It’s never easy to select the right franchise opportunity from a choice of brands, so it’s good to find a franchise that can deliver practical solutions to help the decision-making process.

That’s what Oli Bramley, founder of Kikoff Football, has done. He’s worked with an accountancy firm to develop a comprehensive spreadsheet to assist potential franchise buyers.

“In the early stages franchise buyers need some insights on the financial side of the business opportunity so they can make an informed decision,” Oli says.

Once someone is interested enough in the business to pay a deposit and sign a non-disclosure agreement, Kikoff provides the spreadsheet that they can use to input their personal finances.

The potential franchisee feeds in the relevant data, starting with their investment and the number of football fields they want to operate.

How Kikoff helps franchisees forecast financials

A franchise buyer can estimate potential business according to the size of the site, the capacity for annual growth and can add in expenses such as loan repayments for financing the business, rent and wages.

“Our spreadsheet is structured to include all the key variables, based on the buyer’s finances. It’s all based on their figures, so they can see clearly how much revenue they need to make their loan repayments and other expenses,” Oli says.

With all the figures uploaded, a potential buyer can see where they might need to adjust their finances or their expectations.

And that’s where the financials spreadsheet can prove so useful, says Oli.

“The franchisee can discover the maximum amount of rent they can afford, according to the spreadsheet results, and that can guide them on finding the right site,” he explains.

Finding a suitable location is a major part of the purchasing process, so it helps to have a framework, both in terms of budget, and expert advice.

“Some of our potential franchisees will have an idea for a location or have a site already. With our 15 years of experience we can provide feedback on whether it is a viable option.

“Over the years we have seen different locations attract different customer profiles; some Kikoff sites focus on football leagues, others on coaching or casual booking. It all depends on the location and the demographics,” Oli says.

Budget affects location choice

Although the business is designed for an outdoor sports pitch, if space is limited, franchisees may consider indoor locations.

“The warehouse option can work in the right area. The challenge is a higher rent, so that has to be considered,” he says.

The franchisor also supplies a 20-page business plan template for franchisees. A franchisee can use this when applying for bank funding, or a site; councils generally need to see an operator’s business plan for any proposed location lease.

“We’ve had to counter council and residents’ opposition in the past so we’ve learned from those experiences. We can tell you if a site is too close to residents’ homes, for instance. And once a franchisee is signed up, we can help with lease negotiations.”

Kikoff aligns the franchise agreement with the lease term, and that can vary according to commercial firms and councils.

Full support to set-up the business

“That’s where we come in, with the early hurdles. We help franchisees get over these obstacles; the hardest part is getting the finance, and setting up. We will be involved all the way, providing full support to get a location up and running.”

In the planning stage, Kikoff can help with building guidelines and where to source building materials.

“We have preferred but not solus suppliers so we recommend what is cost-effective, what looks good and lasts,” Oli says.

“Once the site is built and open, the cashflow from day one is positive,” Oli says. “Franchisees need little working capital once the centre is open. The main costs might be paying back finance. And they can set our spreadsheet results to fit the length of the loan,” he points out.

Franchisees need to have access to at least $300,000 to build a small Kikoff centre with a single pitch. It can cost $800,000 for a large site.

“Yes, there is a substantial upfront investment however Kikoff’s returns can be fantastic. Unlike hospitality, which can be a similar investment, there isn’t the cost of food and beverages. Once the business is up and running it’s set up for 10 years – with a little maintenance,” Oli says.

“We are seeing prospective franchisees who have paid off their homes and are looking for a change of direction keen to investigate what Kikoff can offer. There is interest too from serial franchisees looking for new markets; they like the franchise model,” he says.

“With our easy-to-use spreadsheet as a guide, franchisees can identify what sized business will suit them best. Kikoff is a great business model,” Oli says.