If you are considering franchising your business and have started looking into who might help you do it, you will quickly find a wide range of consultancy firms competing for your attention. Some have been operating for decades, some are relatively new. Some focus on development, some on recruitment, some on both. Pricing varies considerably, and the way firms talk about themselves does not always make it easy to compare them properly.
This guide is an honest overview of the main franchise consultancy firms operating in the UK market. We have written it because we believe business owners make better decisions when they have clear information, and because the more you understand about the market, the better placed you are to choose the right partner for your situation , whether that turns out to be us or someone else.
What does a franchise consultant actually do?
Before looking at individual firms, it is worth being clear on what you are buying. Franchise consultancy broadly covers two distinct things, which are sometimes sold together and sometimes separately.
The first is franchise development: helping a business create the infrastructure it needs to become a franchise. That means designing the model, writing the operations manual, coordinating the legal agreements, and producing the materials needed to present the opportunity to prospective franchisees. This is a one-off project, and it is where the most significant upfront investment typically sits.
The second is franchisee recruitment: finding, qualifying, and introducing prospective franchisees on an ongoing basis. This can be structured as a retainer, a results-only arrangement, or a combination of the two. Some consultancies focus primarily on development, some on recruitment, and some offer both as a connected service.
Understanding which of these you actually need at your current stage is an important first step before engaging any consultancy firm.
What does it cost?
Pricing across the market varies considerably and most established consultancies do not publish fixed fees, because the scope of work genuinely differs from client to client. That said, it is useful to have a general sense of the range.
At the lower end of the market, some firms advertise franchise development packages from around £6,000 to £10,000. These packages typically deliver documentation , a franchise agreement, an operations manual, and a prospectus , but tend to involve less bespoke consultancy and limited ongoing support after delivery.
Mid-range full-service programmes from established consultancies typically fall between £15,000 and £30,000 for the development phase, with ongoing recruitment support structured separately, often on a retainer or results basis.
Premium consultancies working with more complex businesses, or those requiring a higher level of strategic input and post-launch support, can cost £40,000 or more for a comprehensive programme.
The honest truth is that the cheapest option is rarely the most economical one in the long run. A franchise model built on generic templates is harder to sell to quality franchisees and harder to support once you have them. The right question is not what is the cheapest way to become a franchisor, but what is the right investment to give this the best chance of working. Read more here about the cost of franchising in the uk.
The main consultancy firms
Ashtons Franchise Consulting
Ashtons Franchise Consulting (AFC) is one of the oldest franchise consultancy firms in the UK, having been established in 1981 and operating primarily from its base in Norwich. The firm holds bfa Advisor Member status and positions itself around a tailored, relationship-based approach, with a team that includes consultants who have personal experience as both franchisors and franchisees.
Ashtons offers an initial free exploratory conversation, after which it works from a menu of services covering franchise development, documentation, legal coordination, ongoing mentoring, and international expansion support. It is a firm that tends to attract businesses looking for a structured, methodical consultancy relationship over the longer term rather than a one-off project delivery.
Ashtons does not publish fees online. Based on public information, the firm positions itself as mid-market and relationship-focused, and works at the client’s pace and budget. It is worth asking specifically what is and is not included in any proposal, and how post-launch support is structured. Read more here about Ashtons Franchise Consulting
The Franchising Centre
The Franchising Centre is a well-established consultancy whose team collectively claims over 300 years of franchising experience. The firm has worked with a wide range of brands from start-up to significant scale, including some well-known UK networks, and its consultants include individuals with backgrounds in international franchise development.
The firm is notably transparent about its philosophy on pricing: it explicitly rejects fixed-price packages on the grounds that it is impossible to properly scope a franchise development programme without first understanding a business in depth. This is a reasonable position and one that signals a more consultative, bespoke approach. The firm states clearly that it is not the cheapest option on the market, and positions its value around the depth of expertise and the track record of the consultants involved.
The Franchising Centre is probably best suited to businesses that are looking for senior, strategic input and are comfortable with a tailored fee structure rather than a fixed package. Its international development expertise also makes it worth considering for brands with global ambitions.
Lime Licensing Group
Lime Licensing Group describes itself as the UK’s largest franchise consultancy firm, with regional offices covering ten areas of the UK as well as a joint venture operation in Canada. The firm holds bfa Advisor Member status, is a member of Licensing International, and has been involved in over 2,000 franchise sales across its history.
Lime’s offer spans franchise development, franchisee recruitment, and brand licensing, the latter being a capability that distinguishes it from many competitors focused purely on franchising. The firm also offers a price-match guarantee, committing to beat any quote from a competing consultancy firm.
The breadth of Lime’s regional network means it can offer a degree of local presence that smaller firms cannot match, which may be relevant if you are looking for a consultant who can engage with your business in person rather than predominantly remotely. As with most firms at this level, fees are quoted on enquiry rather than published. Read more here about Lime Licensing Group.
Familia
Familia is a relatively newer entrant to the market that distinguishes itself primarily through its founders’ background as franchisors rather than consultants. The business was built by people who scaled their own franchise network from one site to over 50, and the firm positions its advice as practical and experience-grounded rather than purely advisory.
Familia focuses particularly on franchisee recruitment and network growth, making it potentially more relevant to established franchisors looking to scale than to businesses franchising from scratch. The firm runs regular free online seminars and positions its pricing as transparent, though specific fees are quoted on enquiry. Its guide on franchising costs suggests that properly done franchise development in the UK typically costs £30,000 or more when all elements are included.
Familia’s strongest suit appears to be lead generation, sales pipeline management, and the recruitment cycle from enquiry to signed agreement. Businesses earlier in the development phase may find a more development-focused firm a better fit.
Fransquared
Fransquared is a smaller franchise consultancy working with what it describes as ambitious UK businesses on development, recruitment, and marketing support. The firm presents itself as a specialist consultancy that understands franchising deeply and can work alongside a business’s existing team to shape and execute a franchise strategy.
Fransquared does not publish pricing and operates at a level of the market where each engagement appears to be individually structured. It is a firm likely to appeal to businesses looking for a smaller, more hands-on consultancy relationship than some of the larger firms can offer.
What to consider when choosing
The most important thing to understand is that franchise consultancy is not a commodity. The quality of the work varies considerably across the market, and the cheapest option is rarely the same thing delivered for less money. It is more often a reduced scope of work delivered by less experienced people.
A few questions worth putting to any consultancy before engaging:
- How do you price your work, and how is it scoped? If a firm can give you a price before understanding your business in any detail, that tells you something about how bespoke the work is likely to be.
- What does your post-launch support look like? The development phase is the beginning of a franchise journey, not the end. What happens after the documentation is delivered matters.
- How many franchisees have your clients successfully recruited? Development skills and recruitment skills are different, and not every firm is equally strong at both.
- Are you a bfa Advisor Member? Membership of the British Franchise Association carries obligations and signals a commitment to ethical practice and bfa standards.
- Can I speak to existing clients? Any reputable firm should be willing to introduce you to clients who can speak honestly about their experience.
If you would like to understand how The Franchise Consultant approaches this differently, we are happy to have that conversation. There is no obligation and no sales pitch , just an honest discussion about whether we are the right fit for your business.
Steve Lee is Managing Director of The Franchise Consultant, a bfa Advisor Member franchise consultancy. He is the author of Bought In, a guide to buying and building a franchise business.