The National Franchise Exhibition

Ticket hotline: 0870 7771048
www.franinfo.co.uk

The UKís largest franchise exhibition, The National Franchise Exhibition 2005, will take place on 7 & 8 October at the NEC, Birmingham. The show is the focal point of National Franchise Week, a week of seminars and networking opportunities organised by The British Franchise Association (BFA).

The event is ideal for entrepreneurs looking to start and run their own franchised businesses. Visitors to the show will meet with a wide range of well-established franchised companies and assess the benefits of running their own business as part of an established franchise brand.

The National Franchise Exhibition features over 250 tried and tested business concepts, offering opportunities to appeal to every interest and skill, from management and business consultancy, to video and game rental, manufacturing tool and equipment solutions and everything in between. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet existing franchisees in order to gain an insight into the potential demands and rewards of running a successful franchise.

Among the companies exhibiting will be Advanced Protection Systems, Auditel, Bartercard, BBís Coffee & Muffins, Car Medic, Cash Generator, Chamberlains Security, Chemex, Chips Away, Clairol Professional, KallKwik, Kumon Education, Lasertech, Local Group, Mail Boxes etc., McDonalds Restaurants, Molly Maid, O2, Pronuptia, Signs Express, Snap-On Tools, Snappy Snaps, Subway, Talent
Management and Wimpy International. All exhibitors present at the exhibition are accredited by the British Franchise Association (BFA) and thus adhere to the BFAís code of conduct and can therefore be seen as ethical and viable.

Sponsored by the BFA, The Daily Express and Business Franchise, the event is the perfect place to find out all there is to know about franchising. By meeting face to face with the many established franchise operators at the event, visitors can easily find out all they need to know about what franchisors offer and how to establish and maintain a successful franchise.

There is an incredibly diverse range of opportunities available, with companies such as O2 (phones), Clairol Professional (hair care products), Attiva (health and fitness clubs), Antal International (global executive recruitment), Talent Management (acting and performance agency), NBC Bird Solutions (using hawks for pest control), New Age Kurling (curling for sports halls), The Asbestos Group (asbestos surveys, risk management and assessments), and The Plastic Surgeon (a range of unique, high quality surface repair systems). A series of highly informative free seminars are being run by the BFA across both days for everyone looking to find out more about becoming a franchisee or franchisor. They will include valuable advice and specific success stories from leading speakers from the UK franchise industry, who are all BFA members or affiliates.

11:00 Friday and 14:00 Saturday - íAn introduction to franchisingí - for prospective franchisees.

This seminar is for aspiring business owners new to the franchising concept. It will address issues including: the benefits of franchising versus other business formats; what the franchisor looks for in a franchisee; what a franchisee should look for in a franchisor; the size and the expected growth in the franchise market; the initial choice of franchise; the business plan; and the finance and how to get it.

12:30 Saturday - íHow to franchise your businessí - for prospective franchisors.

The free hour-long seminar consists of a short introduction to franchising as a means of expanding an existing business or developing a new venture.

Franchising is growing rapidly worldwide as a proven way to develop successful new businesses because it offers ready-made solutions to help those wanting to set up a new venture. It is a major industry, with franchise operations in the UK now turning over nearly 10bn a year.

Women in Franchising Zone

Meeting people with similar interests who can share their experiences is always valuable.

At the National Franchise Exhibition there will be a womensí networking area where female entrepreneurs can speak with other likeminded people and listen to experts such as Rosemary Conley CBE, famous health and fitness guru and owner of the Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs.

We are delighted to sponsor the Women in Franchising Zone at this yearís National Franchise Exhibition, says Rosemary Conley, CBE. There are so many exciting opportunities for women in franchising and the Women in Franchising Zone offers a golden opportunity to exhibit the diverse range of franchises available to a wider audience.

Women will be able to speak with small business owners and experts to network and gain valuable business contacts, both on-line and off-line. They will also be able to discuss how to overcome the issues that they encounter as a franchisee.

Dawn Charles, who founded the global networking organisation A Womanís Place, will be leading a Worklife Balance workshop at the event, where she will share her experiences with fellow businesswomen.

Networking is an increasingly important skill in business to build relationships with potential contacts and future customers. Successful networking requires the ability to listen, establish rapport, empathise and identify common ground - something women are naturally very good at doing, says Dawn.

The women in franchising zone will run across both days of the show and include four presentations per day. Other speakers include Pam Bader who will talk about franchising, Medics on the Move who will talk from a franchiseesí perspective, Judy Behl who will talk about growing a woman friendly franchise brand, and Cathy Stewart, who will explain why franchising, family and flexibility = fun.

Exhibitor Presentation Theatre

The event will include an Exhibitor Presentation Theatre, a highly interactive and valuable element of the show. This is the perfect place for visitors to listen to the founders of leading companies and learn about their inspirations, ideas and concepts. With five 45 minute presentations per day, this is the ideal arena for prospective franchisees to get a feel for the diversity of opportunities available at the show.

The Growing Your Own Business Exhibition & Conference

Co-located with The National Franchise Exhibition, Growing Your Own Business features companies and experts offering highly valuable advice and services to enable businesses to expand much faster, increase their efficiency, and most importantly, improve their profitability and develop sustainable growth.

The conference features high profile keynote speakers, well-known business owners and experts on the issues that entrepreneurs face in developing a business.

The keynote speaker on Day One of the event is Nighat Awan, OBE., Chief Executive of The Shere Khan Group. Also speaking on Day One of the exhibition is Rocky Mirza, Founder of iBETX. The keynote speaker on Day Two of the event is Perween Warsi, CBE, Founder & CEO of S & A Foods.

Furthermore, visitors will also be able to visit the free Business Advice Zone, which offers small business owners unique one-to-one advice from key experts as well as invaluable networking opportunities with their peers.

To find out more information on speakers and exhibitors at Growing Your Own Business please visit www.growingyourownbusiness.co.uk

The National Franchise Exhibition and the Growing Your Own Business Exhibition & Conference is open from 10am each day, closing at 5pm on Friday 7 October and 4pm on Saturday 8 October. Please call the hotline on 0870 7771048 or visit www.franinfo.co.uk / www.growingyourownbusiness.co.uk. Callers can purchase tickets in advance by credit card for 8 each or 7 for two or more. Admission on the door is 13.