Eco-friendly Franchises in NZ

In the last few years, environmentally-friendly products and services have moved into the mainstream. Consumers are actively looking to make better choices, and companies want to be ‘seen to be green’. The tipping point has been reached and franchises have responded to the opportunity.

Eco-friendly franchises fall into three main categories:

1. Existing companies that have worked to make their service more environmentally-friendly in order to appeal to customers, companies and corporates with ‘green’ policies. Commercial cleaning companies have been particularly active in this area, especially with increasing sensitivity around the use of chemicals in the home and workplace.

2. Those that have established new companies based on green products or services. In some cases, these may prove to have immediate appeal; in other cases, consumers may require education and conversion to the benefits. Buyers need to be careful to confirm the market for these in New Zealand where our niches are smaller and our environmental concerns different from those in other countries. Services that work overseas, such as waterless car washing, may not find an obvious market here despite the environmental advantages.

3. Franchises that specialise in home and building improvements to make them more healthy and/or energy efficient. These include companies that specialise in supply and/or retro-fitting or double glazing, wall and roofing insulation, solar energy and heating products.

Within these categories, some businesses may be home-based franchises, many will be mobile and some may operate from premises. When you’re looking for an eco-friendly franchise, it’s therefore important to do more than ask ‘How much does it cost?’ and ‘What experience do I need? Do your research – we recommend putting in an hour of research for every $1000 that you plan to invest.

While there are a number of good franchise opportunities in this area, they are all different. Before making your decision, you should consult a lawyer specialising in franchises.  You’ll also want to know how much you can make from a mobile business so consult a financial advisor or accountant experienced in franchising.  If you need finance, there are a number of banks which specialise in financing franchises. 

Featured Franchise Profiles

What you need to know

Some useful advice to consider when looking for a Eco-friendly Franchise