Last year we attended the National Franchise Exhibition in Birmingham, where we spoke to potential franchisees about what we offer. This year, we’re heading to the Northern Franchise Exhibition to share our latest franchise opportunities alongside hundreds of other approved franchise brands.

Here’s what to expect from the event and a little more on what a franchise with No Letting Go involves.

 

What is Franchising?

Firstly, let’s define the meaning of franchising.

Franchising is the process of purchasing a ready-made start-up from an existing company and operating the business under the name of the established company.

This helps companies expand, as well as providing the franchisee with essential training and experience of running a business.

 

The Benefits of Franchising

Purchasing a franchise gives franchisees added support and peace of mind when it comes to operating their own business.

With the backing of an established brand behind them, new business owners are equipped with expert knowledge and a recognised name from the get-go.

In addition, most franchises offer initial and ongoing training to help secure success.

 

The Northern Franchise Exhibition 2019

The Northern Franchise Exhibition is being held at EventCity Manchester on the 21-22 June 2019.

If you’re looking to invest in a franchise, or considering franchising your business, this event is a fantastic way of accessing insider industry knowledge. With a huge variety of franchise opportunities on offer, there is something to suit every need.

This event is a BFA supported franchise exhibition. As a partner of the British Franchise Association (BFA), you know that all the franchise opportunities listed are fully accredited.

The event gathers together leading franchise brands for two days of presentations, workshops and Q&A sessions to help those looking for franchise opportunities in the UK.

This year, No Letting Go will be exhibiting to showcase our exciting franchise opportunities currently on offer.

Keen to attend and meet us in person? Visit our stand where our team will be happy to answer all your questions and give you an insight into what it means to be one of our franchisees.

We’re pleased to offer free tickets  from the official website. Just use the promotion code KIT1.

 

A Franchise with No Letting Go

We have over 50 property franchises across the UK, and we’re always looking to expand. A franchise with us means you could be providing your local area with our professional property services, including inventory management and reports.

The great thing about starting a franchise with No Letting Go, is that you don’t need any specialised industry experience or qualifications. All we ask for is your time and commitment. We run a highly accessible scheme, with franchisees from all walks of life heading up our UK offices.

 

The Training Academy

If you start a franchise with us, you will receive access to an ongoing training programme which covers how to conduct reports, inventories, use our Kaptur software and perfect your sales and marketing techniques.

As well as day-to-day training, we also provide help with business strategy and expansion to ensure you have all the tools needed for long-term success.

 

How to Start a No Letting Go Franchise

If you’re interested in becoming a No Letting Go Franchisee, and joining our team of successful business owners, here’s how the process goes;

  • We’ll start with an informal chat over the phone.
  • We can then meet up to get to know you and explain the funding options available.
  • The next step is to put you in contact with an existing franchisee so you can get an insight into what a franchise with us is like.
  • We’ll then review your financial projection and make a decision.

Finally, you will receive your training pack, ready to get started!

 

Become a No Letting Go Franchisee

No Letting Go is a leading inventory management company for letting agents, landlords and property professionals. We provide unbiased property reports, checks and check in/check out services for our clients across the UK.

If you’re looking for a franchise opportunity with high income, a quick return on investment, and low set-up costs, then get in touch via our property franchise page.

No Letting Go have entered the ESTAS for 2020, and now we need you to cast your votes!

The ESTAS Customer Service Awards are one of the biggest events in any property professional’s calendar. Celebrating exceptional customer service across the property sector, from estate agents to conveyancers and industry suppliers, the ESTAS help companies like ours maintain a high standard of care.

Here’s more about the awards and how you can get involved;

Update: No Letting Go Shortlisted for ESTAS Awards

We’d like to thank you all for your support over the last few months, your votes really made a difference as we are proud to announce that No Letting Go have been shortlisted for the ESTAS awards as a supplier to the Letting industry.

The No Letting Go team will be attending the awards dinner this May, so check our social media channels for updates.

What are the ESTAS?

The annual ESTAS awards take place in Spring and Autumn, attracting the top players in the UK’s property and lettings industry.

The purpose of the awards programme is to celebrate excellent customer service and recognise the companies going above and beyond for their clients.

How Does it Work?

Once a company has signed up to the ESTAS programme, they are then open to receive feedback from their clients and customers.

The awards are based purely on feedback from customers, ensuring honesty and transparency in the voting process. All reviews and votes will be verified by the ESTAS group.

Once all reviews and votes are counted and compared across the other property companies in the running, the winners are celebrated at the prestigious ESTAS awards ceremony.

The ESTAS Awards Ceremony

Over 1000 guests gather for the ESTAS Estate & Letting Agent Awards in May where property TV personality, Phil Spencer presents the award.

The ESTAS conveyancer awards are held in October.

Why Should I Vote?

For landlords and property professionals, reviewing the companies you work with will help improve overall customer service in the industry.

By providing honest feedback from clients and customers, the platform encourages agencies in the property industry to constantly improve their customer care. The official ESTAS stamp means that all feedback is authorised and regulated.

At No Letting Go, keeping track of our performance only makes us want to strive for more and provide the best services for our clients.

For prospective tenants, the home moving process can be stressful and complicated without a little help from the right places. The ESTAS provide a platform for honest feedback, helping you find trusted professionals. This gives you the peace of mind you need that your chosen property professionals are up to scratch.

Why No Letting Go?

At No Letting Go, we’re dedicated to providing the best customer service for our clients and customers. Across all of our branches throughout the UK, our franchisees receive extensive training in how to deliver our services and put the customer at the heart of everything they do.

Here’s a little reminder about the services we provide;

Professional Inventory Services

We offer a professional, unbiased property inventory service to help settle disputes through effective negotiation and provide the evidence needed for end of tenancy deposit claims. Using the very latest technology and audit tracking, our reports act as your compliance manager, including relevant health and safety checks.

 

Health and Safety Reports

Health and safety reports include Smoke and C0 reports, HHSRS and Legionella risk assessment.

Mid-Term Reports and Inspections

Reports and inspections ensure tenants are meeting their contractual obligations. They also check the wear and tear of a property and assess the satisfaction of tenants.

Pre-Check Outs

Our pre-check out service ensures that tenants are aware of how the property is expected to be returned at the end of the tenancy. This helps to prevent disputes before issues arise.

Open House Viewings

We can provide and facilitate property viewings on the landlord or estate agent’s behalf.

UK Branches

We have over 65 No Letting Go offices throughout the UK lead by dedicated franchisees with excellent knowledge of the local property market.

At local level, we pride ourselves in the turnaround time of our services. We achieve better or equal returns of our reports with our service level agreement time over 98.4% of the time.

Real Time Support

We offer real-time support for landlords and property professionals via a live and online support centre to get you the help you need instantly.

Latest Property Technology

We use the latest in property inventory systems to collect, prepare, report and manage information. The Kaptur system is designed for busy property professionals, helping to streamline your workload.

Previous Awards and Recognition

We’re proud to be Lettings Supplier of the Year 2016 and Best Inventory Supplier 2009 award winners. We’re also accredited by Safe Contractor, the British Franchise Association (BFA), Property Redress Scheme (PRS) and are regulated by Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA:PropertyMark).

Supporting No Letting Go

No Letting Go have an exceptional record for reliability, quality and professionalism. We have had less than 0.001% of reports losing a dispute since we started (as reported to us) and had no reported full lost cases as a result of using the complete No Letting Go service.

But don’t just take our word for it! Head over to our website where you can find customer testimonials and a full list of our property management services.

If you’ve worked with us or used any of our services, we’d love some feedback! Vote in the ESTAS awards 2020 to get your voice heard!

International Women’s Day is held on the 8th March each year with the aim of re-addressing gender imbalances and recognising the achievements of women across the globe.

With International Women’s Day campaigns kicking off this week, what better time to celebrate some of the most successful female franchisees in the No Letting Go network?

Many of our successful No Letting Go branches across the UK are run by women. We spoke to some of these flourishing branch owners to get their insights into their experiences as women in the property industry.

Celebrating the achievements of women in property and lettings, we’re turning the spotlight onto No Letting Go’s most successful female franchisees.

International Women’s Day History

Before we dive in, here’s a brief history of the development of the day.

The International Women’s Day movement is growing from strength to strength each year.

The movement took its first steps back in 1909 in the US with the first National Woman’s Day, inspired by working women’s protests against poor conditions in the garment industry.

The first International Women’s day took place in 1911 and was celebrated by over a million women and men demanding women’s right to vote, to hold public office and to end discrimination at work.

It was 1975 when the United Nations implemented a recognised International Women’s Day to be marked on the 8th March each year. The International Women’s Day 2019 theme is all about “balance for better”. The idea behind this slogan is to foster a more equal gender balance around the world.

Women in Property

With the recent focus in the media on the gender pay gap, it was revealed that women working for estate agents and consultancies can earn up to 58% less than their male counterparts. These pay gap figures are above the national average, indicating that something needs to be done to ensure more women are filling senior roles.

According to the National Association of Estate Agents, 3 in 4 salespeople are men, however lettings is a more female dominated sector.

Thankfully, businesses are beginning to introduce flexible working and put more effort into re-balancing their hiring processes. The Bisnow property site’s ‘51 most influential women in UK real estate’ also points to women making waves in the industry.

No Letting Go is proud to champion successful women in property. We interviewed some of the most successful female No Letting Go franchise owners for their perspective on the industry;

Rachel Farr, No Letting Go Bath

Rachel purchased the No Letting Go Bath franchise in 2014, and by 2016, was already delivering 200 property reports every month.

Rachel and the rest of the Bath team have a reputation in the area for reliability, quality and excellent customer service.

How did you get into the property business?

‘I started working as a property/refurbishment manager doing up buy to lets for clients living and working abroad. I was in procurement and marketing for many years before moving into property’.

What do you consider to be the greatest success in your property career?

‘Growing and managing a business whilst having two small children and through two pregnancies.’

What do you attribute this success to?

‘A great business partner and building good client relationships.’

Do you have any female career role models?

‘Anyone who is a working mum and who manages to juggle everyday life and run a successful business in any industry.’

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

‘A good work-life balance, no day is the same and I get to meet new people’.

What are your future career plans?

‘To build and grow the business we have by taking on more employees to offer a greater range of services.’

Rachel’s impressive list of accolades include; No letting Go Best Regional Office, Busiest Office, Customer Service, Franchisee of the Year and a nomination for the Woman Franchisee 2017 EWIF awards.

Alison Hardy, No Letting Go Swindon

Alison Hardy became a No Letting Go franchise owner along with her husband over eight years ago. Since then, the pair have been busy winning their own clients and building their business in the Swindon area.

What has been the biggest success of your property career?

‘Winning all our own clients, having one of the lowest percentages of national contract work, and winning marketing and customers service awards from No Letting Go.’

Alison attributes this success to; ‘immense pride in the No Letting Go brand, a lot of flexibility, adaptability, resilience and hard work’.

What has been the greatest challenge?

‘Getting into agents that use local competition or do the work themselves and maintaining motivation with lower paid national contract work which is driven by volume sales across the whole network of offices.’

Have you ever felt any advantages or disadvantages to being a woman in the property industry?

‘None whatsoever. Especially compared to previous career roles in large organisations.’

Do you have any female career role models?

‘I have had many over the years and like to think that I have used the experience of working with such positive role models to empower me to be a little bit of each of them… and at least the best I can be!’

Do you think there is an equal gender balance in the industry?

‘Yes. But in relation to the structure/ranks they sit in is a very different answer. But that is an observation of the Lettings Industry as a whole and in no way a reflection of our franchise business which, of course, is equal as we [Alison and her husband] are joint business partners.’

What do you think needs to change in the property industry?

‘Greater understanding from the government, more mandatory regulation, compliance standards and best practice that brands like NLG can deliver on. These expectations would improve the recognition of what we do and it’s key relevance in the process for agents, landlords and tenants alike.’

What is your favourite thing about your job?

‘Being responsible for generating our own workload, a portfolio of clients and building something ourselves (albeit with the backing of a proven brand identity). Also, the sheer diversity of properties we attend. We can be in a rambling country farmhouse with outbuildings and paddocks and then on through some gorgeous countryside to a swanky penthouse or urban apartment in the same few hours. No two days are ever the same which is exactly the same when it comes to our agent clients, landlords and tenants so it’s a great mix for the property mad and if you are a people person all rolled into one!’

Has the property industry changed since you started?

‘Yes. More people want to rent, more agents want to do things properly, everyone wants contractors to do things for as little as possible. The government is trying to bring in changes that are causing increases in rent and lack of affordability on a monthly basis rather than via fees charged in the first place.’

Alison and her husband are currently in the second stint of a five-year franchisee renewal cycle and are considering their options for the future.

Virginia Chrapowski, No Letting Go Edinburgh

Virginia became the owner of the No Letting Go Edinburgh branch along with her husband when looking for a way to escape her busy job and make a living in preparation for their retirement.

After a tricky first year, the business is moving in the right direction and seeing some great successes.

How did you get into the property industry?

‘Myself and my husband both wanted to leave our previous roles and work for ourselves. I previously worked in the Scottish ambulance service as a paramedic which was a very physical job, requiring me to work night shifts. The No Letting Go franchise opportunity was something we could both do together. We visited the Aberdeen franchise show, did lots of investigative work and eventually decided on No Letting Go due to lower start up costs and great support.’

What has been the biggest success of your property career?

‘We did well last year. Every time we win a new account we celebrate with a bottle of bubbly!’

What has been the greatest challenge?

‘Learning to run a business and keeping accounts as this was a big career change. Our next big challenge will come in May when all the students leave and we have to manage hundreds of properties in less than two weeks. Interviewing and taking on part-time clerks has been another challenge, although I have previous teaching experience which made this easier.’

Have you ever felt any advantages or disadvantages to being a woman in the property industry?

‘No, not particularly. Especially compared to previous roles I’ve had where I worked in a more archaic, masculine environment.’

Do you think there is an equal gender balance in the industry?

‘I’m not sure about the industry as a whole, but I seem to work with more women agents.’

Do you have any female career role models?

‘My family has a very strong work ethic. My daughter is very hard working, that’s just how we were brought up, I hope I’ve passed that onto my children.’

What is your favourite thing about your job?

‘I like the admin side of working in the office, something I wish I had more time to do!’

Virginia and her husband have no plans to throw in the towel for the foreseeable future, aiming to keep building the business until they reach the age of 70 (at least).

Claire Parfitt, No Letting Go Portsmouth

Claire Parfitt of No Letting Go, Portsmouth purchased a No Letting Go franchise with her husband in 2017.

How did you get into the property industry?

‘After graduating I moved to London and worked in the recruitment sector for a while before taking a job as an inventory clerk for a large estate agent. After a few years my husband and I moved from London to Hampshire and I continued to work as an inventory clerk but in house for a local estate agent and then self-employed, working for a few small inventory companies. My children were young at the time and I worked part time to fit in with their needs.’

What do you attribute your success to?

‘I had 13 previous years’ experience in the industry and a good local knowledge having worked for local agents. I also worked for the previous owners of the franchise for 3 years prior to us taking over. My experience has been combined with my husband’s experience outside of the industry.’

What has been your greatest challenge at work?

‘Currently the greatest challenge is recruiting and training suitable staff’.

Have you noticed any advantages or disadvantages of being a woman in the property industry?

‘Having children can impact the job roles a woman may consider as not all roles are easily adaptable to family life.’

Do you think there is an equal gender balance in the industry?

‘Yes, generally, although working part time around family life may affect sales target roles within the industry.’

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

‘Being my own boss.’

Has the property industry changed since you started?

‘When the tenancy deposit scheme was introduced in 2007 it meant that more landlords were using proper inventory companies to complete their inventories which increased business. The increase in online estate agents has changed the dynamic of the industry and high street agents are having to adapt to compete.’

A Franchise with No Letting Go

From the successful female franchisees we spoke to, juggling work and family life was the main issue faced by women. However, each franchise owner asserted that they felt little to no disadvantage to being a woman in the industry with No Letting Go.

Is a franchise for you?

Franchising allows you to hit the ground running by offering tailored training and support. You don’t need any previous industry experience as No Letting Go provide everything you need to get started, as well as the backing of a well-established and trusted brand.

If you’re interested in joining the No Letting Go franchise network, request an information pack or call back to find out more.

No Letting Go is expanding. With over 65 branches spread across the UK, we are always striving to be the first stop for the nation’s property reporting needs.

Our professional property inventory services are now reaching further afield, with two new offices recently opening in Hertford and Basingstoke. Let us introduce you to the newest members of the No Letting Go team.

No Letting Go Hertford

The new branch of No Letting Go in Hertford, Hertfordshire is being headed up by Moira Hendrick. Moira is an experienced property reporting specialist with a great local knowledge of the property market in the surrounding area. Coming from a background of customer service, administration and management, Moira is well practiced in providing an excellent service for her clients.

When searching for a property franchise opportunity, Moira came across the No Letting Go scheme. According to Moira; “No Letting Go stood out because of reputation, low start up costs and support”. She is looking forward to building her business with the help of her experienced clerk, Danny.

The Hertford team pride themselves on going the extra mile for customers, accommodating last minute bookings whenever they can. They welcome any property agent or landlord to get in touch.

Contact: [email protected]
07950 007 004

No Letting Go Basingstoke

The new No Letting Go Basingstoke office in Hampshire is run by married couple Rob and Margaret Rymill. While the pair have followed very different career paths, their knowledge of the local area has put them in a fantastic position to lead this branch. Rob has a background in the electronics industry in sales and marketing, while Margaret has spent her career teaching 3-6 year olds in a range of settings.

Both Rob and Margaret hope to spend the next 12 months developing their knowledge of the industry to establish No Letting Go as a centre for property management in the Basingstoke area.

Contact: [email protected]
07957 187 268 / 07538 111 718

What is a Property Franchise?

Franchising is the process of buying a ready-made start-up, allowing franchisees to launch their own businesses with the added support and security of a well-known company behind them. A franchise with No Letting Go offers training, branding and the expert knowledge to get your business off on the right foot.

Our Property Management Services

No Letting Go provide a range of professional, unbiased services to help property professionals, lettings agents and landlords manage their investments.

From Legionella risk assessments and CO reports to right to rent checks and vacant property inspections – No Letting Go are here to guarantee no stone is left unturned.

We specialise in property inventory management for which we provide a comprehensive written and photographic report of all items within a property. Using the latest technology to ensure landlords and their representatives recover all costs against tenant deposits, No Letting Go provides a trusted service.

To find out how No Letting Go could help, browse our list of property management services today.

The London to Brighton Bike Ride on 21st June meant that No Letting Go could showcase our finest athletes’ talents over the gruelling 54 mile charity event, which saw us raise an impressive £1000 for the British Heart Foundation.

Nick, Jennie, Gary (Head Office), and Satinder (Docklands) all joined the other 22,000 cyclists on the ride from Clapham Common down to Brighton sea front, being led by foundation ambassador Pippa Middleton in order to help the British Heart Foundation fund its research into coronary heart disease. This is one of the UK’s biggest killer diseases and just makes the efforts put in by the team all the more heroic.

The team started at separate points of the race, with Satinder unfortunately being the “lone wolf” of the four, but all were reunited at the end to be greeted by their children. No doubt they have all made their families very proud. The amount of money raised means we need to give the team members tremendous congratulations on their selfless fundraising activities, well done!

This month we would like to introduce you to Debbie Chapman who works with Lisa and Lorraine in Quality Control & Training. We are not sure how much of an introduction Debbie needs, given that she has been around as long as we have!

Debbie was already working with Nick Lyons at the time No Letting Go was formed, so we have to cast our minds back quite a distance for life before the partnership. However, there was certainly life before No Letting Go and Debbie says a highlight was the seven years which she worked at the Brands Hatch Racing Circuit.

We’re used to seeing Debbie hard at work every day in the office so she could be excused for enjoying a bit of slow paced relaxation in her own time. As it is, this is very much not the case and instead, Debbie enjoys motorbiking, and gardening as well as working on and holidaying at the Spanish villa which was built five years ago and she has been heavily involved in designing.

We asked Debbie if she won the lottery, what is the first thing she would buy? It came as little surprise that her first choice wasn’t your typical response as she would begin by investing in a new cement mixer for the villa!

Debbie has given blood a remarkable 53 times and also had the glamorous task of managing the winners’ podium at Brands Hatch, which included organising the champagne and trophies!

Photo source: smithsracing.co.uk

Today we get to know better Kelly Ives,  the CRM Assistant here at No Letting Go, who joined the team in August 2014. She works closely alongside Jenny, our Account Manager, helping with the job booking in the central area, dealing with bookings and answering queries from clients. It’s a highly versatile role and the two work brilliantly as a team to deliver on all manner of requests.

Prior to working with us, Kelly worked as the Academy secretary for Gillingham Football Club. Hardly a life-long fan, Kelly didn’t even know there was a football club in Gillingham until going for a job near her hometown of Walderslade!

She spent six years with the club until choosing to move closer to London with her boyfriend and seven year old son, Lucas. Gillingham’s loss was our gain as this brought Kelly into contact with No Letting Go, where she has added a lot of fun and strength to our team.

No longer needing to support Gillingham, and outright refusing to accompany her Millwall boyfriend’s trips to the Den(!), Kelly and her family enjoy making the most of local farms and zoos with Lucas and plenty of gigs and music festivals on the odd occasion that they are off parent duty.

Fun fact:

Kelly was with Gillingham on their victorious Wembley trip as they pushed for promotion in 2009. ‘It was all down to me’ Kelly assures us!

Photo source: telegraph.co.uk