Your Plumber Enterprise Programme

Make plumbing your business

www.yourplumberfranchise.com

The YourPlumber Enterprise Franchise Guide


Build a lucrative plumbing and heating

business - and the profits will flow!

Introduction from Dan Morris, CEOThank you for enquiring about ownership of a YourPlumber enterprise franchise. I hope this brochure gives you a good understanding of how our franchise works and what you should expect from owning a plumbing and heating business that benefits from an established brand name, reputation, management systems and passionate support.

YourPlumber is being developed with an unwavering focus – to be the UK’s plumber of choice; known for quality workmanship and outstanding service. For years the plumbing industry has been poorly serviced and although this is slowly improving, the demand for a dependable, professional and well branded local plumbing service is as strong as ever.

We will achieve our objectives for two reasons. Firstly, YourPlumber subscribes to highly professional service standards that differentiate us in the market and command the respect and loyalty of customers. Secondly, we are committed to franchising; we believe in the passion and determination of local business owners and share our proven systems with enterprising partners to build successful businesses that deliver the same consistent quality that YourPlumber customers have come to expect. It’s dynamic, rewarding and very exciting.

We take the partnership we form with our franchisees very seriously; it is the foundation of our success. Our commitment to our franchisees remains constant; to provide the tools and support they need to be successful.

YourPlumber is positioned to do great things and offers a dynamic and exciting franchise opportunity. We have a successful business formula that effectively serves buoyant customer demand. If having read this brochure you would like to find out more, we would be delighted to welcome you to one of our Discovery Days.

Dan Morris, CEO YourPlumber


YourPlumber is making a big splash in the plumbing market. We’re passionate about outstanding service and ethical standards, which is a primary reason why we franchise. Our belief in the drive and determination of local business owners is central to fulfilling our ambition; to be the UK’s first choice plumbing service.

YourPlumber provides professional plumbing and heating services, offering a broad range of repair, maintenance and installation services to a mix of local homes and businesses. Service visits range from small reactive repairs and routine servicing to larger installation projects and boiler replacements.

YourPlumber is about providing market leading service to customers who prefer the trust and reliability of using a brand they recognise rather than unreliable and unprofessional independent sole traders. This refreshing commitment to outstanding service in a fragmented and poorly serviced market enables franchisees to develop highly successful and profitable businesses known for quality workmanship and outstanding service.

YourPlumber’s market leading service is managed and provided under franchise. We’re committed to franchising and believe in supporting and trusting local business owners to continue providing the same great service YourPlumber customers have come to expect.

The YourPlumber business

We’re passionate about

outstanding service and ethical standards

Franchising is where the owner of a successful business (‘the franchisor’) licenses the use of its operating systems, brand and other intellectual property, provides initial training and gives ongoing support to enable another (‘the franchisee’) to set up and operate an identical business elsewhere. In return the franchisee pays the owner an initial fee and an ongoing management fee.

Franchising is the ideal way to start a new business and continues to grow as a proven and recognised method of operating businesses in the UK. Latest research shows there to be more than 900 franchise systems in the UK, contributing £13.4 billion a year to the UK economy. The success rate of franchises is much higher than that of independent start-ups who don’t benefit from the support and know-how of a franchisor.

Further research on public opinion reveals the general public prefer to buy goods and services from franchised businesses rather than non-franchised businesses. 45% of those asked said they would first try a franchise over a non-franchise, whilst just 23% prefer to use a non-franchised brand.

• 64% of people feel service is more likely to be provided at an agreed and consistent standard

• 69% feel they benefit from a local business backed by a national brand

• 66% prefer that they know exactly what they will be getting

• 53% feel they receive better service from dealing with the owner

Franchising. It makes good business sense

outstanding service and ethical standards

69% of customers feel they benefit from a

local business backed by a national brand

If you’re already a plumber and have aspirations to become self-employed, an enterprise franchise with YourPlumber provides an ideal way to start your own business with greater rewards and at much lower risk than going it alone.

Starting a YourPlumber enterprise franchise provides you with:

• A brand that people recognise and trust

• Marketing support in finding new customers for your business

• A bespoke IT management system for making running the business easy, efficient and organised

• Access to YourPlumber’s flexible payment terms to give a sharp edge over the competition

• A systemised way of running the business that’s proven to work

• An experienced partner to support you in the challenges of owning a business and to plan for expanding the business

By branding your new business as a YourPlumber business, you will instantly command the respect of an established and credible brand. With our support you can turn your start-up business into a local market leader, recognised and respected for the service customers expect from YourPlumber. With our business development support you can expand the business into a multi-van business to increase the earning potential and reward you with lifestyle and financial benefits associated with business ownership.

The YourPlumber enterprise franchise

Instantly command the respect

of a credible and established brand

Since we started out our franchisees have managed tens of thousands of plumbing

jobs. As a result we have tens of thousands of satisfied customers, and the numbers

are growing literally every day. Our focus on providing service excellence has proven

that considerable demand exists for a professional and reliable service in what is a

robust and sizeable industry.

The UK plumbing and heating market is estimated to be worth £9bn a year, with nearly every residential and commercial property having some form of plumbing and heating. However the choice for consumers is limited when it comes to finding reliable and professional plumbing services.

The industry is fragmented, comprising mostly sole traders and small owner-operator businesses all competing with each other, often with proficient technical abilities but limited resources and business knowledge. This fragmentation has contributed to the industry’s reputation for being poorly serviced, with rogue practice being regularly publicised, and considerable consumer anxiety about the challenge of appointing a reliable plumber.

The fact that most people find it difficult to find a trustworthy plumber, means when they do they use them time and time again. And tell all their friends, colleagues and relations. The YourPlumber concept is focused on capitalising on this opportunity by providing a truly customer driven service conforming to the YourPlumber standards of service. It’s a winning strategy that sees our franchisees consistently win new customers whilst retaining the trust and loyalty of existing clients.

A substantial market opportunity

of a credible and established brand

The UK plumbing and heating market is

estimated to be worth £9bn a year, with nearly

every residential and commercial property having some form of

plumbing and heating

Running a YourPlumber enterprise franchise presents the opportunity for you to

do what you enjoy doing, but in the knowledge that it’s for yourself and it’ll be you

reaping the rewards of your hard work.

Owning an enterprise franchise means when the business launches you will become a business

person with new responsibilities that you may not yet be familiar with. Asides from being a

plumbing and heating engineer, you’ll also need to undertake some local marketing activity to

promote the business, you’ll be responsible for estimating work and selling the YourPlumber

service and you’ll have to manage the finances of the business. Our training and mentoring

programme ensures you’ll be equipped to undertake these responsibilities with ease and

confidence.

Running a YourPlumber franchise is varied, fast paced and challenging. Some necessary

routines develop but each day presents different demands and opportunities that make this

business immensely rewarding.

Running a YourPlumber enterprise franchise

Running a YourPlumber franchise is varied

fast paced and challenging

Owning a YourPlumber franchise gives access to a wealth of knowledge and experience and the technology and tools to run an efficient and profitable business. We have a winning business formula that works; we’ll teach you this during a comprehensive initial training programme.

You may not know much about running a business at this time. Our training programme ensures you know everything you need to know to get the most out of your YourPlumber franchise.

Business Management

Our business training programme assumes nothing, starts right at the beginning, and teaches you everything you need to know about running a YourPlumber business:

• Marketing programmes to promote your business and make the phone ring

• Using the bespoke YourPlumber IT system

• How to price and estimate jobs to maximise conversion to booked jobs

• Selling jobs using YourPlumber’s flexible payment terms

• Managing finances using the bespoke YourPlumber system

• Supplier management

• Effective customer service techniques

• How to build your business by making the most of our marketing programmes.

This is followed up with onsite training to ensure everything is ready for the launch. In short, you may come into our training programme thinking you know very little, but we guarantee you’ll walk out confident of being able to manage a plumbing business with professionalism, confidence and integrity.

fast paced and challenging

TrainingAll you need to know about running a YourPlumber business

Good service management is essential in successfully running a YourPlumber

franchise. Quickly getting to grips with managing the business is made easy by our

bespoke IT management system.

The business management IT system enables franchisees to:

• Organise and schedule the daily activities of you and your staff

• Maintain customer data including details of historical jobs and invoices to ensure you can provide a personal service

• Access a suite of reports that provide key management information – analysis of sales, evaluate marketing performance, identify the most profitable customers and assess profitability.

• Manage finances – accurately record sales, expenditure, calculate profit and loss and ensure disciplined credit control

• Analyse staff performance and productivity

• Provide interactive training sessions for you and your staff

• Access a whole library of business ‘tools’ such as mailing letters, advertisement templates, health & safety procedures and human resources documentation

• Stay in touch with other franchisees via a forum

Our industry leading IT management system is bespoke to YourPlumber and operates as the hub of a franchisee’s business. It provides instant access to resources and information and helps maintain efficient control and optimise performance and time management. It ensures our franchisees gain a sharp edge over the competition.

Industry leading technology

Our franchisees gain a sharp edge

over the competition

YourPlumber’s success comes

as a result of our franchisees’

success

Running a YourPlumber franchise offers the benefits of business ownership with a much reduced risk. That’s because you enjoy the independence and rewards of being your own boss but with the advantage of a partner at your side to help guide and support. You’re on your own, but not alone!

Our success comes as a result of our franchisees’ success, which means our management and support team is constantly available to provide advice and support to franchisees. We actively encourage franchisees to tap into our knowledge and experience to help with day to day issues and on-going key decisions and action planning.

Mentoring

Our team will be available on a continual basis, via telephone, email and one-to-one meetings. We’re available to provide assistance with any issues, from IT and accounting problems to HR, marketing or sales concerns.

Business performance reviews make up a critical part of our on-going support in helping franchisees analyse and plan for the future.

Asides from interpersonal mentoring and support, our on-going programme of support also includes:

• Management of the YourPlumber website

• Negotiation of preferential rates with key suppliers

• Regular review of processes and procedures to ensure franchisees stay compliant with legislation

• Periodic meetings and conferences

• Access to our intranet to enable franchisees to access resources and share ideas

It’s a dynamic and powerful business relationship in which both parties benefit from the success of the other.

Support. In business for yourself but not by yourself

Our franchisees gain a sharp edge

YourPlumber’s marketing programme aims to support franchisees on two levels;

firstly by building national awareness of the service, secondly by providing marketing

‘tools’ to help franchisees generate local enquiries.

Print ads, direct mail letters, radio jingles, leaflets and branded vehicles all make up part of the marketing toolbox.

Our corporate website is one our most important marketing tools and attracts new customers 24/7. It’s been designed using the best practices in web design to make it both easy to find and easy to use. Franchisees each have specific and personalised presence within our main site that can be customised with local information and special offers. The site has become one of our key marketing tools and is responsible for providing franchisees with on average more than £100,000 each in banked revenue every year.

We’ve carried out extensive research to establish customer preferences and have tested a wide range of promotional activities to identify those that produce the best results. Finding new clients is one of the most important requirements of new businesses and we share our experience to help franchisees invest in marketing activity with confidence and predictability.

Marketing support

Finding new clients is one of the most important

requirements of new businesses

When people hear the name YourPlumber, see our adverts, visit our website or even

see our vehicles, they think: established, professional and reliable. A strong, credible

brand that people associate with trust and reliability is one of our franchisees’ most

valuable assets.

As our franchisees find every day, delivering a service to the YourPlumber standards earns the

trust that is a key feature of all successful businesses. More importantly it justifies a premium

price. Our franchisees are able to charge much higher prices than ‘typical’ or ‘standard’ industry

rates. We win customers’ trust by operating a fair price policy. Every customer is given a fair and

fixed price before any work is started, with no hidden extras.

A brand people believe in

As our franchisees find every day, delivering

a service to the YourPlumber standards

earns the trust that is a key feature of all

successful businesses

What it takes to succeed

The YourPlumber quality of service is critical

to building a profitable business

Setting up a business requires energy, enthusiasm and a desire to succeed. A YourPlumber franchise is no different.

As we’ve said, you do not need to have previously owned a business. We’ll teach you all you need to know about running your own YourPlumber business. But you will need to be motivated and enthusiastic about building something for yourself and prepared to deal with the demands of owning a business.

Being your own boss means you’ll have more flexibility and freedom, which means you’ll require good organisational skills and discipline to apply yourself to the demands of owning a business. High on our list of ‘must haves’ is a bright, enthusiastic personality and good people skills. Our service values are built around service excellence and key to this is building a great relationship with customers.

It is important franchisees share our service values. Being fully focused on following the system by delivering the YourPlumber quality of service is critical to building a profitable business. However, the most vital ingredients for success are the need for sheer hard work and determination driven by passion and commitment. As the saying goes, ‘the more you put in, the more you get out’.

Rewards of being a YourPlumber franchise owner

YourPlumber will help you build your business,

which in turn will provide you with the financial

freedom you desire

A YourPlumber franchisee enjoys the financial and lifestyle rewards of being a business owner but is protected against typical risks that small businesses confront, enabled by association to the YourPlumber brand and the support provided by YourPlumber.

YourPlumber will help you build your business, which in turn will provide you with the financial freedom you desire, and allow you to take control of your future. By following the YourPlumber system, and working hard, there is no limit on how big a YourPlumber franchise can grow except a franchisee’s own ambition and capability. The rewards for hardworking franchisees, both financial and lifestyle, are truly unlimited.

The benefits of owning a YourPlumber franchise mean you will:

1. Be responsible for your own earning potential2. Have greater flexibility to manage your own time3. Have control and be able to make your own decisions4. Enjoy a better work-life balance5. Be rewarded by the efforts of your own hard work6. Own a business in a robust and recession resistant industry7. Have the support of an established brand with proven marketing programmes8. Have access to an experienced support team and network of other franchisees9. Own a business that thrives on customer loyalty and referrals10. Have a long term retirement plan and exit strategy

Questions & Answers

Everything you need to know.

Your questions answered

1. Does a YourPlumber franchise have protected territories?

Yes. You receive an exclusive protected territory, identified by post code sectors. The area has

been specially designed to include the optimal number of households that demographically fit

the profile of our target market.

2. Are all training costs included in my franchise package?

Yes. The franchise fee includes the full business training programme.

3. How much working capital will I need?

Working capital is largely dependent upon your own personal circumstances. As a guide we

usually anticipate £5,000-£10,000. Customers usually settle their accounts promptly, so cash

flow is not a major hurdle – as long as you follow the system.

4. How much could I expect to earn?

We can’t say for certain because this will be directly dependent on how much effort you

apply to maximising your businesses potential. Further details about the earning potential are

provided in the sheet at the back of this brochure and a full business plan proposal is provided

at a discovery day.

5. Can I employ staff?

Yes as the business grows we’ll encourage and support you in recruiting staff. We will take you, step by step, through the advertising interviewing and hiring process for new employees. We will also show you how using a bonus and incentive plan can help to retain good employees.

6. Do you help me find new customers?

Yes, we manage central marketing programmes and a central website. We also work with you to prepare local marketing plans that you can follow to promote your new business.

7. Will I be able to talk to existing franchisees?

Yes we would recommend that you talk to our operating franchisees. They’ll give you a clear picture of what you’re buying into.

8. Can in continue with my job while the franchise gets going?

No. To give your business the best possible start, you will need to commit yourself to a full time basis. Your YourPlumber franchise is not suited to a part-time franchise operation.

9. Do I have to live in the area I am considering for the franchise?

We would normally recommend you do. However, if you choose and area within short commuting distance from your home this is of course possible.

10. How much of this total funding will I have to provide and how much could I borrow?

Depending on your status, funding can be arranged either directly with your bank or through our scheme, which has already been agreed with our bankers. 50-70% should normally be available, subject to status.

11. Do I need to be computer literate?

All of our systems have been designed for ease of use and will be trained thoroughly during your training programme. You should however be reasonably comfortable with using a computer and standard programs such as email and Microsoft Office.

12. Can you help me source a vehicle?

Yes, we have a fleet arrangement to obtain YourPlumber branded vehicles at favourable prices.

13. Can you help me draw up a business plan?

Yes. We will provide you with all the information you need to formulate your business plan.

14. When can I start a YourPlumber business?

A new franchise can be launched anytime of the year, we have training courses starting at regular intervals and we will book you on to the course most appropriate to your circumstances. The selection and training process normally takes at least two months.

If you’re interested to find out more about a YourPlumber franchise, please arrange to attend one of our regular Discovery Days. These are informal but informative days where you can come along, with no obligation to find out more about the YourPlumber opportunity.

Details can be found on our website or by calling 01202 230070

The Next Steps

We look forward to welcoming you to

the YouPlumber family



Build a lucrative plumbing and heating business - and the profits will flow!

If operated in accordance with the prescribed system and with a proactive approach to marketing, a YourPlumber enterprise franchise has the potential to attract clients at a considerable rate and to generate a very respectable level of earnings.

However, it should be understood that no guarantees can be offered as the rewards generated will depend entirely on the effort and endeavour of each individual franchisee, and on compliance with the YourPlumber business management system.

An illustrative profit and loss account for the first three years of trading, detailing revenue, indirect and direct costs and profit by month, will be supplied to franchise applicant separately. However, the information below provides a summary of what should realistically be achieved:

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Sales revenue £94,620 £192,960 £274,200

Gross profit £54,389 £108,608 £157,338

Operating expenses £23,257 £62,326 £101,088

Operating profit £31,132 £46,282 £56,250

Please note these figures are for illustration purposes only and do not represent a guarantee of earnings. Revenue and business growth dependent upon activity and application. Achieving business success relies on successfully marketing, managing and developing the business.

It is important to recognise that the business is an asset, which should appreciate in value as it develops. The business may be sold at any time, to a buyer that meets with YourPlumber’s approval. It should be expected that the price obtained will reflect the business’ record of turnover growth and profitability.

Financial Rewards


t. 01202 230070 e. [email protected]


YourPlumber provides a comprehensive package to get you set up in business and ready to start operating your own plumbing and heating service.

The initial franchise package includes:

• A five year renewable franchise agreement with license and trademark rights

• An exclusive territory in which to operate the business

• A comprehensive initial training programme

• A bespoke business management IT system

• Access to the YourPlumber franchisee intranet and shared resources

• Operations manuals

• Promotional stationery and marketing literature

• Personalised website and email address

• Branded workwear and corporate uniforms

• Gas Safe application and registration

• Stock and equipment package

• IT equipment and small office set up

• Market launch programme

The total cost of this package is £14,995 (plus VAT)

Raising financeUp to 70% of this total investment amount can be borrowed from the bank (subject to the normal terms and conditions), so you will need the other 30% as liquid capital.

On-going fees

Management Service Fee, or royalty 10%

Brand awareness and advertising contributions 1%

A detailed list of all operational expenses are provided with the business plan template.

Investment requirement and on-going fees


t. 01202 230070 e. [email protected]



e. [email protected]


Find out more today

t. 01202 230070

Be your own bossBuild a lucrative

plumbing and heating business - and the profits will flow!

Your Plumber Enterprise Programme

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Transcript of Your Plumber Enterprise Programme