We all know what a successful business looks like:
- Bright and welcoming storefront.
- Consistent, reliable customer base.
- Lines around the block.
In other words, success does not look like a pest-control van parked on the corner. Well, believe it or not, that simple van just might have the most consistent revenue, reliable growth, and low overheads of any business in the area.
How? That’s exactly what we’re going to find out.
This article will cover everything you need to know before starting a van-based franchise and lay out a plan for you to take your financial dreams on the road where they belong.
The Two Types Of Van Franchises
There are two primary types of van franchises: management and sole operator.
If you prefer to work alone, you’ll likely prefer to be a sole operator. In this setup, the owner is typically home-based and offers services to a local community or defined territory. This could occur within the owner’s actual home district or elsewhere.
If you’re looking to maximize growth, you’ll likely look to expand to become the manager of a van franchise as soon as possible. In this setup, you’ll help train and oversee different employees to run each van.
This opens up greater revenue streams and opportunities for collaboration at the expense of loosening the reigns of control. To make this decision, you’ll likely have to decide just what type of business aligns with your personality.
Put Your Brick and Mortar On Wheels
The first thing to know about owning and operating a van-based franchise is that the experience is quite similar to owning and operating a traditional franchise storefront.
There are plenty of advantages to franchising as well as some key considerations to keep in mind.
Van-based franchises are unique because you won’t have a brick-and-mortar to call home — instead, your home office will be on four wheels.
Within the walls of your van, you’ll house everything you’ll need to get the job done, whether out in the country in Guildford or deep in the heart of Birmingham.
Let’s cover three key advantages of owning a van-based franchise as opposed to starting your own business from scratch.
3 Advantages of Van-Based Franchises
1. Freedom and Flexibility
Van-based franchises are the pinnacle of freedom and flexibility. Many van-based franchises don’t require a lease or permanent business premises, so you’ll be able to work from home without paying any extra rent for a store location.
It also means that van-based franchises require only a fraction of the minimum investment that a traditional storefront might.
Nearly any industry you can imagine can fit inside a van-based franchise, whether it’s property signage, windscreen repair, or even tower vending.
This freedom also allows you to tailor your temporary location to research provided by your franchisor.
For instance, if you set up shop in a well-trafficked neighbourhood in Manchester or London, tens of thousands of potential customers might pass your van in a single afternoon. The only challenge is to convert a prospect into a happy, loyal customer.
2. Established Client Base
One of the hardest challenges for any business is to attract an extensive client base. This becomes even more difficult when your business is on wheels. After all, it’s much more difficult to window shop and stumble upon a new find when there aren’t any windows to be found.
That’s why joining an established franchise is more advantageous than starting a van-based business from scratch. When you join a franchise network, you’ll immediately gain access to reliable clients so you can start generating consistent revenues on your first day.
3. Extensive and Comprehensive Training
Whether it’s fair or not, many consumers have negative connotations toward van-based businesses.
To assuage customers’ fears, most van-based franchises offer extensive, tried-and-true training programs for their new franchisees. It’s imperative that you not only have the tools and skills to get the job done but also that you represent the brand well on every visit.
Depending on the franchise and your experience, you’ll likely receive anywhere from 2-6 weeks of intensive training before you open your doors for business. In these courses, you’ll learn how to succeed with flying colors in the daily tasks of the job while providing top-quality customer service.
If you require more training throughout your tenure, simply reach out to your franchisor, and they’ll likely gladly provide it. It’s a win-win for both parties.
4 Exceptional Van-Based Franchises
Now that we’ve covered the ins and outs of owning and operating a van-based franchise, let’s learn about four burgeoning opportunities, each with very different business models.
1. Oven Rescue Franchise
If you love restoring an old machine to its former glory, look no further than Oven Rescue. This van-based franchise specializes in resurrecting ovens back from the kitchen graveyard. Their service saves owners from a hefty kitchen appliance purchase while also breathing new life into vintage machinery.
Since its founding in 2008, Oven Rescue has built up an exceptional customer retention rating of over 90%. This means that their clients aren’t just happy — they’re overjoyed with the service they receive.
With over 34 franchisees and counting, Oven Rescue takes full advantage of the largely untapped kitchen appliance repair market. There are over 26 million households in the UK, and there’s a malfunctioning or totally broken oven inside millions of those homes.
The founder of Oven Rescue, Mike, prides himself in providing two weeks of on-site training to new franchisees. This provides every brand ambassador with the training and expertise they need to live up to the Oven Rescue name.
2. Cafe2U Franchise
Anyone call for a hot cup of joe? Cafe2U is the UK’s leading mobile coffee franchise, with over 85 franchisees nationwide and over 250 around the globe.
Their success isn’t any mystery as the UK is responsible for drinking nearly 100 million cups of coffee per day alone! You’ll be able to take advantage of the coffee enthusiast market by traveling in a state-of-the-art Mercedez-Benz Vito van and providing a caffeine boost to thousands of thirsty customers a day.
With low startup fees and a franchise fee of just £21,000, it’s time to wake up, smell the coffee, and start securing your financial future.
3. Greensleeves Franchise
Serving as one of the largest and most historic lawn treatment providers in the entire United Kingdom, Greensleeves is a tremendous van-based franchise opportunity for any entrepreneur with a green thumb.
This lawn treatment provider experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, increasing revenues by over 60% year-over-year. With a robust network of clients and highly trained experts, their business model shows no signs of slowing down.
Fortunately, you won’t need any lawn care experience to see skyrocketing revenues at Greensleeves. A comprehensive 14-day training course will provide you with all the techniques and customer service skills you’ll need to excel.
You’ll want to take advantage of this opportunity sooner rather than later. For a limited time, Greensleeves is offering to pay all of their new franchisees’ business fuel costs for the first year of ownership!
4. ChipsAway Franchise
In business for over 25 years and still growing strong, ChipsAway is one of the market-leading SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) franchisors in the UK.
They offer practical, comprehensive training in car body repair, sales, and marketing, as well as robust mentorship programs to give you the support you need to succeed. Fortunately, you don’t need an established client base to rely upon, as ChipsAway supplies an average of 1,000 leads to each of their franchisees annually.
In fact, their support program is so successful that many specialists quickly achieve turnovers of over £80,000 per year. At a minimum franchise fee of only £30,000, this opportunity is a no-brainer for any entrepreneurial car enthusiast.
How To Start A Van Business With Franchise Local
As a budding entrepreneur, van-based franchising might not be the first idea that comes to mind for your next business opportunity, though this isn’t entirely fair.
With low overheads and incredible freedom and flexibility, van-based franchising is one of the most underrated and overlooked opportunities for financial growth.
Browse our extensive list of van-based franchises to discover the perfect opportunity for your unique skill set today!
To learn even more about van-based franchises, take a look at our information centre and discover how big your franchise territory should be and the value of a sales territory map.
