Considering a Franchise: Interview with Nick and Mel from Ben and Jerry's
Our Business Specialist librarian interviews Wellington businesses. Today we are happy to have Nick and Mel from Ben and Jerry's.
According to the 2021 Franchising New Zealand survey conducted by Massey University Business School, there are around 590 franchise brands represented in New Zealand.
This makes Aotearoa one of the most franchised in the world. These franchises cover a diverse range of products and services including, but not limited to icecream, companion driving services, gardening, home maintenance, health products, accounting and legal services and of course, a wide range of fast food brands. You can read a summary of the survey here.
The research also shows that franchised businesses have continued to grow despite the challenges brought about by Covid.
The Franchising New Zealand 2021 report indicates the annual turnover of business format franchises grew by $9.2 billion in the past four years to $36.8b, from $27.6b in 2017, excluding sales from motor vehicle and fuel retail.
If you are starting out in business what are the benefits of a franchise over starting your own business from scratch?
For a start, becoming a franchisee gives your business instant brand recognition as well as support from the parent company thereby making starting up a business a less risky option.
For a first hand look at what it's like to be a new franchise holder I talked to Nick and Mel who, in 2020, ventured into the world of business ownership through franchising when they opened two Wellington outlets for the iconic American icecream brand, Ben and Jerry's.
As Nick says, buying into the franchise was:
"... the right thing for us... for us it was perfect. It took the guesswork out of the equation ..."
as they were starting out on the business ownership journey. Franchising has the added benefit of being able to learn from those more experienced, who share their knowledge and mentor new owners.
"If we can learn from someone else who's maybe made mistakes once before, we can avoid making them".
Watch our video to learn more about Nick and Mel's experiences of starting their business journey by becoming franchisees for a well-loved brand during a global pandemic.
If you think franchising might be the right way for you to start a business, both Franchise New Zealand and the Franchise Association of New Zealand offer advice and free training to help you decide on all the aspects that you need to know before signing an agreement.
Free copies of the publication Franchise New Zealand can be read online or requested from the website. Print copies may be found on the display stand at your library. If not you can request them.
Other library material that could assist someone considering taking on a franchise include: