Are you a contender?

Are you a contender?

THE AVERAGE employee changes jobs every two years, according to statistics, so recruitment and training franchises are kept busy with clients.

In these sectors, the ability to communicate and get on well with people are important, but an ability to sell is just as vital.

Recruitment is a sales environment.

If your main reason for wanting to get into the sector is because you like meeting people, think twice,' says Bill Hendrie of Travail Employment Group, which provides temporary and permanent jobs in all sectors other than medical and teaching.

'We sell candidates to employers, so it involves meeting strangers and asking for money,' he says. 'It's also rewarding to change candidate's lives — they bring you cards and chocolate as thanks for finding them jobs.' Travail provides training and a payroll system to pay your temporary workers. You usually start hands-on, and later move into management. You need £27,000 to £30,000 to start.

Sara Gant, of commercial recruitment franchise Select Appointments, says: 'We look for people with a passion for the recruitment businesses — it shows in their body language. You must be customerfocused but results-driven.' You need £31,750 to start.

If you enjoy making business presentations, consider a training franchise. This is a sector where experience in management is almost essential.

'We like people who can draw upon their own management experiences,' says Clive Sherer, of West End Training. Its franchisees provide training programmes in subjects such as leadership and management development, sales and quality, that are accredited by the Institute of Leadership Management and the Law Society.

You work from home, using a virtual office. The cost is £24,950.

Corporate experience is also welcome at KJ Associates, which is looking for people to offer management training in skills such as communications and presentations.

The cost is £7,995.

Pitman Training franchisees run centres offering courses including office and IT skills, web design, accounts and specialist secretarial skills. You can manage a training team or train students yourself, and Pitman trains you in the supervisory, marketing and product skills you need. Investment fees are available on application.

If you want a home-based business, Plumplanet franchisees offer computer training and support to people in their own homes. You can fit your hours round a family and the £15,000 to £20,000 cost includes training.

Success Dynamics franchises sell psychometric profiling services to companies for use not only as a management tool but also for staff development. You need to be happy talking to senior management and investment is £12,500.

Travail, 01452 420 700; Select Appointments, 01582 811 600; West End Training 0845 058 1375; KJ Associates, 01425 471 597; Pitman Training, 01937 548 562; Plumplanet, 01737 554560, Success Dynamics, 020 8686 8366.

Selling to the bosses

IF YOU like the world of business, a marketing services franchise might suit you. 'I had a backroom job in IT for years and thought I liked being in the background,' says Maxine Churchman from Silver End, Essex. 'Once I started training for my Monk Marketing franchise, I realised I liked networking and making presentations.

'The training taught me marketing methods such as cold-calling, direct mail, networking and exhibitions,' adds Maxine, 47 (pictured with husband Steve). Now she sells companies a bespoke marketing service using products that can be marked with company logos.

She markets her business through networking and cold calls, and Steve has also joined the business. 'We provide incentive gifts and promotional products which we personalise with their logos,' says Maxine.

'You must be able to talk to company directors, and I soon got used to it.' Michael Monk, founder of Monk Marketing, says: 'Franchisees have to market themselves, but we also take leads from exhibitions, the web and e-mail campaigns.' You start from home, and within 18 months franchisees are usually working from an office with staff.

Cost is £19,995. Other marketing services franchises include Recognition Express, which involves selling promotional products to companies. It is looking for more franchisees with £30,000 to invest.

Monk Marketing, 0845 070 0826; Recognition Express, 01530 513 300.