Choosing a social franchise or Business in a Box

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Choosing a social franchiseor Business in a Box

• Keith Richardson
• ESFN, CoRE and Economic Partnerships

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Social Franchising defined

• The social franchisor
• A social franchisee
• A common brand
• Interchange of knowledge

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Why take up a social franchise?
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Why take up a social franchise

• Reduces cost
• Speeds up development
• May be impossible without it
• Share development costs
• Proven model
• Established brand
• Strength in Unity

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Advantages in practice

1. An established and credible brand
2. CoRE website Network
3. ESCoRE, CoREs Energy Supply Company,
4. Support and expertise from existing CoREs
5. Joint purchasing and links to technology
   providers
6. Shared development models
7. Shared equipment eg Met Mast
8. Shared documentation eg land lease
9. Technical expertise
10. Training courses

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Advantages in practice

• But retain
• Local control,
• Local knowledge,
• Local credibility,
• Enthusiasm.

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Other examples
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Advantages in practice

• Known brand known buss-model
• Acces to group and railway company-benefits
• Location
• bicycle racks
• Secured parking (hardware, software, orgware)
• Financial benefits
• Financial return from Holding
• Lower Renting prices
• Smart business-plan/model
• Communication
• Website
• Railway stations
• Brochures/flyers/

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Advantages in practice

• Extra - Services
• Tourism B-dagtrip
• Blue-bike
• Only possible as network
• Knowledge
• Learning network
• Network notes
• Example-contracts, pricing,
• Joint purchasing and links to hardware providers
• Shared development (ex. Blue-bike)
• Shared documentation
• Technical expertise
• Training courses
• New partnerships are possible

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What to look for in a social franchise

• Operates in a local growth area
• A well developed model
• Capacity of social franchisor
• Tangible benefits at the right price

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What to look for in a social franchise

• Adds credibility
• Successful profitable franchisees
• Internal quality systems for monitoring
  franchisees
• Growth benefits all

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Resources

• ESFN - Opposites Attract, Case Studies,
  Directories
• Social Enterprise UK
• Social Innovation Exchange

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Group Exercise

• Select a social franchise
• What are the advantages
• What are the disadvantages?

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Key lessons learnt?
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Contact

• www.socialfranchising.coop
• keith_at_socialfranchising.coop

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Key points from group 1

• Need strong model first
• Importance of the brand
• Franchisees must be allowed flexibility
• Innovation also comes from franchisees
• Range of working approached that is very
  developmental to fixed model
• Dont need a licence
• Social franchise s happens to people

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Key points from group 2

• How can we all get involved in social
  franchising?
• How do we all get involved in starting up social
  franchising not just for social franchisors
• Ensure jargon free plain English
• Social franchising brings independence it does
  not increase dependence