FOCUS ON Home, Building and Office ServicesThe right tools to
build a business
There is growing and varied demand in the home, building and office sector, as clients look to
improve on their investment. Buying into an established franchise brand, with all the technical
skills and training you need, can lay the foundations for faster, greater success.
Home ownership in South
Africa is high in global terms,
at about 80%. The fact
that homes change hands
on average every five to
seven years is good news
for home improvement
entrepreneurs and
franchisees, as every
change of ownership
tends to usher in a
refurbishment cycle. And
when it comes to office
development, one only
has to take a look at the
landscape of our major cities
to see that construction
is everywhere. All of these
premises require a wide range
of services – from plumbing
and electrical through to
flooring, blind installation
and more.Because the demand in
this sector is so varied
and includes projects of
all budgets and sizes,
entrepreneurs looking
to invest have a wide
selection of specialised
areas they can choose
from. What's more, while
some franchise and
business opportunities
require industry
experience, many
provide all the
necessary training to
get candidates without
technical skills up
and running. In returnthey expect prospects to show a
willingness to learn and the ability to
follow a system.As is true of starting up any sector, if
you've identified the home services
market as one that suits your skillset
and temperament, you must be
very careful in identifying the right
service or product offering to take
to market. For example, products or
services that can easily be replaced
with DIY solutions are best avoided.
Large home centre chains like
Builders Warehouse and Makro are
entering the industry and represent
serious competition for specialised
firms. The level of skill or experience
needed to start up will, of course,
depend largely on the nature of the
service to be offered. If you are new
to the sector, a franchise opportunity
may be the right route as these
systems offer specific skills training,
as well as business management
training in many cases.Many business opportunities also
offer operator training, so be sure
to find out what is included in the
package, how far training extends,
and how long it takes. It may be
a good idea to speak to existing
franchisees to find out if the training
on offer was sufficient. Speaking to
existing franchisees should form part
of your investigation into a franchise
opportunity before you commit to
joining the network. A franchise
opportunity also offers the benefit of
a tried and tested product/ service,
as well as franchisor support and
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