FAQs

Deciding to open any new business is a difficult decision, especially if you have never owned a business before.

We understand this and hope that these FAQ’s will help you to make that decision by answering the most important of your questions in a simple no nonsense manner.

What is a franchise?
A franchise is a business that has proven to be successful and wants to make it possible for others to replicate that business to be just as successful in other parts of the country.

Are many businesses franchised?
Yes, more than you might think, there are over 800 franchises being operated by 35,000 franchisees in the UK that are employing near to 400,000 employees and worth about £13 billion to the economy – most of them are services and business-to-business concepts. *BFA/Natwest Franchise Survey 2008

Why would Water Cooler World want to award franchises rather than just opening more outlets themselves?
Because we want to expand our brand and geographical coverage across the country quickly and we want our customers to enjoy the higher level of service that franchisees typically offer.

Why does a franchise expand quicker?
A franchise grows quickly because each territory belongs to a separate franchisee; the franchisee makes the investment to set up their own business and is driven to make it work because it is their business and they know their own market.

Hence a franchise expands through lots of separate business owners all interested in developing their own areas quicker than we could by trying to handle it all centrally.

So, if I take the Water Cooler World franchise it is my own business?
Yes, absolutely. Even though we will ask you to operate in a way very similar to the way we do things (because we have proven that to be the best way for you to be just as successful as us) it is your business. You deal with your own clients, own the business and make the profit for yourself.  You will also benefit if at a later date you decide to sell your business.

Yes, but if it’s my business – what’s in it for Water Cooler World?
We want to expand quickly because we want to cover the country with our high quality service before our competition. The more coolers that we have installed across the UK, then the easier it is for us to develop national contracts and national suppliers. National contracts bring us regular contracted ongoing turnover (for all) and economies of scale mean that our supplies become cheaper, meaning more profit for the franchisees.

How do I set up the business?
Don’t worry; we do all that for you. We arrange the appropriate formation and registrations for your company; provide all the administration needed to set up and supply you with all the equipment and training that you need. You need only bring yourself and your enthusiasm to get started.

Is there any selling involved?
We have our own highly-skilled team of tele-sales people who will be working on your behalf to get appointments, trials and installations for you right from the start.  Your role will be to go and visit these customers, explain how our system works, install the equipment and sign up the paperwork.  There is no “hard-sell”, all of that has been done before you even leave your house!

But do I have to pay a fee to join the franchise?
Yes, but it’s important to remember that we don’t aim to profit from your joining fees as these go to cover our development costs and your equipment and stock packages. We constantly monitor our joining fees and turnkey package to ensure that they represent good value in the franchise market.

So, why would someone not just start up on their own?
The point of franchising is not just to give you the idea. You buy a franchise so that you save all the costs and failure of trying something new by yourself that you have never done before. We have already proven that BOTH our idea AND THE WAY THAT WE DO IT is successful in the market.

Most importantly, our highly-experienced sales people are working for YOU, to find you new clients right from the first day that you open for business.

How do I know that you will support me in the future?
Because we are only as successful as our franchisees, so we have to continue to support you in the future if we are to be profitable and have the good reputation that allows us to keep growing. Remember, we would not want to let you down as it might mean that you won’t recommend us to others that want to join in the future.

So, if I buy a franchise I am guaranteed success?
No. We will give you everything that you need to help you to be successful but it is your business and it will only be successful if you work hard at it, commit yourself to it and follow our proven systems.

However, you are more likely to be successful in a franchise as statistically, most new business start ups (76%) fail within their first three years of operation, whereas most franchisees (93%) remain successfully in operation 10 years after starting*BFA/Natwest Franchise Survey 2008

What is the recruitment process?
After you have expressed an interest, we will have an initial meeting. In that meeting we will describe the business to you, show you financial and performance information, answer all of your questions and talk you through the way the business works. You may of course ask us as many questions as you wish and have more meetings if you need them before you decide to proceed further – however long that takes – because we want you to be sure of your decision.

Once you are sure that you want to go ahead, we will help you to raise the necessary funding, get the franchise agreement signed and then book you in for training so that you can get started as soon as possible.

What should I do next?
If you think the Water Cooler World Franchise may be of interest to you, contact us now to request an information pack.  Once you have read through this, give us a call and we will arrange date for you to come in and meet the team.  At that meeting we will run through everything in more detail but please remember, you will never be put under any pressure to make a decision – we’re as keen as you are to make sure that this is the right opportunity for you, so you can take as long as you like to decide.