Were you at the International Franchise Show at ExCel in London? What a weekend! We’ve all felt the positive changes in the franchising world at events over the last year or so, and have noticed how the industry has really turned a corner, but the vibe and atmosphere at this last event was living proof!

So, first of all, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who took the time to come and have a chat with us at The Franchising Centre stand. It was great to meet so many new faces, as well as catch up with some old friends.

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who came along to listen to the International Franchising panel I was on. I had the absolute privilege and honour to share the space with some of the biggest names in franchising. We spoke about so many different topics, but the main questions covered were the biggies that everyone interested in international franchising wants answered:

• What indicators signal to a company that it is the right time to enter the international markets?
• If a franchise system is successful in one country, how do you know if they will be successful in another?
• What factors guide your decision making process when selecting international markets for expansion?
• What resources and support are available to companies when they decide to expand their operations internationally?

Another topic which wasn’t discussed at the panel seminar, but was very relevant to my experiences in the rest of the day, was: how to go about choosing the right brokers and consultants to work with.

This is a very complex question, and one for which there is no single, simple answer. You need to decide who are the right people for you, your brand, and where you see it going – however, there are definitely some dos and don’ts to help if you’re interested!

I am also more than happy to share some of the info from the day in case you missed it. Just give me a call!

Always here for you!

Also, if you’re one of the literally hundreds of people who visited me and the TFC team at our stand, and want to carry on our chat, now is a great time to set up a call.

I’ll be off on my travels again later this month, this time to South Africa, Egypt, and then onto Mongolia, so keep an eye out for all the news and insights I hope to bring back to me. It’s going to be a busy time, but please never feel like I don’t have time to chat. There’s always room in my calendar to talk about you and your international franchising plans!