Are you thinking of buying a franchise? After such a rollercoaster of a year, many people have found themselves questioning their future lifestyle and work choices.

Here at eDivert, that’s translating into more and more enquiries from people who want to run their own business but have an element of flexibility and choice about how and when they do it.

Meet Lois. Our newest franchisee, Lois, joined eDivert in May 2021. She’s currently undergoing her initial training, which will teach her everything she needs to know about the franchise, how it works, who the team are, and what services we offer our clients.

1. Start strong

We get a huge amount of positive feedback from our franchisees about our training: we are committed to setting our people off on the right foot because we believe this is the difference that makes the difference. Good training provides a good, consistent grounding and sets people up for success.

Lois chatted to us about why she wanted to become a franchisee and why she chose eDivert.

“My main focus was to work from home and be my own boss”, she explains. “I felt a franchise business would be more secure and give me a bit of a safety net which going it alone wouldn’t.”

2. Look for minimal risk

Lois makes an important point here. Often, starting your own business can take time, investment and involves a significant amount of risk. By joining a franchise, lots of the initial legwork is done. There are already established processes which you can tap into (and, again, the training in how these work is key).

Lois goes on to explain her journey to finding eDivert: “I actually looked at a different organisation first” she recounts. “But they weren’t very organised and, unfortunately, the whole business fell through before I even got started. I felt quite messed around and so I was really delighted with how simple and organised eDivert was when I looked at their franchise.”

3. Reputation is everything

Another important consideration for would-be franchisees is to check businesses are registered with an authority body such as the BFA (British Franchise Association). This means they are being regulated and have a track record you can investigate. If you’re going to invest money, you need to know it will be safe and provide you with a return. Look for a business with a well-established process for onboarding their franchisees and don’t be afraid to ask the difficult questions before you commit.

“eDivert has a really well-oiled process,” says Lois. “I can chat to head office any time if I have a query or need more information. It’s so important when you are investing in a business that the people running it share your values and you feel supported.”

Most importantly for Lois, is the flexibility that is offered by a franchise business. She’s due to relocate from Oxfordshire to The Wirral and can continue with this plan with no disruption at all to her business.

“I’m feeling really positive about my new business,” says Lois. “It’s perfect timing and I’m so glad I found a positive, supportive franchise with a great team to get to know.”