What is thebestof
Well, when we launched in 2005 we were simply an online directory of local businesses. But things have changed a lot since then!
Now we are much, much more than just a website - and it is our progressive linking of online and offline initiatives that showcase only the best local businesses that have earned us considerable recognition in recent months – both from great local businesses who appreciate the immense value in what we do and also from top business leaders in the UK who voted us 'Innovative Company of the Year 2008.
That’s a great foundation on which you can build your business.
In a nutshell thebestof:
- champions the best businesses and events in each local area - explaining clearly why they are the best...
- engages with local people and gives them a voice.
- flies the flag for our network of recommended businesses and helps them to grow in lots of different ways.
You’ll become a ‘word-of-mouth specialist’ - a key influencer in your local business community. Done properly, you’ll also build yourself a very significant income and a business that gives you lots of flexibility.
thebestof is a very rewarding and fulfilling business to run.
As a franchisee you’ll place as much importance on off-line promotions as you do online, so the results you deliver for your members are not dependent on one form of marketing but benefit from lots of innovative ways to put local people in touch with reliable trustworthy local businesses. And everything you’ll do has been tested and proven, don’t forget, and we’ll guide you step-by-step through every stage.
You won’t try and tell people that your member companies are just ‘the best’ - that’s old hat. You will tell them what they are best at and why... and prove it with real life stories from people that have actually used the business. This independent involvement of local people and honesty of approach means your site will quickly become the trusted source for local information of all kinds.
Training & Support
Remember we have the largest Franchisee Development Team in the UK – each one of them dedicated to helping you grow your business. You’ll have access to extensive Training Courses, Masterclasses, regular Regional Meetings, 1:1 Business Planning sessions and full telephone support. Our Franchisee Development Managers are very hands on and are often ‘out and about’ working ‘on the ground’ with franchisees.
The point here is that you are not on your own. We’ll show you what to do, how to do it, and give you access to others that have done it before – plus you’ll be part of what is probably the friendliest most committed network of franchisees in the country and our franchisees help each other a huge amount.
Things you’ll be doing...
Here are some of the things that you’ll provide to your local community as a thebestof franchisee:
- You’ll have monthly networking meetings that put businesses in touch with each other, and offer you a very simple way to bring in new customers. They are great fun and really help you to develop your business. You’ll invite clients of course, but also other local businesses, they’ll get to meet other companies and get to hear about your business, creating a cost effective way for you to showcase what you do. We provide you with all the tools you need – including some fantastic software to manage your marketing and bookings.
- Our brilliantly successful Monthly Business Awards. Local people take part, voting for businesses they feel deserve the opportunity to win. This makes other businesses sit up and take notice, because they know the value of that kind of recognition.
- Mix & Match service for your customers. This is a great time saving initiative for your members and it really positions you as the hub of your local business community. Whatever service or product they need (either at work or home) you can recommend a reliable supplier – one of the best infact! And if you don’t have one to hand, you will go and find one, because that gives your member a time saving service they will appreciate, and it gives you another opportunity to show a new business the benefits of being part of thebestof.
- Newsletter Sponsorship, another income builder. Your newsletter goes out every two weeks to users and members of your site. It keeps people involved and is a great opportunity for a local company to present their business in a trusted, professional environment. Being recommended on your website is a good reason for local people to call them!
- Door Drops & Postcards. Small leaflets and postcards delivered to local households every two months, usually stacked with special offers from selected businesses. This builds awareness, traffic and registered members. It also markets your site (and your customers) in a really powerful way - and earns you money in the process (don't worry, we'll show you how).
- Recommendations and Reviews. One of the most important parts of your site where local people can logon and say why a local business is the best.
- We recognize the best businesses in town in a number of ways. For instance, once a business has a clutch of reviews from local people saying why they are the best you will present them with a framed certificate to display.
- Offers to Your Members. Both business-to-business and business-to-consumer offers are promoted by you to your membership. It adds value and brings in more business for your members/clients.
- Oh, and the website does still matter. That’s why we get over 1.3 million unique visitors to our site each month and have over 400,000 pages indexed on Google – all designed to bring more business to your member businesses.
As you can see, thebestof opportunity is far more than a web business. It’s a local community hot spot. A place people like to click through to and get involved with because they trust it’s opinion. Businesses soon latch on to that, and want to be part of it. With that level of trust, everybody wins.
By any measure thebestof is a fantastic opportunity with a proven track record.
We have over 350 franchises already established across the UK, promoting over 65,000 of the best local businesses
Our top franchisees are earning sizeable six figure incomes, their communities are benefitting hugely from the services they provide and the best local businesses are growing more rapidly as a result. Like everything about thebestof it’s a ‘win-win-win!’
