How Jackson Fire and Security built a recession-resilient business

We caught up with Rachel Evans, Franchise & Marketing Manager at Jackson Fire & Security, to hear more about the unique, recession-proof business opportunity they offer.

During your time studying business and management, you likely came across lots of different business structures – what makes opening a franchise business with Jackson Fire & Security so special compared to going it alone? Over the last 30 years, we have carried out extensive training and gained the highest standard of industry accreditations to operate a successful fire and security business. If you were to start from scratch in our industry and set up independently, it would take many years and a substantial investment to get to the level required. This is much more than the cost of our franchise fee and is unlikely to be feasible. We can offer a fast-track opportunity in the fire and security industry to become the number one local provider in your chosen territory with the highest industry accreditations. This enables our franchisees to bid for large public sector contracts with local councils, social housing providers, universities and schools from day one.

What sets Jackson Fire & Security apart from other franchise opportunities? Our unique opportunity can provide a recession-resilient business in a fire and security industry that isn’t going anywhere and will only become stronger and more stringent, thus providing further opportunities for our franchisees. We have huge potential to build repeat business with maintenance contracts where customers are required to have their fire safety equipment regularly serviced in accordance with the Fire Safety Order (2005). We offer a host of different fire and security solutions to commercial premises, which means multiple revenue streams for our franchisees.

Which qualities set someone up for success as a franchisee with Jackson Fire & Security? We are looking for a people-person who would be comfortable in a B2B sales environment. A candidate with sales, operational or project management experience would be ideally suited to this role. No fire and security industry experience is required, as we will train new recruits in all aspects of delivering our fire and security solutions.

You attend franchise exhibitions as part of your role – how should prospective franchisees approach a franchise exhibition to make sure they get the most out of it? Franchise exhibitions are a key part of the due diligence process. You will be able to create a shortlist of opportunities to investigate further. And you may also come across something completely different from what you’d previously considered. It’s a great opportunity to meet the team behind the franchise and get an initial impression of whether you could work with them and whether their opportunity is suitable for you. You can also meet other franchise experts such as accountants, solicitors and banks who can provide free advice and support regardless of the type of franchise you choose.

What is one thing you always want prospective clients and franchisees to learn about Jackson Fire & Security from your marketing campaigns? Our number one aim is to provide the best customer service in our industry. We want to become the UK’s number one fire and security solutions provider for businesses by offering a truly local service and utilising our franchise network to provide the very best support to our customers. This will allow every Jackson Fire & Security customer to have an account manager and local engineer who is never more than an hour away. This helps us provide the best response times in our industry.

Why would you recommend Jackson Fire & Security to entrepreneurs who want to open a franchise business? I would recommend Jackson Fire & Security to entrepreneurs because there is no limit to how far you can take our business with the right drive and ambition. In contrast to some franchises that offer a hands-on business where you carry out the work yourself, we are providing a management franchise opportunity. With this, you can scale up your business to employ a team of engineers, salespeople and office support staff with the capacity to keep growing to meet the high demands of our industry.

You’re in charge of hosting discovery days for prospective franchisees – what makes them so valuable for those who attend? This is the lightbulb moment that forms a huge part of any potential franchisee’s due diligence. It is the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the franchise support team, who you will have many communications with going forward and who you should be comfortable working with. It’s also your chance to find out whether their franchise model is the right fit for you. At the end of the day, you should leave with lots of further information on the industry, the role of the franchisee, the company’s financial performance, the training and support available, the marketing and business development support available, and the next steps if you want to progress your application.

What’s the best thing about working for Jackson Fire & Security? The best thing about working for Jackson Fire & Security is the demand we see for our services that are backed up by fire safety legislation. This is in addition to security becoming much more of a concern for businesses who are looking to protect their employees and assets. As a company, we are offering a legal requirement, so it’s not a hard sell – it’s all about convincing customers that we are the right provider to choose. They will always need a company like Jackson Fire & Security, so our industry is never short of demand.

We do not suffer from seasonality as our services are required 365 days a year, 24/7. It’s also nice to have the opportunity to build relationships with our customers, as we regularly visit sites to carry out maintenance of their fire and security systems. This provides an ideal opportunity for us to stay front-of-mind for additional services we can provide to our customers.

How are you looking to develop the business in the future? Our aim is to become the UK’s number one fire and security provider at a local level, by never being more than an hour away from our customers. As a national company with a local touch, we will be able to provide the best customer service to large national chains and our aim is have Jackson Fire & Security franchisees managing these lucrative contracts for us up and down the country.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? If you have any general franchising queries I can help with, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you would like a copy of the Jackson Fire & Security franchise prospectus, please click 'REQUEST INFORMATION' and submit your details below.