Nothing proves that the future is bright for franchising more than the fact that 2020 was our biggest year for both enquiries and franchise partners joining our brands. 

2020 was by far one of the most unexpected and challenging years for everyone. The extent of the effects of Covid-19 could not have been predicted, nor prevented. Our business expected to see the demand for owning a business reduce as individuals may choose to stay in secure employment or stick with something familiar. 

In fact, in most cases, we found the complete opposite. We discovered that the pandemic led many people to revaluate their career choice and research other options in to how they could make more money and improve their lifestyle. This was reflected in a 67% increase in enquiries in 2020 compared to 2019. 

It was encouraging to see growth in enquiry numbers and whilst we did not expect to see growth in new franchise partners, knowing that there were more individuals exploring a future in franchising, was a result in itself in such uncertain times. 

The uncertain times weren’t enough to put aspiring entrepreneurs off from investing in a franchise in 2020 and we also saw a 60% increase in the number of new franchise partners joining in 2020 compared to 2019. 

Franchising has proven to be a resilient business model in the testing times brought upon us by Covid-19. Our brands have been able to successfully support our franchise owners through this difficult period by our expertise, experience and also strength in numbers through the established franchise network. We understand this to be one of the main reasons why we welcomed so many franchise partners throughout a period of uncertainty and will continue to invest in supporting our franchisees going forward. 

ServiceMaster Brands – Stronger Together.