Content Partnership*
What did the Fantastic Services team learn from the pandemic, which has guided your direction moving forward?
AS: We always look at the franchise in a 360-degree view, which includes our staff, franchisees, and clients. The pandemic showed that we have a very strong internal culture, and though we had to make some sacrifices, what we found was that clear communication with our staff was the number one thing that helped us to get through the initial stages of the pandemic. Our main learning on the franchisee side, was that together, we are much stronger. We can do a lot together; we changed our services during the first phases of the pandemic, and introduced a new antiviral sanitization service. Our franchisees very quickly adopted this new service.
“We’re going to be the leader in saving the planet”
Another learning was that operating in multiple international markets really helped. What happened in the U.K., for example, happened a few weeks in advance elsewhere. We could use our learnings from elsewhere to help us prepare in other markets.
How is your technology benefitting franchisees and customers?
AS: Our tech doesn’t just end with a CRM system; it’s a fully operational set-up, which we call ServiceOS. This includes our booking platform, our telephone system, our chat system – it’s all integrated in one place. This is the same with our app, which our franchisees and customers use to communicate. The number one thing that this facilitates is smooth communication between the two groups. It allows us to quote a price within 30 seconds, which is important when building your client base.
How do your three kinds of franchise opportunity serve different levels of investor?
AS: Different kinds of investors look for different types of opportunity. Each of our franchise opportunities serve a different franchisee or personality.
The working franchisee will work in the business themselves, or develop a small team with suitable employees. Area developers, meanwhile, typically offer between two and five services under our remit and can develop in their specific area. This allows them to build the business on a strategic level; advertising in their local area, and recruiting franchisees. The master franchisee is an investor who owns a large territory or country, and invests in all of the possible services that we provide as part of the Fantastic Services brand.
What’s new for Fantastic Services in 2022?
AS: We’re really going to change as a company. We want to make our planet a better home; to achieve this, our main goal for the next decade and beyond is to turn toward sustainability and eco-friendliness.
Some of our services are doing this already. Handymen don’t go to a home to change something; they repair. Our carpet cleaners remove a stain, rather than changing the entire carpet.
We’re also going to add another level to this by helping our franchisees to buy their first electrical cars. We’re also working our schedule around being green, reducing travel times between jobs and cutting CO2 emissions. We’re going to be the leader in saving the planet.
At a Glance Fantastic Services
Established: 2009
Number of franchised outlets: 530+
Location of units: U.K., U.S.A., Australia
Investment: From £19,000
Contact: 0203 746 3106, or info@fantasticfranchise.com
