Member Article

Blackpool-based company nominated for major franchising award

Access4Lofts has been shortlisted for the Emerging Franchisor of the Year Award at the bfa HSBC Franchise Awards, to be held at the Vox, Birmingham, on June 27.

As with all the best ideas, the Access4Lofts business concept is a simple one. The company installs loft hatches, loft ladders, boarding, lighting and insulation so that customers can utilise their loft space for storage, without the vast expense of a loft conversion. They began franchising in 2015.

“We learnt a lot from our pilot operation and we knew some significant improvements were in order. Our original marketing and admin system were not robust enough to cope with the growth we had planned. As we had all been involved in running an Access4Lofts business in the past, we had experienced first-hand the stresses and strains that running your own business brings” said CEO Graham Ormesher.

The company decided to tackle all the ‘pains’ a potential franchisee could face when running their business and implement a solution to each one.

“We knew it was key to implement a strong infrastructure at the very start and it was this process and how we achieved it, that we focused on in our award nomination” said Lindsay Brown, Marketing Director for Access4Lofts.

The awards evening is the flagship event in the franchising calendar and getting a nomination in itself is a major achievement, proving the business works ethically and in the best interests of franchisees and staff, fighting off many other companies vying for the accolade.

Pip Wilkins, CEO of the British Franchising Association (bfa), congratulated the company:
“Access4Lofts presented an exceptionally strong business model and growth plan, especially when you consider it has only been franchising a few years. This is one of the many reasons why the company has made the shortlist.”

Andrew Brattesani, Head of Franchising, HSBC, said: “Starting the franchise model in 2017, Access4Lofts has grown considerably and ethically in that time. “With an array of innovative approaches presented as part of their nomination form, the company fully deserves its place as a nominee for the Emerging Franchisor category.”

They will go face-to-face against two other franchise units in June from sectors in domiciliary care and installations.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Lumley .