So, what has been the response of employers to the directive? There is a long-held belief within the business community that any kind of law, rule, regulation or directive from the Government causes increased costs to employers. As the flexible working regulations were not compulsory it was up to individual employers to determine their own position and consider whether they could different kinds of flexible working without suffering any costs. Let us take a short look at the different types of flexible working, the cost implications of each and whether there are any benefits to be gained from offering them.

Many of the options involve varying the number and times of the hours to be worked. Part-time working is by far the most used option and has no extra costs connected to it. There are many operational benefits for employers using part-time workers and a cost benefit in only having to pay for the time worked. Installing “flexitime” will involve spending money on a computerised recording system to manageeach worker’s attendance. There will be some cost savings as any lateness and doctor or dentist appointments will be in the worker’s own time. Furthermore, the appeal of flexitime can help to retain experienced workers and reduce recruitment costs. Job-sharing is also an attractive proposition to thousands of members of staff and generates minimal additional costs to the firm. Again, there are operational benefits and experienced staff can be retained in the firm when they wish or need to work fewer hours. There are other variations which often occur in some industries with seasonal trading patterns or opening times. Annualised hours is self explanatory and will entail workers working extended hours at peak trading times of the year with longer holiday periods or shorter working weeks in the ‘off season’. An ideal example is term-time working which is widespread in the education sector.

Where there is often a cost implication for employers is when workers are allowed to Work From Home.
A newly formed Internet Business with the very latest communication technology will probably have planned to operate with Online Jobs from its launch as the cost of the technology can be balanced by a proportionate reduction in the need for office space when workers Work From Home. However, a firm that is firmly established would need to invest in the technology required to permit workers to Work From Home but could possibly take a first step towards becoming an Internet Business. The first task would be to identify any tasks within the firm that could be converted to Online Jobs and then estimate the costs involved. It is unlikely that savings could be made in reduced office space unless flexible working formed part of a company restructuring and subsequent relocation. However, if important workers were retained by permitting them to Work From Home then recruitment and training costs for new staff would be saved.

However, along with the positives of flexible working, the company has to accept some responsibilities for those staff who need to Work From Home. The usual health and safety provisions which are in place at the office premises need to be duplicated at the employee’s home. This will incorporate the workspace to be used, the equipment which the company will probably be providing anyway and other less tangible areas such as insurance, training and reporting. Risk assessments will have to be carried out to check for any hazards which could lead to slips, trips and falls. Additionally, any equipment being used at home will have to be tested and maintained in line with any current rules which apply at the firm’s own premises. Working away from the office will necessitate the use of some level of communication technology and, depending on its complexity, there could be a requirement for training in its use. In spite of the fact that the workspace is at the employee’s home, the company will need to satisfy itself as to the ergonomics of the surroundings by assessing features such as lighting levels, desk heights and the kind of chair to be used with the desk. For a recently-formed Internet Business this would not be a problem as it would have been taken into account when they decided to have their staff Work From Home doing Online Jobs utilising the latest state of the art communication technology. However, for an existing company this will be a completely new state of affairs and they will have to be totally aware of their responsibilities before deciding to offer staff the opportunity to Work From Home.

Having determined that they are happy that specific job roles can be performed at home, then some thought ought to be given to the staff who have expressed a desire to do their work at home. To some of the staff involved it can be a big shock to leave a noisy office and work in a quiet atmosphere at home, while others will thrive on the opportunity to get more work done without interruptions. The company needs to know that they are not going to undergo a loss of productivity so the performance levels of those who begin to Work From Home need to be monitored closely. Thinking back to the earlier example of the modern Internet Business where a lot of the staff are working full time from home in their Online Jobs, it is probable that they operate to deadlines which are set for every particular task and this type of performance management should be considered in the early stages for those making the change to this type of flexible working.

Companies, who have lots of dispersed Online Jobs, use VoIP as their number one method of communication as it considerably cuts their telephone bills. Voice calls over the internet, are priced differently from ordinary calls made over a landline or a mobile network. A ordinary telephone call is priced in minutes of line usage. If you Work From Home and are a member of an online project team, the costs for one to one calls will begin to accumulate. This is no issue if the company is picking up the tab, but not so astute if it’s your own Internet Business. For an international corporation, these costs could amount to millions of pounds per annum. On the other hand, voice over internet is charged by Megabytes for the quantity of data sent. Typically the amount of data in a voice call is tiny next to other files and data sent over the internet, so the cost is dramatically reduced.

Skype is an example of VoIP where users can use their pc or laptop to converse through instant messaging or voice chat. Voice chat allows pairs of registered Skype users to phone each other for free. In 2006, Skype launched video conferencing which links 5 Skype users simultaneously. For staff with Online Jobs, a more useful feature is the audio conference call facility for up to 25 users at a hotel or even paying a visit to a customer’s premises. As long as you can get an internet connection, you can link up with the Skype conference call and play a part in online meetings.

Mobile VoIP is now becoming more widespread as “Skype” Phones and other smart phones commence to offer internet calls over the wireless networks. This means that IP calls are no longer just a device of the corporate and Internet Business community. Anybody with a smart phone can employ VoIP to make free calls to family and friends. Even devices like Apple’s iPod touch have Skype capability. The big expectation from customers is that the World Wide Web is free, and it should remain that way. As long as it does, companies can add this communication cost saving to any others produced by Online Jobs moving out of the office.

Employee Engagement is involved with providing the best possible conditions that will permit workers to work as effectively as possible for the firm. Providing the proper equipment for workers to do their jobs has always been a standard requirement whether it is the latest communication technology for an Internet Business whose workers mainly Work From Home doing Online Jobs or the best wheelbarrow for a labourer on a building site. Employee engagement takes this a step further and encompasses every aspect of the worker’s contact with the business. Various surveys have pinpointed the areas which workers will appreciate when they assess their relationship with their employer and which will generate positive employee engagement. These include

• having the opportunity to propose ideas for improving the business and being assured that they will be considered seriously
• being made aware of events within the firm as a whole and not operating in isolation
• being involved in the decision-making process on topics which will affect them
• having the option to develop both their position and themselves within the company structure
• feeling that the firm is sincerely concerned for their safety and general well being
• knowing that their line manager and senior executives are committed to the firm.

In order to consider the possible application of employee engagement techniques within any firm then the existing attitude of workers needs to be established. A survey ought to be carried out which would encompass all elements of the employee’s work including pay, working hours, benefits, environment, management methods, opportunities for further training, promotion prospects and their overall work-life balance. While every individual company’s results will vary, some guidance can be taken from the Chartered Institute of Personnel And Development (CIPD) who commissioned a national survey which discovered that:

• over a third of workers feel engaged with their firm
• more women than men do so
• about 25 per cent of under-35s and two-fifths of over-35s feel engaged
• about half of managers feel engaged with their firm , but less than thirty three per cent of non-managers.

Once a business has confirmed its current position it will be aware of the size of the task it faces to achieve an engaged workforce and benefit from raised performance levels, lower staff turnover with welcome cost savings and a more harmonious working relationship. The concept is more involved with creating a psychological bond with the workers that goes beyond the more tangible issues such as pay and conditions, although these are also crucial. There will be many difficulties to be overcome in many businesses. For example, how does a firm engage those who Work From Home? It is possible, as the CIPD survey pointed out that workers on flexible working contracts are more likely to feel engaged, to speak positively about their employer and to feel more satisfied with their work than those on non-flexible contracts. They are also less likely to move on from their roles which saves the company recruitment and re-training costs and makes sure that it retains a motivated, experienced and skilled employee. Also, the large firms mentioned earlier will carry out a lot of Internet Business and those workers doing Online Jobs in those firms will have formed part of successful employee engagement programmes.

Numerous people forget that franchising has a high achievement rate with a low risk rate and Consequently is more appealing to funding possibilities. A Franchise For Sale is far more appealing to funding organisations than other kinds of business. Banks and building societies are more likely to provide a loan to a Franchise Opportunity than to a regular organisation start up.

To appeal to banks and other funding associations a business plan must be drawn up to persuade these lenders that the concept and idea of your organisation is a workable one. They must trust your plans and be confident enough that the Franchise Opportunitywill be sufficient to pay off the money that you need to loan. So it is a good start to familiarise yourself with the sections of a business plan and seek advice to creating an effective one.

The fist part is to give an overview of your plans for the franchise. In this section you will put a summary of your plans so that the lender has an idea of what your organisation is and what region you will be working in. Main issues to include are information on, return on investment, risk analysis, competition, advertising and marketing plans, all this information will give the lender a better look at whether they think your organisation is workable. Keep this section interesting but summarise your plans and keep to the most important features that your Franchise will offer.

The next section will be your mission statement, in this section you will be showing the franchise values to the lender. In this section you are basically presenting how your organisation works and what makes it function. Ask yourself a few questions in this section, is your priority offering a service? Or is it making profit? It will show the beginning of what your Franchise will be built upon.

The next section will be for you to analyse the market and how your Franchise Opportunitywill enter this particular region of organisation. You will need to demonstrate the target market and the increase or decrease of the product or service that you will be contributing in the market place. You will incorporate how, once you have bought a Franchise For Sale choice, you are going to take it to market and compare other organisations in the field and how they will affect your organisations.

With a well put together business plan and the drive to get a franchise off the ground, you will have a better opportunity of getting the funding you need and therefore getting the franchise you want.

I will try and lay out a few things to be taken into account when selecting the best Franchise For Sale. You will get a gut feeling about a certain industry and this is usually something you have knowledge in or have an interest about but don’t let this rule, also use your head. The most vital thing is always ask for advice from your family, your accountant, experts in the industry and any other resource that will help you select the best Franchise Opportunity.

Another major point is to ask yourself what do you want out of the franchise? Do you want to take control of your own earnings, be your own boss and work from home? Then this will restrict your search to home-based franchises. Another major aim that will determine what franchise you will buy is whether you go for a low cost franchise option or higher priced option, basically how much money are you able to put in? Some of the high-end franchise opportunities that require a higher investment include property investments, fast food chains and the vehicle trade, these require asset purchases and staff to employ. So if you have a low investment take a look at other industries such as the Internet, decorating and consultancy, these choices will have lower initial investment but could still be profitable.

The next vital stage in deciding the best Franchise Opportunity for you is your knowledge. What industry or sector have you worked in formerly, what do you enjoy doing? And are you good at it? You might want a complete change as you may have worked in a particular industry for a number of years and have become sick of the industry and want to try your hand to something different. Some franchises look for people with a particular skill and expertise, while other franchises train their potential clients from a beginner standard. As I have mentioned there are an enormous range of Franchise For Sale choices from computing to cleaning but if you are skilled in theses areas then use this a foundation for deciding on your best Franchise Opportunity.

The last major stage is what are your goals for the Franchise? Is this a long-term option and you see yourself operating the business for many years or do you see just setting it up and then selling it on to another investor? A short-term franchise option may be Internet based, decorating or cleaning but if you are looking long-term then a fast food chain, fitness centre or a vehicle garage may be better suited.

The conclusion is that to make a success of your franchise is too match it with your interests and decide on something that you are excited about, as this will play a part to the franchise being a success.

It is also disconcerting for a new franchisee to recognise that the good ideas that he comes up with on how to improve the running of the business are nine times out of ten not taken on the franchisor, and more than that are disallowed going forward. This is all very much part of the Franchise culture. A culture that causes a considerable amount of pressure and annoyance for individuals having recently purchased a Franchise For Sale and less so for those who are experienced at the franchise model.

Those with more experience of the ways in which a franchise model works can recognise the necessity for conformity across the whole organisation. This generally means that the same stipulations apply to all franchises across the country but equally it could apply overseas too.

The model must be easy to reproduce all over the territory in which it operates and therefore should be built to allow regional differences in the process. The model must also take into account that the individuals running each franchise will have different abilities and so it must be clear and informative enough for all to handle. This can sometimes mean that an individual with extra skills in a particular area is restricted in his actions as the rest of the franchisees would just not be able to work at that level.

A lot of the consistency boils down to the ease in which the Low Cost Franchise operator can check and control the complete team. If every franchisee for example was sending sales figures in a different configuration it would be very time consuming to assess the overall picture and so all franchisees have to use the same reporting documentation. If one franchisee decided that he was going to put a deal together for a particular package of products in a selected month the sales of the franchisee in the neighbouring patch may be affected. This could rocket to a complaint to the franchisor. A few of these types of situations needing attention and the franchisor is using all his time smoothing out disagreements rather than continuing to grow his business.

So the rule book, although huge, is there for a very good reason, the continued expansion of the entire organisation. If you are considering a Franchise Opportunity do not necessarily be disheartened by a large and detailed list of do’s and don’ts. Often it is a indication that the franchisor has a great vision for the business and has the fortitude and drive to get it there. This of course is just what a potential franchisee wants to hear as the brand and business growth will have a massive affect on the profits for each franchisee.

What is your financial position? Can you afford to lay out a considerable amount of money with no instant return. The pause for return may be weeks or months so people looking for an instant return to live on may not be fit for a Franchise decision.

When purchasing a Franchise always take your work and life knowledge into account. What work have you done in the past and in what company sector, what you are good at will help your new Franchise develop. Some franchises are looking for individuals or groups that have an exact skill set or experience while most franchises can offer training from a learner standard to best equip you with your company.

There are 3 main advantages of joining a Franchise, the first is the brand name you are buying into. The brand name has an important value in the current global market, every year millions of pounds are spent on advertising and marketing the brand name because consumers are all about trust, quality and consistency. If a consumer trusts your brand they are going too use it over and over again, so with taking a Franchise Opportunity with a principal brand you have already got yourself dedicated consumers and hence a trust-worthy brand.

The 2nd advantage of coming across a Franchise For Sale is the proven track record a Franchise can offer you. Reports shows that 90% of all start up companies fail within the first five years of trading. This is because company owners have to learn while on the job, they have to invest so much to get the company going that some of them run out of capital. The competition for nearly every product or service is enourmous and learning on the job takes the company owner away from marketing and selling their product or service. Where as by taking a Franchise Opportunity there will be a back up or support scheme in place whereby marketing, human resources, accounting and experience are all in the Franchise banner thus avoiding the mistakes that new companies fall into.

The established clients, or consumers, the Franchise can present you with on starting your company will be another large advantage. When starting your company your clients or consumers will be the hardest single duty to develop, with a Franchise there is a guaranteed consumer base of which you have piece. The strength of the Franchise will be a massive boost to your company as they have greater buying power and influence than any small company. A Franchise will be like having your own network of friends repeatedly selling your product or service to the public. Therefore your competitors will not just be competing with you, but a influential group of friends that are all working towards the same goals and selling your company.

There is a level of erudition in the Low Cost Franchise market that usually is not understood. A couple of hours investigating the assortment of business opportunities available identifies that the market is segmented into a number of different offerings. In a sector that is reputedly worth ten billion pounds and employs 360,000 the complexity should not be misjudged.

At the top of the market the larger well know high street brands such as McDonalds (possibly the most well known franchise operation) offer an very successful business model and brand. A Franchise Opportunity with these sorts of market leaders is not for the faint hearted, a large personal investment will be required, extensive training and exposure to the companies established brand and behaviours are compulsory. In return for the significant financial and professional commitment the organisation model is rock solid and the business and marketing plans should be well established and easily put into practice.

Of course with such a heavy investment and moderately low risk, returns are likely to be less than other opportunities.

The second type offers less investment, the chance to be flexible within the clear product or service and usually lower investment. These opportunities are unlikely to be well know high street brands but may make up the secondary pitches in the central business district or even we see some internet businesses falling into this type. As with the top category there will be an established brand and plan to be adopted but there may be opportunity for a little “self–expression” as the shape of the business is likely to be lower and the market may well be regional in nature. Franchises like Monkey Music and 0800 Handyman would fall into this category, they are very successful franchises in their own rights but not massively visible on the high street.

The final category is that of start-up franchises which offer the potential entrepreneur the opportunity to get in at the ground level. These business ideas when offered as a Franchise For Sale are the innovative concepts that do carry a higher level of risk, in that the sales proposition, and even the management of the holding company may be not yet fully agreed. The infrastructure will be in place of course but the businesses are likely to be relatively new. Depending on the franchisee’s approach to business these cheaper opportunities may well be the most appealing as they do allow for a certain amount of development and flexibility, some will even actively encourage the brand development from within the membership. If you’re looking for an opportunity to shape the franchise then getting in at the cheaper end of the market may well be a good decision.

In essence the franchise market is many layered, complex and provides a number of opportunities dependant on the investors available investment, attitude to risk and medium to long term aspirations.

An ineffective Franchise partner
The basis for creating a successful Franchise is to show the public something that they want and need, such as a product or service. The public must have a belief in the brand they are dealing with and that will consequently keep the customer coming back time and time again. A Franchise failure happens because the public are not interested in your product or service or have a negative attitude towards the brand. If the Franchise partner is not presenting this level of service then this will have an effect on your business.

Competition
A Franchise Opportunity could come with an exclusivity agreement, which usually means that no one else in your area is able to find a Franchise For Sale from the same Franchise partner. You have to pose yourself the question, how many fast food places does one area need? Is there enough catering opportunities in the area? How many people in my area need a cleaner? The agreement for your exclusivity to the area will not stop competition, if the area is small, an established business may start offering your service and take your customers away from you.

Location
Can your Franchise be found? Whether it be on the high street or on the internet, if no one knows it’s there than you will not succeed to get customers. The greatest products and services in the world can’t be sold if the buyer does not know where to find them. Usually the more centre to town that your shop or business is located then the more cost it will be to you. Most Franchise partners waste a lot of time and money ensuring that their location maximises their chances, but some franchises are forced to taking lesser locations because of the cost involved. In regards to an online business, 90% of users find organisations through search engines so if you don’t place high on Google for your selected product or service then some optimisation of your website has to take place. This can be a costly medium on top of the initial website, but it will be worth the additional cost.

Marketing
A Franchise For Sale could be advertised in your local or national papers, websites and publications but once your Franchise is established where will it be advertised? A Franchise Opportunity could include campaigns in your local area but most of the advertising and marketing is left up to the Franchise partner. Although the brand could be well indentified that doesn’t mean that you will automatically get clientele or have an income like other established franchises. If your Franchise is not advertised in the correct way, and to your target audience, then your franchise may fail as people will pay no attention to your product or service.