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ess than positive stories for business owners have been rife in the news of late. One of the most startling headlines has been the UK’s plunge into recession, which stoked fears of a repeat 2008. However, these tough economic periods often become the catalyst for aspiring entrepreneurs to invest in their own businesses. In fact, askmany franchisees and you’ll find their journey began off the back of redundancy or at a timewhen they faced a competitive jobmarket. Needless to say, franchising isn’t always a silver bullet in such difficult circumstances, and anyone willing to invest needs to do their due diligence and look for evidence of a brand’s resilience. Thankfully, the International Franchise Show provides an opportunity to compare those currently recruiting and you can find some of the upcoming exhibitors on page 61. Meanwhile, we’ve also investigated the merits of investing in a franchise that’s made a comeback in the UK, after previouslywithdrawing (pg. 57). One sector that’s been getting a lot of attention has been children’s services, which is understandable when you consider it’s often a low-cost investment. Franchisees can stabilise their income here by securing big public sector contracts (pg 22). Meanwhile, children’s language learning classes seem to be a space towatch as multiple brands have unveiled plans to expand this year (pg 16). Even Apprentice star Reece Donnelly hasn’t shied away from investing in the child-focused space. The entrepreneur has continued building his ‘six-revenue stream’ theatre school since leaving Lord Alan Sugar’s boardroom. He rang me fromScotland to outline his franchisee recruitment plans for the UK and Ireland, which you can read about on page 49. Regardless of your franchise choice, we’ve packed this issuewith information to help you feel confident about navigating the industry. Here’s to your success, L FROM THE EDITOR NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: SEP 23 2024 @whatfranchise linkedin.com/company /what-franchise facebook.com/whatfranchise what-franchise.com EDITOR Molly Raycraft [email protected] HEAD OF FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT Rachael Wenham 44 (0) 1323 471291 [email protected] SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Millie Hall 44 (0) 1323 471291 [email protected] ART EDITORS: Sarah Barajas and Richard Allen ACCOUNTS: [email protected] PUBLISHERS: Joe Carter, Sam Reubin, Richard Stebbing PUBLISHED BY: Artichoke Media Ltd INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTIONWINNER British Franchise Association Professional Affiliate and Supplier Awards 2019 Molly Raycraft The views in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the veracity and integrity of the companies, persons, products and services mentioned in this publication, and the details given are believed to be accurate at the time of going to press. However, no responsibility or liability whatsoever can be accepted for any consequence or repercussion of responding to information or advice given or inferred. Copyright Artichoke Media Ltd. advisor Editor, What Franchise [email protected]