How to Start Your Own B2B Franchise

Two of the most common terms you’ll come across in franchising are ‘B2B’ (business to business) and ‘B2C’ (business to consumer). If you think you could thrive running a B2B franchise, you’re in the right place. This article explains what B2B businesses do, how you can start one and what to consider when evaluating opportunities.

What does a B2B business do?

As touched upon already, a B2B business works exclusively with other businesses/commercial entities. If you’re interested in working B2B, that might mean producing and supplying corporate merchandise, delivering consultancy services, offering IT support, providing facilities management solutions or supporting companies with marketing and compliance.

In short, the world of B2B franchising is vast and diverse, even though these investment opportunities fall under the same umbrella term. You’re highly likely to find an option that suits your skills and ambitions, but you’ll still need to carry out thorough research, as the choice of sectors and models is broad. Keep reading to kickstart that research process.

How to start a B2B franchise

1. Assess your skills and qualifications

The specifics of this step will largely depend on the type of B2B franchise you’re interested in running. As you can imagine, the skills and potential qualifications you’ll need in order to provide coaching services to businesses and managers will be different from the skills and potential qualifications you’ll need in order to provide estate agencies with signage.

That said, you should note that in many cases, you won’t need prior industry experience in order to become a franchisee. You’ll instead need the transferable soft skills considered desirable by the franchise that you’d like to invest with. Usually, these skills will include traits such as resilience, time management, confidence and the ability to provide excellent customer service.

2. Carefully consider costs

Having matched up your skills to the preferred skills of the franchise opportunities that interest you, it’ll then be time to carefully consider your financial situation (and the financial requirements of your narrowed-down list of potential investments). Franchise investment levels vary widely depending on the sector and business model. In the UK, initial franchise fees can start from around £5,000 and rise to £300,000+ for full-service, premises-based concepts, with additional working capital often required. The 2024 National Franchise Survey reported the UK franchise sector contributes around £19.1bn to the economy, highlighting the scale and maturity of the market.

Here are a few examples of costs associated with B2B franchise investments, to give you a better idea of what you’re working with:

• Low-overhead, home-based B2B services: often £10,000–£40,000 initial investment
• Van-based or equipment-led services: often £25,000–£75,000 depending on kit and territory size
• Premises-based or production-led models (e.g., print/signage hubs): often £50,000–£150,000+ depending on premises and staffing

3. Do your due diligence

Before you sign on the dotted line of a franchise agreement and fully commit to an investment, take the time to ensure you’ve done your due diligence. This means fully assessing a franchise opportunity, reviewing the franchise’s FDD, speaking with the franchisor and speaking with existing franchisees about their experiences. Do your due diligence, and you can be sure you get what you pay for when you invest - rather than an unknown quantity.

Franchise opportunities in the B2B sector

The B2B franchise market in the UK spans a wide range of industries, offering opportunities for investors with different budgets, skillsets and ambitions. From technology and consultancy to facilities management and creative services, B2B franchises provide essential support to businesses across every sector of the economy.

Below are some of the most common types of B2B franchise opportunities currently available.

IT support and technology services

As businesses increasingly rely on digital infrastructure, demand for IT support, cybersecurity and cloud-based solutions continues to grow. Technology-focused B2B franchises often operate on a contract or subscription model, providing recurring revenue and long-term client relationships.

These franchises typically appeal to individuals with strong problem-solving skills and commercial awareness, although many systems provide full technical training.

Business consultancy and coaching

Consultancy and coaching franchises support organisations with strategy, leadership development, performance improvement and operational efficiency. These models are often home-based and require relatively low overheads.

They are particularly well suited to professionals with corporate or management backgrounds who want to leverage their experience into a scalable business.

Marketing and creative services

Many SMEs outsource their marketing to specialist providers. B2B franchise opportunities in this space may focus on digital marketing, branding, print services, signage or promotional merchandise.

With businesses continually seeking ways to improve visibility and customer acquisition, marketing-focused franchises can offer steady demand across multiple industries.

Commercial cleaning and facilities management

Facilities services remain one of the most established B2B franchise categories. These businesses provide cleaning, maintenance, hygiene and compliance services to offices, retail premises and industrial sites.

Often contract-based, these models can generate predictable recurring income and may offer opportunities to build teams and scale across multiple territories.

HR, recruitment and professional services

Recruitment, HR consultancy and compliance services also sit firmly within the B2B franchise space. As employment legislation and talent acquisition become more complex, businesses increasingly turn to specialist providers for support.

These franchises often operate with strong back-office systems and centralised support, allowing franchisees to focus on relationship building and client growth.

Become a franchisee today and find success running a B2B business

There are so many different advantages to starting a B2B franchise, and so many different options within the sector. If you know you’d love to work with other companies and commercial entities in some capacity, running your own business that works B2B is likely just your cup of tea. Browse Point Franchise’s full range of B2B franchise investment opportunities, and you’re sure to find your perfect fit in no time.