The franchise recruitment process is the procedure by which a franchisee and a franchisor assess each other to ascertain whether they can build a successful business relationship. It is a two-way street, despite the fact that the franchisee is making the financial investment, the franchisor is also taking a risk in terms of their brand integrity and reputation, plus business growth so both parties need to do their due diligence on the other in terms of research and fact finding.

There is a certain amount of debate about where and when franchising actually began – some suggest the first business format franchise was set up in China in 200 BC, there’s also speculation that franchising began in the medieval period when a monarch/government granted special individuals the right to acquire and develop areas of land, hold markets, maintain order and assess taxes and the individuals paid a fee for this privilege along with the monopoly on these business ventures.

Covid has certainly changed the commercial landscape for many and forced the closure of thousands of businesses – despite a huge degree of government help. A survey from King’s Business School suggests that up to six million small businesses are in a ‘precarious’ position after the past year, and 16 million jobs are also uncertain.

A franchise is a type of license that grants a franchisee access to a franchisor’s proprietary business knowledge, processes and trademarks allowing the franchisee to sell a product or service under the franchisor’s business name. In exchange, the franchisee pays the franchisor an initial start-up fee and/or ongoing licensing fees and the franchisor provides the franchisee with ongoing support.