DED launches franchise management service

The announcement came at a press conference held today at the Department.

The new service launched by the Business Sector Development Division at the DED will focus on supplying support services to the Business Sector including individuals and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) interested in developing new and existing franchise businesses.

The Franchise Management Service will have special focus on home-based entrepreneurs and will expand the range of the (Intalaq) licence holders in order to enable them to acquire and manage franchises from home. In addition, it will also offer extensive support to Dubai-based businesses that may be interested in franchising their business for international markets.

"One of the most critical responsibilities of business owners is managing growth and this becomes increasingly significant as businesses move beyond national boundaries towards global expansion," said Khaled Al Kassim, Deputy Director General Planning and Development, DED.

"Building successful franchise networks within the country in addition to expanding to new markets internationally can only be achieved through systematic development of business practices that will meet the specific demands of targeted customers and clients. Through this service, the DED aims to work closely with new and existing franchisees to help them design, develop, and implement customised franchise systems to meet specific requirements," he added.

"The franchise management service has been set up with the objective to attract large international corporations to set up their regional base in Dubai and thus contribute to achieving higher economic growth. The DED aims to provide the business sector in Dubai with guidelines to design, develop, grow and manage domestic and international franchise systems," said Khalid Al Kassim.

"Through this service, we also aim to focus on employment creation opportunities for home based entrepreneurs. We will work closely with Intalaq licence holders in order to guide them through the process of identifying appropriate franchises that are suitable to them, applying for such franchises and then facilitate them to set and manage the franchises effectively," he said.

The DED's Franchise Management Service is expected to offer a bouquet of services including the setting up of a database of franchise opportunities, the setting up of a franchise research centre and support desks, the provision of franchise management training including the promotion of best practices in franchising and general awareness programmes about franchise management.

The DED also aims to work closely with national SMEs and SME support organisations like Al Tomooh to facilitate them in obtaining finance to set up their outlets. In addition, the franchise management service will play a support role in monitoring and evaluating the progress of newly established franchises.