The first step is the hardest…

what happens when you submit an enquiry about becoming a James Franchisee?

If you’ve been considering taking the leap into the world of business ownership for a while now, but for whatever reason you just can’t quite bring yourself to take the first step, then you’re not alone!

Most people, by the time they strike up the courage to make an enquiry with us, have already been watching along from the sidelines for months. Watching our videos on YouTube, reading all our blogs, pouring over our website for more information, have downloaded and read our Information Pack and have been watching our advertisements on social media as they scroll.

Taking the first step, is often the hardest!

So, if this you… then this blog is specifically for you! If you’re not sure what will happen after you enquire, then this blog is for you. If you’re nervous about enquiring, then this blog is for you. Or if you’re just plain sceptical about us, franchising or our subscription model… then this blog is for you!

Stick with us, because we’re going to give you just the information you need about what happens when you enquire, no fluff, no elaborations and no sales pitch.

What happens when I submit an enquiry?

We ring you back! You’ll get a call from one of our team. Most likely, it will be Justin Kelly one of our owners. That first call can be as quick, or as long as you like. You may have just a few questions, or you may want more of a conversation about becoming a franchisee in our network. If you want more detailed information, then we schedule what we call an ‘Information Session’.

What is the ‘Information Session’?

The Information Session is a one-on-one zoom call with one of our team, you and if you wish, any other significant other, friend or family member that you want to be involved. In the Information Session we take you through, in detail, what it’s like to be a franchisee in our network, the support we provide, how our businesses work, fees and more. We ask a lot of questions about you and your goals, and what made you enquire – because that gives us a real feel for whether what we provide is going to be a fit for what you’re looking for. It’s really important to us, that we get to know you throughout this process, because it genuinely allows us to communicate more openly with you, and provide the best answers to your questions possible. These sessions are also your opportunity to ask us questions! Lots of questions! However, we know that there’s a lot of information to take in in these sessions, so, we’ll give you a call a few days later to follow up, once you’ve had some time to think, perhaps you have more questions, or you might like to progress to the next step… meeting some of our team!

Meeting some of the existing James team.

By this point, you’re probably sick of hearing us answer your questions… and what you really want, is to be able to have a frank and open conversation with some of our current franchisees to ask them if it all stacks up for real! Well, the next step in your enquiry is that we arrange for you to meet some of our current franchisees. We arrange a video meeting with at least 2 existing business owners in our network. Often, there are also some of our Head Office team in that meeting too, so you can begin to get a fuller picture of the support network we have behind you… and, if there are other potential franchisees also at the same stage of their enquiry, then often, we’ll involve a few potential

franchisees on this meeting. With more people in the meeting, it takes the spotlight off you, and allows you to sit back and take in the conversation, or be heavily involved and ask our business owners lots of questions about their businesses.

After this session, we’ll check in a few days later again. It’s often after a few days to process all the information that you think of a few more questions, or, you know whether you wish to proceed further at this point or not.

If you do wish to proceed, then we get down to business!

Getting down to business!

At this point, we’ll ask you to complete an online application form if you wish to progress. We also ask for some information about your financial position, so we know that you have enough up your sleeve to be able to start up your business and cover your living expenses whilst you’re getting your business started.

We also talk about the area you wish to be assigned for your business to operate in, as well as get the ball rolling on some legal requirements you’ll need to think about… things like the structure you want to own your business in, and like having a First Aid Certificate. If this all sounds daunting, then don’t worry, we’ve done this literally hundreds of times, and we know all the ins and outs and we’ll step you through the entire process and give you the information you need along the way.

Then we reach a pretty important point in the journey… you decide whether or not we’re the right fit for you, and whether you want to proceed and join our network, and we decide whether you’re the right fit for us, and approve you to become a business owner in our network.

The Franchise Agreement

At this point, we share a draft of your Franchise Agreement with you, and you have 14 days before you can sign it. That 14 days is to ensure you’re not pressured, and you’re not making a rushed decision, and that you have plenty of time to seek advice from your lawyer, accountant or business advisor on the agreement, and your decision to become a franchisee.

When you’re ready, and after the 14 days is up, you can sign your Franchise Agreement… and then we get to work setting up your business… which is a huge topic of its own, and which will be the subject of an upcoming blog so we can share lots of information as to how we take you from ‘I signed the Franchise Agreement’ to ‘Business Owner’.

In the meantime, we hope this has shed some light on the process we take you on when you enquire with us. There is nothing about this that is rushed, or pressured. We work at your pace, we answer your questions, and we step you through the process as smoothly as possible.

So, go-on… take the first step! Submit an enquiry, and lets start that first chat about you becoming your own boss!