The hottest franchises for 2009

The hottest franchises for 2009

By Sarah Cook

With so much choice it can be hard to find the franchise for you in an industry worth over £13 billion and growing. Yet it is important to choose a business that suits your skill set, budget and will be resilient in the current economic climate.

New franchise, Envos arose in late 2008 due to new government legislation offering energy performance certificates for all commercial property. This has created an industry worth in excess of £500M overnight. With an investment of just £20K and turnover estimated to hit £450K by the end of Year 2, it is not surprising that Envos has already taken on 6 franchisees in just a few weeks of launching.

If energy efficiency isn’t your bag, why not opt for Healthcare Recruitment? Network Brand Partners offers a specialist health care recruitment franchise which is an evolution of the established and successful Pertemps Healthcare, named ‘Network Health and Social Care’. The UK market is currently worth over £12 billion per annum and this can only increase as the Government encourage more and more people to receive care in their own homes. This coupled with an increasingly ageing population will result in a quick return on investment.

Spettro is dependent on property insurance claims which makes it a winner among its 27 strong franchise network. Responding to enquiries from home owners for flood, fire, impact or storm damage, the service is completely free of charge to the insured homeowner making it a popular choice for managing insurance claims as well as for aspiring franchisees, investment starts at £25K.

The Satellite Shop franchise has seen a dramatic rise in sales as more people opt to stay at home. Sales of home entertainment systems, satellite dishes and the move to HD have all contributed to its growth.

Outsourcing has also become more popular as a move to reduce unnecessary overheads. The Fire Compliance and Safety franchise responds to just this by offering advice, training and fire safety certificates to help businesses stay legal and investment starts at just £9K for an introductory franchise at a much reduced cost, commitment and responsibility.

On the domestic end of the spectrum, Eco Driveway Company offers a permeable solution to driveway paving getting round planning restrictions. Training is quick and simple and the demand for this service is huge especially within London and the South of England.

Looking good at an affordable price has never been so important. Loaf Hairdressing offers a management franchise opportunity for city centre styling at suburban prices with chances to expand into a network of salons.

With any franchise opportunity, make sure you do your research. Not every franchise will work in every area so it is worthwhile seeking advice from the British Franchise Association before committing.

Envos 0845 6434954,

Network Brand Partnerships 0121 712 7828,

Spettro 01883 621 047,

Satellite Shop 01892 548468,

Fire Compliance & Safety 0845 8333 930,

Loaf Hair 01142 684494,

Eco Driveway Company 01525 724438

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For further information contact Sarah Cook at Coconut Creatives 01963 31030 or email sarah@coconutcreatives.co.uk