Activ designs for a better life style

Activ designs for a better life style

For people considering owning a franchise, the opportunity to work from home often features near the top of their wish list.

After all, the chance to enjoy greater freedom and flexibility and avoid the peak time commuter rush is among the key advantages of going it alone.

That said some franchise opportunities lend themselves better to home working than others – and Activ Web Design is a prime example.

This recently launched franchise – operated by the same team who came up with the highly successful UK Websaver loyalty discount scheme franchise – is the perfect choice for franchisees making home their base.

 Like UK Websaver, Activ Web Design is another simple but effective concept which again allows franchisees the luxury of choosing when and how they work.

A viable business opportunity for prospective franchisees from all walks of life, it entails building professional but cost effective websites for small businesses and sole traders.

No previous website design experience is needed as the product is so simple to use that franchisees with little or no technical knowledge can create websites for business customers in just a matter of hours.

And the financial rewards are also attractive, with franchisees who build around five sites a month generating about £30,000 per year.

From a lifestyle perspective, the chance to be able to work from the comfort of your own home and to a timetable that allows for family and other commitments is a major draw.

Simon Ricketts, director and co-founder of both Activ Web Design and UK Websaver, knows from personal experience just how liberating striking out on your own can be.

He said: “I’d had quite enough of the 9 to 5 grind and when our daughter came along the chance to pursue my own business ideas and be my own boss was too good to miss.

“Activ Web Design is ideally suited to people who have the  self-discipline, determination and motivation to work for themselves and the nature of  this franchise means they  can work evenings and weekends if they so wish.

“Being able to work out of normal working hours also enables those franchisees that aren’t yet ready to commit to franchising full time to pursue other ways of making living while they’re getting their franchise off the ground.”

Despite the many advantages to working from home, one of the drawbacks can be a feeling of isolation especially if the work being carried out involves very little contact with clients and other parties.

This is not the case with Activ Web Design, as securing the business then liaising with the client to discuss the site’s content means meeting people and talking with them.

Simon added: “Activ Web Design will build a business its website for an initial £499 and then for a further £150 a year will host the site and develop it further.

“Aside from the revenue implications, this means that the franchisee and the client form an ongoing relationship.

“The most successful franchisees tend to be good communicators so it is the social aspects of being employed by someone else that people most often miss when they start working from home.

“Activ Web Design offers the best of both worlds though, with its franchisees enjoying all the freedoms associated with home working while still having the opportunity to regularly engage with other people.”

On a similar note, newly self employed people can sometimes feel rather cut adrift when there are no longer managers and other colleagues with whom they can discuss work issues and problems.

Again, Activ Web Design scores highly, providing not only comprehensive training on how to use its product but also offering all franchisees continued support and advice.

Simon added: “Giving our franchises the best training and support is a top priority.

“Our advisers are always on hand to help them grow their business and to assist them on how to tackle the challenges of their marketplace.
“They will also be able to answer questions regarding usage of the product.

“In addition franchisees will gain access to a forum where they can share ideas with other Activ Web Design owners on how to make their franchise work.

“Such measures not only ensure that franchises are up to date with the latest advances in the IT market but also prevent them from feeling isolated and alone.”

This ethos – and an innate understanding of the lifestyle aspects of franchising  – are just some of the reasons UK Websaver was recently awarded 9 out 10 for its product and franchise opportunity when it was assessed by an independent due diligence company with over 14 years experience.

UK Websaver was the fastest growing franchise of 2007 and now has over 350 franchises in operation across the UK. The team has a proven track record in supporting its franchisees and working with them to ensure they can achieve their ultimate goals.

And with only 50 per cent of all UK businesses currently having their own web presence, Activ Web Design’s potential for growth is enormous.

Simon said: “Businesses can pay thousands of pounds to have a website designed but we at Activ have come up with a pricing structure that ensures small and medium sized business will take full advantage of what we are offering.

“At the moment many smaller businesses are missing out by not including a website presence in their marketing mix but we are aiming to change that.”

“For much less money they will be able to benefit from a professional looking site which is easy to navigate. This applies to those businesses simply requiring a basic site through to those who want to enter the world of e-commerce by allowing their customers to shop on-line securely.”

With the initial cost of buying an Activ Web Design franchise starting from £6,995 this opportunity is competitively priced for franchisees also.

The one off payment gives them full business ownership of the product and a section of the Activ Web Design website allowing them to market themselves as fully operational website designers.

A monthly management fee of £125 will also be payable to cover the cost of ongoing sales and marketing support.