The Franchise Coach consultancy changes hands

Confidence in the growth of the franchising sector has inspired long-established franchise lawyer, Stewart Germann, to acquire the franchise support business “The Franchise Coach” from longstanding owners David and Laurel McCulloch. The couple, who were creators of the Arano orange juice franchise, founded "The Franchise Coach" in 1999 to help other business owners use franchising to expand.

'For several decades, New Zealanders have enthusiastically adopted the franchise concept and are using it to establish very successful networks of businesses that now make up a significant proportion of the small business sector,' said Stewart, the founder of Stewart Germann Law Office. 'The resilience of franchise businesses in the face of Covid demonstrates that companies which receive good establishment support in terms of operating models, marketing, systems and protocols have an inherently strong base which enables them to weather adverse conditions.

“My objective in acquiring "The Franchise Coach" is to bring the resource necessary to set up a successful franchise to a broader range of individuals who have either built good businesses or have an idea and want to implement it by way of franchising, and give them the opportunity to expand their businesses even further. New Zealand is a franchise-friendly country, and the franchise sector has the capacity to be of great value as we seek to rebuild our economy following the Covid shock of the last couple of years.'

Stewart referred to the Franchising New Zealand 2021 survey conducted by Massey University.

'The franchise sector is now a major contributor to the NZ economy,  turning over $32.86 billion annually and representing a sum equivalent to 12 percent of NZ’s GDP,' he said. 'In New Zealand, there are 157,000 people employed in 32,000 business units operating under 590 franchise brands. Over 70 percent of  the franchises in NZ are home-grown brands, which is an indication of how good New Zealanders have become at adopting the franchise concept and turning it to their own advantage.

'The acquisition of "The Franchise Coach" business will provide those seeking assistance with a comprehensive franchise support package, from coaching and logistical support right through to the legal expertise that I have developed over the last 40 years working in the franchise industry,' Stewart said.