Two successful entrepreneurs are among the many industry experts set to share the secrets of their success at the Growing Your Own Business seminars at the National Franchise Exhibition taking place on 24th and 25th February 2012 at the NEC, Birmingham.
Thomas Power is delivering the keynote address at the National Franchise Exhibition called ‘Twitter can rule the world’. He was one of Alan Sugar’s original apprentices in the 1980s. Thomas is an internationally acclaimed speaker on digital media and coaches business people worldwide on how to ‘Go Social’ online. He also founded Ecademy offering business support and networking groups for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Nicolas Holzherr will deliver an inspiring session called “Anyone can do it: Choosing the right ideas, testing them and developing them into a business on a shoestring budget.”
Since his graduation in 2009, Nicolas has founded three companies, QRky, which uses quick response technology to link digital contact and multimedia data to printed business cards; Recip.ly, which links recipe websites with online supermarkets; and Co-Go Coffee To Go, which sells high-quality, ethical takeaway coffee.
Growing Your Own Business is a valuable platform for inspiring entrepreneurs, business experts and suppliers from across the UK to share advice on how to build a successful business. The series of seminars is just one of the many features at the National Franchise Exhibition.
Another regular and popular feature at the exhibition is the Franchisee Panel where franchisees will relay their experience in making the transition from employee to franchisee as well as answer questions from visitors on the reality of developing a successful business.
The High Investment VIP Lounge is where visitors ready to invest substantially in franchises can find valuable conversations and network. Sponsored by Platinum Property Partners and United Carpets, the lounge is a great place to conduct meetings away from the bustle of the exhibition and has complimentary WiFi.
Visitors who are beginning their search for a franchise should head for the Franchise Starting Point. Here, industry experts, consultants, lawyers, bankers and franchisors can offer one to one advice and answer questions to enable visitors to make the most of their visit.
Exclusive to the National Franchise Exhibition are McDonald’s Franchisee Recruitment Open Days. Visitors can meet with McDonald’s team, gain a unique insight into one of the world’s biggest brands and find out if becoming a McDonald’s franchisee is right for them. Presentations take place at 11.00 and 14.00 on both days of the event and can be booked online at www.franchiseinfo.co.uk.
The Career Clinic has experts who can help visitors assess their career, benchmark their skills and look at what steps to take next. This feature is particularly useful for those who may have been made redundant, want to look at options that fit around family life or investigate a way of generating an income post retirement.
The National Franchise Exhibition also has an extensive conference where experts from the British Franchise Association (BFA), members from the legal and finance professions, business advisers, as well both franchisors and franchisees will provide a fundamental grounding in franchising. They will present on where to start, who to talk to, where to find advice, and what franchises suits different requirements.
Conference themes include high-level investment franchising, franchise resales, executives in franchising, families in franchising and hands-on franchising.
There are also many franchise businesses exhibiting companies at the event covering a wide variety of sectors such as automotive, property, travel, retail and food and drink. They can suit every budget and lifestyle and include Big Little Sweet Shop, Cash Generator, Daily Poppins, Lawnhopper, McDonald’s, Stumpbusters and Totally Clean Solutions.
The event is exclusively supported by the BFA and only companies that have met the Association’s code of ethics can exhibit. This means visitors can have confidence in the franchise opportunities on offer, as they are an ethical entity within the UK market.
There is also another opportunity to investigate franchise businesses at a major international event in March. The British & International Franchise Exhibition takes place on 16th and 17th March at Olympia, London.
To register for the National Franchise Exhibition call +44 (0)844 257 8668 or visit www.franchiseinfo.co.uk. Callers can purchase tickets by credit card for £10 each or £8 each for two or more in advance. Admission on the door is £15.
Visitors can however gain free admission to the exhibition using the promotional code FWFEBED at www.franchiseinfo.co.uk.
For the latest news and updates, follow the exhibition on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ukfranchising, join the Franchise Exhibitions Group on LinkedIn or become a fan of the FranchiseInfo group on Facebook.