,

Franchise World Link Supports Startups

Franchise World Link at The Twelfth International Conference on Digital Society and e-Governments

We are delighted to announce that Amirhossein Roshanzamir the director of Franchise World Link Regional Office in the Middle East has published a new paper titled “ Dilemmas of Branding for Start-ups” at The Twelfth International Conference on Digital Society and e-Governments – ICDS 2018 in Rome, Italy.

Amir discusses the opportunities and challenges which start-ups face in building up their brands in the digital era and suggests a three stages modular and incremental approach to build a start-up’s brand from scratch. The copy of the paper can be downloaded from below link :

http://www.thinkmind.org/index.php?view=article&articleid=icds_2018_4_10_10044

At Franchise World Link we believe reputation and brand are the most important financial assets of any franchise business model. We are also keen on working and supporting start-ups, especially in the emerging markets since we consider them to be the engines of growth for addressing local problems through creative technologies and innovative solutions.

We congratulate Amir on publishing this research and looking forward to supporting and helping start-ups in the emerging markets where we are operating.

Please contact us for more information, if you are a start-up who wish to grow or a company who plan to expand globally through franchise or license model.

/0 Comments/by
,

Morocco Will Host the First International Franchise & Retail Expo, April 13-14, 2018

Franchise World Link participates in the First International Franchise Expo in Casablanca, Morocco

We are pleased to announce that the Franchise World Link, with 16 offices in the World and present in more than 40 countries, specialized in helping investors to find international Franchise brands, will be present at the International Franchise Expo to be held in Casablanca, 13th and 14th of April 2018 at the Hyatt Hotel.

Lamyae Belqadi, Country Manager Morocco based in Casablanca, commented “We are a growing country for Franchise and Morocco is an entry gate for Africa, our CEO Olivier Guerrero will be present in Casablanca during the event”

For more information please contact us: Lamyae Belqadi, Country Manager Morocco, Franchise World Link, lamyae.belqadi@franchiseworldlink.com, Tel: + 212 619 39 83 79, Fax: + 212 522 98 69 06, www.franchiseworldlink.com

/0 Comments/by
,

Colombia after peace: a destiny to expand franchises

Colombia is the second exporter of flower species, the third largest coffee producer in the world, the first in Latin American coal reserves and in the first in production of emeralds in the world, and now, that peace has arrived in this country, the quality of life is improving, entrepreneurship is being encouraged, small and medium enterprises are projected to grow in small cities, and the country has already begun to grow in industrial, social and cultural terms, demonstrating that there is a little left of the image of war that it has had.

Colombia in economic terms

In 2016 during the peace process, according to figures from “La Revista Dinero” in its digital version, the construction sector grew 4.1% and obtained more than 1 trillion Colombian pesos (330 Billion USD) in profits and the manufacturing industry and financial institutions registered profits of just over 2 billion Colombian pesos (660 Million USD), and according to data released by the Banco de la República, FDI in the country grew 15.8% over the previous year, transport, agriculture and manufacturing surpassed the investment in 32%, also it is interesting the 122% increase in the electricity sector and 46.5% in communal services, and that Bogota, the Colombian capital, was positioned as the third city in Latin America that more generated direct jobs (approximately 5,000); confirming that Colombia is one of the most economically stable countries in Latin America.

Today, estimates predict that foreign investment will triple annually and reach USD 36 billion, compared to the USD 12 billion that come today. According to a DNP (National Planning Department) study, per capita income for Colombians would double in a decade from USD $ 6800 to USD $ 12,000, and economic growth of 1.1% and 1.9% annually, which means that in the coming years there will be a rebound in the sectors of construction, agriculture, tourism and industrial.

Figures released by the Banco de la República show that FDI in January of 2017 grew more than nine times compared to the same month in 2016, and between January 1 and August of 2017 FDI increased by 13, 5% compared to the balance a year ago, when it totaled 2,928 million dollars; foreign trade compared to the same quarter of 2016, in 2017 rose by 3.7%.

Status of franchises in Colombia

In the country, there are currently 443 franchises of both national and foreign origin, 47 in the beauty sector, 67 in specialist trade, 27 in training centers, 158 in food/ gastronomy (catering), 74 in fashion and 70 in the service sector.

There are 196 franchises of foreign origin that are currently established in Colombia, whose main country of origin is the United States, followed by Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, among others, in health and beauty, fashion, food/gastronomy and catering.

The franchise industry in Colombia has been booming for a couple of years, and this is mainly due to the fact that there have been various franchise projects promoted by public and private entities that have made this model known to the colombian population, in fact, the model of microfranchise for Colombia was developed thanks to an IDB project, where some colombian consulting firms developed the operational and process standardization part of that model, and it was established that microfranchises in this country would differentiate from the conventional franchises in the fact that they would not exceed an investment amount of more than 75 million pesos equivalent to USD 25,000 approximately. This amount is ideal for small and medium sizes investors. This might be an international or domestic franchise, but in other formats such as corners or small modules or mobile format unit franchises, requiring less investment.

To encourage the development of franchises in general, Franchise World Link would promote knowledge about franchising. Franchise World Link would help entrepreneurs who are interested in investing in Master franchises, Regional or Multi-Unit Franchises, and eventually creating alliances with different public and private entities.

Some cases of success of Colombian franchises
Servientrega
Created in 1982, is the leading messaging company in the country, with a presence in Ecuador, Peru, Spain, to name a few countries. Began to franchise in 1991, in this moment has more than 3,000 premises, having achieved great positioning in the country.

Totto
Created in 1987, the business idea is the design and commercialization of briefcases, accessories and clothing mainly for young people. It is one of the most successful franchises in the country, with presence in more than 40 countries, and 600 physical stores mainly in Latin America, 272 of which are located in Colombia, one of its largest projects in entering to the United States. As a franchise, it offers assistance in the area of marketing, profitability and the security of investing in a solid and recognized brand.

Sandwich Cubano
Created in 1978 by a Cuban settle in Cali, Colombia, was born as a small establishment selling sandwiches, in 1994 they opened more premises in that city, and for 1998 they granted their first franchise in Barranquilla, today they expanded their catalog of foods and also offer fast foods, salads, desserts, among others. at the moment it has 217 commercial establishments, only 9 are own and the other are franchises, also has presence in Panama and Miami.

Juan Valdez
Originated in 1950, and dedicated to the marketing of food and coffee products, it became a franchise in 2002. Currently, it has 300 stores worldwide, most located in Colombia, and in the country opens approximately 2 stores a month. Its franchises are part of the International Franchise Association (IFA), this association accredits experts in the franchise industry and endorses the services presented by the institutions belonging to that association. At the end of the first half of 2017, it invoiced more than 140,000 million pesos in Colombia.

Some cases of success of foreign franchises that have grown in Colombia
Cosechas
Franchise of Costa Rican origin, produces and sells fruit juices and vegetables in Colombia. Their key success factors are the original catalog of drinks they offer, the natural and nutritious concept, the location of their sales points and the quality of the products they work with. Arrived in Colombia in late 2012 and early 2013, invoiced 100,000 million Colombian pesos in 2016, and exceeds 500 points nationwide.

Subway
This franchise of American origin born in 1965, with a presence in 110 countries, offers sandwiches, cookies, drinks, breakfasts, among others, in some countries by cultural and religious impositions it changes its menu. In Colombia it landed in 1997; currently has 300 franchises in the national territory, and is present in 36 cities.

BodyBrite
The franchise of Spanish origin, born in 2011 and offers non-invasive aesthetic services such as laser hair removal, facial cleansing, body treatment, among others, in Colombia arrived between 2012 and 2013, and in less than a year of operation had 40 establishments, currently has more than 70 premises, and its success in the country is due to the low prices of its treatments, and the training and constant advice to its franchisees.

The future of the franchise in Colombia
For the next few years the arrival of various foreign franchises from all continents and the expansion of local franchises to other territories of the country previously unoccupied. One of the most anticipated franchises in Colombia this year was H & M, that arrived in the country in May of 2017, and expects to open more than 400 stores.

Other franchises that will arrive soon in the country, and that are partners of Franchise World Link, such as B.GOOD, of american origin, with its concept of organic and healthy fast food sees in Colombia the first destination country to enter the Latin market.

Colombia is certainly an ideal destination for all types of franchises, this type of business model came before the 90’s to stay, and to further boost the Colombian economy.

Info.colombia@franchiseworldlink.com

/0 Comments/by
,

SEDAR is expanding to South Africa

Sedar International, the marketing and franchising arm of Sedar Global, has entered into an exclusive agreement with Franchise World Link on June 2017 for expansion in South Africa, Mauritus and Tanzania. The kick of ceremony is scheduled on August 27th and 28th in the UAE when top management of Sedar International will meet Franchise World Link team including CEO, director of Middle East and country managers of South Africa and Morocco.
Sedar established in 1872, Sedar builds a world-class franchise concept with a unique retail experience to transform the world of retail window fashion in the eyes and hearts of consumers. Sedar successfully introduced countless designs and product concepts to the industry by having 20 showrooms across the GCC region including U.A.E, K.S.A, Bahrain, Oman and recently Egypt, Kurdistan – Iraq and Kuwait.
Sedar International providing the franchisee with non-stop support systems as Operational Support, Site Selection, Marketing Support, Procurement, Accounting, Ongoing Research and Development, Overall Program Oversight, and Global Benefits.

Shereef Abdelmalek, the International Franchise Manager of SEDAR, says that “ Sedar has developed a highly focused franchise system available in two models which is leading the global décor trends and setting the benchmark for an immersive retail experience.“ He further adds “ The agreement with Franchise World link reflects our strategy to accelerate our exposure in emerging markets and we are eager to explore the expansion opportunities in South Africa, Mauritus and Tanzania “

Being the most innovative and unique designer and supplier of curtain and wallpapers in Middle East, SEDAR has a huge potential in emerging African countries where tourism is booming. “ says the Middle East Director of Franchise World Link, Amir Hossein Roshanzamir. He further adds “ SEDAR has an amazing ERP Oracle based system which integrates several business units from design and production up to delivery and installation and this provides a unique experience from the time customers enter showroom till the order is concluded.

About Franchise World Link

Operating in more than 15 countries, Franchise World Link aims to help international franchisors and entrepreneurs to grow their business in fast developing countries of Africa and Asia, where there is a large potential for franchise business opportunities today. We liaise investors and entrepreneurs with franchisors worldwide and help investors to access the successful business and well known brands.

If you are an investor seeking for lucrative opportunities to invest in a master franchise in South Africa, you may contact Jason Thomson <jason.thomson@franchiseworldlink.com

/0 Comments/by
,

Delifrance is expanding to Dubai

Delifrance, the world’s leading French bakery-café-restaurant chain, has entered into an agreement with Franchise World Link on February 2017 for further expansion into the GGC (Gulf Cooperation Council).

Michel Nguyen, the Retail Franchise Director shared his views during the inauguration of Delifrance in Dubai. Delifrance is an international franchisor with over 400 outlets across 13 countries, with its most recent openings including Hong Kong and Milan”. He further stated that “We consider the Middle East as a strategic place for our future expansion and believe Franchise World Link expertise and strong network can promote French fine dining and our elegant Parisian flare in this region“.

During the inauguration ceremony Amir Hossein Roshanzamir the Middle East’s Director of Franchise World Link indicated “Franchise World Link team appreciate the confidence and trust that Delifrance has placed on us and we are delighted to contribute to the regional expansion of a renown brand like Delifrance”. Amir also added “There are ties between Delifrance and Franchise World Link since we are cooperating with them in two other countries namely Morocco and South Africa and I am sure this collaboration will only grow stronger in the near future“.

Operating in more than 15 countries, Franchise World Link aims to help international franchisors and entrepreneurs to grow their business in fast developing countries of Africa and Asia, where there is a large potential for franchise business opportunities today. We liaise investors and entrepreneurs with franchisors worldwide and help investors to access the main brands.

If you are an investor seeking for lucrative opportunities to invest in a master franchise in the region, you may contact Amir: amir.roshanzamir@franchiseworldlink.com www.franchiseworldlink.com

/0 Comments/by
,

Franchise World link is looking for franchise opportunities in India.

Franchise World Link had chosen India for their annual convention this year. Privately held event had been organized on the 13 and 14 the October 2016 in New Delhi. India was a strategic choice because franchise Industry in India is growing at 400 percent per year. Convention coincided with Franchise trade show held on the 15th of October in India. International members of the Franchise World link team are visiting the show today to identify franchise growth opportunities in this fast growing market.

 

/0 Comments/by
,

From Regional to Global. How to franchise your business internationally.

Going international for a franchise organisation is not always easy. And once should learn from the various ways the industry has been moving over the last decades.

The key aspect is to think ahead and decide on a strategy.

In the late 90’ Michael Porter was already mentioning that companies had stopped thinking strategically. They were looking for a quick return on investment and copying what the others corporations were doing. This was and it is still the trend in franchising. A “me to” strategy can be observed with many franchisors. A lot of them just want short term to reduce costs and increase profits quickly without any strategic thinking.

Strategic issues in franchising abroad in term of geographies and market approach will have a direct impact in the franchisor medium and long term viability.

Internationalization of Franchise businesses is booming and we are in the midst of a new revolution driven by globalization and technology.

Strategic issues are completely different from tactical issues or operational issues.

For example companies like Tea Shop had planned a long time ago there strategic way of seen their expansion. We can observe from successful franchisors or licensors that the definition of the strategic issues is done by the board of directors or by the CEO.

One of the first steps of the analysis is the geography and the social economic aspects that would influence which territories to tackle first.

The world is changing and Asia and Africa are incredibly attractive territories for franchising or licensing with a large potential for the future. The next decades will see dramatic population changes in the world:

By 2050, India will have overtaken the US as the world’s second largest economy

According to a report by “ Ecademy Asia Pacific”, the annual revenue from Asia’s franchise markets are growing at over US$50 billion annually, and annual revenue will grow at over US$100 billion annually within five years. 

In view of such encouraging statistics, Africa and Asia will be is attracting like-minded potential investors, entrepreneurs and new industry players.

More and more medium size franchisors will have to study the opportunity, the risk and decide on a strategy of going abroad.

Worlds Largest Economies 2050

Over the various successful internationalization franchisors we are helping, we at Franchise World Link a company which connects franchise entrepreneurs internationally had identified 2 key success factors for international franchise expansion:

1-  A strong willingness to franchise the business abroad is important: 

Adapting a successful franchise concept in another part of the world is not easy.

First it is necessary to have a market analysis and costumer buying behaviours study to understand if the Franchise concept would be suitable for the country.

Then a territory studies must decide how to target the country. This has to be largely accepted and explain internally. Then the strategy should be explained internally in the entire corporation must buy into it.

Some franchisors will just manage opportunities in foreign countries but ideally an international expansion plan is of paramount importance.  At Franchise World Link we have seen many franchisors or even licensors with a good local concept trying to go everywhere with no management strategic thinking. But we have seen as well franchisors like TAB an American franchise concept with a clear international strategy about how to go internationally.

Going everywhere and too fast, managing only day to day opportunities in various countries cannot stand as a strategy. Global franchise expansion should be done step by step through real strategic thinking and the driven factors should revolve around the quality of the partners you find at the early stage.

If  a Regional Franchisor is already present in some neighbouring countries, then it would be easier to define which region they want to target next. There are 2 schools of thinking: The first school advocates expanding to culturally closed countries as long as your franchise business concept is exportable.

Any franchisor will need first to analyse in which countries they are bound to be successful and what adaptations would be needed to attract country master franchisee.

This truly is a challenge and the entire corporation has to rethink its strategy. The strategy must also be shared with the shareholders and not left restrictively to the International Expansion director.

Ideally, at the beginning a small culturally open minded team with international experience would be required. Companies need to forecast enough internal resources and have a coherent internal financial model.

2-  A good legal advisor is really key:

What a lot of franchisors really need is a good legal advisor. In their country of origin, their legal department must be familiar with international operations and foreign countries (or eventually this could be subcontracted).

In the destination country the legal advisor will need a similar specialist to draft a good master franchise agreement. Each country is different and the Master Franchise agreement requires to be reviewed locally, in line with local laws and regulations. Then the pilot process and the disclosure documents may vary from one country to another.

The legal aspect of franchise is extremely regulated in the USA and Europe for example and less organized and structure in Africa or even some fast growing countries in Asia.

Some countries would request an authorization from (like in many countries in South East Asia the government would require to be a master franchisee a first pilot. This first pilot would be necessary before the franchise master should be authorized to sell franchise units.

But this would be as well very useful for both the franchisor and the franchisee to learn from mistakes.

At Franchise World Link we have identified with our clients one key internal and external motivation factor that have a direct impact on franchising overseas:

1-  An external motivation factor:

External consideration will help the franchisor to drive and push its business to identify international franchise opportunities.  If the shareholders or the board of director are comfortable with the actual profit figures it would be complicated. Internal resistances would be a limitation factor. On the contrary at Franchise World Link, we have identified that if you have an exit strategy to sell your business; this will boost considerably your Global franchise expansion. Being in various selected countries, with a franchise concept that works abroad and that is successful, would considerably increase considerably the value of the franchisor’s corporation.

Furthermore, when talking to suppliers, partners, new prospect unit franchisee, and new potential master franchisee this would also considerably increase the bargaining power of the franchisor.

2-     An internal motivation factor for the actual franchise network:

Assuming that the actual franchise network in the country / or region of origin is very satisfied and franchisee and country master franchises are comfortable with the actual image and dimension of the franchisor network it would be complicated to boost more countries.

However, if the actual network is not represented internationally there would be an immediate positive effect with the actual franchise network. Opening new countries and communicating it properly in the franchise network would considerably increase the motivation of actual franchisee, masters, multi-franchisee and employees in general. Facially there will be a positive impact in the franchise valuation of units and master when they would sell (what we normally call a transfer). 

Being perceived as an international franchise network will boost considerably the financial value of the unit franchise or the master franchise when a transfer is envisaged or even when the franchisor wants to sell its business to a larger franchisor. We have seen it recently with the example of Quick restaurants and Burger King.

The world is changing very fast and franchising overseas could bring incredible opportunities for generating both new revenue and new profit growth to franchisors and licensors.

—-

Olivier Guerrero – CEO Franchise World Link Corp

Contact us (info@franchiseworldlink.com) if you need help with bringing your franchise business abroad.

LinkedIn   Twitter   Facebook   Google+

 

/0 Comments/by
,

Why are Franchisor successful? – Sunday Brunch talk with Olivier Guerrero.

Olivier Guerrero, CEO of Franchise World Link has recently participated in a Sunday Brunch talk focused on Franchise, Fashion and Retail on radio CoolturaFM in Barcelona. Olivier explained how Franchise systems work, why they are so successful and why adjusting the strategy to the local market is so important. (Minutes 48 – 56).

Operating in 10 countries around the Globe, Franchise World Link helps franchisor to succeed abroad and focuses on accessing Asia and Africa. Olivier is confident that African countries, which are just starting to emerge as an area of interest for franchisor, have a huge growth potential and even though this continent lacks rules and regulations, it is rapidly growing and can no longer be ignored. Franchise World Link has developed a locally based network of partners, able to provide all needed support, consultancy and the sourcing of qualified Master Franchisee in the country of interest for your business. Franchise World Link is very successful in Europe as well and currently working with many well-known brands.

If you are interested in learning more about open opportunities in Europe, Asia and Africa, please contact us at info@franchiseworldlink.com for a free consultation.

/0 Comments/by
,

Professor Jose Luis Nueno is now a member of the Franchise World Link steering committe

We are proud to announce that Professor Jose Luis Nueno is now a member of the Franchise World Link steering committee.

Prof. Nueno is a distinguished scholar and business leader in globalization of consumer and luxury goods and relationship marketing. He is the co-author of “Zara: Fast Fashion”, one of Harvard Publishing’s first interactive case studies. Prof. Nueno is a board member for a number of leading and influential international companies.  He also has been a corporate consultant since 1986 and has worked on behalf of more than 160 global clients on more than 230 projects. Prof. Nueno advises national and international corporations in the areas of marketing and strategy.

We believe Prof. Nueno’s invaluable contribution will open up a new chapter for Franchise World Link services, particularly in luxury and retail sectors as well as market research and brand creation ventures.

/0 Comments/by
,

Franchise World Link is launched in Middle East

We are happy to announce the launch of Franchise World Link in Middle East!

Franchise World Link, an innovative company which owns and manages a technology platform to connect all the players in the franchise industry: individuals, entrepreneurs, startups, franchisors, master franchisee investors and venture capital funds, is delighted to announce the launch of their Middle East Representative Office in Dubai, UAE.

Dubai as one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in the world is the commercial heart of the Persian Gulf and displays strong socio-economics, a business friendly climate and long-term foundations for a franchise concept to succeed. Being the 7th most visited city of the world based on air traffic, Dubai is expected to accommodate over 15 million tourists by 2015 and its gross domestic product is projected at USD 107.1 billion, with a growth rate of 6.1% in 2014. Most renowned global franchisors are progressively more attracted to the Dubai market where the fast food and convenience sector, represents about 40% of the overall franchise market.

Amir Hossein Roshanzamir has recently been appointed as the Middle East’s Director for Franchise World Link organisation, and is sharing his views on international franchise opportunities within the region.

” I think that the world is changing so rapidly and globalization is driving companies beyond the boundaries of local and traditional way of doing business. The leading technology trends in IT including peer-to-peer based social networks, mobile, cloud and big data are transforming the structure of many companies and creating lucrative business opportunities for them to grow through franchising. The Middle East is one of the fastest growing markets for the franchise business model and provides unique and rewarding opportunities for brands who are looking to launch or expand franchises. Experts figure out that the franchise concept has an annual growth of 25% which is increasing every year. It is predicted that over $25 Billion will be spent on retail business and service sectors in the Middle East annually and a sizable portion of this is allocated to the franchise market. Meanwhile, franchising is considered the favorable and dominant model of entry for international brands, since commercial laws in most countries within the region require that local citizens or corporations wholly owned by those citizens run the business.” Even for SMEs who cannot afford the high startup costs, Amir says, “The right location, a solid infrastructure, and superior quality can open up a niche market with incremental growth.”

Amir, who has been living in Dubai for almost 14 years, is an electrical engineer, received his MSc. in Information Technology and an MBA from Manchester Business School. He has more than 18 years of experience in international business, finance, sales and marketing and business consultancy. Amir brings a rigorous academic background as a part time researcher and university teaching assistant. He is also a reviewer and member of the technical program committee of  International Conferences. Amir has a strong network both in academia and the real business world and has attended executive courses at some of the top universities including MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, Tuck, Columbia, IESE,  ie and Bradford.

If you own a business in the Middle East and are looking to expand internationally or if you are an investor seeking for emerging and lucrative opportunities to buy the master franchise ownership for a particular brand, you may contact Amir Hossein Roshanzamir. He will be happy to help you to develop a business plan for your global expansion and introduce you to the right people: amir.roshanzamir@franchiseworldlink.com

/0 Comments/by

Franchise World Link is launched in Kenya

Franchise World Link – the innovative company aiming to connect players in the franchise industry worldwide and focusing on developing regions such as Africa, Asia, and North America – is pleased to announce the launch of their new country – Kenya.

Marie Vandenabeele, who has recently been appointed as Kenya’s country manager for Franchise World Link organisation, is sharing her views on international franchise opportunities in Kenya: “Kenya’s innovative franchise opportunities will improve its lifestyle. In the last 3 years we have seen several master franchises opening in Kenya, mainly in the food industry: Naked Pizza, Subway, KFC, Domino’s Pizza, and Ocean Basket, just to name a few. Other sectors with the biggest opportunities are clothing, baby clothing and accessories, furniture and decoration, beauty and cosmetics. Kenya’s affordability, quality and fast growing middle range brands increased the interest for the master franchise concept in Kenya. Owning the master franchise contract for the country simply means the ownership of the brand, the business concept and the operations in that particular country. Franchise World Link is also helping Kenyan concepts to export themselves to other countries”.

Marie, who has now been living in Kenya for almost 4 years and in the East African Region for the last 10 years, is experienced in financial operations, business development, and setting up international companies in East Africa.

With its 45M inhabitants and a continuously growing middle class, Kenya is developing very fast. The annual GDP growth rate is 5,5% and Kenya is now considered as an emerging market by the franchising industry.

If you own a business and are looking to expand to Kenya or if you are an investor looking to buy the master franchise ownership for a particular brand in Kenya, please contact Marie Vandenabeele who will be happy to introduce you to the right people in the country and to develop a business plan for your expansion into Kenya: marie.vandenabeele@franchiseworldlink.com

/0 Comments/by
,

D. Borgel (Franchise World Link) : « La France a toujours eu un côté attractif »

Pourquoi un concept étranger va-t-il fonctionner en France et pas un autre ? Quels obstacles une enseigne doit-elle surmonter pour s’implanter ? David Borgel, country manager France chez Franchise World Link, livre ses conseils en la matière.

Crédits photo : Droits Réservés
David Borgel, country manager France chez Franchise World Link.

Interview

POUR QUELLES RAISONS UNE ENSEIGNE ÉTRANGÈRE CHERCHE-T-ELLE À S’IMPLANTER EN FRANCE ?

La France a toujours eu un côté attractif, et ce à plusieurs niveaux. Il ne faut pas oublier qu’il s’agit de la première destination touristique mondiale, preuve que le territoire séduit à l’étranger par de nombreux aspects. Etonnamment pourtant, un grand nombre de concepts originaux n’ont pas encore été importés, laissant un champ des possibles immense pour nombre d’enseignes internationales. Dernièrement, par exemple, Paris a vu arriver plusieurs concepts d’escape game*. Face au succès remporté, ce concept importé d’Asie commence à se développer plus largement sur le territoire et dans le reste de l’Europe (NDLR relire notre article sur les ambitions de Mystery Escape). Il s’agit d’une première : personne n’avait jamais véritablement réfléchi à un concept ludique destiné aux adultes.

Autre facteur : le dynamisme du pays. Quoi qu’on en dise, le marché français demeure attractif. Surtout, les Français sont familiers des chaînes et la franchise est un mode de distribution qui fonctionne bien dans le pays (NDLR la France est le premier marché européen en matière de franchise). D’autant que des organismes sérieux existent, comme la Fédération française de la franchise et l’Iref, qui peuvent conseiller et aider les acteurs.

INVERSEMENT, QU’EST-CE QUI FREINE L’ENVIE DE CERTAINES MARQUES DE S’INSTALLER DANS L’HEXAGONE ?

Beaucoup pourraient penser automatiquement aux prix de l’immobilier commercial dans certaines zones, à la fiscalité en vigueur ou à d’autres facteurs de ce type. Toutefois, je pense qu’il s’agit davantage de mythes plutôt que de véritables freins. En revanche, j’ai pu constater au travers de mon expérience un obstacle au développement d’une enseigne en franchise en France : la barrière de la langue. Je suis impressionné de voir que les marques étrangères peinent à pénétrer le marché simplement parce que beaucoup parlent mal anglais. Ce qui se traduit par une pénibilité plus grande pour nouer des relations directes avec les acteurs locaux, notamment lorsqu’il s’agit de trouver un partenaire de confiance avec qui se développer. Dans d’autres pays européens comme l’Allemagne, ce genre de problématique se pose moins.

QUELS SONT LES PRINCIPAUX RISQUES D’ÉCHECS D’UNE TELLE STRATÉGIE ?

Lorsqu’une enseigne étrangère envisage de s’implanter en France, elle doit se poser les mêmes questions que tout réseau avant de s’installer dans une zone précise : il n’y a pas de différence majeure. Une solide étude de marché doit être menée, et l’enseigne doit s’entourer d’experts pour obtenir des conseils avisés. Bien sûr, la particularité culturelle doit être prise en compte : tout concept ne peut être développé partout avec succès.

La plus grosse erreur que pourrait commettre une marque réside dans le choix de son partenaire à l’export : qu’il s’agisse d’une master-franchise, d’une joint-venture ou d’une franchise directe, les risques d’échecs sont fortement partagés avec cet acteur. Surtout dans le cadre d’une master-franchise, où un seul partenaire sera en charge du développement de l’enseigne au niveau national. D’ailleurs, certains groupes très prudents optent pour une segmentation du pays en master-franchises régionales. Un moyen aussi de multiplier les droits d’entrée. Mais, il ne s’agit pas obligatoirement de la formule la plus conseillée : l’important est de sélectionner le bon partenaire.

*Escape game : jeu consistant à sortir d’une pièce en résolvant une série d’énigmes.

Franchise World Link arrive en France

Né aux Etats-Unis en 2014, Franchise World Link est un service de mise en relation entre tous les acteurs de la franchise dans le monde. Investisseurs, enseignes, master-franchiseurs, entrepreneurs… Le but est de faire se rencontrer les porteurs de projets et financeurs pour développer avec succès des concepts étrangers dans certains pays.  « L’initiative est partie d’un constat simple, explique David Borgel, en charge de la France pour Franchise World Link, avec Thierry Bismuth (Odyssée RH).Plusieurs réseaux ont essayé de partir à l’étranger, mais ont échoué, le plus souvent par méconnaissance du marché local. » Le but de cette plateforme ne consiste donc pas seulement en une mise en relation des futurs partenaires, mais veille aussi à promulguer des conseils avisés pour réussir l’implantation dans le pays.  « Certaines marques nous sollicitent même pour des marchés similaires ou proches, comme l’Espagne et les Pays-Bas », poursuit David Borgel.
Aujourd’hui présents dans une quinzaine de pays comme les Etats-Unis, le Kenya, l’Australie, le Japon, le Maroc et le Viêtnam, ces   « courtiers en achat et vente de master-franchises », selon les termes du dirigeant Olivier Guerrero, pourraient faciliter l’introduction de nouveaux concepts étrangers sur le marché français dans un avenir proche.

As seen in LesEchos: http://www.lesechosdelafranchise.com/dossiers/la-france-terre-d-accueil-pour-les-franchises-etrangeres/d-borgel-franchise-world-link-la-france-a-toujours-eu-un-cote-attractif-46321.php

/0 Comments/by