Transworld Business Advisors of South West London have been helping keep their clients actively growing during the coronavirus pandemic. Helping Dallas Chicken to recruit new business owners into their network, saw a growth, in spite of lockdown.
There aren’t many businesses which have flourished during the coronavirus pandemic, especially within the food and catering industry. But for Transworld Business Advisors of London South West’s clients, Dallas Chicken, the lockdown saw an unexpected peak in interest.
“We not only helped to recruit franchisees for Dallas Chicken,” explain Ken Gorman and Nada Saleh, who own the Transworld franchise, “We supported our client throughout the recruitment process as much as we could, given the circumstances. We have cultivated a very special client-relationship with Dallas Chicken owner, Dabeel Waheed.”
As a business, Transworld help business owners to sell their business, including franchises who are looking to expand their network. So, when they were approached by two people who wanted to know more about the Dallas Chicken opportunity before the lockdown, Transworld successfully guided them through the process. This continued, even as the UK was put into lockdown, and many businesses either closed or had to pivot, or people changed their minds about starting a new venture.
“During the lockdown, you might assume people were averse to buying a fast food franchise, preferring to ride the storm and hold onto their finances until things had settled. But actually,” Ken says, “we found the opposite. Because people had lost their jobs, and were facing unemployment, they were looking for something they could do for themselves, which offered them stability. Dallas Chicken were one of the few still-open fast-food businesses, based on their ability to adapt to the crisis, so we saw an increase in the number of enquiries into our client’s brand.”
“One of the new franchisees is a multi-franchise owner,” explains Nada. “He wanted to expand his portfolio, and was attracted by Dallas Chicken’s sustainability during the pandemic. The other franchisee had, unfortunately, lost his job early-on in the pandemic. So he was looking for a secure opportunity, and could see for himself how well Dallas were adjusting.”
As restrictions were imposed on face-to-face meetings, the Transworld team were unfazed, as they moved the process online, “We arranged a number of calls and Zoom meetings with both interested buyers, ensuring all parties were kept safe as we guided them through the business opportunity, and due diligence,” Ken explains. “Then when we were happy they met our client’s requirements, we arranged a Zoom call with him, before he then took over the onboarding process.”
Previous experience isn’t essential, Dabeel has a clear vision of the kind of people he wants to join his growing network. “Because of the relationship we have with Dabeel, we have learned very quickly the kind of buyer he is looking for, and how we can pre-qualify them for his brand,” Nada explains. “As a result, our client is in the strong position where he can choose someone with strong business acumen and leadership qualities, who are right fit for his franchise brand.”
As for the owners of two of Dallas Chickens newly opened stores, they are excited about their future. “We were looking for an affordable and recognised brand, to start us on our business venture into the food industry. This is where we discovered Dallas. We must commend the team, because even during these most unprecedented times, nothing was too much to ask, and the whole process has been a triumph. Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve our dream.”
Dabeel Waheed appreciates the support he’s received from Transworld Business Advisors, during the UK pandemic
“At Dallas Chicken, the pandemic showed me the resilience of the food industry. Obviously there were restaurants who, sadly, had to shut down. But, within two days of the lockdown, we quickly converted all our Dallas Chicken shops to meet the UK Government’s COVID-19 measures. Meaning, everyone within our network remained open during the lockdown, even without their normal footfall. Supported by our online delivery partners, we saw a correlating spike in online orders and take-aways.
“We also have a dedicated property team, who support new franchisees with finding the right location for their shop. We saw the opportunity the situation gave us, in terms of negotiation power. Many properties were left empty, and this allowed us to secure excellently low-rates for our new franchisees.
“The growth of our franchise during lockdown – we’ve opened four new shops, two of which came through Transworld, and have another six in progress – came as a result of people who had been made redundant, and were uncertain of where they were going. They were attracted by our solid business model, and the fact we were still open. One of our newest franchisees actually opened his shop within five days of signing-up with us.
“The relationship I have with Transworld Business Advisors has enabled me to grow with Ken and Nada’s support. I value the way they have taken the time to understand not just my business, but me as a person, and I trust them implicitly to help me find the right entrepreneur right for my brand.”