Business franchising on the rise

CEBU, Philippines - The number of companies that are looking into franchising their businesses are still increasing by the year despite the competition present in the market.

This was shared by Rudolf Kotik, an experienced franchising consultant who runs RK Franchise, a leading Franchise Consultant company in the country.

Kotik said in a press conference they still see a long way to go for the franchise industry with more business owners opening their doors for franchise.

He said that they see this in the number of participants they have in their yearly activities like the upcoming 12th Cebu Franchise Expo.

The expo will be on March 2-4 at the SM City Cebu Tradehall and Kotik said that visitors can expect a lot considering that they have an interesting mix of established names and unique newcomers as participants.

Some of the established businesses that would be showcasing their franchise package would be Julie’s Bakeshop, Figaro Coffee, Generika pharmacy and Netopia internet café. New participants include Tubo Cane Juice, Sweet Corner and Scents and Blends.

Kotik said that they have more bookings than booths. They will be setting up more than 70 booths during the affair to be occupied by a mix of new and returning participants.

He explained that business owners know competition is normal which is why they still see a growing number of those who seek for franchises since there is no congestion yet in the city.

“This goes for both the businesses who are starting to expand through franchising and those that are investing their money on franchising.

Kotik said though that one problem they are trying to address now is the number of franchising scammers that has caught their attention.

He said they are working on entities now to get a unified support to stop scammers from ripping off franchise seekers.

RK Franchise, which has helped more than 400 companies in the country develop in to franchise, will also be having its Mindanao Franchise expo later this year.

But Kotik said that the highlight is the Cebu expo because the range for business options is wider in this expo.

He said that this is needed because they get more visitors here since not only locals anticipate the event but also those coming from nearby provinces and cities.

“Every year it has been very successful,” shared Kotik, adding that they expect a good number of visitors this year as well.           

Aside from the showcase of various franchise opportunities, the expo also has the Franchise seminar on the second day to assist those interested in franchising and provide all the needed information. – (FREEMAN)