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Meet the Team

We are not just publishers - Franchise New Zealand is a professional team of locally-based people who understand franchising, franchisors' needs and franchisees' desires.

Simon Lord

Simon has over 26 years' experience in franchising both in New Zealand and the UK, working for franchisors large and small, new and established. His roles have included marketing manager for a multi-national fast-food franchise and franchise manager for a new start-up operation. He founded Franchise New Zealand magazine in 1992. Simon was chairman of the Franchise Association of New Zealand from 2003-2005 and served on the Association's board from its foundation in 1996 until 2007.

Lorraine Lord

Lorraine has been in franchising even longer than husband Simon. Her background includes franchisee field support and business coaching roles as well as the position of national training manager for an award-winning UK franchise. She has written franchise operations manuals and worked on recruitment strategies and processes in both the UK and New Zealand. Lorraine has also 'walked the talk' by running a franchised printing outlet in London.

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Sally Knight

Sally is one of the few people in New Zealand to hold a formal qualification in franchising - a Certificate in Franchising from Unitec to add to her BBS in Marketing. It is typical of the Franchise New Zealand approach that we believe a proper understanding of franchising is essential in being able to help clients achieve the best results, and Sally has over twelve years' experience in this role. Outside work, Sally is very involved directing and acting with Phoenix Theatre on the North Shore.

Eve Brown

Eve has been with us for almost five years, supporting our clients, managing their sales leads and helping them make the most of their advertising. She recently attended a two-day programme on Managing A Franchise System and now has an even better understanding of the challenges that face franchisors. Eve also manages distribution, website advertising, resale listings and our all-important Directory. As a cat lover, Eve is 'second mum' to our office cat, Suzuki.

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The first thing you need to do is decide what sort of business you are looking for. You need to work out what would best suit you and what you would want from it.

Essential reading
It’s all about you
What's the best franchise for you?

The cost of buying into a franchise ranges from under $5000 to over $1 million. What matters is not how much you have to spend, but how much you – and your new business – can afford. That may mean arranging finance.

Essential reading
What to ask about funding
Facts about franchise funding

Find out how franchising really works – particularly the unique relationship that exists between franchisees and franchisors. You will be appointed as a franchisee because you have the potential to succeed in a particular franchise, you'll be given a proven product or service and then trained and supported as you grow – but you will succeed or fail on your own merits.

Essential reading
All about franchising
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The greatest single source of information on any franchise system is going to be the franchisors themselves, so don’t hesitate to ask questions. Prepare for every meeting by making a list of the questions you want to ask, and write down the answers. Be prepared to say if you don’t understand anything - the better informed you are, the more likely it is you will make the right decision.

Essential reading
200 questions to ask the franchisor

You need to go into any franchise with a good understanding of what is involved, so make sure you find out everything you can about the business in advance. The franchisor will provide a lot of information and the amount of detail will increase as you get more serious, but you should also read everything you can about the company in magazines, trade journals and on the internet.

Essential reading
How to research your franchise
What's in the disclosure document?

There is probably a franchise available in almost any industry that interests you (see our Directory). This is good, because you will have a good choice of opportunities. But it's important to research not just the franchise but also your chosen industry to make sure the business has a real future in New Zealand.

Essential reading
Shopper's guide to franchises
Lost in translation

The best way to get information about the performance of the franchise is to talk to franchisees who are already operating the business. You will get a realistic assessment of the return to expect; the hours required; the assistance provided by the franchisor and the everyday experiences of a franchisee.

Essential reading
Shopper's guide to franchises
50 questions to ask franchisees

Franchisors won’t usually make financial projections for any new business but should be able to provide you with figures based either upon the performance of an existing franchise or company-owned outlet. Some offer work or income guarantees that may be attractive to the newcomer. Get an accountant with experience of franchising to assess all figures.

Essential reading
Why use an accountant?
Will it make money?

A franchise is like a marriage – but with more paperwork! Most franchise agreements are lengthy documents (40-60 pages), and are couched in legal language. That’s why you must get a franchise-experienced lawyer to check over the franchise agreement. If you don’t understand what you are getting into then you could be in for some nasty surprises further down the track.

Essential reading
Why use a lawyer?
What's in the franchise agreement?

check what you're paying for

Before you sign the agreement and write the cheque, make absolutely certain you know what the up-front franchise fee covers. If you change your mind, pulling out may be expensive. You must also have a clear understanding in writing of any ongoing fees which are payable. It is important that you are aware of what fees are payable, how they are calculated and what they are for.

Essential reading
What do you get for your franchise fees?