The best place to start your new business venture is a franchise exhibition. These events are built to have franchises present the opportunities they offer to potential entrepreneurs. Here franchisors and franchisees meet face to face to create partnerships and grow together. If you intend to start a business but still haven’t made up your mind which franchise is right for you, expos will help you make an informed decision.  

5 reasons to attend a franchise show:

  • Get straight into business. Whether you’ve made your decision to start a franchise business or you’re just weighing it as an option – franchise expos are an excellent way to get familiar with the market, compare opportunities and franchise packages, and even start a working relationship with a franchisor. 
  • Save time and effort. The decision to get into business is a serious one and needs careful evaluation. However, doing a thorough research of each franchise of interest to you and its offers can be time-consuming and therefore cost you a lot of money and effort. By attending a franchise show you get first-hand information about a number of franchisors all at once and have the major part of your research done within the timeframe of the event. 
  • Networking – the power source of a successful business. Events such as franchise expos give you the chance to meet like-minded people, others who are just starting out, as well as experienced business owners and franchisors. Establishing good relationships with people in the franchising sector can be of great help for the development of your business and partnerships.
  • Seminars and access to professional advice. Franchise expos always have time dedicated to seminars and business education in their event schedule. This is an excellent chance to get expert franchise advice from experienced business professionals. Seminars will give you insights into owning and running a successful franchise business. You will also be surrounded by experts in the field, so this would be a good time to not shy away from socialization.
  • Insights into the latest innovations and developments in the franchising world. Annual franchise shows are where current advancements and news from the franchising sector are announced and discussed. This is why attending expos is a great way to be up to date with the latest trends in the business world and learn how to implement them.  

Franchise expos at the time of a global pandemic

After the turmoils of 2020 due to the pandemic and the lockdowns that followed, businesses are now adjusting to the new state of things. Adaptability is proving to be a key skill of a successful entrepreneur. 

Because of the circumstances and the health risks, most of the major franchise shows are virtual this year. This, of course, takes away from the experience but guarantees the safety and wellbeing of the attendees. The networking part of the events, for instance, is quite different and lacks the spontaneity and intensity of in-person encounters. And even though meeting people might be somewhat harder, there are plenty of positive aspects of online expos.

Benefits of virtual franchise shows:

  • Accessibility – online attendance means no travel arrangements and saves time and hassle for transportation and accommodation.
  • Convenience – you can be attending a franchise expo from the comfort of your home or any other place that is convenient for you.  

How to get the most out of attending a franchise show

Do your research beforehand

Do some preliminary research before the expo. Look up the franchises that will participate and the speakers at the seminars. Being prepared will help you not get overwhelmed with all the new information and encounters during the event.  

Follow up

Hopefully, during the event, you’ve managed to acquire some new business contacts, networked with a few prospect franchisors and introduced yourself to some of the seminar speakers. After the franchise expo is over, it’s time to follow up on these new connections and establish relationships that would be beneficial to your franchise business.   

Apply and strategise

All the know-how you got from the seminars, the new franchise trends you heard from experts in the field and the advice you got during the event would be worthless if you don’t find a way to apply them to your business. Set some time for planning and strategising your next steps and implement the new knowledge into your business.  

Make proper preparations for virtual attendance

This might seem obvious but even though it saves you the travel arrangements, you need to get set and ready for the online event. Make sure your internet connection is reliable and the tech needed is set in place. Also, arrange for space and time where you won’t be disrupted by other people during the event. 

Upcoming franchise expos to keep an eye for

International Franchise Expo – the biggest international franchise event of the year is organised by IFA and is set for 24th-25th September 2021. 

Virtual Franchise Show is a franchise expo that’s completely virtual and organised by the QFA. Registration is still open for the 4th-6th May event.

Women in Business franchise expo – the #1 business event for women in the UK will be a two-day virtual expo, 13th-14th October 2021. Early bird tickets are available here. 

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Posted in Industry Insights