World Options grows out of its head office

World Options has moved its HQ to a new, larger space to keep up with the business’ incredible growth.

Shipping franchise World Options has moved into a bigger head office as it continues to experience fantastic growth. The new office, which is in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, has space for double the franchise’s 30 head office employees, meaning the expanding company will be able to employ more dedicated support staff to help new and existing franchisees.

In addition to its offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and the USA, the new and improved Lancashire HQ will provide a better base for the franchise as it seeks to strengthen its position in the shipping and logistics market.

World Options has had a run of success in recent months, with a new office opening in Atlanta and a successful collaboration with logistics colossus UPS. Its franchisees, which total more than 100 worldwide, handle more than a million deliveries every year and it’s hoped that this number will continue to rise in the coming years.

Managing Director Stewart Butler outlined why the company has been successful, explaining how its role as a wholesale buyer from logistics giants such as DHL, FedEx and TNT allows the franchise to make shipping affordable for SMEs.

"The problem of a small business is that they can't have an assigned account manager, because it costs too much money. They don't get the service they deserve. What we provide is an old-fashioned 'white glove' approach, where we go in and find out what their needs are and provide a low-cost solution. Some firms will use multiple carriers for different customers, which means multiple payments, multiple invoices etc. With us all carriers are under one umbrella, one log-in, one account manager and we automate the whole process.”

Butler said that the franchise’s growth in the UK has been “quite phenomenal” due to the way franchisees “nurture” clients with plenty of face-to-face interaction, ensuring their needs are always met. He added that the simplicity of World Options’ business model, which gives franchisees access to online systems and franchise resources and leaves time consuming admin services to head office, allows franchisees to get on with growing their client base.

James Edwards, Finance Director, said that the company was pleased with the new building and added:

"We have been franchising for five-and-a-half years now and we have had more than 50 per cent growth year-on-year. In these austere times it's incredible.”