Buying a franchise

[WinkyWinkola]

I'm itching to start working again.

But I would like to start my own business.

I would like to start running cookery classes for children from 3 up to young adulthood. Students would also be included.

I've found a franchise that I think I like the look of. Obviously, I'll be finding out more.

But I wonder, you know, do I need to have a franchise? Could I not just go it alone?

What are the benefits of buying a franchise?

I'm conscious that I'll have to work a lot to recoup the cost of the initial fee (£6k in this case) plus there are support fees every month that need to be paid. Not that I mind hard work, it's just that I wonder if I need to pay all that money.

Anybody got any knowledge on this area, please?

If you have a good idea, I'd be tempted to try and start it up on your own first.

What you would get with a franchise would be a brand (good if it's trusted or well known) and possibly a head start on client lists.

If you have a strong idea for a brand and you think you can start up on your own (kit etc) then I would explore this first. Why pay all that money to be part of someone else's brand?