Prior to giving up my corporate job in the city earlier this year, I did a massive amount of research. One Internet site that provided a great deal of insight was Enterprise Nation. Thus, when the opportunity came to meet Emma Jones the woman behind this tremendous free resource at a Business Link event, I couldn't resist. I also subsequently followed up with her which lead to the profile below on my business.
Find Your Perfect Match
Emma Jones, Enterprise Nation, 20 November 08.Ursula Petula Barzey is a franchisee and franchise consultant with the MatchPoint Franchise Consulting Network. This is a group of consultants based in the UK, US and Canada that provides free counsel and education for anyone wanting to go into business through a franchise. We thought it was a service that could be of great interest to soon-to-be home business owners.
Free and neutralAs well as the service provided by Ursula and colleagues being free, it's also objective. MatchPoint pre-screens hundreds of franchises so they can offer the best choice to candidates. The opportunities are across a range of industries; from business-to-business to retail, specialty foods, technology and in-home services.
Typically three franchise brands are recommended for further investigation/validation. Once chosen, MatchPoint helps to source all the information required from franchisors, current franchisees, banks, etc, so you as the enquirer can make an informed decision. Ursula tells us the process is very thorough and on average takes 6 to 8 weeks.
Just for fun, Ursula says, if you are curious about your own franchise aptitude, you can take the 10 minute test at www.freefranchisetest.com. Enter Free Test Voucher Number: 38796 and Ursula will forward the results on to you for review.
And rest assured, if you do approach Ursula to chat with her about franchise opportunities, you can also ask for her advice on running a business from home - as that's just what she does! Based in Bromley (Kent), she deals with candidates throughout the UK.
Parting shot
We were endeared to Ursula on account of the kind of services she provides and also from her parting shot:
"I should point out that I lurked on Enterprise Nation for almost a year before I decided to give up my city job and become a franchisee. So thanks for all the great information you provide on the site as well as in your book which I purchased. The information provided definitely increased desire for business ownership."
Thanks for lurking, Ursula!
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