Founded in 2001 Ableworld has developed into a network of stores spanning the length and breadth of the UK, providing their customers with mobility aids to allow them to continue to live as independently as possible.
From their retail outlets Ableworld offer customers a large selection of quality mobility and homecare products at value-for-money prices and exceptional levels of service and aftercare.
Their products which range from walking sticks to hi-spec mobility scooters, from back supports to stairlifts, are all designed to give customers greater independence and improved quality of life.
Ableworld started franchising in 2008 after having developed a chain of company-owned stores.
Approximately half the network is franchised and this is expected to increase over the next few years as they take advantage of the highly beneficial demographic and economic factors in this growing retail sector.
Franchisees run a mobility store that is open to the public during normal retail hours.
The job is essentially that of a specialist retailer; helping customers find the right product for their needs.
Usually a store has three people, one of them a stairlift engineer who quotes, fits and maintains stairlifts.
This role can be done by the franchisor themselves or an employee, either way full training is given.
Ableworld’s in-house stairlift business provides a complete service from initial assessment through to the fitting and maintenance of high quality reliable stairlifts.
An Ableworld Franchise offers prospective Franchisees the opportunity to invest in both sides of the business - a retail store outlet and the accompanying stairlift business in a defined, generous, franchise territory.
Ableworld’s comprehensive eight week training programme covers all areas of the business. It is available for one or two people and franchisees are trained on products, systems, engineering (for the stairlift side of the business) as well as internal and external aspects of running the business and a store.
Wherever possible the training is conducted by experienced Ableworld managers in the real world and actual working environment.
An Ableworld Franchise can be started with as little as £75K. The franchise proposition has been approved by all the main high street banks who specialise in franchise lending and finance (subject to status) can be arranged for up to 70% of the total investment which means that franchisees can have a Full Ableworld Franchise with as little as £25K funds of their own.
Franchisees come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience. As for qualifications, whilst Ableworld have people in their organisation who have very strong academic qualifications they also have equally successful people whose skills and qualifications are more experienced based.
The ideal franchisee will need to have the desire, energy and determination to build their own ethically-based business in the mobility sector.
They will have an enthusiastic customer service mentality and want to make a difference to people’s lives through providing quality products and services that people can afford.