Meet the newest voice on our international team – and read his first piece

You’re used to hearing from me about international franchising — the emails, the webinars, the meetups and events. None of that is going to stop. I did, though, want to introduce you to someone you’ll be hearing a good deal more from.

Over the past twelve months, I’ve been working closely with Michael Hulmes, the newest member of our international franchising team. Many of you will already know him. He has spent many years with The Franchising Centre as a highly experienced franchise consultant, building deep, first-hand knowledge of how franchising actually works in the UK, across operations, development, recruitment and financial modelling.

Michael is now putting that expertise to work in international franchising, and his role runs in both directions. He advises overseas brands on the viability of entering the UK, using comprehensive Market Entry Studies to establish whether it’s genuinely the right market for them. He also works alongside me on the outbound side of that equation – the franchise readiness analysis and strategic planning that a UK brand needs to get right before it looks overseas.

I’ve worked in this field for more than 40 years, so I like to think I’ve learnt a thing or two along the way, but Michael’s fresh perspective has brought some fantastic insights. So much so, that he’s published his thoughts in a new article, and I think it would be well worth your time reading it:

Good franchising has very few shortcuts. International franchising has even fewer.

Here’s a snapshot of what Michael covers inside:

• Why the core disciplines of franchising don’t change overseas, but the margin for error shrinks sharply, so the gaps you can get away with at home become far harder to contain from thousands of miles away
• The difference between “a good franchise” and “a good franchise for this market,” and why a brand that thrives at home can still lack a compelling proposition elsewhere
• Why the right structure – master franchise, area development, direct franchising or a joint venture – should come out of your market analysis, rather than being decided before any analysis is done
• What actually matters when choosing a local partner, and why capital on its own counts for very little without capability, infrastructure and cultural fit
• Why an overseas move is the worst possible place to cut corners, given how large the downside is and how quickly it arrives

If Michael’s piece leaves you wondering whether your own system is genuinely ready to travel, that’s exactly what we’re here to talk about. Just click the button at the bottom of this email to schedule a call, and either Michael or I would be glad to talk it through with you.