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How to open a car garage in the UK 2026
Anyone can repair cars for money in the UK. No licence, no registration, no qualification is required to open a garage and charge for the work. Testing those same cars is different: an MOT may only be carried out at…
How to open a Superdrug shop in the UK: is it possible, who owns it and expansion plans
Superdrug trades from close to 900 shops in the UK and Ireland and reported turnover of £1.63 billion for 2024. It publishes no franchise offer. Every shop belongs to the company, which is itself owned by A.S. Watson and ultimately…
How to open a driving school in the UK 2026
It is illegal to charge for driving lessons in the UK without being on the approved driving instructor register. The registration belongs to the person, not the business, lasts four years and cannot be sold or passed on. Whatever else…
How to write a business plan in the UK 2026
The UK has no franchise disclosure document. No statute requires a franchisor to hand over audited figures, and no regulator checks what it does hand over. That makes the business plan the only place where the numbers are tested before…
How to open an estate agency in the UK 2026
No licence and no qualification are needed to trade as an estate agent in England. Three registrations are compulsory all the same, and trading without the anti-money laundering one is a criminal offence. Cross into Scotland, and the position reverses:…
How to open a dark kitchen in the UK 2026
Dark kitchens make up around 15% of all food retailers on the major delivery platforms in England, according to publicly funded research led by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. That is one food outlet in seven, and…
How to open a bubble tea shop in the UK 2026
The VAT rate on a cold bubble tea sold to take away has never been settled. It is a beverage, and beverages are standard-rated, unless the drink counts as tea, in which case it is zero-rated. The Association of Taxation…
How to open a dog day care in the UK 2026
UK Pet Food's 2026 Pet Population Survey, based on 8,951 online interviews carried out in January 2026, estimates 15.5 million dogs in UK households, against 12.5 million five years earlier. Commercial dog day care has been a licensable activity in…
How to open a cleaning business in the UK in 2026
No licence is required to start a cleaning business in the UK. That makes it one of the cheapest trades to enter and one of the easiest to get wrong, because the rules that bite are employment rules rather than…
How to open a nursery in the UK in 2026
Providing childcare without being registered with Ofsted is a criminal offence, and so is operating from premises Ofsted has not approved. Registration costs £220 and takes around 12 weeks. Everything that makes a nursery expensive sits elsewhere: the premises, the…
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A selection of articles prepared by our experts
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A franchise contract is the backbone of any franchising relationship, defining the terms, rights, and obligations of both the franchisor and the franchisee.
Am I the Right Candidate to Open a Franchise?
How do you know if franchising is the right fit for you? Success requires more than just enthusiasm; it demands specific skills, mindset, and preparation.
