Best mobile, van-based and vending franchises in 2024

A vending franchise offers a tried-and-tested business on wheels - it’s perfect for entrepreneurs not content with sitting in an office all day long! Here’s everything you need to know about running your own mobile or van based business

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Mobile businesses are becoming increasingly more popular. They allow for greater range (you can go anywhere!), advertising on-the-go (vehicle wraps, anyone?), and can extend a company’s presence without having to invest in another brick-and-mortar building, which can often be unaffordable for small businesses.

Of course, mobile businesses mean mobile franchise opportunities. Perhaps you want to invest in something modern, mobile, and money-making. If so, a mobile franchise just might be the thing for you.

But what is a mobile business, anyway? And which options are currently available in the UK?

In this guide, we answer all these questions and more. Keep reading to see how you can turn wheels and profits.

What is a mobile business?

Mobile businesses: what are they, exactly? Are they cellular-based businesses, as in, companies that operate through a mobile phone or other mobile devices?

Not quite.

A mobile business is any business that sells a product or service — while on wheels. This niche can include delivery services, food trucks, mobile cleaning services, and anything else whose primary work gets done while in a van, delivery truck, trailer, food truck, camper, etc.

Top delivery and courier franchises

Some examples of mobile businesses include:

• Coffee carts
• A mobile retail store
• HVAC maintenance
• Car detailing
• Catering
• Event planning
• Flea market vendor
• Cell phone repair
• Mobile hair or makeup artist

The list goes on! If you can move your operation to one on wheels, you’re in the business of mobile — it’s that easy.

 

Pros and cons of running a mobile or van based franchise

What’s so great about mobile franchising? Whatever happened to the good old days of four walls and a rent payment? Plus, are there any caveats to owning a mobile franchise versus a brick-and-mortar one?

These are all excellent queries.

The realities of owning a mobile franchise

 

Pros

There are several benefits of having a business on wheels. For starters, some of the positives include:

• Mobility, which allows you to try different locations, bring your business to the people, and have a more flexible schedule
• Price — The cost of a vehicle can range from £3,500 to £18,000 and doesn’t have to include property taxes, area maintenance, building insurance, etc.
• A niche inventory that allows you to test the market and innovate quickly without significant loss

For someone who wants to own an operation without expelling so much money, a mobile franchise is the perfect middle ground. It allows franchisees to get a taste of a company without the commitment of rent payment. It also leaves room for changing and growing with the client base and current demands.

Of course, there are still some considerations, as with any business.

Cons

For one, there are gas payments that will need to get included in the budget, as well as commercial vehicle insurance. There’s also the responsibility for any maintenance or repairs on the vehicle.

Additionally, you don’t exactly have a free range of the area — certain regions require permits for parking and can have a limit on hours or days. It’s important to check local laws before posting up in a specific spot.

Finally, your marketing tactics will need to be proactive so that current and potential customers can easily find you. Without a set location that your clients can visit, you’ll need to be clear about where you’ll be and how to reach you. It’s essential to have clear communication — through social media, a website, etc. — so there’s no confusion.

One way to get marketing that’s essentially free? Visit festivals and local events as often as possible. The event coordinators will already be marketing that event, to which you’ll be an attendee.

One significant, more recent benefit of mobile businesses: the ability to social distance

With coronavirus taking a toll on businesses worldwide, companies are forced to innovate to follow smart social-distancing guidelines.

Mobile businesses already have a leg-up on those shops that are stuck in one location. Mobile businesses allow customers to order from outside — where there’s plenty of fresh air and room to separate by six feet — and move along. If you want to make your space a little cosier, you can easily add chairs and tables outside your vehicle in well-spaced-out spots.

Even when the distancing guidelines brought forth by COVID are over, many people will prioritise this safer method of ordering products and services.

What mobile franchises are available in the UK?

Now that you have a better idea of mobile franchises — what they are, their benefits, their downfalls — let’s get into what types of mobile franchise opportunities are available to you in the United Kingdom.

Jasper’s Catering

Jasper’s Catering is a fantastic example of a franchise that operates a busy, full operation, all while on-the-go. It primarily caters to corporate businesses, providing health and delicious buffets, snack platters, and lunches.

The brand’s high-quality food, combined with their professional and seamless delivery, makes it a successful mobile business. Because of its popularity, the two franchise owners are intent on growing their business through franchising. The demand for both group and individual meals is there, and Jasper’s makes ordering and receiving easy on its customers.

To get started with Jasper’s, expect to put down a minimum investment of £91,644. The first year’s earnings typically come out to £25,280, with the opportunity to earn up to £136,620 within four years.

Moving Home Made Easy

The moving market is a constant. Someone, somewhere, will always require moving services, making moving companies a worthwhile consideration. Moving Home Made Easy is the UK’s one-stop-shop for these services!

This company boasts a profitable, one-person operation that promises low overheads. The business also guarantees that starting a franchise with them is easy enough that a novice could do it.

What’s so great about franchising with Moving Home Made Easy? The initial start-up fees are minimal and the outlay requirement is affordable. Costs include staffing, uniforms, insurance, vehicles, and not much else — making management by one person entirely possible.

The franchise fee, or initial investment, sits at £25,000. Your earnings can increase by employing more vehicles and jobs completed, the different territories you take over, your quality sales leads, and more.

Speaking Roses

Speaking Roses is further evidence that any type of business can be on wheels.

This unique floral business originally started in the US, now has locations around the world. The franchise opportunity in the UK, at an affordable price, is there.

Speaking Roses provides both domestic and corporate industries with personalized, fresh flowers, which are created on technology patented by the company itself. Speaking Roses can print words and/or images directly onto flowers — who needs cards anymore?

The minimum investment cost for this business is a low one: £7,990. You can choose from various licensing packages that cover a range of prices, depending on factors like business goals and levels of experience.

Look for franchising territories all over the UK!

Wiltshire Farm Foods

Wiltshire Farm Foods is different from your average catering business. The company’s goal is to take the work out of meal prep — delivering frozen, ready-to-go meals right to someone’s door. Wiltshire Farm Food’s primary market is the elderly, giving these folks the opportunity to have delicious and nutritious meals delivered right to them.

This franchising brand is owned by a successful food manufacturer in the UK, Apetito UK. They are currently the UK’s primary delivery food franchisor with over 80, non-competing territories throughout. They’ve carved themselves a stable space in the mobile franchise industry.

With Wiltshire Farm Foods, getting started in the franchise is straightforward, assisted, and supported throughout the process. Investment costs vary, depending on the size of your desired operation.

Expect to invest about £150k for an average-sized operation with an expected cash flow of about 10%-15% in the first year. Turnover opportunities currently sit in the £600k-£1.5m range.

InXpress

As of October 2020, InXpress is on its 100th franchisee! This number comes after 21 years of franchising efforts by the global shipping company. Franchise owners can manage the entire operation without ever having to touch or handle a package themselves.

There are several benefits to this mobile franchise, from the easy work-from-home capabilities (all you need is a phone and a laptop with WiFi!), low overhead, lucrative repeat businesses, easy expansion, and much more.

Joining this franchise requires a minimum investment of £35,000, with an additional £15,000 in working capital.

Mobile and van-based franchises: check out these proven opportunities on wheels

 

Are you ready to invest in your own mobile franchise opportunity?

Mobile businesses — and therefore, mobile franchises — aren’t going anywhere. If anything, they’re only increasing in popularity, especially with the unprecedented times the world is currently going through. Mobile businesses allow patrons a safe space to purchase goods or services and allow owners/operators to make money without being stuck in one place.

Never has another business idea been so flexible!

After reading this guide, are you more interested than ever in taking on a mobile franchise? Do you still have questions, or are you seeking more information about what franchising entails?

At What Franchise, we’ve collected a slew of advice, FAQs, and more, regarding franchising, all in one convenient place.

Click here to ask a question, or peruse those already posted to get further insight into this industry.