Successful businessman turned franchisee and motivational speaker, Basil Plews, has published a new book to help would-be businesspeople to learn about the secrets of buying and running a successful franchised business.
‘The Franchise Way’, published by Authorhouse (ISBN 9781438994550; price £11.99), explains how to find, buy and run a franchised business and explores the character, talents and motivation of successful franchisees.
As a continuing professional development (CPD) tool for the would-be and then the fledgling businessperson, Basil Plews’ book is a useful learning and performance support resource. It provides helpful reference and support materials for those about to be made redundant and who feel that they would like to buy a business to provide them with a future income stream.
“Lots of people watch ‘reality TV’ shows and feel that, if they got a chance, they could be successful and live their dream,” Plews said.
“They feel that they have a talent but they might not have the skill set necessary for success in the business world. That’s where buying a franchise could help them because they become part of a team and buy in to a brand and a system.”
Plews’ first book – ‘The Complete Franchise Book’ (ISBN 09548883-8-3), published last year – is already out of print, so Plews has produced an updated version to take account of the economic changes that have happened in that time.
He explained: “With unemployment now rising, the prospect of working for yourself is becoming more attractive, so increasing numbers of people are exploring opportunities to buy a franchise. If you choose your franchisor well, you should get a great deal of support – through training, being kept abreast of changes in relevant regulations and so on – which should ease the burden of starting your own business.”
Of course, there are pitfalls for the unwary – which Plews explains, bringing all his years of business experience to bear on the subject. His book even provides a handy 11-question aid-memoir questionnaire for potential franchisees to ask a franchisor.
The book contains a list of useful addresses of organisations supplying specialist services to franchisees and well as a lengthy list of franchisors.
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However, its value lies in posing searching questions not just about how to discover the business opportunities that a particular franchise has to offer but also about the reader’s suitability and motivation to take on a franchise – and make it successful.
