Franchise Opportunities

2010 - A New Way of Franchising

We’re changing the way we franchise our business.

People are often worried about purchasing franchises as it can mean a large amount of dollars to put down before commencing. It’s normal to ask questions such as; will it work, will I get my investment back within a reasonable time etc etc?

Well, I’ve got a fantastic “try now” offer for you that won’t use up all your cash resources and has no hidden nasty surprises. This new concept allows you to purchase a remaining State franchise for an initial “limited time”. What this means is you can purchase for one full year at a time. You get complete access to all products that conflictsolvers has and full re-sale rights to materials etc.

If you feel comfortable you can continue for a second year as well. After two years, you then have the option of full purchase of the franchise or opting out. A real try before you buy deal.

Here’s the BEST bit. If after two years you decide you want the franchise, take the dollars you’ve paid off the total asking price.

Here’s an example:
South Australia $9500

Year One 10% - full access: $950
Year Two 10% - full access: $950.
Total: $1900

Year Three - You purchase full franchise
Total Owing: $7600

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Do I need any special training to own a conflictsolvers franchise?                        
A. Yes. Given that we now offer accredited training in mediation, you need to either have experience as a mediator or to show us you have become an accredited mediator. If you wish, once you commit to buy a franchise if you don’t have the experience, you can do the six day course in Victoria for a reduced fee ($500).

Q. I see you have a franchise in New Zealand. Do you franchise to other countries as well? 
A. Yes. Whilst other countries are not listed, I am always happy to talk to you about a franchise for your country.

Q. I like the idea of having a franchise but I already do some other consultancy that isn’t mediation. How might the two work together? 
A. Each person has their own page on the site. So they can tailor what they personally offer. For example in Victoria, I run mediation but also offer Mental Health short courses. You can enable people to come to one website and register for whatever courses you run.

Q. Are there any other costs for each year?
A. Yes, each franchise puts in $500 a year which covers website maintenance etc. Also given the cheap entry in the first year there is a one off cost to update the website for your profile, programs etc of $100. So a first year investment using the above example would be $1550, second year would be $1450.

If you buy the franchise outright after the second year the only on-going commitment is the once yearly $500 contributed towards maintenance of the website etc. There are no other hidden costs.

Q. How do I work out the one year initial franchise fee for my state?
A. Simply it is 10% of the overall franchise state fee (during your time the purchase price of that state you have will not alter, even if the value of unsold conflictsolver franchises go up).

Q. If I purchase the franchise for just 10%, do I have full commercial rights to conflictsolver programs, videos, materials etc?
A. Yes, absolutely. However you may not on-sell conflictsolver programs for commercial purposes (this applies to all franchisees).

Q. Will I get training in how to use the programs, materials, run courses etc?
A. Absolutely. However you can understand that you may need to spend sometime (a day or so) in Melbourne if you so wish. I am also happy to chat on the phone for support or through email.

Q. After two years can I continue to purchase conflictsolvers a year at a time?
A. There is no provision for this to continue after two years i.e. you purchase conflictsolvers franchise or you give up the franchise. However, I will discuss a possibility of continuing due to special circumstances.

Q. What if someone comes along during the first year and wants to purchase conflictsolvers as a franchise paying the full fee?
A. You have the rights until after the second year i.e. if after the second year you choose not to take up the franchise, if the person who made the enquiry is still interested they can then purchase the franchise.

Q. What if during the first year, I want to get out of conflictsolvers, can I get a refund or can I sell it to someone else?
A. At such a cheap price, I am unable to offer you a refund. You cannot on-sell to someone else.

Q. I noticed that for full franchisees they can sub-franchise to someone else within their state. Can I do this?
A. Until you are the full owner of the franchise, you cannot sub-franchise.

Q. Will I get a written contract guaranteeing my rights in this new franchise concept?
A. Absolutely. The contract will state you have a year by year option for the first two years and the monies paid will come off the full purchase price if brought in the third year.

Q. Why is this so cheap?
A. To be honest, I want to move conflictsolvers into all states. If this happens then I believe it’s great for all concerned. It gives a solid national identity. Also as I understand that people don’t have unlimited financial resources and often would like to add conflictsolvers to other consultancy work they already do, this new franchise method becomes more financially viable.
I also feel that once you try conflictsolvers for a year, you’ll love it and will want to continue as the permanent State franchisee.

Before considering the purchasing of an exclusive franchise, you should note the following before reading the business plan:

• I have always run my consultancy as a part-time business rather than full time. This is essentially as the consultancy is around 90% training and not direct mediation work. I feel it is important to keep up your mediation skills. I have also found that in busy periods, it is hard to maintain high levels enthusiasm when training week in, week out.
• Ideally it would suit someone who has a part-time position of around two to three days full time work (assuming you want more than a part-time income).
• As many of the clients are primarily within education areas, there is definitely some very quiet periods e.g. January, July to name two periods.
• I would not consider purchasing a franchise if you have NO mediation experience.
• I would not consider purchasing a franchise if you have not had any training experience in presenting and working with groups.
  
  

Who will this franchise most suit?

• Someone who enjoys interaction with all age groups (outgoing).
• Someone who has completed a mediation training course and has a good grasp of mediation principles, or is willing to put in the time in to learn mediation principles.
• Someone who is good at time management and is able to prepare courses.
• Someone who is prepared to put the necessary work in to attract clients
  
  

• Technical know how and long time experience of Fred Stern (ability to pass on detailed program management, financial costing & market appraisal)
• Operation able to be run & managed by one person
• Good range of resources
• Ability to respond to market needs
• Low overheads
• Substantial markets in each state
  
  

• Business is dependant on person having both mediation skills and the ability to train others
• Business income is not spread evenly over the financial year, often heavily concentrated within certain periods.

• Rapidly growing market for consultants
• Availability of sub-franchise within own state
• Reliable payment of consultant fees from people who employ you (almost zero bad debt)
• Expansion of franchise into other future areas
  

• Economic instability (unclear with economic downturn how this will effect training. However conflictsolvers has a strong base)
• Existing and future competition within the market
• Rising costs of materials and petrol etc
• Geographically diverse market
  
  

Over several years, many changes have taken place, particularly within the education sector. Schools are now required to implement a higher number of specialised programs and are opting for outside consultants to assist in this area.

Conflict resolution continues to grow as a field within schools primarily as governments are demanding a higher standard of accountability and newspapers and current affair programs highlight schools who are unable to protect their students from such areas as bullying, etc

Professional Development of teachers is also an ongoing issue ensuring that they are given new strategies in dealing with conflicts. Whilst the days of corporal punishment are long gone, the need to deal with conflict is still as pertinent as ever.

Participants in the community are looking to increase their base line skills and our courses represent a solid opportunity for this to occur.

• Responding promptly to enquires for program information and costs
• Flexible hours of service to meet customer needs
• Providing clear consultant quotes (agreed upon by all states)
• Ensuring that starting and finishing times are adhered to
• Guarantee a quality product (delivery and presentation style)
• Follow up service to the client
  

• Promotional literature used and produced as follows:
• Literature will promote the business through easy to read materials (where-ever possible up front program costs)
• The use of established give-away posters (already in existence)
• The continued use and upgrade of the website
• Each franchisee will provide a sum of $500 per year for the ongoing promotion of the business
  

• Selected and specialised targeted market promotions (based on existing & new ideas)
• “Word of mouth” which has proved to be one of the best forms of promotion and as a result of the communities the franchisee works in
  

• Outlay of $500 for one year to cover web costs and other group incidentals
• Letterheads template is provided by conflictsolvers. You may wish to purchase business cards.
• Initial stock outlay for resource materials (approx $300)
• The ability to attend training in Victoria for six days accredited training if need ($500 cost)
  
  

No, if you have your own printers etc, feel free to use them. However I will let you know where in Victoria I have obtained the various products from.

Are we required to use conflict solvers.com.au as our main trading name if we already have one?

No, you could use your trading name then add underneath "Part of conflict solvers.com.au (Victoria)"

Are our details put on the Internet site?

Absolutely. The site will list contact details for all franchisees and you have your own personal page. Also you will need to provide a photo and some info about yourself for inclusion under training team.

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