What is a B2B Franchise?

Business-to-business (B2B) franchises target business clients primarily, rather than working with individual consumers.

B2B franchises offer products and services that businesses need to develop and grow. B2B companies operate in many industries, such as financial services, technology, manufacturing, construction, retail, telecommunications, insurance, healthcare, education, engineering, marketing, sales, and more.

B2B, short for business-to-business, is a sector of franchising that’s constantly growing each year, though this business type isn’t as visible as food or retail franchises. There is huge demand across all sectors for the services of b2b franchises.

Companies are focusing more and more on core business and are tempted to outsource support functions, with this trend being emphasized by the need to optimize expenses and increase efficiency and agility.

B2B franchises are crucial in making sure that businesses that keep us going are able to operate; and the COVID-19 has only cemented this. Sales-driven at their core, B2B franchises are the ones that make things happen.

There are a lot of reasons to consider investing in a B2B franchise opportunity:

• B2B franchises can establish mutually beneficial client relationships. They allow their owners to build strong relationships with other local businesses who depend on the goods or services of B2B franchises to keep their consumer-focused operations up and running. Securing this type of relationship is a win-win for both parties.
• This franchise type can develop long-term client loyalty. Whereas customer trends are constantly changing, B2B sectors tend to evolve at a much slower pace. A franchise may need longer to secure a sale, but once it’s established a relationship, it can benefit from ongoing client loyalty.
• There may be recurring revenue streams as clients become more loyal due to relationship building.
• Often these franchises allow owners to work from home, or from anywhere globally providing greater flexibility.
• Revenue sometimes can be generated from multiple streams and for varied sizes of businesses.
• Operations of most businesses are reliant on strong partnerships that are critical for continued business function

One of the more attractive things B2B franchise opportunities bring to the table has to do with cost. B2B franchises have some of the lowest upfront investment requirements of any franchise business sector.

While a low-investment franchise business opportunity can be attractive, in order for it to be a successful franchise business, you need to have the right skillsets. In the case of a B2B franchise, key attributes often include:

• Sales experience
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills
• Strong business acumen
• Pro-active attitude
• Leadership skills
• Customer centric
• High emotional intelligence
• A track record of success
• Highly organized

So, if you have strong sales experience, a can-do and winning attitude, and confidence in speaking to c-level executives and business owners, a franchise in the B2B space could be the right fit. In essence, a B2B franchise business is a sales business. And the role of the franchisee is one of business development.