If you want to drive forward a profitable venture in the coming year, then you seriously need to think about a van-based franchise. Those four wheels could put you on the road to success as your own boss!
The main reason is that many British people have switched to getting things delivered to their homes when excursions outdoors were limited in 2020. However, there are other great reasons to believe that van-based start-ups will ‘motor’ on to great things in 2021 and beyond.
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What Are Van Franchises?
There are actually a lot of franchise opportunities that require you to already own or to buy transport. There could well be something to match your experience, interests, and preferences.
For example, you can set up a gardening or maintenance business or operate a home cleaning service from the back of a van. Not only can these be conveniently worked around your personal lifestyle, with many able to be run as part-time franchises, many are also low-cost franchises meaning you only need a small investment to get off the ground. There are various successful franchising companies in those fields.
There are also plenty of van-based franchises offering services to car owners at home or when they are traveling and have problems such as broken windscreens. Once you’ve got your business off the ground, you may want to step back and run the operation as a management-style business, in which you manage a team of staff who do the work, whilst you manage the operations as a home-based franchise thereafter.
One of the most popular franchise ideas these days is courier services, particularly to support eCommerce ventures. Courier franchises are going to find fertile ground amongst commercial customers in 2021, as they increasingly need local providers to help them save time and money when delivering or collecting goods.
Keep in mind too that disruption from Brexit could increase demand for haulage franchises to transport goods long-distance.
Another common van-based franchise involves foodservice delivery. Or, which specialize in one area of hospitality, such as mobile coffee or fish and chips sales. You can even find a franchise opportunity that revolves entirely around providing that ever-popular treat – chocolate!
Or, how about operating a pet franchise, as a dog walker, mobile groomer, or pet product provider?
The list is long and includes some highly creative business ideas. Though you could also simply become your own boss using an empty vehicle, and transport other people’s belongings around with a ‘man with a van’ type franchise.
Why Van Franchises Are Attractive
Aside from the diversity of opportunities in this type of self-managed business, there are many other reasons to choose a van franchise.
Firstly, many of the large companies which operate a network of mobile franchisees offer proven success. They have a lot of experience in supporting their ‘community’ of self-employed operators, and you get a franchise agreement that has been thoroughly tried and tested. Being part of another company’s success story is always appealing!
Also, many van-based franchises require very little or no space in your home. Making this an ideal way to start your own venture when you’re tight for space or you don’t want to mix business with family life. Having a business that’s out on the road or parked in a secure garage can prove more cost-effective and less intrusive than building a home office, workshop or some other work from home franchise.
Manufacturers have been quick to appreciate how prolific van-based businesses are. So, there are a multitude of competitively-priced and reliable models on the market for commercial use. Though your franchisor will probably help you source your ‘wheels’ or may even provide the vehicle. So, you get a great deal on both the van and business insurance thanks to your franchise agreement.
Why Are Van-Based Business Heading For Success?
The prospects for this kind of venture are excellent. People in the UK have been steadily growing the number of goods and services they have delivered straight to their doors. The boom in online retailing has both supported and stimulated this. However, even local stores, restaurants, and growing numbers of home-based businesses have invested in systems to take orders to their customers’ doors.
Plus, mobile dog groomers, hairdressers, car valets, and all manner of other ventures have started to be more common.
This is following a US trend for consumers to demand the convenience of having goods and services brought to them. Though of course, the restrictions on movement in 2020 and fears of going out also contributed to a massive upturn in people seeking this level of service. There is a huge expectation these days that with a click on your mobile device, you can summon all sorts of things straight to your door!
Great Example Of Van-Based Success
The perfect illustration is food franchises. As already mentioned briefly above, this is not simply about having pizza delivered to home! You can now get desserts, beverages and world cuisines delivered, for instance.
In 2019, the UK foodservice delivery market was already worth an eye-watering £8.5 billion. That was from 7.5 billion deliveries of food to people’s homes; a massive 39% increase over the three years to 2019.
Now imagine what that figure will look like post-pandemic, as many people have got used to eating at home instead of dining out.
Time To Hit The Road?
The benefits of franchising are many. It is also clear that considering a van-based business could be the best way to map out a smooth road ahead.
If you are interested in even more business-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
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