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Long-time and prospective franchisees and businessmen
can learn valuable business tips in one of the country’s
biggest and most promising franchise trade shows dubbed
AFFI Franchise @ 10, which ends Friday at the Megatrade
Hall, SM Megamall.
The
trade show, under the auspices of the Association of
Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI), seeks to consolidate
the country’s franchising companies and small and
medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and foster more dynamic
business opportunities for budding entrepreneurs and
expanding enterprises and companies.
More
than 175 franchise exhibitors and SMEs are expected to
attend, while visitors are expected to swell up to
20,000.
“In
franchising, you sell a business model with a proven
track record and the systems that go with it. The
success rate for franchises is 65 percent,” said AFFI
president Richie Cuna.
According to Cuna, a Filipino franchise can be “bought
and operated by a franchisee for the price of P150,000.
The return on investment is between six months and a
year.”
The
majority of franchisees are in the food business.
Nonfood franchiser-exhibitors include those in the
call-center industry, beauty cart, school, laundry,
nursery school, car wash, tutorial and music and English
schools.
There’s
also a section of support companies like
telecoms/business solutions, banks, consulting firms
(franchising; outsourcing of human resources;
outsourcing of financial executives) and businesses
without a franchising program, but which would like to
get a feel of the market and gain confidence.
Franchise guru Armando Bartolome of GMB Enterprises Inc.
announced that the trade show would also showcase
successful models of “dynamic, progressive and
responsible franchising.”
Responsible franchises require that the owners have a
good track record, vision and program; clear and
well-defined policies of their franchise; and offer
adequate protection of franchisees.
The AFFI
started out almost 10 years ago as the First Filipino
Franchise Federation, later changing its name to AFFI
after it cleaned its membership list of absentees.
Through the years, AFFI embarked on a franchise
educational program anchored on “dynamic, progressive
and responsible franchising.” It exhorted small
entrepreneurs to become franchisors and budding members
to practice the right way of franchising.
“Franchising is the easiest way to make your business
dreams come true,” said Pacita Juan, who founded the
successful Figaro Coffee Co.
“It
requires less capital but allows you to avail yourself
of marketing, advertising and promotional support from
your principal. You don’t have to start from scratch as
the product you will be selling is prepared and handed
to you almost on a silver platter,” said Juan.
The
biggest chains—global brands such as McDonald’s, Pizza
Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken; and local giants such as
Jollibee, Max’s, Tropical Hut, Goldilocks and
Aristocrat—all grew via this route.
The AFFI
Franchise @ 10 Trade Show is copresented by Globe
Telecom; with sponsors like BPI Family Savings Bank and
Planters Bank; donor sponsors Lots’ A Pizza, Fiorgelato,
Figaro, Reyes Haircutters, Binalot, Aquabest, The Tea
Square and Fruitas; and by Entrepreneur, Inquirer,
Inquirer.net, Mr & Ms., DZMM, BusinessMirror, The Manila
Times, Franchise Today, Media Blitz, Dream FM and 101.9
as media partners. This is supported by the Department
of Tourism.
“The
AFFI started small, and yet is beautiful, effective and
creative. There are other fairs which include the big
names, the international names, but we wanted something
in its purest form and homegrown,” Juan said as she
toasted the AFFI’s 10th anniversary.
For more details, interested parties may call the AFFI
Secretariat/Tradecon at 633-8547; 633-4330 or 395-5009. |
