– The pioneering business is hard work, and I must admit that in these 20 years since the association was founded and since we started with the first franchise fair, conferences, and education, there were moments when we all wanted to give up because we did not have a sufficient critical mass of people to launch the entire sector. That changed three or four years ago, and I truly believe that the pandemic contributed positively to this. People were sitting at home thinking about strategy,” said the president of the Croatian Franchise Association, Dr. Ljiljana Kukec, at the first meeting of the Franchise Club formed in collaboration with the media platform Poslovni FM.
At the meeting, the first handbook for current and future franchise entrepreneurs, ‘Franchise Business – From Idea to Success,’ authored by Dr. Ljiljana Kukec and Dr. Saša Petar, was also presented.
More than 90 percent of businesses can be franchised, Kukec believes, either fully or partially, and one should always consider this possibility. Perhaps some manufacturing activities are not as franchisable as service ones, but it is certainly a frequently profitable business option whose strength is recognized by a growing number of domestic entrepreneurs.
– My experience with the companies I work with is that there are two types of companies. Those that invest time and those that invest money! Recently, I have been working a lot with companies that have grown between 50 to 200 people, and there are good reasons why it is worthwhile to enter such a form of business. First of all, by purchasing a franchise, you get a complete business system, procedures, definitions, and a brand that already has its users and clients. On the other hand, you also face a significant challenge because with a quality franchisor, you are not just a buyer but truly participate in those processes,” explained business consultant Saša Petar.
