Franchise Article

National franchisor, ORCA Websites, has launched a UK-wide recruitment drive as it expands its operation.

The franchise, which has already recruited 38 franchisees across the country, is dedicated to helping local businesses beat the big brands by tapping into the power of the internet. Established in January 2006, ORCA provides search engine-friendly, big-brand quality websites at affordable prices for smaller businesses.

Franchise Business Advisor for ORCA, John Thompson, comments: “We have created a solid platform for growth and are now offering 447 territories across the UK. The franchisees we want to attract are those with business management and people skills: they do not need an IT background as we provide the central bank of highly experienced website designers. Their responsibility is to source and meet businesses who can benefit from creating or upgrading their websites. They also handle all customer relations and ensure the individual needs of each business are met.”

A single ORCA territory is just under £13,000 and gives a franchisee access to an extensive training and support package and the services of a team of specialist website designers. ORCA also provides marketing and telesales support for every franchisee to help them develop their customer base.

One of ORCA’s first franchisees, Alison Henderson, who runs the Warwickshire territory, invested in the franchise after a long career as a customer relationship manager for a corporate bank. She comments:

 “Every multi-million pound enterprise started life as a small business, so I’m delighted to be helping firms take on the big brands by using their website as a truly effective business tool. “It really is their shopfront to the world – maximizing their advertising and enabling them to sell, literally, while asleep.

“What impressed me most about ORCA is its focus on the specific needs of individual businesses. Their team of specialist website designers produce tailored sites to enhance the business of particular customers. We’re not just selling any old website for its own sake. There is never one-size-fits-all – all businesses have unique selling points and specific target customer bases.”

Another early-adaptor is Robert McRae who invested in ORCA’s Stirling territory following a career as a bodyshop manager in the motor trade. He comments:

 “Companies I’m speaking to are truly amazed at the value of the sites we can create for them. Perceptions are that branded, quality websites, which appear high up on the most relevant search engines, cost a fortune, but ours are designed to be affordable for small and medium-sized businesses.

“What is proving particularly popular is the ability to spread the cost of that investment through interest-free payment plans. Many smaller firms have to work within very tight budget parameters to market their products and services, especially at start-up, but good quality, well-managed websites can pay for themselves in new business generated in just a matter of weeks. They also optimize any other marketing spend as potential customers can be steered to the site to find out more.”