figures have other franchisors been able to generate during their first, second and third years? With the conversations you’ve had, you should have gathered this information in order to feed the financial plan with the details that it needs.

4. Meet with all current franchisees.

What do the people who work within the franchise think of it on a daily basis?

Understanding what it’s like to be a part of a franchise can only be done if you talk to those
who will be on a similar level to you, not the higher-ups who simply run the franchise as a whole. Firstly, get permission from the franchisor. If they decline, it may be a sign that they have something to hide. Those franchisors that connect you with other representatives are confident of their franchise and know how well it’s run. Speaking with other franchisees gives you an insight into their experience dealing with the franchise, the support they’ve received and how well their business is performing. This gives you a really good feel for the day-to-day operations too. Get as much information as possible as it’s vital for your final decision.

5. Decide on your franchise of choice.

Following all of that research on your end, it’s finally time to choose which franchise is best for you. Which one has impressed you the most? What were all the tipping points that swayed your decision? Are you more confident in one brand over another? This is a big decision, so it

is important that you take as much time as you need and feel fully confident in your choice.

When you’ve chosen, you can get started with your new franchise journey almost immediately!

Build your future with Jackson Fire & Security!

Running a Jackson Fire and Security Franchise is made simpler by our comprehensive business systems, manuals and ongoing business and technical support. If you are looking for more information on how our franchise options work, get in touch to find out more>>