Posted:13-July-2009
Franchise fee increase offers better value for new Dream Doors franchise owners
In a determined move, and opposing the traditional trends of recessionary times, the UK’s leading kitchen facelift franchise, Dream Doors, has chosen to increase its franchise fee by £4,000. In contrast to businesses that ‘reduce to produce’, the directors at Dream Doors feel the most effective way to see the downturn through is to continue proactive marketing on behalf of their franchisees, giving them even more start-up support.
Says Dream Doors founder, Troy Tappenden: “We’re giving our franchisees much more than ever before - and the new price reflects that. It’s important to remember that you get what you pay for, and to get the best, sometimes you need to pay a little more. Dream Doors are full members of the bfa, we won Brand Builder of the Year and, more recently, two franchise marketing awards. Rather than cut back on the services we offer in terms of advertising, head office support, training and brand development, we have chosen to put a price on the franchise that reflects our status in the industry.”
It has been noted through previous economic downturns that business owners who invest and innovate – who spot opportunity rather than adversity and trade with confidence, not diffidence – are the ones that survive and prosper. Those businesses can then go on to take market share from their competitors when the good times return.
Adds Tappenden: “Reducing your fees might get the phone ringing in the short-term but what happens when the new price becomes the norm? Do you then give it away for free? We’re in business for the long-term, and while times have been challenging for everyone lately, I refuse to lower my expectations for Dream Doors and will continue to support our franchisees fully. I believe it is the training and marketing that has got us to where we are today. If the price has to go up and our recruitment slows down, so be it. But at least the franchisees we do have will get the tools they need to trade successfully.”
Having recently opened their 30th showroom, Dream Doors’ expansion has put some added pressure on head office to ensure all franchisees operate with the same level of customer care that has been the benchmark of the company’s first decade in business.
Says Dream Doors operations director and bfa Regional Chair, Kelly Chambers: “What excites me most about this is knowing how far we’ve come in the last three years. The investment that has been put back into the business has been staggering, often to the detriment of our bottom line. We still don’t make any money from our franchise fee, but we just about cover our costs and can continue to offer the same level of service our franchisees, and customers, have come to expect.”

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