Steve Lee is Managing Director of The Franchise Consultant (TFC), a bfa Advisor Member franchise consultancy working with UK business owners at every stage of the franchising journey. Based in Yorkshire, Steve leads the TFC team across franchise development, franchisee recruitment, and client support, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in retail, food, and digital marketing at management and board level.
Background
Steve’s career spans over three decades in business, from hands-on customer-facing roles through to senior operations and board-level leadership. For 14 years he served as Operations Director at an international digital marketing company that formed part of the IPG Group, one of the world’s largest marketing and communications groups. In that role he oversaw an average of 100 employees, managed supplier and partner relationships, and led the business through a period of sustained growth.
After his time in digital marketing, Steve took a different route into his next chapter, buying a franchise in business brokerage. Working directly with business owners on valuation, sale preparation, and exit strategy gave him a sharper understanding of what makes a business genuinely transferable and commercially attractive, experience that now informs how he assesses franchising suitability with TFC clients.
That grounding in operational leadership, business ownership, and commercial advisory work forms the foundation of his approach to franchise consultancy.
Experience in franchising
As Managing Director of The Franchise Consultant, Steve oversees all aspects of the business, from franchise development projects with first-time franchisors to ongoing franchisee recruitment campaigns for established networks. TFC is a bfa Advisor Member, a credential held by a small number of consultancies that meet the British Franchise Association’s standards for professional practice and ethical conduct. The team’s combined experience across franchising, marketing, operations, and business development totals more than 100 years.
TFC’s approach under Steve’s leadership prioritises honest assessment of franchising suitability. TFC does not take on clients whose businesses are not genuinely ready to franchise, a position that distinguishes the consultancy from volume-led competitors.
Credentials
- Managing Director, UK Franchise Consultants Ltd (trading as The Franchise Consultant)
- bfa Advisor Member, British Franchise Association
- Over 30 years at management and board level across retail, food, and digital marketing
- Former Operations Director, international digital marketing company, IPG Group (14 years)
- Former franchisee, business brokerage sector, business valuation and exit strategy
Bought In
Steve is the author of Bought In: How Franchising Saved My Career, Built My Life, and Why It Might Be the Best Decision You Ever Make, a book combining memoir and practical guidance on franchising for business owners. Drawing on his own career in business and his work with TFC clients over the years, the book is written for anyone considering franchising as a route to growth, whether as a franchisor or a franchisee.
The book is available on Kindle via Amazon. For more information, including upcoming events and paperback availability, visit boughtin.co.uk.
Articles and insights
Steve writes on franchising topics across the TFC website, covering everything from assessing whether a business is ready to franchise to what drives successful franchisee recruitment. His articles are published in the News & Insights section.
Connect with Steve
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sdlee
To book a call with Steve directly: tfc.mobi/ctcal
Or use the TFC contact page.
Outside of work
Steve lives in Esholt, Yorkshire, with his wife, six children, a rescue dog from Bulgaria, and two cats, so quiet moments are few and far between. A self-confessed sports enthusiast, he can usually be found watching whatever is on, though he is at his happiest when he manages to get away to the North Yorkshire coast.