Ashtons Franchise Consulting

10/06/2026

Today we are celebrating World Franchise Day. The day is to raise awareness and showcase the incredible impact that franchising has on communities and economies around the world.

Franchising isn’t just a business model - it’s a community built on collaboration, great support, growth, and shared success. It is as much about small businesses as it is about global brands.

As a team of franchise consultants, we’re passionate about the opportunities franchising creates - we love what we do! For us, franchising is about more than business - it’s about helping people turn ambitions into reality, whether that’s expanding a brand or starting a new chapter as a business owner.

World Franchise Day was first celebrated in 2025, following an initiative championed by the Canadian Franchise Association and the wider global franchise community. A big thank you to everyone involved in bringing this day to life.

Here's to the franchise businesses, franchisees, franchisors, and support networks that make our sector so dynamic - and to many more years of celebrating the power of franchising.

09/06/2026

Ahead of World Franchise Day tomorrow, we asked each of our consultants to describe franchising in one word.

Their answers were:

Partnership
Community
Scalability
Support
Collaboration

What stood out is how consistent the underlying message is - even though the words are different. Franchising is often defined in technical terms, but in practice it’s shaped by relationships and shared growth.

World Franchise Day is a good reminder that behind every franchise system are people working together to build something bigger than they could achieve alone.

08/06/2026

One of the biggest barriers to franchising isn't the business itself.

It's the misconceptions.

Franchising is often overlooked by both business owners and aspiring franchisees because they assume:

• Their business isn’t big enough
• They aren’t based in a major city
• Franchising only works in certain industries
• It requires huge upfront investment

In reality, many successful franchise systems start from businesses that don't fit the stereotype at all.

We've pulled together six of the most common franchising myths we hear and explained why they don't always tell the full story.

03/06/2026

Why do so many successful gyms stay stuck at one location?

Most have demand but very few have a scalable model.

That’s where franchising changes the equation.

We’ve been working with fitness businesses that are growing well locally -fully booked classes, strong member retention, solid reputations.

But growth still hits a ceiling.

Not because demand drops off- but because the business hasn’t been designed to scale beyond one site.

Franchising is what solves that problem.

We’ve put together a guide on how to franchise a fitness business properly -covering:

What makes a fitness brand “franchise-ready”
Why recurring membership models scale so well
The systems you need before expanding

If you’re in the fitness space and thinking about scaling beyond a single location, it’s worth a read.

https://www.ashtonsfranchise.com/franchise-your-fitness-business/

02/06/2026

Ahead of World Franchise Day next week (10th June) we asked our team what they love about franchising....

Phil Mowat : "The thing I love most about franchising is the opportunity to make dreams a reality. Business owners come to us wishing to expand their businesses - we help them do that. And in turn they help those wishing to start their own business, to become franchisees. It's the excitement around the opportunity for everyone involved, that gets me jumping out of bed each morning."

Rebecca Newenham: "As a franchise consultant I love how franchising can completely scale a business and provide others with the most amazing business tool kit. It is so powerful. As a franchisor I love how it has given me the opportunity to grow my business across the UK and to empower my franchisees. The franchise industry is unique in how supportive it is - a big happy family..."

Rob Hall: "What I love most about the franchise world is seeing how the people I work with grow as business owners and leaders. I get really close to my clients, really get to know them well and so love seeing them develop and flourish, not just their business as new franchisors, but as individuals learning new skills..."

Karl Sandall: "Looking back on the journey of 20 plus years and building the network to a very different level, I would say the thing I loved most was the way we created an “all for one and one for all family” within TaxAssist Accountants Franchise UK that has led to the franchisees owning the bulk of the TaxAssist business today."

Charlie Dickson: "What I love about franchising is the positivity and energy that the sector generates. From clients’ ambitions to grow their businesses, to franchisees joining a brand and fulfilling an ambition to own their own business, to suppliers who service franchising, there is a very evident enthusiastic attitude. After over 40 yrs in the sector, its still fantastic to be part of such a positive, diverse business sector.."

28/05/2026

One of our favourite photos from earlier this year at the Elite Franchise Awards.

A great evening with two of our consultants, Charlie and Phil, at a fantastic industry event.

Always good to see so many brands being recognised across the industry.

27/05/2026

When franchising is talked about, systems, processes and scalability are almost always part of the conversation. But long-term success often comes down to something much more human: relationships.

Our latest article for FranchiseInfo explores why nurturing franchisee relationships at every stage of the journey is one of the most important parts of building a strong, sustainable franchise network.

Our consultant Phil Mowat explains more:

https://www.franchiseinfo.co.uk/advice/recruiting-franchisees/from-lead-to-launch-why-relationships-matter-at-every-stage-of-the-franchisee-recruitment-journey/

Discover why nurturing franchisee relationships at every stage is key to building a successful, long-term franchise network.

21/05/2026

Ok - so it is still months away yet… but we’ve just had details through from the organisers (FranchiseInfo) for The National Franchise Exhibition and we’re excited already!

Planning is officially underway and we’re looking forward to meeting current and future franchisors and plenty of familiar faces across the weekend.

More details to come over the next few months… but for now, October is firmly in the diary!

For those who like to get organised in advance you can register for free tickets here: https://www.franchiseinfo.co.uk/franchise-exhibitions/the-national-franchise-exhibition/

20/05/2026

Our consultant, Charlie Dickson, recently shared his insights with on one of the most important aspects of building a successful franchise network - recruiting the right franchises.

In the article with FranchiseInfo, Charlie explores:

• Why franchisors should focus on “awarding” franchises, not selling them
• The importance of franchisee profiling
• How to identify the traits that drive long-term success
• Why quality franchisees will always outweigh quantity
• The value of Discovery Days and a structured recruitment process

https://www.franchiseinfo.co.uk/advice/recruiting-franchisees/from-lead-to-launch-understanding-your-ideal-franchisee/

Franchisee recruitment is key to success. Learn how to build a clear process and focus on awarding the right franchise partners over quantity.

14/05/2026

"It’s about being ethical and professional – giving people enough information to make informed decisions without overpromising."

Our consultant Phil Mowat sums up 'how to talk money with franchise candidates' perfectly.

If you missed this seminar last month it is available to watch on the link below. Whether you’re an established franchisor or considering franchising your business, it is well worth a watch. Real insights, real conversations, and practical takeaways on how to handle financial discussions with prospective franchisees.

Read more here: https://www.ashtonsfranchise.com/news-and-resources/uk-franchise-news/talking-money-with-prospective-franchisees/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9njVaqB1fDU

How to Talk Money with Franchise Candidates (Masterclass Replay)