If you’re considering working with us, you may wonder about our process and how long it takes. Many people think about self-employment for months or even years before they’re ready to take the leap. If working with us is one of the options you’re considering, understanding our process is crucial.
Here’s what it looks like after downloading a prospectus, from discussion to launch, broken down into six steps!
Step 1 – initial conversation
The first step is a conversation with you, usually over the phone, with Eleanor Deem, our founder, and typically lasts around an hour. During this discussion, we’ll answer your questions about working with us, what it’s like being an HR consultant to small businesses, the types of services involved, and the support we offer. This is also an opportunity for us to learn more about you – your experience, career, and motivations for considering this path.
Understanding your motivations is important because they need to align with the realities of the role. If you’re looking for improved work-life balance, flexibility, and variety, that’s fantastic! But if your expectations don’t quite align, we’ll make sure to clarify those early on.
By the end of this conversation, we’ll both have a sense of whether there’s a good “fit” in terms of our approach to HR and how we work. At this stage, you’ve likely explored our website and read some articles to get a feel for our brand.
Step 2 – meeting
After our initial conversation, we like to see our prospective franchisees and invite them to a video call, we find that a Zoom meeting is the most effective way to connect. It allows us to have a face-to-face conversation without the need for travel, and we can easily schedule a time that works for everyone.
In this meeting, we’ll dive deeper into how everything works, covering more detailed topics than we did on the phone. We’ll also showcase resources like our online PlayBook, document database, and territory options. This meeting is an excellent opportunity for both of us to assess compatibility and see if we’d work well together.
A big part of what we offer is personal support, so it’s important for you to feel comfortable building a strong relationship with us. We’ll also use this meeting to evaluate whether you would represent our brand effectively and engage well with small business owners. While impressive qualifications are great, your personal approach and “vibe” are key to determining your potential success.
Step 3 – introduction to Franchise Manager
At this stage, as most of your questions will shift towards the technical aspects of the business and contractual arrangements you’ll be introduced to our Franchise Manager, who will guide you through the next steps. Before we dive into more detailed proprietary information, we’ll ask you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to ensure the confidentiality of our discussions.
Once the NDA is signed, we’ll begin by sending you our standard draft franchise agreement. We’ll encourage you to carefully consider the agreement and seek advice from a franchise specialist solicitor (don’t worry we have some recommendations to help with this) to ensure full clarity and come back to us with any queries that may arise from that review.
At the same time, if financing is a concern, we can provide information on the start-up loans available through the British Business Bank. These loans offer a fixed rate, with no personal guarantees or early repayment fees. We’ll also provide a loan calculator to help with your planning.
Once you’ve reviewed the franchise agreement, we’ve answered any questions you have and made your decision, we’ll move forward with the next steps.
Step 4 – talk to other consultants
If both sides feel it’s a good fit, the next step is to connect you with some of our consultants to give you an idea of the business from an existing franchisee’s perspective.
Step 5 – signing the franchise agreement and preparing for launch
Once you’re ready to move forward, the next step is to sign the franchise agreement, pay the franchise fee, and agree on a launch date. This is an exciting milestone where your journey truly begins! From here, we’ll shift our focus to planning your launch and getting everything in place for your consultancy to thrive.
Step 6 – planning and launch
With the agreement signed and your launch date set, it’s time to dive into the fun stuff – building your business, with step-by-step support from the HQ team! This includes training, setting up your web presence, preparing your business infrastructure, researching local competition, and identifying marketing opportunities. We’ll also work closely with you to create a tailored marketing plan based on your skills, needs, and local market dynamics.
How long does it take?
We’re often asked how long the process takes, and the answer depends on your circumstances. Some people want to move quickly from the initial conversation to a meeting, while others take several months. Similarly, the transition between stages can vary, and some may pause the process for personal reasons.
On average, the quickest realistic timeline from the first conversation to signing the agreement is about six weeks. Then between signing and launching, it can vary from as quickly as a month, to as long as nine or ten months. So overall the process can take anything from just under three months to over a year. We’re flexible and happy to let you take the time you need. We are also on hand at every stage to support and guide you through the process as well as answer as many questions as you have along the way.
Ready to take the next step?
If you’re curious about how working with us could work for you, why not explore further? Download our prospectus to get a detailed overview of what we offer, or get in touch for a friendly, no-obligation chat. We’d love to hear more about your goals and answer any questions you have. Let’s start the conversation!