Want A Pizza The Franchise Action?

Scotsman:

Start-ups are a risky business in the present climate – unless you opt for a chain reaction, finds Rosemary Gallagher. Pizzas and millionaires may not seem to have anything in common, but the hundreds of entrepreneurs who own a Domino’s franchise would beg to differ. 1 in 5 of Domino’s Pizzas franchisees has sold enough cheese and tomato-topped bases to earn at least £1m and the chain’s expansion across the UK shows no sign of abating, despite the credit crunch.

Domino’s is not alone, with statistics showing that franchise-based businesses are weathering the economic storm and experiencing significantly lower rates of failure than other start-ups.

The British Franchise Association (BFA), the sector’s voluntary regulator, estimates around 80% of start-up businesses fail in their first year, while 93% of franchises are making a profit in that time.

According to the BFA, the number of franchise brands in Scotland now stands at 493, up from 460 last year and the sector north of the border is worth £1bn, an increase from £800m.

Tomorrow marks the start of the BFA’s Scottish Franchise Week (SFW) to build awareness of opportunities in the sector.

Arguably, Domino’s is one of the most successful franchise brands. It has 39 outlets in Scotland and 514 across the UK, with ambitious plans to almost double that figure to 1,000 by 2017.

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