Plumbing and Drainage Franchises
How many times have you looked in the newspapers and seen advertisements for Plumbing & Drainage franchises? We know there is a national shortage of plumbers but just how likely is it that a company can turn a total novice into a plumber in a few short weeks?
Traditionally the route to becoming a plumber would have been as a plumbers mate or apprentice. Your time would be spent fetching and carrying and watching the plumber on site as he went about his trade. You might attend evening classes at a local college and take your City and Guilds and NVQ's. After two years you might start out on your own or join a company providing plumbing services.
Surprisingly there are now several companies that claim to be able to turn you into a plumber within a matter of a few weeks. Of course, you won't be a qualified Corgi engineer, but can you really attend an intensive training course and walk out of it the other end straight into an income and the opportunity to build your own business?. What kind of work will you be able to do and where will your business come from? These are all questions that you should be asking. Can you really see yourself as a plumber and do you come from a business background?
There are many reasons why people consider franchising. The risks associated with setting up in business are considerably reduced when we look at franchises. Plumbing has been around since Roman times and is likely to be with us for some time to come. With plumbing and drainage there is opportunity to build a sustainable business with excellent growth potential.
All franchise companies will tell you that applicants for a franchise vary considerably from those seeking a more stable career with no fear of redundancy, to those requiring desperate measures in order to support their high living costs. The ideal candidate would be somewhere in between with practical skills and the ability to manage their own business. Motivation and hard work will bring rewards. Building your own business is a great commitment and should not be entered into half-heartedly.
Traditionally franchise companies have been good at identifying a gap in the market place and providing all the necessary training and support to help you succeed. Some of these provide City and Guilds qualifications and water regs and cover additional modules that reflect the needs of the market place. All should prepare you for the most common plumbing jobs that customers are frequently requesting. This might range from fitting a complete bathroom suite to showers, water cisterns, copper pipe work, leaks, outside taps, radiators and even what might be considered fairly basic tasks such as plumbing in a washing machine.
Typically, as with any van based business, you are likely to receive a fully liveried vehicle, tools, uniform and some stock. Included in what you pay for your franchise will be the company's franchise fee, training and hotel bills and possibly IT equipment, stationery and other essentials such as a jetting machine for drainage ( if this service is offered ). Costs and items will vary from company to company.
Much of what is provided will be pretty similar and the prospective franchisee should make every effort to delve deep into the company background, its ongoing charges and costs of expansion. If you expand your business with an extra van will you be charged for this? What are the ongoing marketing costs and how much will you pay for your vehicle? What will you pay in Management Service Fees as a percentage of turnover and is this figure based on total turnover or do the company only charge a fee after deducting the cost of parts? Does the company you are talking to allow you access to existing franchisees in the field? What ongoing support does the company provide? There are a myriad of questions that you should ask.
Everyone needs a good plumber at some time or another. The public perception of a plumber is often one of a dishevelled scruffy looking workman with a rusty van and shoddy workmanship with extortionate costs. Most franchise operations address this issue with the provision of a smart uniform and well turned out fully equipped and branded vehicles. The provision of dust covers over the franchisees work boots and carrying in a vacuum cleaner to clear up the mess goes a long way in dispelling this myth. The other reason why trades are often regarded as providing poor service is their failure to turn up for quotations. Franchise organisations should be strict on this procedure and will have rules and guidelines that provide a professional service. Basically its all about a common sense approach and reliability regarding promises made to potential customers.
So you have selected your franchise company and you have paid your fee. Your training is complete and you are now the proud owner of everything you need in order to start building your business. It is Monday morning, a clear blue sky and a clean van and you are ready to roll. Hold on, there is something missing here, the phone is not ringing. Where are your customers? Are you going to spend your first month delivering leaflets and trying to drum up business or are you going to be busy doing plumbing work?
Take time and consideration in quizzing your prospective franchisor with regard to what assistance they provide in order to help you obtain business. If they farm out this work to a competitor organisation then you might like to look at just who their competitors are and whether or not they run their own franchise network. A company will always have a loyalty to its own franchisees first and foremost.
Information supplied by Reactfast ( React Fast ) in Birmingham who receive around 10,000 inbound calls a week to a busy call centre. They employ around 65 engineers and 280 sub contractors and have opened up a franchise operation. http://www.reactfastfranchises.co.uk
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