For anyone who wants to become the master of their own destiny, purchasing a franchise presents the ideal escape route from corporate life. And what better time to consider making a major life change than the end of one year and the beginning of a new one? Maxi’s Marketing Manager, Yolandi Ferreira, looks at what it takes to run a franchise and why Maxi’s is a wise and exciting option.

If you’re dreaming of giving yourself a franchise for Christmas, there are few things you need to be mindful of. Being a successful entrepreneur takes drive, determination and passion. The success of any entrepreneur hinges on recognising the right business opportunity and investing time, money and skills into turning a proven business concept a successful reality.

However, the franchise business model remains one of the safest ways of becoming a business owner as it is guided by tried and tested processes, underpinned by the ongoing support of the franchisor. The system is proven, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

The right franchising opportunity can be profitable and satisfying, and Maxi’s is always eager to welcome and guide new owners on this journey. Since it was founded in 1993, Maxi’s has rapidly evolved into a unique, fast growing and highly competitive brand in the local fast food industry. The brand has a truly unique offering and is part of Taste Holdings Ltd, a South African-based management group that is invested in a portfolio of mostly franchised, category specialist and formula driven, quick-service restaurant and retail brands.

Maxi’s was created to be the ideal South African food franchise, a family restaurant that offers a wide range of quality food in a vibrant and relaxed environment. This vision has proved to be the ideal fit for the local market, because today the number of restaurants in the Maxi’s chain stands at over 60 outlets, with even more in the pipeline. Clearly, we are doing something right!

Maxi’s became a member of the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) in June 2006 and was a finalist at the FASA awards for Brand Builder of the Year and Franchisor of the Year in 2009. As the only recognised representative body of the rapidly growing franchise industry, FASA’s aim is to ensure that its members practice ethical franchising and that it continues to develop and expand the business environment for franchising in South Africa.

In 2008, Maxi’s partnered with Caltex as a strategic partner for a food offering in their forecourts converting sites on national routes within Southern Africa. A significant number of these sites have already doubled their turnover. Maxi’s Take-Away stores were a relatively new concept for the brand and developed especially to cater for the Caltex market. These sites present a fantastic opportunity for future growth.

Maxi’s successful franchising model is based on mutually respectful franchisee/franchisor relationships driven by positive relations, open dialogue and cooperation, and the highest quality of training to help entrepreneurs run their restaurants as fully fledged business entities. There is also the benefit to be gained from the purchasing power of a large group.