[bluez]

if there's enough work to start a franchise in your area, then there's enough work to start your own buisness without the franchise fees, simples

Simple, yes but not in the way you think. Not everyone wants to take the, start from zero and build up both knowledge and turnover route in many areas not just wc.

[bluez]

Suprised Ian Lancaster has n't posted on this one

he is usually quick off the mark on franchises

I'm afraid Ian thought I was having a go at him a couple of years ago when I really tore into a couple of ters who started saying how wonderul franchises were and how much money could be made from them.

I strongly suspected the two posters were in fact really the same person trying to use CIU promote some rubbish scheme he was wanting to foist on the gullable. So I came in strong and hard talking about sharks preying on mugs etc and rather offended Ian who wasn't my intended target. I have no doubt that Ian is fair and honest but from what I have seen not everyone is honest like Ian.

Lets face it, if you are a totally dishonest person with no scruples what so ever, setting up a dodgy francising business must seem like money for nothing. It doesn't matter what the actual business is to these people. They are just after releaving scared and worried people of their redundancy money. 

Nope slumpbuster was one and I was the other, you spat your dummy out of the pram and threatened to leave the forum. Total over reaction on your part, I think you even accused Ian Lancaster of using the forum to groom "victims", this was after he had been asked to give a talk on franchising within the window cleaning industry at Windex !!!

As for coming in strong etc etc, I think you just reinforced my opinion that you are a narrow minded bigot. You didnt feel the topic should even be allowed to be discussed...on a forum.

Oh and also the topic wasnt about how fantastic it was at all, also money and the abundance of it was never mentioned.....selective memory syndrome I think.


Mark



Mark

No you wern't one of the two posters who was trying to promote franchises at that time. Not with that name anyway but why do you hide behind a name. I can't even remenber The name(s) that were used because there were so many hookey names flying around.

I got into several arguements on different threads and if it starts up again I will wade in again because I am as you say a narrow minded bigot and proud to be so if it prevents crooks and conmen using this forum for their own purposes.

Please try though to put your case using reasoned arguements rather than personal attacks, they don't work on me.

Other sections of the cleaning industry have been plagued with franchising schemes that have ended in tears. If you can demonstrate a scheme that works - fine. However, until that time......

Jims window cleaning(jims lawn mowingetc), , fish window cleaning try google you will find some. Also for some non wc examples try McDonalds, Topaz, Shell, HB the list is endless.

You and ftp seem happy to throw out examples of bad franchises I can do the opposite and just keep mentioning good franchises, but it doesnt really add to the discussion.

Businesses start and fail all the time franchises are not a guarantee of success but a good one should tilt the odds a bit in your favour, a bad one will surely give you no chance. That is not the fault of the business model, it is the fault of the individuals involved on both sides.

"Franchising Bad" and "franchising good" are just to simplistic an approach to the subject to be right in any way.

[Platinum NW]

if there's enough work to start a franchise in your area, then there's enough work to start your own buisness without the franchise fees, simples

Simple, yes but not in the way you think. Not everyone wants to take the, start from zero and build up both knowledge and turnover route in many areas not just wc.

Shame this is true as many of you may know that one of the most rewarding feelings in business is knowing you made all your money and success yourself from nothing....
Success is sweet but even more sweeter when you have done it all yourself

[ftp]

I'm sure there are good franchises out there and Ian Lancasters is probably one of them.
The ones I picked on are simply the ones I looked at whilst facing redundancy and at the time the prospect of chucking my redundancy money at them looked like sheer stupidity including the Concept20 set up I looked at too. As it was I picked up so much work windowcleaning that I had to jump ship anyway and thus missed any redundancy payment.

[Londoner]

Bluez

You are right, there are some very good franchises out there among things like Hotel Chains and high street retailers where name and Branding are everything.

If you had a McDonalds people would walk into your shop every day and spend money because they know the name and know what the food will be like. Similarly when you go to another city you well might book into a Hilton Hotel because you know the name.

What I fail to see is how that relates to window cleaning. There is a world of difference between a franchise and a glorified training scheme. What I see is a training scheme not a franchise. Often the people selling the franchises don't impress me as having had a wealth of experience in window cleaning. They are self styled marketing gurus.

Window cleaning is not about branding or name its about basic manual labour and I don't see how a franchise can add value to the process for the customer or the franchisee.

Its just below the level at which brand or name counts for anything.

[bluez]

I would value my brand very highly, it's not a franchise but strong branding has contributed significantly to it.

Dont misinterpret my point as being in support of any existing window cleaning franchise it is not, it is a support of franchising as a business model, I just dont think that the franchises that have been offered in this industry have been very good(vince's assesment is pretty fair).

Ians offering is a good example of someone who has the knowledge and experience to make it work, I just feel that whenever franchising is mentioned on here it gets slammed as bad.

I think that lots of franchises are really crap but not franchising as a way of doing business.