Civil Servants’ Skills Ideally Placed for Franchising

Date AddedJanuary 17, 2011 02:52:40 PM

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The widely publicised cuts in Government spending are set to create significant upheaval in the public sector, with many positions within the civil service being made redundant. However, due to the skills required in a public service role, this could make civil servants ideally placed to become successful franchisees. With almost half a million people employed within the franchising industry in the UK, franchising has become particularly popular. This is because a franchise allows people to buy into an established business idea along with all the advantages of self employment, yet it is far less risky than setting up alone. The support of an experienced franchisor provides the necessary training and expertise to ensure the business is up and running quickly and many franchises now offer the opportunity to earn an income from day one. Although most franchises are designed for people with little experience in a specific industry, certain skills and attributes utilised in civil servants’ every day work, make them ideally placed to become successful franchisees. For example, many of the management franchises available today require the employment of a small team of staff. This is an area where previous experience is helpful as it takes time to hone such skills. Excellent communication skills are also necessary as regular liaison with staff and customers will be required and the aptitude and experience gained as a civil servant in this area, is highly valuable. Franchisees will be required to manage budgets, produce forecasts and generally be responsible for the financial control and planning of their business. Organisation, planning and control are critical when it comes to managing a larger franchise and these are often areas where civil servants are also highly experienced. For civil servants now requiring a change in direction, franchising may well be worth considering as they will already have many of the essential qualities and experience required to run a successful franchise. For further information see: www.card-connection.co.uk