Franchise industry enjoying rapid growth across the UK says Franchise Direct

Franchise Direct UK, the country's leading franchise directory, is reporting rapid growth in the UK franchising industry, at a rate higher than the newly buoyant national economy, which is in its seventh successive quarter of growth, the longest run of quarterly increase since the onset of the economic downturn in 2008.

Franchise Direct UK's experience mirrors that of the British Franchise Association, which has found that the number of franchise systems operating in the UK has increased by 10% in the last four years, while the total number of people employed in franchising has risen by an impressive 21% in the same amount of time*.

Franchise Direct's UK Prospective Franchisee Survey 2014 also revealed that food continuously remains the most popular industry, followed by internet and then retail.

Franchise Direct UK's website growing with the industry

Every month, Franchise Direct helps thousands of people with a wide range of backgrounds and objectives to find and buy a franchise that suits them. The team at Franchise Direct UK reports that it has already welcomed more than one million visitors to its website so far this year, a record-breaking number with more than a month of the year still to go. Its seven-digit attention mirrors the growth of the national economy and franchise industry.

The site's steady rise in visitors over the last few years also reflects the public's awareness that profiles of the latest and greatest franchise opportunities are being added to the website all the time. Potential business owners know that they can find the details of hundreds of trusted franchises, available in all types of industry and at all levels of investment.

Matthew May is a successful franchisee with Ed's Garden Maintenance, the UK's leading garden franchise. It was on Franchise Direct's website – or 'FDUK', as he stylishly calls it – that he chose to do his research. "Having decided I wanted to be my own boss, I looked around at various franchise opportunities and through FDUK I discovered Ed's Garden Maintenance," he says. "FDUK definitely gave me the sense of security that the franchise opportunities I found there were reputable and worth pursuing."

* NatWest bfa Franchise Survey (http://www.thebfa.org/about-franchising/franchising-industry-research)