Your Future Could Be Looking Bright with a Leightons Franchise

In 1928, H.O. Leighton started the Leightons Opticians and Hearing Care family owned business. Now 90 years on, the company has been passed on from one generation to another and is still going strong.

Of course, Leightons has remained in business thanks to the innovation and dedication of the owners throughout the decades, but it's still a family run opticians at heart. Demand for the services provided by Leightons was so high that in 1997 the business was franchised and has continued to grow ever since. Today, there are 34 branches throughout south-east England and London.

If you’re interested in starting a franchise with Leightons, then you’ll be joining a growing network of independent-minded franchisees, who share a passion for optical care. What’s more, when you invest in Leightons, 100% of the business is owned by you. This means that you get to keep all of the profits while enjoying the benefits of the support, buying power and marketing that comes with this optician franchise opportunity.

Want to find out more? Here is some more information about one of the best franchises to buy.

What’s required?

To become a Leightons franchisee, you’ll need to be a qualified optician. So if you’ve had enough of working for other people and want to own 100% of your business, this optician franchise opportunity could be perfect for you.

If you’re passionate, energetic, motivated, have a desire to be your own boss and are driven to offer exceptional customer service, find out how you can become a franchisee.

Joining process

There are five stages to the Leightons selection process which lets you find out more about starting a franchise, and helps Leightons decide if you’re a good match for the business.

Stage 1 – Once you’ve emailed to show your interest, you’ll have an informal chat with representatives of Leightons so that you can understand the different business ownership options available.

Stage 2 - The next step will require a more formal interview which will allow you to share your previous experience and future ambitions. Following your interview, you should have a good idea whether this is one of the best franchises to buy to meet your needs and expectations.

Stage 3 – Next you get to see what the opportunity is all about by spending a day with one of our leading managers on the shop floor. Once you're confident that this is the optician franchise for you, Leightons will look for business ownership options and store availability to fit your requirements.

Stage 4 – Now time to get ready to open the doors to your business. Starting a franchise can be overwhelming, but the pre-launch planning and development package that Leightons provides make the whole process very straightforward. You'll get help with:

• Sourcing and presenting partners with business buy-in opportunities
• Cost analysis of financial buy-in
• Financial forecasting
• Third party financing arrangements if required
• HR advice and recruitment planning
• Property advice and lease negotiation
• Shop design and fitting (where necessary)
• IT set-up and support
• Product positioning and selection
• Marketing and customer communication strategy
• Initial training
• Launch strategy

Stage 5 - Now for the fun part. It’s time to launch your new business and Leightons will be there to support you every step of the way.

The time it takes to move through from stage 1 to stage 5 depends on the location of your business. Generally, the recruitment process takes three to six months from first the initial meeting to the doors being opened for customers.

Case study

Peter Hunt started his career with Leightons back in 1992. Starting off by working in the Reading branch and then moving on to managing several other branches, Peter finally settled in Fareham branch.

When the opportunity arose, Peter took the step to become a franchisee in 2001, and he’s happily done so ever since. Now with over a quarter of a century as a Leightons’ franchisee, Peter knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a success.

Peter's most significant achievement is watching his branch grow from a start-up business to the thriving business that it is today. Many of the customers Peter sees today were there with him from day one. This is a testament to the service that Peter and his team provide.

Peter believes that a huge factor in Leightons’ success is the unique way in which it's run. After 90 years of trading, the company is still owned by the family of the founder. This has resulted in a culture likened to that of a family rather than a business.

The ethos of the group is to be the best in the market. This means that Leightons are prepared to invest in their people as well as listening to their feedback and acting on new ideas and improvements. In Peter's opinion, Leightons is one of the best franchises to buy.

Financial information

To invest in a Leightons franchise, you have to pay a one-off franchise fee of 12.5% which includes:

• 7.5% for the license
• 2.5% to grow your business with marketing
• 2.5% for accounts and IT, which covers all your bookkeeping and financial analysis and planning.

And the great news is that you will have an unlimited earning potential while keeping 100% of the profits. The franchise term is between five and ten years and can be renewed providing Leightons is happy with your performance. You also have the option to invest in shared ownership or joint venture rather than becoming a franchisee.

As a guide, here is a breakdown of the costs you’d need to cover on a monthly basis.

• Rent £2,000
• Rates £700
• Payroll £8,000
• Overheads £2,500
• Royalty fee £2,000
• Marketing fee £500
• Finance and IT fee £500
• Debt Repayment £500

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a growing and ambitious family-run franchise. So, if you’re a qualified optician looking for your next career move, Leightons could be just what you’ve been looking for.