问与答

NobleProg Franchise Frequently Asked Questions by a Prospect Franchisee [TOC]

General Questions

Q: What are the fees involved?

One-off fees: Initial and Training Feels

Ongoing Fees: System Fee, currently at 12.5%

Q: What is the typical proportion between training and consultancy?

It depends on the region and time. At the peak, consultancy constituted over 90% of some franchisees annual revenue, on average though it is around 10%.

Q: Can I provide other services in addition to the NobleProg Franchise?

The simple answer is no. You can own other companies, but they should not compete with the NobleProg business.
All income earned by the company designated in the franchisee agreement is liable for the appropriate commission fees as stated in the Franchise agreement.

Q: How long does it take to start the whole business?

The due diligence process can take a couple of weeks.
If you have a registered limited company, it is a matter of a 5-day training course after which you can start your business.

Q: Do I have to have an office at the start?

A typical territory we will require some franchisees to rent/buy an office.

If it is a smaller territory you can work from home providing that you have a phone line and a high speed Internet connection.

Q: What is the perfect profile of a successful franchisee?

Our franchisees come from completely different backgrounds. Some of them come from a training background, some of them used to be full-time employees, others were just small entrepreneurs. The most important traits are openness, a dedication to work and teamwork.

Q: How many employees does a franchise require?

At the beginning you can start by yourself and use freelance trainers. Later you will need training coordinators and sales. Usually two to four permanent employees is enough for a medium-sized area (5 mln people).

Industry

Q: What is the size of the market?

The size of the IT training market in the UK is estimated at around £1bln. Total training market size with other types of training (like management, HR, etc...) will be close to around £10bln.

Q: Is the demand for the services the same throughout the year?

No. The demand is seasonal. Depending on the type of service or training it can change dramatically.
For example in Poland, during the summer holiday period, there is little demand for training courses. At the end of the year, a lot of companies try to spend their budget, so the demand is much higher.

Customers

Q: What are the demographics of clients.

People aged 25-50, already working in a specific industry, either trying to improve their skills or retrain themselves to perform a different role/job.

Selling Services

Q: How do you find customers?

Usually we do not find customers, they find us. As our primary tool we use online marketing tools.

Q: Do I need to cold-call people?

We don't send any unsolicited emails, letters or undertake any cold calling.

Q: Advertising strategy, marketing strategy, PR, etc...

Apart from our web site, sometimes you will be asked to promote NobleProg at regional trade fairs, conferences, etc...
Occasionally you will benefit from our PR work. PR can be done on a global level, as well as at the local level. All articles, interviews or other forms of presenting NobleProg to a wider audience should be coordinated with the Franchisor.

Location

Q: What type of location is needed?

It depends on the local demand. If in your geographical area or area of expertise most of the courses will be held on client premises, there is no need to have a large office and training rooms. 
In the big cities, we usually require a NobleProg office to be located near a train/metro/bus station and relatively close to the centre or any other important area.
Other locations can be attractive to participants as well, like mountains resort, lakes, sea, etc..

Q: Do I need to buy the location?

No. Although in the long term it might be a good investment.

Q: Are a lot of changes to accommodate a location needed?

It usually takes a couple of days to a couple of weeks to set everything up. You need comfortable chairs, desks and appropriate logo placed in the foyer or reception. All the guidelines are written in the NobleProg Franchise Manual. It is a good idea to visit one of our existing offices.