The British Franchise Association takes the view that in a consumer market like the over 50s, good ethical franchisors that have invested carefully in establishing solid mature networks will always have the competitive edge over independent businesses. This is proving to be the case for many of its members.

Carewatch Care Services, a full member of the British Franchise Association, provides domestic and personal care services to people in their own homes and in nursing and residential homes. It currently has 129 franchised territories and is still growing. Franchise development manager Patrick Thompson says: ‘The number of elderly people will continue to increase for several years, so there is potential for further expansion. There is competition from independent care providers, but as a mature franchise network committed to ongoing investment, we are in a strong position.’

Key areas of investment include marketing, IT and training support, and a central contract tendering team. Stricter regulations in the care industry have also worked in the favour of a high profile franchise network.

‘The infrastructure that we have in place allows our franchisees to meet those standards from day one, rather than spending several months developing their own,’ adds Thompson. ‘Regulation has made it very difficult for independent operators to enter the market.’

Wiltshire Farm Foods is another franchise that has tapped into the over 50s consumer market. A full member of the bfa, the company delivers ready prepared meals to the doors of people who need home support and care. Launched 10 years ago, the company turns over £25 million per year and has a network of over 50 franchisees.

Commercial manager Ben Haynes says the key was finding a niche in a fast growing market. ‘If we had tried to compete directly with the large supermarket chains in the ready-prepared meal stakes it would have been far more difficult,’ he says. ‘Instead, we identified a niche that took account of specialist dietary requirements as well as cultural differences, and worked closely with the care sector.’

But as Haynes points out, the market is not restricted to people who need help in their kitchen. He says: “An increasing lifestyle choice is for the use of ready prepared meals to complement home cooking. Many customers use our products as a dinner party dish.’

Tracey Kimberley, founder of Network Marketing Consultants, a bfa affiliate advisor, agrees that the 50 plus age group represents a much more diverse market than many people realise. She says: ‘We may have an ageing population, but 40 is the new 30, 50 is the new 40, and their lifestyles and buying potential are not aging as fast as their years suggest. A well-established franchise network will have the resources to identify exactly what these customers want, and a good franchisor will invest in marketing activity and brand on an ongoing basis, to the benefit of the individual franchisees.’

It isn’t just consumers in the 50 plus age bracket that are benefiting from franchising. bfa deputy director Simon Wise says: ‘Not only do people over the age of 50 make good customers, they also make great franchisees. This year’s NatWest/bfa Franchise Survey revealed that 38 percent of all franchisees were aged 50 plus and that the average age of a franchisee is 48.’

For more information about franchising visit the bfa website at www.thebfa.org