Pitman Training franchise

Pitman Training is the leading provider of IT and business skills training in the UK and Ireland, now with an international reach across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. New agreements are currently in place to open training centres in the new future in Ghana and Myanmar.

There are opportunities for partners to open up franchise training centres around the world, and international growth remains a key focus for the business over the next few years.

Pitman Training works across the private consumer, public and business sectors and is consistently recognised as one of the UK's Business Superbrands.

Full training is provided to support franchisees in developing their business as part of the Pitman Training Group. In addition, events such as the Pitman Training Advisory Board and Regional Meetings enable franchisees to network and share knowledge and best practice.

All new partners also receive support from a franchise manager and development manager. The former guides new partners through the opening process, whilst the latter will support franchisees throughout their journey as a Pitman Training Franchise Partner, primarily in the areas of sales and marketing.

The Pitman Training Marketing team will also provide marketing support from the outset and throughout the duration of the franchise agreement.

Additional support services include a customer service team, financial accounts and ordering support and product development.

Pre-launch training is provided to each new partner from the outset, which includes business operation, as well as sales and marketing advice on the Pitman Training product range. Regular workshops and training sessions are also held to enable franchisees to share ideas and best practice.

The Pitman Training franchise would suit those with middle management skills, particularly in marketing and sales, as well as strong computer literacy. However, the vast range of skills held by existing franchise partners show how people from a wide range of skilled backgrounds can make a success of their business and become a Pitman Training Franchise Partner.

The set up duration of a new Pitman Training franchise can vary depending on size and location, but usually it would happen within three months of the initial meeting.

The initial investment for franchisees depends on territory size. In the UK, this is based on information from the latest census. Franchise fee banding starts at €22,500 and rises incrementally to €35,000 for an area of up to 500,000 people. The Franchise Agreement is for the industry standard term of five years.

The foundations of the company date back to 1837 when Sir Issac Pitman, a young school leaver, decided to teach himself a form of shorthand to help him in his studies. The business evolved over the next century to become the largest training network in the UK by 1955.

The business was awarded membership of the British Franchise Association in 1992 and has been franchising ever since, with approximately 90 training centres already in operation.