NIC Local FranchiseFAQ

Got a question about owning an NIC Local franchise? We’ve got you covered

We’ve answered some of the most common questions we are asked about owning and operating an NIC Local franchise below.

If you have any other specific queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our franchise recruitment team, who will be delighted to help.

General Franchising

As per the definition provided by the British Franchise Association (bfa), a franchise is identified as: “…the granting of a licence by one person (the franchisor) to another (the franchisee), which entitles the franchisee to trade under the trademark/trade name of the franchisor and to make use of an entire package, comprising all the elements necessary to establish a previously untrained person in the business and to run it with continual assistance on a predetermined basis.”

A recent bfa Natwest Franchise Survey highlights that the UK is home to over 1,000 franchise systems, classified into several major categories:

  • Hotel and catering
  • Store retailing
  • Personal services
  • Property services
  • Transport and vehicle services
  • Business communication services

These categories encompass a wide range of sectors, offering a broad spectrum of choices for potential franchisees.

Purchasing a resale means acquiring an already operational franchise. This option provides the advantage of stepping into a business with a proven history, an existing clientele, and an established revenue flow. However, this comes at a higher cost since you’re paying not only for the franchise licence fee, but also for the established business itself.

A greenfield opportunity involves establishing a new franchise location from the ground up. Whilst you will be responsible for building your business, with NIC Local you will be fully supported in all areas by the franchisor’s highly experienced business development, operations, and management teams.

Reflect on the industries where your professional experience and skill set would be most advantageous. For instance, essential competencies for managing a management-based franchise like NIC Local include leadership, people management abilities, and effective communication skills with a diverse range of stakeholders, including office and field employees, clients, prospective clients, suppliers, fellow franchisees, and the franchisor.

Are you inclined to lean towards a sector that is well established and stable, or one that is emerging and in the process of development? Furthermore, does your preference lie with renowned, established brands, or with newer, rising names?

Utilise the internet as a critical resource for exploring different sectors – you can find market research reports and visit relevant associations for crucial data such as market size, growth prospects, competition levels, and prevailing trends and influences. With this in mind, ensure you explore the British Franchise Association (bfa) website – they offer extensive information on franchising, including profiles of all its member franchisors.

After pinpointing your industries of interest and narrowing down your preferred franchise choices, dedicate ample time to thoroughly research each option. Consider the brand’s recognition and reputation, the potential returns on investment, the support and training provided by the franchisor, what a typical day might look like for you in the business, the growth trajectory of the network, and any instances of business failures within the network, including the reasons behind them.

Equipped with this knowledge, you will be in a strong position to decide what franchise really is right for you.

Franchises are generally categorised into two types:

  • Business-to-business (B2B) franchise – e.g. a commercial cleaning service.
  • Business-to-consumer (B2C) franchise – e.g. a fast food restaurant.

In a management franchise, the franchise owner is responsible for overseeing the business’ operations, with the actual work being carried out by employees to provide the specified service. This type of franchise usually exists within the business-to-business (B2B) realm.

NIC Local is classified as a management franchise that operates within the B2B commercial cleaning industry. NIC Local franchisees are tasked with managing large teams, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, to deliver high quality cleaning services consistently to their clients. Our franchisees – who must possess very strong management and leadership abilities – come from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, including but not limited to retail, banking, commercial, and the armed forces.

To operate a management-based franchise like NIC Local effectively, possessing management and leadership skills is essential – and far more crucial than having experience in the specific cleaning that we operate. You must be a people person, with both a willingness for and an aptitude to learning. This is because a significant portion of your time will be dedicated to managing and leading people within the business.

Start by determining the amount of personal funds you’re willing to commit and the extent to which you’re capable or willing to secure additional financing. The cost of entering a management franchise can vary significantly – often opportunities requiring a higher initial investment present the possibility for greater returns. It’s important to balance your investment against the expected returns over the short, medium, and long term to ensure they align with your lifestyle needs and financial goals. Visit our Financials page to find out more about the NIC Local opportunity.

Engaging in detailed conversations with the franchisor is crucial from the very start of your franchise journey, particularly with essential members of the support team from different areas of expertise. This should include the marketing, operations, finance, and IT departments. Additionally, when evaluating any franchise opportunity, it’s strongly advised to consult with existing franchisees about their experience. At NIC Local, we urge potential franchise partners to extensively communicate with our current management team and reach out to our franchise network as much as possible.

NIC Local Franchise Opportunity

No. Our senior management team has over 50 years of experience at the forefront of the cleaning and support services industry and we leverage this experience to train and support you across all areas of your franchise’s development and operations. We’ll give you all the tools you need to succeed irrespective of your personal career experience.

We recommend you begin by requesting a franchise opportunity prospectus. You can also book a Franchise Discovery Day session to find out more about the huge potential that being an NIC Local business owner brings.

Or if you’re ready to simply get started today, please call our franchise recruitment team on 0113 231 0210.

In order to become an NIC Local business owner, you will need an investment of £30,000 plus working capital.

More information can be found on our Financials page.

Yes. We boast excellent working relationships with the franchise departments of several major banks, all of whom are familiar with us and our franchise operations. We work in tandem with all franchisees to successfully secure any necessary funding, which is of course subject to status and terms conditions.

Your initial agreement is for five years, with ongoing options available thereafter.

Many of our existing franchise owners show consistent year-on-year profit margins of between 18%-22%. However, your profit margin will depend on your mix of business. More information can be found on our Financials page.

Yes. By developing your commercial cleaning and facilities management business, you are continuing to grow a valuable asset that you can sell in the future.
Yes. And in order to assist with your activities, our dedicated sales team will train and support you every step of the way – including providing brochures, sample mailshots, and much more.
We do. All invoices are created by our in-house finance department, who will also keep you fully informed on clients’ payment status.

Below is a list of benefits we provide to our Franchisees at no extra charge to you as it is part of your franchise agreement with us.

Other franchisors either don’t provide these benefits or will only do so for a short period of time before they start to charge extra or will only provide ongoing telephone/electronic support.

We provide these benefits to enable our franchisees to concentrate on running and growing their franchise and not get bogged down with large amounts of paperwork.

  1. Business Development Managers: We provide Business Development Managers and as much support as you need throughout your Franchise Agreement at no extra cost. They are there to help you grow and run your franchise successfully.
  2. Invoicing: We do all the invoicing for you.
  3. Cash collection: We do all the cash collection / credit control for you.
  4. Wage payments: We pay all your staff wages for you which includes dealing with National Insurance and all legal requirements.

NIC Local's Central Support

With the support of your dedicated business development manager, the NIC Local franchise marketing team leverages state-of-the-art strategies and technologies – including email marketing, Google Ads, a fully optimised website, and localised marketing campaigns – to drive leads to your franchise. We also conduct regular marketing reviews to ensure you are achieving the maximum return on your marketing investments.

You will be equipped with all the necessary tools and expert support needed to minimise customer churn.

As well as your regular customer services-focused contacts with customers, each period our franchisees are required to audit the work they are delivering to their customers to ensure job specs are being met, and that the highest level of service is being delivered to all your customers. All audits are signed off by you and your clients.

This level of care avoids potential issues which could lead to dissatisfaction and demonstrates how seriously we all take customer service and standards – which improves customer retention.

You will have the opportunity to identify additional opportunities to increase the scope of your work with your customers through regular site visits and leading service delivery, as well as building trust and satisfaction.

You will have the customer relationship, whilst our business development team train, coach, and support you with marketing, pricing, and practical sales skills to enable you to maximise these opportunities.

Yes – support for staff recruitment falls within the scope of marketing support you will receive as part of your franchise agreement. We maintain a dedicated NIC Local jobs portal alongside utilising external websites to maximise the visibility of franchisees’ job openings, ensuring a wide reach for available roles.

Yes – franchisees benefit from our comprehensive centralised system that oversees managing payroll, scheduling, leave, billing, and customer relationship management. Dedicated staff at head office also provide continuous assistance with using this system.

Yes! Our support team takes care of all your invoicing, cash collections, and debt management, whilst our payroll bureau handles all your payroll needs – including running payroll and any payroll-related activities, including statutory sick pay, holidays, and maternity pay.

Additionally we produce statements each period which contain all the relevant financial data to enable you to keep track of your business.

We work with leading suppliers for both cleaning products and machinery, who supply our franchisees directly. By working with the same suppliers, we are able to benefit from economies of scale thanks to the network’s buying power, and control key factors including delivery, standards, innovation, and response times if something breaks down.

Additionally our suppliers provide an extra layer of support for franchisees by directly giving training and support to franchisees in the field.

Extensive training is provided on this during the onboarding process, and your business development manager (BDM) will provide ongoing training in the field by accompanying you on site surveys and training you in the use of our detailed quoting tools.

Whilst you are learning, your BDM will help you put together sales documents and accompany you to the customer to present in person to help you secure business at both competitive and profitable rates. The key BDM support is available to you for as long as you are an NIC Local franchisee.

NIC Local boasts enormous experience and resources in recruiting and training staff. We have apps available to ensure a smooth onboarding process of your staff member, as well providing online training.

Additionally we can help you arrange staff training at your office or through our external partners to ensure that both you and your staff receive the necessary training to meet our high standards.

We provide franchisees with comprehensive IT systems support, including experienced IT project planning and implementation from head office. Tasks can be handled remotely or onsite, depending on requirements, ensuring you have the support you need without the necessity of hiring specialist staff.

Our head office is constantly evaluating and testing the latest technological advancements with view to benefiting all franchisees’ operations. This helps us ensure we not only identify the most effective solutions for your specific needs, but also to secure the most competitive prices. Any recommendations we make are customised to suit the unique requirements of your NIC Local franchise, ensuring you get precisely what you need.

No – the franchise agreement includes the management of your entire IT infrastructure, eliminating the need for you to worry about choosing software to help run your business. We conduct thorough testing and continuous reviews of software options to ensure your IT setup is both efficient and secure, offering you complete peace of mind.

Yes – we are actively harnessing the capabilities of AI and automation, consistently integrating and advancing with the latest developments in cleaning automation. Our goal is to position your franchise at the cutting edge of the commercial cleaning sector. In doing so, we aim to enhance efficiencies across the board, from office operations to in-field services, ensuring your business gains a competitive advantage in the market.