We think it’s safe to say that this year hasn’t been what any of us expected, but there have been a lot of positives. The International Franchise Show at ExCel in April was one of the busiest we’ve seen in years, with strong attendance from both aspiring franchisees and business owners seriously exploring franchising for the first time.
Established franchisors have been busy, too, looking hard at how they adapt, evolve, and position themselves to face all the new challenges the last few years have thrown at us.
This month, the TFC team has been writing about topics that sit right at the heart of what drives networks forward, and what might be holding them back. From dormant leads and stale content, to the real cost of a fixed-price development promise, there’s something here for wherever you are in your franchising journey.
Here’s everything from the TFC team this month:
Endless Franchisees
Most franchisors have one: a database of old recruitment enquiries that quietly accumulated over the years, never quite dealt with, never quite deleted. Andrew Croney explores how to tell the difference between a lead that is genuinely gone and one that could still be worth something and, crucially, how to effectively re-engage with them.
If you’ve inherited a database from a previous owner, or simply let yours grow without a clear re-engagement strategy, this latest blog is designed to help you decide what to do with them:
Franchise Copywriting & Content
Here’s something you might not have known: pretty much every blog, website, email and social post that has come from The Franchising Centre over the last five years shares a single author: Dan Sherrington, our Head of Franchise Storytelling.
In this month’s piece, Dan pulls back the curtain on what good franchise content actually involves, and why the thinking behind it matters just as much as the writing itself. Whether your content is overdue a refresh or you’re not entirely sure it’s doing the job it should be, this is a rare look at what specialist franchise copywriting genuinely looks like from the inside.
You’ve been reading my work for years. So, why don’t I do the same for you?
Franchise Operations & Support
One of the most consistent patterns TFC sees across franchise networks of all sizes is this: a promising candidate stalls, goes quiet, and disappears. It happens to everyone, and no recruitment strategy is ever going to convert 100% of leads, no matter how much we’d all love it to!
However, for a significant proportion of these “lost” leads, the reason they go quiet could be a much simpler one to address than you realise. It’s not because they’ve lost interest, or found a better opportunity, but because they assumed the funding wasn’t there for them – and nobody told them otherwise.
Steve Eastaugh explains why this isn’t just a recruitment problem, but an operational one that ripples through your entire support infrastructure. TFC’s new partnership with a dedicated Funding Introducer is changing the picture for franchisors who are serious about building a stronger pipeline. If drop-off at the funding conversation stage sounds familiar, this is an important read.
Removing this barrier today could solve a network performance problem tomorrow
Franchisor Forums
This last couple of months has also seen the launch of our 2026 Franchisor Forums. These free, peer-to-peer online forums are designed specifically for franchisors who want the chance to step away from the noise, speak openly, and learn from others who truly understand the realities of running and growing a franchise network – people like you who actually get what you’re dealing with.
Each session brings together a small group of franchisors alongside experienced franchising specialists, creating a confidential environment where honest discussion is encouraged and practical insight is shared.
Here are the dates and links to book the next ones:
Answering Your Questions: Operational or Legal with TFC & Rudlings Solicitors
Date: Tuesday 16 June 2026 | Time: 2pm | Who it’s for: Existing Franchisors
Synopsis: Open Q&A session covering operational and legal queries.
The Roadmap to Franchising: Commercial Strategy Meets Legal Reality
Date: Tuesday 14 July 2026 | Time: 11am | Who it’s for: Potential Franchisors
Synopsis: Assessing financial robustness, extracting business “DNA” into an Operations Manual, protecting IP and corporate structure, and aligning franchise contracts with the manual.
The Performance & Compliance “Health Check”
Date: Tuesday 15 September 2026 | Time: 2pm | Who it’s for: Existing Franchisors
Synopsis: Coaching techniques for struggling franchisees, mediation strategies, issuing Breach Notices correctly, and legal exit strategies.
If you can’t see the topic you’re most interested in above, please feel free to suggest something for future forums. Places will again be limited to ensure meaningful discussion and maximum value for all participants.
Franchising Your Business
If you’re in the early stages of exploring whether to franchise your business, you’ve almost certainly come across consultancies offering a neat, fixed-price package. It sounds appealing: a defined cost, a defined outcome, and no nasty surprises.
But how can anyone quote you accurately before they’ve understood what the job actually involves? How can you be sure you’re getting true value, and not setting yourself up for expensive problems down the line? This is essential reading for any business owner who is in the process of evaluating their development options:
Why a fixed price for franchise development should raise more questions than it answers
International Franchising
With everything happening in the world right now, is this really a good time to think about expanding your franchise overseas? Or even a good time to think about investing in a brand coming to the UK for the first time?
Questions with no easy answers, of course, and no doubt recent events have had a huge impact. However, we are seeing something very encouraging from certain corners: international franchising isn’t grinding to a halt, it’s adapting and evolving. Farrah Rose recently penned a very interesting article for the British Franchise Association about exactly how current affairs have been shaping growth for both incoming and outgoing brands.
Well worth a read:
The impact of global conflict on franchise expansion: a UK perspective (British Franchise Association)
Interested in a deeper dive into anything we’ve discussed here?
If something from this month has caught your attention – whether that’s a specific challenge you’re navigating or simply a conversation you’ve been meaning to have – we’re always happy to talk!
