‘FRANCHISING IN BRITAIN’ SERIES

L
NA
The Lloyds Bank Plc/IFRC Franchising in

FR
O

AN
I
AT
Britain series comprised 3 volumes:

CH
RN

IS
TE

E
IN
Vol.1
RE

E
TR
SE
1 Prospective Franchisees, (Hatcliffe,
AR

N
CE
CH
Mills, Purdy & Stanworth), 1995

2 Franchising in Figures, (Purdy,

Stanworth & Hatcliffe), 1996

THE INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE 3 Secrets of Success, (Silvester,

RESEARCH CENTRE (IFRC) 1993-2007
University of Westminster, London, UK.
"The International Franchise Research
Centre (IFRC) is committed to
improving the understanding of
franchising. This is achieved by the
publication of impartial research and
by the encouragement of informed
debate."
Franchising operates in a dynamic environ-
ment, with new issues and challenges
emerging, including: globalisation, coping
with competition, disclosure, industry
regulation, managing relations with
franchisee associations, franchisee
recruitment & market saturation.
Stanworth, Purdy & Hatcliffe), 1996
Vol.2
1 Cloning Success, (Silvester,
Stanworth, Purdy & Hatcliffe), 1997
2 Franchising Your Business: Getting
Started, (Stanworth, Purdy &
Hatcliffe), 1998. A more recent version
- I franchised my business, so can you
(2002) - is also available.
3 Franchisee Success: Perceptions &
Barriers, (Nunn, Stanworth, Purdy,
Thomas & Hatcliffe), 1998
Vol.3

Against this backdrop, the IFRC was
established in 1993 by Professor John
Stanworth (Director of the Future of Work
Research Group at the University of
Westminster), supported by Brian Smith (ex-
BFA Chairman, franchisee, franchisor and
author), and Chair of its Steering Group.
FOUNDER MEMBERS
Founder members and sponsors included:
Barclays Bank, the British Franchise
Association (BFA), Dyno-Rod, Franchise
Development Services Ltd., Lloyds Bank
(now Lloyds Banking Group), Mail Boxes
Etc., Midland Bank (now HSBC), Prontaprint,
Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness Clubs,
Royal Bank of Scotland, The Swinton Group,
and Wragge & Co.
1 Fifth Annual Strategy Seminar:
Breaking Out Of The Home Market,
(Stanworth & Purdy, Eds., papers by
McCosker, Scott, Hoy & Harris), 1998
2 Franchising: The Gender Dimension,
(Nunn, Purdy, Stanworth & Hatcliffe),
1998
Web versions
The above reports are now available online,
in Acrobat format, published January 2011,
via http://www.scribd.com/SME_Research
LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
The information and analysis in each report
is offered in good faith. However, neither the
publishers, the project sponsors, nor the
author/s, accept any liability for losses or
damages which could arise for those who
choose to act upon the information or
analysis contained herein.

International Franchise Research Centre Lloyds Bank Franchising In Britain - Web Versions 2011 p.1
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
The IFRC published extensively, including
journal articles, book chapters, conference
papers and a Special Studies Series (also
available via http://www.scribd.com/
SME_Research):
1 The Blenheim/University of
Westminster Franchise Survey: Spring
1993, 1993
2 Improving Small Business Survival
Rates via Franchising: The Role of the
Banks in Europe, 1993
3 Targeting Potential Franchisees:
Industry Sector Backgrounds and
Declared Areas of Interest, 1994
4 The Impact of Franchising on the
Development Prospects of Small &
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in
Europe, 1994
5 The Blenheim/University of
Westminster Franchise Survey: A
Comparison of UK and US Data, 1995
6 Developing a Diagnostic
Questionnaire as an Aid to Franchisee
Selection, 1995
7 Franchising as a Source of
Technology-transfer to Developing
Economies, 1995
8 Aspects of Franchisee Recruitment,
1996
9 Business Format Franchising:
Innovation & Creativity or Replication
& Conformity ?, 1996
10 London: A Capital City For Franchisee
Recruitment, 1997
11 The Effectiveness of Franchise
Exhibitions in the United Kingdom,
1997
12 Franchising: Breaking Into European
Union Markets, 1998
13 Succeeding As A Franchisor,
published jointly with Business Link
London Central), 1998
International Franchise Research Centre
14 Direct Selling: Its Location in a
Franchise Typology, 1999
15 Unravelling the Evidence on
Franchise System Survivability, 1999
16 Survey: Professional Services For
Franchising In The U.K., 2001
ACADEMIC LINKS
Close links were fostered with universities in
Rome and Pisa (Italy), Haute Alsace
(France) and Boston, Minneapolis and
Texas (USA), with a view to research
collaboration. Professor Pat Kaufmann of
Atlanta, Georgia, addressed our inaugural
annual strategy seminar, in 1994. Overseas
speakers in subsequent years included
Cheryl Babcock, Director of the Franchising
Institute, University of St. Thomas,
Minneapolis (1995), Professor Rajiv Dant,
University of Boston (1996), Professor
Francine Lafontaine, University of Michigan
(1997), Professor Claude Nègre, University
of Haute Alsace (1997), Colin McCosker,
University of Southern Queensland (1998),
Professor Frank Hoy, University of Texas at
El Paso (1998), Professor Jack Nevin,
University of Wisconsin-Madison (1999),
Professor Tom Wotruba, San Diego State
University (1999), Professor Bruce Walker,
University of Missouri, (2000), and,
Professor Wilke English, University of Mary
Hardin-Baylor (2000).
IFRC members were active supporters of the
International Society of Franchising, and
hosted the ISoF 2005 conference in London.
The IFRC ceased its research activities in
2007, when John Stanworth took retirement.
John Stanworth, Emeritus Professor,
University of Westminster
http://www.westminster.ac.uk/schools/
business
David Purdy, Visiting Fellow,
Kingston University
http://business.kingston.ac.uk/sbrc
January 2011
Lloyds Bank Franchising In Britain - Web Versions 2011 p.2
AUTHORS
Michele Nunn is currently undertaking a
Ph.D in franchising with the IFRC. She is also
a director of several companies involved in
franchising and new ways of working.
Professor John Stanworth is director of the
International Franchise Research Centre
and has been engaged in research into
franchising since the mid-1970's. He also
leads the Future of Work Research Group,
based at the University of Westminster, which
has a record of specialist research in
Teleworking, Small Business Development
and Human Resource Management. Studies
have been undertaken for many clients,
including the Department of Trade and
Industry, The Department for Education, The
Economic & Social Research Council and
various commercial organisations.
David Purdy is a researcher supporting the
Future of Work Research Group and its
interest in franchising. He has also
specialised in small business research since
1985, and publications include authorship of
'Risk Capital for Small Firms', commissioned
by the Small Business Research Trust. He
has also co-authored studies investigating
Small Business Management Development
and Teleworking.
John Thomas is a freelance researcher. He
gained experience in franchising research
during his term at the British Franchise
Association.
Mark Hatcliffe is National Franchise
Manager for Lloyds Bank Plc, based at their
UK Retail Banking Headquarters in Bristol.
He is responsible for their strategic
development in franchising.
Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
LLOYDS BANK PLC/IFRC
FRANCHISING IN BRITAIN REPORTS
The Lloyds Bank Plc/IFRC report comprises 3
constituent issues each year, focusing upon
franchisors, franchisees and franchising more
broadly. This issue focuses upon franchisee
perceptions and barriers to success. The
analysis derives from primary research
undertaken with three established UK
franchise systems in late 1997/early 1998.
INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE RESEARCH
CENTRE
The International Franchise Research Centre
(IFRC) is committed to improving the
understanding of franchising. This is achieved
by the publication of impartial research and
by the encouragement of informed debate.
Membership is suitable for anyone with an
interest in franchising and further details are
available from the address on the rear cover.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The International Franchise Research Centre
is particularly pleased to acknowledge the
generous support provided by Lloyds Bank
Plc in sponsoring the research, analysis and
presentation of this report. However, it is
important to note that any opinions expressed
in this publication are not necessarily those of
Lloyds Bank Plc.
Finally, we wish also to acknowledge the
support of the participating firms, without
whom the survey would not have been
possible.
1
HIGHLIGHTS
■ 39% of the franchisee respondents to this
survey occupied managerial positions
prior to entering into their present
franchise agreement, with an additional
24% having been employed in a
professional capacity.
■ Approximately one-third had higher
education qualifications.
■ The majority of respondents (72%) had
no relevant operational experience
immediately prior to their current venture.
■ 36% of franchisees claimed that they
would not be in business on their own
account had it not been for the
opportunity presented by franchising.
■ The biggest catalyst pushing the sample
into franchising was job frustration in their
previous occupation.
■ 29% of respondents had owned their
current franchised outlet for between 3
and 5 years.
■ 43% of respondents employed no full-
time staff and 38% of respondents
employed no part-time staff.
■ 45% of respondents had some form of
contact with their franchisor on at least a
weekly basis. 78% had contact at least
once each month.
■ A large percentage of respondents came
from small business backgrounds with
family members and relations who also
had owned their own businesses (38%
fathers and 29% uncles).
■ 'Independence' and being 'your own boss'
were regarded as the best aspects of
being a franchisee.
■ 'Paying fees' and 'having to be VAT
registered' were cited as the worst
aspects of being a franchisee.
2 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
■ The major problem experienced by the
sample concerned the recruitment of
quality staff willing to remain with them on
a long-term basis.
■ The main sources of finance at franchise
start-up were personal savings (57% of
respondents) and bank finance (48%).
■ The vast majority of respondents (85%),
used either one or two sources of finance
as an initial foundation for their franchise.
■ 43% of respondents claimed that they
had changed banks in order to finance
their ventures.
■ Over 80% of respondents felt that banks
at both local and central level understood
franchising as well as, or better than,
other business forms.
■ After having taken out what they consider
to be a reasonable salary from their
businesses, 36% of respondents claimed
to have achieved gross profits amounting
to less than the gross fees paid to the
franchisor.
■ Regarding the use of support groups and/
or networks for their business venture,
the most common source was close
friends, at 36%, followed by the
respondent’s franchisee association at
27%.
■ The most frequently mentioned source of
advice used prior to the venture was the
franchisor, followed by fellow franchisees
and then bankers.
■ The greatest fear held by the sample at
the start of the venture was that of
financial failure.
■ Simplification of the procedure for VAT
registration/administration (mainly
relating to franchisees with turnovers
below the VAT threshold) and higher
levels of franchisor contact were some of
the most frequently cited changes
recommended to make franchising easier
for franchisees in the future.
 Figure 1 - Occupation Immediately Prior To This Venture

Managerial 39%

Professional 24%

Clerical/Administrative 14%

Other/Unemployed 14%

Student 3%

Supervisory 3%

Manual 1% Proportion of Sample

INTRODUCTION current franchised business venture. 39% of

Data for this report was collected via a postal
questionnaire, despatched to all the
franchisees of 3 leading UK-based
franchisors. They represented a variety of
industries, investment levels and stages of
system development. One hundred and forty
six usable responses were obtained and the
report analyses the results of this research.
PRIOR OCCUPATION
Figure 1 presents data on the occupations
of the sample franchisees prior to their
respondents occupied managerial positions
immediately prior to entering into their
present franchise agreement, with an
additional 24% of respondents having been
employed in a professional capacity.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Franchisees were asked whether they had
relevant experience immediately prior to
their present venture. Although it is likely that
some of the respondents may well have
worked in the same sector of activity as their
current venture earlier in their careers,

Figure 2 - Any Relevant Experience Immediately Prior To Present

Venture ?

No 72%

Yes 27%

Proportion of Sample

Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998) 3

 Figure 3 - Would You Be In Business On Your Own Account If It Were
Not For Franchising ?

No 36%

Yes 32%

Don't Know 30%

Proportion of Sample

Figure 2 shows that a substantial majority of
respondents (72%) were not doing so
immediately prior to their current venture. As
39% of respondents had prior managerial
experience of some kind, either franchisee
recruitment practices favour this
characteristic or, alternatively, people with a
managerial background are more attracted
to franchising.
ATTRACTION OF FRANCHISING
As Figure 3 indicates, franchising was a
major factor in encouraging respondents to
set up their own businesses, which is most
encouraging for the industry. A large
proportion (36%) of franchisees claimed that
they would not be in business on their own
account if it were not for the opportunity
created by the franchising start-up route.
Responses to the question "Would you be in
business on your own account if it were not
for franchising ?", are almost equally
distributed between "Yes", "No", and "Don't
Know".
To give a clearer picture of the samples'
motivation for becoming franchisees,
respondents were asked to identify the main
catalyst which prompted them to become

Figure 4 - Main Catalyst Prompting Involvement In Present Venture

Job frustration 30%

Interested in area 23%

Other 14%

Made redundant 12%

Spouse's circumstances changed 6%

Early retirement 3%

Dismissed 3%

Children became older 2%

Divorce/relationship split 1%

Inherited money 1%

Inherited franchise 1% Proportion of Sample

4 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)

 Figure 5 - How Long Since Purchase Of First Franchised Outlet ?
23%
Proportion
of Sample
12%
Less than 1 year 1-2 years
involved in their present venture. The most
popular response (Figure 4) was as a result
of job frustration in their previous career
(30%), followed by an interest in the particular
area of business they are currently engaged
in (23%).
14% of the respondents claimed that they
were motivated by other factors. 'Other'
usually referred to a particular change in
circumstances or critical instances, (e.g.
selling a previous business or starting a
second career after bringing up children).
Approximately 1 in 8 were propelled into
franchising by redundancy from their previous
occupation. Another 3% claimed to have
been 'dismissed', thus raising the figure to
around 1 in 7.
There has been much debate in recent years
concerning what are called the 'pull/push'
effects of entry into small business ownership
and self-employment. Some people are
obviously very positively motivated to become
their own boss and here the attraction is
essentially of a 'pull' nature. Other people,
however, are more driven by constraints or
reductions in employment options in the wider
labour market and may be said to be largely
'pushed' into self-employment.
Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
29%
21%
14%
3-5 years 6-10 years 11 or more
Without in-depth interviewing, it is difficult to
to say precisely how many of our sample
were 'pushed' into taking up franchises and
how many were 'pulled'. For instance, we do
not know how many of those mentioning 'job
frustration' in their previous occupation may
have actually been experiencing job
insecurity also, and the threat of
unemployment. Against that, some of those
who went into franchising only after being
dismissed from their previous job, or having
been made redundant, may have been
nurturing a long-term dream or aspiration for
being their own boss. Thus, it appears that
there was evidence of both 'pull' and 'push'
factors at work and, in some cases, they were
probably present at one and the same time in
given respondents' individual situations.
DURATION OF CURRENT VENTURE
Figure 5 shows that 29% of respondents had
owned their current franchised outlet for
between 3 and 5 years. 21% of respondents
were well established, having been
franchisees for 11 years or more, though for
some their current venture may not have
been their first franchised business.
5
 Figure 6 - Full-Time Members Of Staff Employed

43%

29%

Proportion
of Sample

17%

6%
3%

None 1-4 5-9 10-19 20-49

STAFF LEVELS indicate that 43% of respondents employed

In order to give a clearer insight into the
nature and size of the surveyed businesses,
the research examined staff levels at
individual franchised outlets. Figures 6 and 7
no full-time staff and 38% employed no part-
time staff. As would be expected, these were
generally younger franchises or those with
lower financial turnovers. However, most did
employ staff and therefore were required to

Figure 7 - Part-Time Members Of Staff Employed

49%

38%

Proportion
of Sample

7%

1% 1%

None 1-4 5-9 10-19 20-49

6 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)

 Figure 8 - Frequency Of Contact With Franchisor

Weekly 45%

Fortnightly 12%

Monthly 21%

Quarterly 11%

6 monthly 3%

9 monthly 2%

Annually 6% Proportion of Sample

exercise management skills. 45% of respondents had some form of

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FRANCHISOR
Research on the nature of the relationship
between franchisee and franchisor was
initially undertaken for the production of our
earlier report Cloning Success (Vol. 2, No. 1).
This analysed the types of personal contact
experienced by a different franchisee sample.
In this questionnaire (shown at the end of the
report) respondents were simply asked about
the frequency of contact they had with their
franchisor.
contact with their franchisor on a weekly
basis. 6% of the sample claimed contact with
their franchisor on only an annual basis (see
Figure 8), which was likely to be on
submission of financial statements. The bias,
however, is towards regular contact between
franchisee and franchisor.
Figure 9 shows that after their initial training
and launch, 47% of respondents thought
contact with their franchisor had generally
decreased. In some cases there may have
been a natural tail-off, as franchisees learned
to deal with day-to-day problems.

Figure 9 - Contact Since Initial Training And Launch

Generally decreased 47%

Stayed about the same 39%

Generally increased 15%

Proportion of Sample

Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998) 7

 Figure 10 - Family Members With Own Business Prior To Franchisees'
Current Venture
Father
Uncle
Grandfather
Brother
Mother 12%
Sister 8%
Grandmother 7%
Aunt 5% Proportion of Sample
In order to analyse further this aspect of the
franchisor-franchisee relationship, the
research probed which party initiated these
contacts. It was noticable that in the majority
of cases the franchisee approached the
franchisor. Two inferences, both favourable to
franchising, can be drawn from this. Firstly,
that franchisees were certainly not over-
supervised in running their franchises and,
secondly, franchisors were useful to their
franchisees on an ongoing basis as on-
demand advisors and consultants without
incurring any additional direct cost.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
In a bid to track their socio-economic
background, the sample was asked whether
any of their close family had owned a
business before they became franchisees.
The results are shown in Figure 10. A large
portion of respondents came from an
entrepreneurial family background with 38%
of respondents having had a father who
owned a small business venture.
Here again, our results feed into a wider
debate since there is evidence that having
had a self-employed father or mother (even if
that parent actually failed in self-employment)
increases the chances of sons and daughters
8 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
38%
29%
27%
18%
becoming self-employed themselves.
Our results indicate that those people who do
take the jump into self-employment via
franchising are probably somewhat different
to the population as a whole and are drawn
from a more 'entrepreneurial' strata. The most
likely relatives to have been self-employed
were fathers, followed by uncles and then
grandfathers.
From this evidence, we can see that self-
employment behaviour does not occur
randomly but spreads across families and
between generations. What is noticeable here
is that, traditionally, most of the self-employed
have been male (fathers, uncles,
grandfathers). It is true that mothers, sisters,
grandmothers and aunts do also feature but
only with considerably lower frequency levels.
Female participation in self-employment is
however growing as we approach the end of
the 20th Century and the next report in this
series will investigate this issue in greater
depth.
TRAINING/QUALIFICATIONS
Figure 11 shows the qualifications attained
by the sample. Previous research has shown
that perception of a 'professional' qualification
 Figure 11 - Franchisees' Highest Qualification
21%
16%
14%
Proportion
of Sample
GCSE 'A' Level HND / HNC
tends to vary greatly. Also, 9% of the sample
did not provide a response to the
corresponding question, and some of these
are likely to have had no formal qualifications.
Thus the 'typical' franchisee tends to come
from a vocational background, but without
possessing higher education certificates.
However, approximately a third did have a
'higher education' qualification.
After having examined the profile of this
franchisee sample, the research and analysis
was then geared towards, amongst other
things, identifying areas of concern and
problems experienced by franchisees in their
current venture. Some of the findings are
highlighted below.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
FRANCHISING
The sample were asked an open-ended
question on what they most liked about
franchising. The most frequent answers were
'independence' and being 'your own boss',
factors that are often quoted as major
advantages gained from running any form of
small business. The franchisees were also
asked, again on an open-ended basis, what
they least liked about franchising. Some
industry specific dislikes were cited here, the
Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
21%
14%
5%
Degree Postgraduate Degree Professional
Qualification
most frequent being 'paying fees' and 'having
to be VAT registered'. These issues will be
considered later in this report.
SOURCES OF FINANCE
The sample were asked what sources of
finance were utilised during the start-up
phase of their current franchise (Figure 12).
The percentages show the proportion of
finance obtained from each source across all
respondents. There was a marked variation in
the mix of finance used, although the sources
of and amounts of finance are related to the
required investment levels and the socio-
economic profile of the sample.
The main sources were personal savings
(57%) and bank finance (48%), and whilst no
respondents reported the use of a franchisor
scheme, it must be borne in mind that the
survey deliberately involves only a small
number of franchise systems.
The vast majority of the respondents used
either one or two sources of finance as an
initial foundation for their franchise (Figure
13).
9
 Figure 12 - Sources Of Finance For Franchise Start-up

Personal Savings 57%

Bank finance 48%

Funds from family/friends 27%

Redundancy funds 12%

Disposal of personal assets 10%

Home mortgage 6%

Other (please state) 5%

Franchisor finance scheme 0% Proportion of Sample

RELATIONSHIP WITH BANKS banks in general to the franchise sector.

Following on the theme of finance, the The franchisee sample was first asked
research went on to analyse the samples whether they remained with the bank that
ongoing relationships with their banks and they were using prior to the start-up of their
their perceptions of the services offered by current venture. Figure 14 shows that

Figure 13 - Number Of Finance Sources Used For Franchise Start-up

45%

40%

Proportion
of Sample

11%

0% 1%

1 Source used 2 Sources used 3 Sources used 4 Sources used 5 Sources used

10 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)

 Figure 14 - Did Franchisees Stay With Their Current Bank ?

Yes 55%

No 43%

Proportion of Sample

although the majority of respondents (55%)
affirmed that they did not change their
banking arrange-ments, 43% claimed that
they had indeed changed banks. It is
encouraging that these franchisees clearly
shopped around to find the banking
arrangements most suited to their
requirements. Although the banking sector
may be concerned at the low loyalty rates
manifested, it is possible that the franchisees
may simply have preferred to keep their
business and personal banking apart.
Figure 15 illustrates that 56% of respondents
believed clearing banks were sympathetic to
franchising, though a fifth of respondents
were apprehensive about them.
with their local bank. Figures 16 and 17 show
that most respondents were favourably
impressed by the franchise knowledge-base
of their banks. There were large differences in
the proportions who felt that their banks knew
more about franchising than they did other
business forms and those who felt their banks
knew less.
In the case of banks at 'branch' level, 33%
said that their banks know 'more', against
17% saying 'less'. For banks at 'central' level,
40% said that banks knew 'more', against
only 9% saying they knew 'less'. Thus, the
picture here looks quite promising and the
banks can feel quite pleased with their
performance.

The sample were then asked how much

understanding they thought banks had of
franchising at branch and at central levels. It
should be noted that the responses given to
these separate questions are probably related
as franchisees' perception of banking at
central level is often related to the relationship

Figure 15 - Are Banks Sympathetic To Franchising ?

Yes 56%

No 20%

Don't Know 24%

Proportion of Sample

Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998) 11

 Figure 16 - How Much Understanding Do Banks Have Of Franchising At
BRANCH Level?

49%

Proportion
27%
of Sample

12%

5% 6%

Totally in the dark Not much No more or less than other Quite a lot Very high level
businesses

Figure 17 - How Much Understanding Do Banks Have Of Franchising At

CENTRAL Level?

43%

30%

Proportion
of Sample

10%

6%
3%

Totally in the dark Not much No more or less than Quite a lot Very high level
other businesses

12 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)

 Figure 18 - Gross Profit Remaining After Payment Of Franchisor Fees

42%

36%

Proportion
of Sample
17%

Less than fee About the same as fee Greater than fee

PROFITABILITY LEVELS what they considered to be a reasonable

An area of concern that was highlighted
related to the profitability levels of the sample.
Figure 18 demonstrates that, in the majority
of cases, after the franchisees have taken out
salary from their business, the remaining
gross profit was the same as or less than the
gross fees paid to the franchisor, whereas
42% of respondents were in the fortunate
position of recording a gross profit greater

Figure 19 - Sources of Business Guidance Before Taking Up A

Franchise (Top 3 Sources)
Franchisor 50%

Fellow franchisees 38%

Bankers 29%

Accountants 25%

Mentor 11%

Other 8%

Fellow entrepreneurs 7%

Lawyers 5%

Other industry associates 4%

Experts in their fields 3%

Suppliers 1% Proportion of Sample

Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998) 13

 Figure 20 - Support Groups And/Or Networks Aiding Business Venture
Close Friends
Franchisee association
Other (please state)
Professional groups
Chamber of Commerce 8%
Business Link 8%
Social Groups 5%
Trade association 3%
Community Groups 2%
Political Groups 0%
than the gross fees paid to the franchisor.
BARRIERS TO SUCCESS
Continuing on the theme of barriers to
success and the challenges experienced by
franchisees, the sample were asked to
identify the biggest obstacles that they had
faced in running their franchise business, and
the way in which they had been overcome.
The main problem - which affects many
businesses to a certain degree - concerned
the recruitment of quality staff who the
franchisees would want to retain on a longer-
term basis. This was seen as an ongoing
challenge. Another issue related to the time
and paperwork demands associated with VAT
compliance. Some respondents had
attempted to overcome this particular problem
- with varying degrees of success - through
improved time management. The other main
issues included a problem experienced by all
firms, namely, that of a changing business
climate, which had been tackled by
introducing tighter controls. Finally, a more
franchise-specific issue concerned the
franchisor-franchisee relationship. This barrier
had often been overcome through better
communication channels with the franchisor.
14 Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
36%
27%
14%
12%
Proportion of Sample
BUSINESS GUIDANCE
The sample was asked (Figure 19) what
were their 'top three' sources of business
guidance used prior to signing their current
franchise agreement. The most frequently
mentioned source of advice was the
franchisor, followed by fellow franchisees and
then bankers. Here the sample ranked advice
from accountants as the fourth most
important source of guidance, with the other
main independent professional advisor -
solicitors - being lowly ranked, in eighth place.
SUPPORT GROUPS
The franchisee sample was then asked which
support groups and/or networks had aided
them in the course of their business venture.
The results are represented in Figure 20.
Interestingly, the most common source was
close friends (36%), followed by the
respondent’s franchisee association. A small
number, 8%, have also approached the
recently established government funded
Business Links. It is concerning, however,
that only a relatively small proportion of
respondents (12%) consulted professional
independent advisors (solicitors, accountants
and franchise consultants).
 Figure 21 - Greatest Perceived Risk At Start-Up
Financial
Psychic 10%
Family 8%
Social 2%
Other 2% Proportion of Sample
TYPES OF SUPPORT
In a separate question, the sample were
asked what type of support was provided by
these groups. Not surprisingly, 58% of
respondents claimed to have received
'business guidance', but it is interesting to
note that 44% of the sample also claimed to
have been given 'moral and emotional'
support.
AREAS OF GREATEST RISK
Figure 21 outlines the areas that represented
the greatest risk to the franchisee sample at
the outset of their entrepreneurial venture. It
is not surprising that the greatest fear held
was financial risk which is associated with
any entrepreneurial venture. This could have
some foundation in the lack of reference to
professional financial advice by a sizeable
proportion of the sample (only 25% reported
having sought guidance from accountants,
Figure 19). Related to this financial risk was
that of the next most frequent response of
psychic (fear of failure) (10%).
The sample were also asked the open-ended
question of what, in their experience, they
would change in order to make things easier
for franchisees in the future. The procedure
Lloyds Bank plc/IFRC Franchisee Success: Perceptions & Barriers (1998)
75%
for VAT registration and the ensuing
administrative burden was the most
frequently cited change. This response most
often appeared when franchisees had a
turnover below the VAT threshold. Many in
this group would have had VAT registration
imposed upon them due to the possible
implications for franchisors of the Trading
Schemes Act 1997. The next most popular
possible improvement cited, was a more
supportive relationship with franchisors and
external bodies to respondent's individual
businesses. The third most common
response was 'nothing', which might be
interpreted as positive.
PRESENTATION OF DATA
Occasionally the percentages for the full
range of options shown in the figures will not
exactly total 100%. This may be explained by
one or more of: a) rounding errors, b) multiple
choices being allowed, and, c) by response
options which have been omitted for the sake
of clarity (typically where responses have not
been provided by respondents).
The wording used in the figures (charts) is
usually an abbreviated version of the original
text. However, the exact wording can be
found in the survey questionnaire, appended.
15
 INTERNATIONAL
FRANCHISE RESEARCH
CENTRE SURVEY
To be completed by the Franchisee - CONFIDENTIAL
PLEASE TICK JUST ONE ANSWER UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

1 Is your present business your first 4a Would you be in business on your own
entrepreneurial venture ? account if it were not for franchising ?
Yes.............................................................................................. ❏A
No............................................................................ ❏B Yes .......................................................................... ❏A
No............................................................................ ❏B
1a If No, which venture is it ? Don’t know .............................................................. ❏C
2nd.......................................................................... ❏A
3rd .......................................................................... ❏B 5 Please rate the following in terms of their influence
4th .......................................................................... ❏C upon you before becoming involved in your
More........................................................................ ❏D present venture. 1=Extremely Important, 2=Important
3= Neither Important or Unimportant 4=Unimportant,
2 What was your occupation immediately 5=Extremely Unimportant
prior to your present venture ? ......................................................1 2 3 4 5
Personal achievement.................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ A
Professional ............................................................ ❏A Job satisfaction ............................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ B
Managerial .............................................................. ❏B Opportunity ( Free Enterprise ) ...... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ C
Supervisory.............................................................. ❏C Status/Prestige.............................. ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ D
Clerical/Administrative ............................................ ❏D Independence................................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ E
Manual .................................................................... ❏E Power............................................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ F
Unemployed ............................................................ ❏F Money (Wealth).............................. ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ G
Student.................................................................... ❏G Economic Security ........................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ H
Retired .................................................................... ❏H Flexibility to fit with
Other (please state) __________________________ ❏I domestic commitments ................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ I
Lifestyle ........................................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ J
3 Did you have prior relevant experience in Peer Recognition............................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ K
the field of your present franchise ? Something to leave to children ...... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ L
Other (please state) ...................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ M
Yes .......................................................................... ❏A __________________________________________
No............................................................................ ❏B
5a How important are these issues to you now ?
4 What was main catalyst which prompted you to 1=Extremely Important,2=Important
become involved in your present franchise ? 3= Neither Important or Unimportant 4=Unimportant,
5=Extremely Unimportant
Made redundant ...................................................... A ❏ ......................................................1 2 3 4 5
Early retired ............................................................ B ❏ Personal achievement .................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ A
Dismissed................................................................ C ❏ Job satisfaction ............................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ B
Job frustration ........................................................ D ❏ Opportunity (Free Enterprise) ........ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ C
Children became older/left home ............................ E ❏ Status/Prestige.............................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ D
Inherited money ...................................................... F ❏ Independence................................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ E
Inherited franchise .................................................. G ❏ Power............................................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ F
Interested in the area of business............................ H ❏ Money ( Wealth ) .......................... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ G
Change or threatened change in spouses Economic Security ........................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ H
employment circumstances .................................... I ❏ Flexibility to fit with
Divorce/relationship split.......................................... J ❏ domestic commitments ................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ I
Other (please state) .................................................. K ❏ Lifestyle........................................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ J
____________________________________________ Peer Recognition .......................... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ K
____________________________________________ Something to leave to children...... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ L
____________________________________________ Other (please state) ...................... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ M
____________________________________________ __________________________________________
____________________________________________ __________________________________________
 1 2 3 4 5
6 What do you most like about franchising ? 8c My business: ........................................
__________________________________________ Is just what I do to make a living ........ ❏❏❏❏❏ A
__________________________________________ Is an intrinsic part of my total life plan .... ❏❏❏❏❏ B
Provides me with the domestic
7 What do you least like about franchising ? flexibility I need .................................... ❏❏❏❏❏ C
__________________________________________
__________________________________________ 9 Running a franchised outlet is like:
( please tick the answer which most accurately
8a Please indicate your level of agreement with the describes your feelings )
following statements
1=Strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neither agree or disagree Running your own independent small business....... ❏A
4=disagree, 5= strongly disagree Running your own independent business,
Buying a franchise: but with a few more strings attached. .................... ❏B
......................................................1 2 3 4 5 Half-way between running your own
Enabled me to get into independent small business and running
business faster.............................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ A a managed outlet of a large company .................... ❏C
Reduced the likelihood Running a managed outlet of a large
of my business failing .................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ B company, but with fewer strings attached .............. ❏D
Provides a sufficient amount Running a managed outlet
of commercial independence........ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ C of a large company. ................................................ ❏E
Enabled me to become a
respected member of 10 Which of the following most accurately describes
the small business community...... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ D your decision process before going into franchising ?
Allowed me to start a business
which otherwise I would Chose the type of industr y, then the
not have done .............................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ E franchising route. .................................................. ❏A
Has meant that my home Chose the franchising route, then
life has suffered............................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ F the type of industry. .............................................. ❏B
Provides a known tradename........ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ G Industry type and the franchise route
Allowed me to enter a line of were equally important. .......................................... ❏C
work which otherwise would Chose a particular franchise. .................................. ❏D
have been closed to me. .............. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ H
Meant all the training I needed 11 When originally taking a franchise, by
was provided ................................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ I way of prior research, did you ?
Helped me to avoid problems ....................................................................Yes No
I may have encountered alone ...... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ J Attend a franchise exhibition ............................ ❏ ❏A
Provides a proven business Read franchise magazines ................................ ❏ ❏B
❏❏ ❏ ❏❏
system.......................................... K Read books on franchising ................................ ❏ ❏C
Gives independence and the Read about franchising in newspapers .............. ❏ ❏D
chance to be your own boss.......... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏❏ L Other (please state) ______________________ ❏E
8b In my business I: 11a Did you become aware of your franchise by:
Need to let everyone (PLEASE TICK ALL THAT APPLY)
know who’s boss .......................... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ A
Try to involve everyone Working for it .......................................................... ❏A
when an important Using it .................................................................... ❏B
decision needs to be made .......... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ B Other (please state) ________________________ ❏C
Believe the general
business environment 12 Which best describes your ‘official’ role in your
to be out of my control.................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ C franchise ? At Formation Currently
Gauge success by how much Sole Franchisee.............................................. ❏ ❏A
money I make .............................. ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ D Joint franchisee with
Plan to accommodate domestic friend(s)/associate(s)...................................... ❏ ❏B
commitments................................ ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ E Joint franchisee which spouse(s) .................. ❏ ❏C
Delegate responsibility as Joint franchisee with relative(s)...................... ❏ ❏D
much as possible.......................... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ F Provided moral support.................................. ❏ ❏E
Measure progress by Provided financial investment ........................ ❏ ❏F
how much I learn.......................... ❏❏ ❏ ❏❏ G Not involved .................................................. ❏ ❏G
Other (please state ) __________________ ❏ ❏H
13 Please mark the statement which best describes your 19 How much understanding do you think banks have of
position in the day to day management of the franchising ?
franchise. (Please tick just one answer in each case)

Chief manager or executive officer .......................... ❏ A 1=A very high level. 2=Quite a lot.
Share management 3=No more or less than any other type of business.
responsibilities with others equally .......................... ❏ B 4=Not much. 5=Totally in the dark.
Help manage, but report to others............................ ❏ C ............................................................1 2 3 4 5
Do not take any active a) At Branch level .............................. ❏❏❏❏❏ A
part in management ................................................ ❏ D b) At central level .............................. ❏❏❏❏❏ B
Other (please state) ________________________ ❏ E
____________________________________________ 20 How long is it since you purchased your (first)
franchised outlet ?
14 What is the current legal form of your business ?
Less than 1 year ...................................................... ❏A
Sole Trader .............................................................. ❏A 1 - 2 Years................................................................ ❏B
Partnership .............................................................. ❏B 3 - 5 Years................................................................ ❏C
Limited Company .................................................... ❏C 6 -10 Years .............................................................. ❏D
Co-operative............................................................ ❏D 11 Years or more...................................................... ❏E
Other (please state).................................................. ❏E
21 How many outlets do you have?
15 Do you have a controlling interest in your business ?
(Greater than 50% ) ❏A
One ..........................................................................
Two..........................................................................❏B
Yes .......................................................................... ❏A Three........................................................................❏C
No............................................................................ ❏B Four or more ............................................................ ❏D
16 What were your sources for financing your franchise 22 How many members of staff do you employ ?
during start up ? Please list for each categor y, although there may be some
(Please give rough percentages which add up to a total of duplication.
100%) 1=Full-time ( >30 hrs/week )
2=Part-time (<30 hrs/week )
Personal Savings ______________________________ A 3=Family
Funds from family/friends ______________________ B ..............................................................1 2 3

Disposal of personal assets ____________________ C None .................................................... ❏ ❏ ❏A

1 - 4 ....................................................❏ ❏ ❏ B
Redundancy funds __________________________ D

5 - 9 ....................................................❏ ❏ ❏ C
Home mortgage ____________________________ E
Bank finance ______________________________ F
Franchisor finance scheme ____________________ G 10 -19 ..................................................❏ ❏ ❏ D
Other (please state) __________________________ H 20 -49 ..................................................❏ ❏ ❏ E
50 -99 ..................................................❏ ❏ ❏ F
100 + ..................................................❏ ❏ ❏ G
17 Did you stay with the bank you already had ?

Yes .......................................................................... ❏A
No .......................................................................... ❏B 23 Please can you estimate the gross turnover
(in £’000s) of your franchise ?
18 Do you think banks are sympathetic to franchising
1=This Year, 2= Next Year,3=Last Year
Yes ........................................................................ ❏A ..............................................................1 2 3
No .......................................................................... ❏B Less than £30,000................................ ❏ ❏ ❏A
❏C
£30,000 - £99,999 ..............................❏ ❏ ❏ B
Don’t Know ..............................................................

£100,000 - £499,000 ..........................❏ ❏ ❏ C

£500,000 - £999,000 ..........................❏ ❏ ❏ D
£1,000,000 - £4,999,999 ....................❏ ❏ ❏ E
Over £5,000,000 ..................................❏ ❏ ❏ F
24 After you have taken out what you consider to be a 28 What type of planning do you practice in your
reasonable salary from your business, is the business ?
remaining gross profit
None........................................................................ ❏A
Greater than the gross fees Annual budget.......................................................... ❏B
paid to the franchisor .............................................. ❏A Medium term .......................................................... ❏C
About the same as the gross 2-5 year (budget, forecasted profits)........................ ❏D
fees paid to the franchisor........................................ ❏B 6 - 10 years + (long term strategic planning) .......... ❏E
Less than the gross fees 5. Other (please state) ______________________ ❏F
paid to the franchisor .............................................. ❏C
25 If you were to compare your business (in terms of 29 What has been your biggest obstacle in running your
turnover, profitability and number of employees) with business and how have you overcome it ?
others in your franchise network, how would you rate ________________________________________
it’s performance ? ________________________________________
________________________________________
Among the best in the network ................................ ❏A ________________________________________
Above average.......................................................... ❏B
Average....................................................................❏C 30 Who has been your biggest moral supporter in your
Lower than average.................................................. ❏D business venture ?
Among the lowest in the network ............................ ❏E
Spouse/Life Partner.................................................. ❏A
26 When you first took your outlet, did your franchisor Boy/Girlfriend .......................................................... ❏B
Business Associate .................................................. ❏C
Grossly overestimate your likely profit...................... ❏A Child........................................................................ ❏D
Slightly overestimate your likely profit...................... ❏B Mentor .................................................................... ❏E
Accurately estimate your likely profit........................ ❏C Friend...................................................................... ❏F
Slightly underestimate your likely profit.................... ❏D Relative .................................................................. ❏G
Grossly underestimate your likely profit.................... ❏E Franchisor................................................................ ❏H
Other (please state) ________________________ ❏I
27 How often do you have any contact with your
franchisor ? 31 What support groups and/or networks have aided
you in your business venture ?
❏A
Weekly...................................................................... (please tick all that apply)
Fortnightly................................................................❏B
Monthly....................................................................❏C Franchisee association ............................................ ❏A
❏D
Quarterly .................................................................. Trade association .................................................... ❏B
6 monthly ................................................................ ❏E Professional groups.................................................. ❏C
Annually ..................................................................❏F Community Groups .................................................. ❏D
Other (please state) ________________________ ❏G Social Groups .......................................................... ❏E
Close Friends .......................................................... ❏F
27a What percentage of these contacts do you initiate ? Political Groups........................................................ ❏G
Chamber of Commerce............................................ ❏H
____________________________________________ Business Link .......................................................... ❏I
Other (please state) ________________________ ❏J
27b After your initial training and launch, has contact with
your franchisor 32 What type of support do you receive from your
network and/or support groups ?
Generally increased.................................................. ❏A (please tick all that apply)
Stayed about the same ............................................ ❏B
Generally decreased ................................................ ❏C Moral and emotional................................................ ❏A
Business guidance .................................................. ❏B
Other (please state)________________________ ❏C
33a Did you have a mentor to support and guide you
(other than the franchisor) in planning for your
franchise ?
Yes ..........................................................................
No ..........................................................................
33b If Yes, what is ?
Their age ................................................................
Their gender............................................................
Yes No
Have they ever been self-employed .................. ❏❏
37 Which area represented the greatest risk to you when
you began you entrepreneurial venture ?
❏A Financial .................................................................. ❏A
❏B Social ......................................................................❏B
Family ......................................................................❏C
Psychic (fear of failure) ............................................ ❏D
❏A Other (please state) ________________________ ❏E
❏B
38 Given your experience, what would you change to
A make it easier for franchisees of the future generally ?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

34 Which of the following were your ‘top three’
sources of buisness guidance before taking up your
franchise ?
(please tick three options only)
Franchisor................................................................ ❏A
Bankers.................................................................... ❏B
Mentor .................................................................... ❏C
Experts in their fields................................................ ❏D
Fellow franchisees.................................................... ❏E
Fellow entrepreneurs................................................ ❏F
Lawyers .................................................................. ❏G
Accountants ............................................................ ❏H
Suppliers.................................................................. ❏I
Other industry associates ........................................ ❏J
Other (please state) ________________________ ❏H
39 While growing up, with whom do you feel you
had the closest relationship ?
Mother...................................................................... ❏A
Father ......................................................................❏B
Neither .................................................................... ❏C
❏D
Both..........................................................................
40 Of your family members, whose personality bears
closest similarity to yourself ?
Mother...................................................................... ❏A
Father ......................................................................❏B
Neither .................................................................... ❏C
❏D
Both..........................................................................

Please rate yourself on the following 41 In the sequence of births of any sisters/brothers
35 management skills where were you born (i.e. if you were one of three
1=poor. 2=fair. 3=good. 4=very good. 5=excellent children and the eldest tick 1)
............................................................1 2 3 4 5
Finance.............................................. ❏❏❏❏❏ A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+
Dealing with staff .............................. ❏❏❏❏❏ B ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Marketing/sales ................................ ❏❏❏❏❏ C
Business operations .......................... ❏❏❏❏❏ D 41a Please give the number of your brothers
Organising & planning........................ ❏❏❏❏❏ E 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Older ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Younger ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
36 In each case please tick the number that you feel best
describes your personality characteristics, on the 41b Please give the number of your sisters
scale from left to right 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Older ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
1 2 3 4 5 Younger ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Passive ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Energetic
Affiliative ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Independent
Non-competitive ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Competitive
Private ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Social
Realistic ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Idealistic
Unsure ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Self-confident
Tolerant ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Perfectionist
Relaxed ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Anxious
Rigid ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Flexible
Uncertain ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Goal Oriented
Specialist ❏❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Generalist
42 Please state whether any of the following family 46 Age
members had their own business before you became
involved in your current venture. Under 25.................................................................. ❏A
(please tick all that apply) 25 - 34.................................................................... ❏B
35 - 44.................................................................... ❏C
Father...................................................................... A ❏ 45 - 54.................................................................... ❏D
Mother .................................................................... B ❏ 55 - 64.................................................................... ❏E
......................................1 2 3 4 5 6 Over 65.................................................................... ❏F
Brother.......................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ C ❏ ❏
Sister .......................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ D ❏ ❏ 47 Gender
Uncle ............................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ E ❏ ❏
Aunt ............................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ F ❏ ❏ Male ........................................................................ ❏A
Grandfather .................. ❏ ❏ G Female .................................................................... ❏B
Grandmother ................ ❏ ❏ H

43 What do perceive your social class to have been when 48 Finally, thank you for helping with our research.
you were growing up and now ? If you would be willing to take in a follow up study,
......................................................................Growing Up Now please complete the following.
Lower ............................................................ ❏ ❏ A
Upper Lower .................................................. ❏ ❏ B Dr/Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms ( Delete as appropriate)
Lower Middle ................................................ ❏ ❏ C Surname ______________________________________
Middle............................................................ ❏ ❏ D First name ____________________________________
Upper Middle.................................................. ❏ ❏ E Address ______________________________________
Upper ............................................................ ❏ ❏ F ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
44 Current annual gross income from all sources ? ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
.................................................. You Spouse/Partner ______________________________________________
No income................................................ ❏ ❏ A ______________________________________________
£ 9999 or less.......................................... ❏ ❏ B Daytime telephone no: ________________________
£10,000 - £19,999 .................................. ❏ ❏ C
£20,000 - £29,999 .................................. ❏ ❏ D
£30,000 - £39,999 .................................. ❏ ❏ E
£40,000 - £49,999 .................................. ❏ ❏ F © University of Westminster, 1997
Over £50,000 .......................................... ❏ ❏ G MLN/10/1
Re-set DP 20-Nov-2003
45 Highest Qualification Obtained Vol_3_2_Questionnaire.p65
................................................................................
Spouse/
..............................................................................You Partner Mother Father

GCSE ............................................ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ A
A Level.......................................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ B
HNC/HND ...................................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ C
Degree .......................................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ D
Postgraduate Degree .................... ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ E
Professional Qualification ............ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ F