Scottish Franchise Week 2013 launches on 29th April

The prospects for the ethical franchising sector in Scotland have never looked brighter as the bfa prepares for the tenth annual Scottish Franchise Week, taking place 29th April to 3rd May 2013.

Scottish Franchise Week (SFW), sponsored by Bank of Scotland and Platinum Wave, aims to inform and educate the public and business community about the benefits of the ethical franchise system through a series of high profile events. Franchising is a significant contributor to the Scottish economy with some 500 different franchise brands, over 2,400 individual franchisee businesses, 36,000 jobs and an annual economic turnover of over £800 million.

Highlight of the week will be the 2013 Scottish Business Breakfast that is expected to attract over 300 delegates from the Scottish business community. The keynote speaker is former Scotland rugby player Scott Hastings and there are a series of presentations from franchisors and franchisees who will talk about their experience of franchising.

The timetable for the week is:

Monday 29 April
SFW launch

Tuesday 30 April
Scottish Golf Day (The Duke’s course, St Andrews)

Wednesday 1 May
Prospective Franchisor Seminar, Glasgow (free of charge to Scotland residents)
An evening of food and fun (Hummingbird, Glasgow)

Thursday 2 May
Scottish Business Breakfast (Hilton, Glasgow)
bfa Specialist Seminar: Effective Franchisee Recruitment (Brodies LLP, Glasgow) – ensuring you find the right franchisees to be successful in your network

Friday 3 May
Prospective Franchisee Seminar, Glasgow (free of charge to Scotland residents)

Brian Smart, director general of the British Franchise Association, said: “Franchising is now firmly established in Scotland as a way for businesses to expand and for individuals to start their own businesses with the support of a franchise organisation. The research shows that franchise businesses are six to seven times more likely to survive.

“Whilst there is no doubting that economic conditions are tough in Scotland at the moment, franchising continues to provide ample opportunities for those who have the vision, ambition and acumen to start and develop their own business.”

Leading international and home-grown brands have successfully embedded themselves into the Scottish commercial infrastructure and are performing very well. Scottish Franchise Week will act as a showcase for businesses and the public to find out more about the ethical franchising world.