
Min investment
£25,000
Outlets
34
Ableworld franchise
Your Online and Local Mobility ShopThe leading retailers in the mobility and home care sector
Minimum investment
£25,000
Funding support
N/A
Total investment
£80,000
Franchise fees
£29,950
Business type
Franchise
Expected revenue after 2 years
N/A
-
Operating fee:
N/A -
Advertising fee:
2% -
Royalty fee:
7.0% -
Average floor space:
3,000 square feet
Minimum investment
£25,000
Outlets
34
About Ableworld
Franchise
Ableworld is one of the leading retailers in the mobility and home care sector in the UK
We provide a wide range of mobility and home care products specially produced for the elderly including personal dressing, healthcare equipment, toileting and injury supports. We also offer adjustable beds, bathing aids, chairs and special kitchen tools. However, we are best known for our mobility products such as walking aids, powerchairs, scooters, wheelchairs and stairlifts.
Ableworld has a huge number of loyal customers thanks to the quality of our products and the high standards of our customer care.
At Ableworld, we want not only to continue our great success but we want others to succeed with us. That is why we are encouraging people to join us in our quest of helping the elderly through franchising. Interested applicants need £80,000 but may start for as low as £25,000 as major banks may cover most of the finances and total initial investment costs. The package includes everything needed to open the franchise including but not limited to marketing, training, accounting setting, support and mentors.
Training and support provided
Ableworld’s comprehensive training programme covers all sides of the business including products, systems, marketing, sales and engineering (for the stairlifts) . Over seven weeks franchisees spend time at Ableworld Head Office, their own store and at key suppliers. The programme also includes significant on-the-job training from experienced Ableworld trainers in Ableworld stores and in the franchisee’s own store.
The ideal Ableworld franchisee
An Ableworld franchise can be run by a single operator or as sometimes happens two or more people pooling their skills (eg a married couple). Franchisees come from a wide variety of backgrounds such as sales, retail, construction, armed forces, teaching and health. No previous experience of the mobility industry is needed as the company has a comprehensive training programme. Successful franchises have a desire to help people and the drive and determination to succeed at business. Among the personal skills required to run an Ableworld franchise are customer service, good communication skills and general business acumen.
Ableworld's history
The mobility industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in today’s retail space. UK demographic and economic forces are very positive for this sector. There are currently almost 15 million people aged 60 and above in the UK and this is predicted to rise to 20 million by 2030. People are living longer and the millions of ‘baby boomers’ born in the 1950s and 1960’s, now reaching their ‘third age’, frequently need the products and services that Ableworld offers; and since many people in this age group often have final salary pensions and significant property equity they have the resources to purchase equipment like mobility scooters, specialist furniture and stairlifts.
Ableworld, which was founded in 2001, opened eight of its own stores before offering their model up for franchising in 2008. They now have 34 stores across the country from Scotland to Southampton, from Colchester to Cardiff. Half of these stores are company-owned and half have been opened under the franchise umbrella. Having their own stores as well as franchises means that Ableworld has ‘skin-in-the-game’ giving franchisees the security of knowing that if the franchisor says that something will work, it probably will. It also means that a process of continuous improvement exists as company stores and franchise stores find ever better ways of doing business and sharing that best practice.
Ableworld’s strategy from the beginning was to build a trustworthy brand so that the company could capitalise on the unstoppable positive market forces referred to above. The company has grown significantly both organically and by acquisition and it will always consider these options going forward; however, the management is convinced that the main engine of growth as far as the store network is concerned will be via the franchise model. Ableworld are targeting a national coverage of 60-70 stores with at least 60% of the total being franchised-owned outlets.
Latest news from
Ableworld

Ableworld helps homeless elderly customers after care...
Ableworld stepped in to help following a devastating fire at a retirement property in an area of Crewe. Ableworld made sure that elderly people [...]
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Ableworld goes big
Ableworld has announced the location of one of its biggest stores to date Ableworld has unveiled one of its largest stores to date, which will [...]
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Ableworld Southampton Wins Franchise Award
Mobility scooter company Ableworld has named its national Franchise of the Year for 2019. The team behind Ableworld Southampton have led the [...]
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Ableworld hosts annual celebration
Ableworld hosted its annual business conference which brings franchisees together to educate, celebrate and inspire them for the year [...]
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Ableworld highlights franchisee success
Ableworld has been shining the spotlight on one of its most successful franchisee duos, Jeff and Steven Newman. Ableworld has been showing [...]
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Ableworld bucks high-street decline
Ableworld has shared positive news about its bricks-and-mortar performance amid other high street woes. Ableworld’s managing director Mike [...]
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