I’m off on my travels again next week, this time to Manila, where I will visiting the largest franchise exhibition in Asia and hoping to meet new, high calibre consultants from South East Asian markets who can lend their expertise to any of clients looking to expand their franchise there.

I have also been invited to attend the World Franchise Council’s annual in-person meeting. It’s a major event with delegates from 26 different franchise associations around the world attending, so I just can’t wait to be in the room with so many big names.

It’s an incredible opportunity for me to learn what is happening at the very highest levels of global franchising, and witness the agenda set for many years to come. Later, in November, I’ll also be flying into the next big meet-up for Franchise Pool International in Europe which will bring together some of the most experienced franchise experts in the continent.

I’m not telling you this because I want to show off all my travels (though, admittedly, I do love it!), but rather to let you know about how this represents a big opportunity for you, too. The reason why I spend so much time travelling to these events, and meeting people in person, is to support my clients, both present and future, in understanding how franchising works in different countries, and to help them build platforms for their brands overseas.

Why is this important? Because, in my more than 40 years of experience, there is one thing that is more important to remember above anything else:

In International Franchising, there’s no such thing as “one size fits all”

I’m sure you are already aware that taking a successful franchise from the UK into a new overseas territory isn’t as simple as just taking your model and planting it into a different country. You always need to adapt to the local market, and to the different cultural, political and economic framework that exists there.

Sometimes that can just be a little tweak, but sometimes it can mean a real seismic shift in your strategy and expectations.

The Philippines is a fantastic example of this. Franchise brokerage in South East Asia works in a very different way from almost anywhere else in the world, especially the UK and Europe. My big goal for this visit – and every trip I go on – is to build that understanding, and to forge links with local experts who can help us successfully navigate all those differences in a way we just couldn’t do alone.

I’ll be out there for several days, so if there is anything I can check out for you, please do get in touch. If you’re interested in learning more about how to succeed in franchising in Indonesia – or any other country for that matter – please do get in touch.

I’m always happy to help, wherever I am in the world!

Just click this link to schedule a call and we can have a chat about your overseas ambitions.