This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://franchisingblog.topmatch-international.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://franchisingblog.topmatch-international.com/feeds/posts/default.

Franchising is a two way street

There's much more to a successful franchise than passively soaking up the information and support materials provided by your franchisor.

When you invest in a franchise you're investing in the rest of your life, so it makes sense to involve yourself as deeply as possible. OK, so your franchisor is the expert. But you have a valuable contribution to make too.

When you first buy into your chosen franchise, you have a rare window of opportunity. This is the first time you've experienced the concept and materials. With your eyes wide open and no preconceptions, you might spot areas where the franchise could work better. You might have an amazing marketing idea or spot something really exciting that's missing from their offer.

Don't be scared to stick your head above the parapet and send your ideas and feedback to your franchisor. If they're on the ball they'll be delighted to hear from you.

Your customers represent a goldmine of information too. Take note of customer feedback and look out for patterns. If several people have experienced the same issue or problem, are confused by a proposition or consistently mis-fill the same form, you have the power to help make things work better.

Tell your franchisor and together you might find that, as a result of your observations, the entire franchise business pulls in more customers and more cash.

Here's a short list of the kinds of things to look out for:

• promotional and marketing-led ideas; discounts, special offers...


• gaps in support materials for franchisees and end customers


• elements of the sales proposition that cause confusion


• potentially profitable target markets currently underexploited or excluded


• website navigation and interface issues

You can even go in for a spot of blue sky thinking... even the wildest and most unlikely seeming inspirations and ideas sometimes have a grain of pure gold at the centre.

Joining the online video revolution - Franchise successes 'on-screen'

I just searched Google for video marketing tips and it returned 68,100,000 results.

Which just shows you how popular web video is! YouTube on its own gets around a billion unique visitors every month. As such, video is an enormously powerful commercial force.

International direct marketing guru Drayton Bird is a big fan of video – he's been making direct response videos for clients since 1985. He's seeing a massive boom in the use of video for marketing online and he's also getting some fantastic results for his clients.

In fact a good online video can demonstrate, entertain and involve people in exactly the same way as a television advert. Drayton Bird says, “When we analyse clients' websites, almost the first thing we look at is whether they have videos, and how they use them.”

If you're thinking about buying into a franchise, check whether they're using online video to draw in new prospects, convert them to customers, cross sell and up sell extra services, advertise their services and more. Do they have a YouTube presence? If so, you're probably looking at a forward-thinking franchise that's operating at the cutting edge of web technology. If not, you might want to think again.

TopMatch combines state of the art online technologies with intelligent human intervention to deliver a unique dating service. They have a growing range of videos that sell a variety of exciting services to new customers and to their existing customer base. They even offer personal video profiles for full members. If your chosen franchise doesn't operate at this level, find one that does!

Take a look at what Drayton Bird's favourite video production agency has to say about online videos, complete with a quick appearance by Drayton himself. It's very interesting stuff and it'll give you a good idea of the considerable commercial power of video. Here's a link: http://www.creationvideo.co.uk/

Franchising in Australia - A boom industry

Like the rest of the world, Australia is experiencing a dramatic boom in franchising.

Here's a quick snapshot of the franchise industry down under, courtesy of the Franchise Council of Australia: More than 150 new franchise chains have come into being in the last two years, with 850 to choose from. The total franchise turnover for Australia exceeds 80 billion Australian dollars a year. And it's growing!

Over the same time period the average franchise chain size grew from 22 to 26 franchisees. And franchisees numbers swelled 14% to almost 51,000.

Most of the fastest growing franchises are also the longest established. More than half of the most successful franchises are still run by their founders. 41% were created to satisfy a niche market and 90% of franchises are private companies.

The TopMatch dating franchise model is ideal for the Australian market, where distances between towns and cities can be huge. TopMatch augments quality online dating collateral in the shape of an ever changing, exciting website for members to use with the services of a personal dating consultant, so there's no time or effort wasted.

Computer systems are extremely helpful but they're no substitute for the human touch. As a franchisee, the combination of a superb online presence and personal matchmaking services is a potent attraction to prospects. It's much more effective than pure online dating.

If you're in Australia already and considering buying into a franchise, or you're planning to emigrate, a TopMatch franchise could be exactly what you're looking for. Australia's professional singles are waiting for you!

PS. TopMatch is poised to launch the single most exciting and spectacular dating offer on the internet. We can't give details just yet but watch this space. This offer is designed to take the dating franchise landscape by storm and potentially change it... forever!

TopMatch dating videos boost member numbers even more!

Top dating franchise TopMatch International is pulling out all the stops for their franchisees with the launch of two new animated films designed to attract even more paying members.

While many franchises provide you with an instruction manual then leave you to get on with it, TopMatch's team is committed to constant innovation. They know that dating is a highly competitive market. And they understand that if you're in it and you want to win it, you need to stay ahead of the crowd.

People absorb information in different ways. A proportion of us like to read new information before making a buying decision. Others are very visual, establishing key facts from images. Listening is a favoured learning style for many but a combination of sound and pictures appeals directly and immediately to a broad range of people. Which is why TopMatch is taking the animated video route.

What's the story? Video number one makes it very clear that unlike other dating sites, TopMatch's in-depth vetting process means the people you meet are who they say they are. The message, couched in humour, is clear and strong... if you're worried about encountering fraudsters and liars while dating online you won't find any here! It's designed to deliver enough reassurance to help tip the balance and convert visitors to paying members.

The second animated clip explains the different types of membership you can choose, again with humour and style. This one has been designed to give an instant snapshot of the benefits of premier and express membership. It focuses strongly on premier membership, aiming to drive more valuable premier conversions through. But because express membership has a particular appeal to male members, the video also promotes the benefits of express membership. Because express members can be converted to premier members at any stage, TopMatch has every eventuality covered.

If you're looking for a franchisor who delivers a constant stream of new ideas and innovations to keep your franchise fresh and profitable, TopMatch is well worth investigating. Take a look for yourself...

The stellar rise of the franchise... 5 top tips to narrow things down!

I just googled 'latest news about franchises'. Google returned 17,600,000 English language web pages. Wow.

On page one of Google there's a huge franchise exhibition at London Olympia. An international business directory site dedicated entirely to franchising. Franchise magazines. Franchise consultants. There's a businesses that will, for a fee, fight their way through the thick, hot jungle of franchise information to track down the ideal franchise for your budget and needs. Franchise associations. Franchise resale sites. And that's just for a start. Only about 17,599,990 web pages to go!

If you needed proof that franchising is very, very big business, googling it delivers in spades. Which is all very well. But if you're looking for a franchise that'll make you money, keep you busy, interested and happy, it's a minefield. There's just too much choice.

Here's five top tips for narrowing down the field and making your search for a franchise less of a nightmare!

1. narrow things down by picking one that already works well in your country. OK, you might have some local competition but at least you know that the business proposition is suitable for your market.


2. pick franchises you like the look of. Narrow them down by contacting them all by email, putting the ones who respond fastest at the top of your heap. If a franchisor doesn't reply or takes ages, don't even go there.


3. choose franchises that have been on the market for a number of years. New franchise opportunities are, by their very nature, still at test stage. So they're only for people who are willing to take a big financial risk


4. cash in on your existing career experience. Choose a franchise in an industry you are familiar with, in or near your comfort zone, and you'll have a substantial advantage over franchisees who are new to your area of expertise.


5. empty your mind of everything practical and rummage randomly for a bunch of franchises that will - simply - make you happy. You're much more likely to make a fortune when you're doing something you love, than trying to force yourself into something that sounds fabulous but just doesn't suit your personality.

How pro-active is your franchisor?

One of the biggest reasons people choose to buy into a franchise business is because they want the support of a rock solid organisation that does a lot of the hard marketing graft for them.

Marketing is one of the toughest elements of growing a business, so you want your franchisor to be pro-active.

That means creating new products and services, cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. Keeping an eye on your market and responding to changes. And making sure that your offer stays ahead of the competition.

TopMatch international, the professional online dating service, is well known for ongoing innovation. Their latest service offering opens up the dating market for franchisees by widening the appeal of TopMatch membership.

What's the story? Members at TopMatch can choose to have a professional personal video profile made, showcasing their attributes and assets in a unique way. "The combination of images, animation, photos, professional scriptwriter, voice over artist and production team makes it a winner" says a TopMatch spokesperson. "The best thing is, our members don't have to appear in front of the camera themselves, 'bigging themselves up'! Most people find that really embarrassing so we do it all from the information they provide for their written profile."

Franchisee reaction so far has been very positive. In a highly competitive market, it is a huge advantage to have something unique to sell. And there's more on the boil. TopMatch are constantly busy dreaming up new ideas for their franchisees. They research their market thoroughly, analyse costs versus benefits carefully and present franchisees with a regular stream of fresh special offers designed to make genuine profits.

Their advice? "If you're looking for a franchise, find a lively, proactive franchisor dedicated to growing your business. Avoid those who'll sell you a franchise then sit back and let you sink or swim!"

Here's a link to the TopMatch personal video profile page.

Listen to gossip before buying a franchise!

Once upon a time you'd have a very good idea about the performance and reputation of the franchise you were buying before taking the plunge.

Pre-internet, the majority of franchises were out there on the high street for all to see. These days there are countless franchise opportunities advertised online, many of which are ebusinesses and ecommerce sites with no physical presence in the 'real' world.

Demand is growing and, in order to cash in fast, too many franchises are launched without proper market testing, with no idea about how they'll actually perform in the short term, never mind medium to long term.

If you're going to buy a franchise, you need to take more care than ever to make sure you're making a sensible investment. Which is why listening to gossip is a good idea!

Here's a short list of places to go online where you might find useful information, feedback, gossip, complaints etcetera about franchises. Do your research thoroughly and make sure you have a clear picture before you make a decision:

• google it and see what falls out


• search social networks like twitter and facebook


• explore local and national newspaper websites


• check franchisee forums and franchisee communities


• check companies house

Last but never least, contact existing franchisees to find out their experiences. If there aren't any existing franchisees, ask yourself why!

Marketing – online business's biggest challenge

Check out some of the millions of 'get rich quick' websites online and you'd be forgiven for thinking it was easy to make a mint online. Not so. The internet isn't magic. Too many people still think that a website's like a field of dreams... 'build it and they will come' They won't!

Getting your products in front of your target audience is just as tricky online as it always has been offline. If anyone tries to convince you it's easy, take them with a very big pinch of salt. They'll be talking rubbish. Don't give 'em a penny.

Online marketing involves a huge array of different media and disciplines. There's Pay Per Click and Search Engine Optimisation, email campaigns, free offers, click-throughs, landing pages, power pages and all sorts of other stuff to get to grips with. SEO alone involves link baiting, link building, content generation and management, article writing, blogging, keyword research... the list goes on.

How many people have a brilliant marketing idea that falls by the wayside because marketing it is too expensive, challenging or baffling? It must be millions. Franchising is one of the best ways to sidestep a huge chunk of the most crucial marketing responsibilities. You're given ideas and materials. You get valuable advice about selling. You get ready-made special offers, updated website content and – if you choose a good one - a constant stream of visitors generated by your franchiser's SEO activities.

Grab yourself a slice of happiness... franchise love!

Business is rarely about delivering fun and happiness. It's usually about much duller things. Selling burgers. Or clothes. Or tools. You don't necessarily get a big personal buzz out of it.

But a TopMatch franchise is something a bit different.

Not only does franchising with TopMatch provide a proven way for you to make money in your local area. It also comes complete with a great big chunk of good karma!

And there's more. Demand for many products and services is limited. Demand for others fluctuates and can even disappear altogether. Who would bother to buy a VHS video player these days? Love, on the other hand, will always be in demand.

Even scientists agree. Love is a vital element of the human condition. In fact if you search the New Scientist website using the key word 'love' you'll get more than 5,200 results.

Or think of a song... any song. What's it about? The chances are that the song you've chosen is all about love. The same goes for books, plays, operas and films. Read any newspaper and you'll find that a large proportion of stories - bad and good - have a strong underlying subtext of love.

Love preoccupies us all to such an extent that some of us literally die without it. Choosing a partner is one of the most important decisions we ever make. And we spend a vast amount of time, cash and effort finding the right person.

Our need for a satisfying, loving relationship overcomes the extremes of war, greed, hatred, poverty and intolerance. As well as fuelling a multi-billion pound industry composed of online and offline matchmaking and dating services.

If you're in the market for a franchise, it makes sense to pick a business that'll never slow down or die off.

We all need love. Lots of it. With a TopMatch franchise you'll be right at the hub of an 'industry' that will never die... which is a very good deal in a wobbly economy!