Local Assist Franchise: What’s Involved?

Local Assist is part of the Service Solutions Group, which has a long history of franchising and already operates to franchise networks, namely Concept Property Claims and Surface Medic. The Local Assist franchise was established due to the demand from domestic and insurance customers for a 24/7 emergency property repair specialist.

How Local Assist works

Disaster can strike at any time, which is why Local Assist provides a 24 hours a day call centre which can arrange for engineers to repair the fault on the same day. To give customers the confidence that work will be carried out to the highest standards, the Local Assist franchise only partner with franchisees who are registered under their respective industry bodies and have a proven track record of success in their field.

All Local Assist franchise engineers:

• Are fully qualified • Are friendly and professional • Are fully insured • Adhere to the Local Assist standards of conduct.

The booking process is straightforward too. The customer visits the Local Assist website or contacts the call centre and selects the trade that they need. They then pay a deposit for the first hour and approve the hourly rate of the Local Assist engineer. This means that there are no surprises when it comes to paying the final bill. The engineer then collects the remainder of the fee on completion of the job.

As well as responding to emergencies, Local Assist is also appointed by property insurance companies to put customers’ homes back to normal when things go wrong. This removes much of the stress that people experience when they have to make an insurance claim.

What’s required to be a franchisee?

If you’re an experienced and qualified tradesperson, then the Local Assist franchise could be for you. So, if you’re an individual or existing business that specialises in plumbing, gas engineering, glazing, electrics, roofing, plastering, or painting and decorating you’re just the person that Local Assist is looking for.

The franchise package

When you invest in a Local Assist franchise, you’ll have access to a comprehensive package that will give you everything you need to get your business up and running. You’ll sign a five-year franchise agreement, which you get the chance to renew for a small fee.

As well as being granted the rights to use the recognisable and reputable Local Assist brand name, you’ll also be given an exclusive territory so that you can maximise your earning potential. Furthermore, the franchise will provide you with emergency call out and property repair work so that you don’t have to worry about finding new customers.

But if you do have the capacity to take on more work, you’ll be helped to create effective marketing campaigns and a branded website. As well as training on advertising techniques, you’ll also be coached on how to use the systems and apply the Local Assist franchise model to your business.

So that your business exudes professionalism, your van will be fully branded, and you’ll be given a set of uniforms proudly displaying the Local Assist logo. This plays an important part for your franchise as customers will often judge a business on first impressions. By portraying the right image, backed up by expertise and experience, customers will use your business time and time again.

Finally, the help and support doesn’t stop when your business gets off the ground. The franchise will continue to provide ongoing support for all aspects of operating your business from sales and marketing through to systems and finance.

Training and support

As a Local Assist franchisee, you’ll attend an extensive training programme to ensure you have all the skills needed to make your business a success. As well as induction and systems training, you’ll also become compliant with health and safety regulations.

And so you can focus on running and growing your business, you’ll also get ongoing help to perform back-office tasks including pricing, quotations, diary and PA support. For additional professionalism and organisation, you’ll receive managed email accounts and access to a job management system so that you can keep track of all your clients in one place.

Financial information

If you’re hardworking and ambitious, Local Assist will reward you by covering the first £5,000 of your franchise fee. That means that for just £9,995 plus VAT you could become your own boss with additional finance options available to help with the costs of setting up your business.

And your first year projected turnover is an impressive £40,000, which is a healthy return for such an affordable investment. With more and more people turning to tradespeople to fix things for them rather than attempting the repairs themselves, there’s enormous scope for your earnings to grow year on year.

Why should you start a Local Assist franchise?

The Local Assist franchise offers a low-cost opportunity to own and operate a reputable and profitable business. You’ll also benefit from the following:

• The franchisor has developed the franchise system and has a proven track record of success. • You’ll get to learn from the franchisor’s mistakes – your path to business ownership will be easier and less expensive thanks to what the franchisor has learnt while developing the franchise system. • You’ll receive full training on how to run your new business and have invaluable support during the difficult early days – this is why the success rate of franchisees is much higher than that of independent business owners. • You’re in business for yourself but not by yourself. You’ll be part of a network of other franchisees who are on hand to answer any questions you have or help you through any tough periods. • You’ll benefit from powerful national advertising campaigns, which raise awareness of the brand. • The franchisor and their management team will keep updated with market trends that may impact the property maintenance and repair industry leaving you more time to run your business.

So, what are you waiting? If you’re an experienced tradesperson looking for a change, now is the time to become your own boss.