On 10th June, businesses across the world will celebrate World Franchise Day, recognising the positive impact franchising has on entrepreneurs, local communities and economies worldwide.
Led by the World Franchise Council and supported in the UK by the British Franchise Association (BFA), World Franchise Day shines a spotlight on the people behind franchising success stories. Franchisees, franchisors and support networks all play a vital role in helping businesses grow stronger together.
At The Alternative Board, this celebration reflects exactly what we believe in.
Collaboration, shared experience and meaningful business support sit at the heart of everything we do.
Franchising has become one of the most effective ways for entrepreneurs to build successful businesses while benefiting from the support of an established brand, proven systems and a trusted network.
For many individuals, joining a franchise offers the best of both worlds. There is the independence of running your own business alongside the reassurance of ongoing support, training and shared expertise.
Unlike building a business entirely from scratch, franchising gives people access to:
That balance between independence and support is one of the reasons franchising continues to thrive in the UK and globally.
The BFA continues to champion ethical franchising standards across the UK, helping prospective franchisees identify trusted opportunities while supporting sustainable growth throughout the sector.
Today, franchising contributes billions to the UK economy and supports thousands of businesses and jobs nationwide.
The Alternative Board, better known as TAB, was founded in the United States in 1990 by entrepreneur Allan Fishman.
After experiencing firsthand, the value of having trusted peers around him to discuss business challenges, Fishman created a model designed to bring business owners together in confidential advisory boards where they could support, challenge and learn from one another.
What started as a single advisory board has grown into one of the world’s leading business coaching and peer advisory organisations.
TAB expanded into the UK in 2009, bringing its unique combination of peer advisory boards, business coaching and strategic facilitation to UK business owners.
Today, TAB operates in more than 25 countries worldwide, with over 400 franchisees supporting thousands of business owners every month. Across the UK, TAB continues to grow as more business leaders recognise the value of collaboration, accountability and strategic support.
A major part of the TAB UK story is the entrepreneurial journey of Ed Reid, now Managing Director and co-owner of TAB UK.
Before joining TAB, Ed built a successful career in senior sales, marketing and strategy roles with global brands including Nestlé and Diageo. He later moved into the SME sector as Sales and Marketing Director for a printing business.
Ed had seen how a peer board helped one of his bosses, who said his peer board meeting was the best meeting he had every month! So, when a TAB franchise opportunity was presented to Ed, he already knew how valuable it could be to business leaders.
What also attracted him was not simply the commercial opportunity, it was the philosophy behind the business.
TAB’s approach to helping business owners avoid isolation through peer support, coaching and accountability aligned closely with Ed’s own values and leadership experience.
Starting from the ground up, Ed built successful advisory boards in York and developed a thriving TAB territory. His experience as a franchisee gave him firsthand insight into the realities, opportunities and challenges involved in building a franchise business.
Then in 2017, Ed and business partner Mags Fuller acquired the UK master franchise rights for TAB UK, leading the next stage of growth for the business across Britain.
Since then, TAB UK has continued to strengthen its reputation as one of the UK’s leading business coaching and peer advisory franchises.
Today, TAB have supported more than 2,000 UK business owners through peer advisory boards, strategic support and business coaching.
While many franchise businesses focus primarily on products or retail operations, a TAB franchise offers something different.
TAB franchisees help business owners improve leadership, profitability, decision-making and work-life balance through facilitated peer advisory boards and coaching relationships.
TAB boards bring together non-competing business owners in a confidential environment where they can openly discuss opportunities, challenges and strategic decisions.
The value comes from collective experience.
Business owners are no longer trying to solve problems alone. Instead, they gain access to the insight, support and accountability of other experienced leaders.
In addition to peer advisory boards, TAB franchisees provide:
For many TAB franchisees, the attraction is about far more than financial success.
Many come from corporate leadership, entrepreneurial or consultancy backgrounds and are looking for a business that combines flexibility, purpose and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
One of the greatest strengths of franchising is community.
Running an independent business can often feel isolating. Franchise networks create an environment where people can learn from one another, share best practice and support each other through challenges and opportunities.
At TAB, collaboration sits at the centre of the culture.
TAB franchisees support one another, share experiences and work collectively to strengthen the wider network. That philosophy reflects the same approach we bring to our members’ advisory boards because nobody succeeds alone.
Being part of a franchise network also means continuous development and innovation. As markets evolve and business challenges change, franchisees benefit from shared learning, proven systems and national support structures that help them adapt effectively.
This is especially valuable in today’s business environment, where resilience, adaptability and strong leadership have never been more important.
World Franchise Day is ultimately a celebration of entrepreneurship, partnership and shared success.
It recognises the thousands of franchise businesses helping local communities thrive while creating opportunities for individuals to build successful futures with the support of established networks.
At TAB, we are proud to be part of a global franchise community that believes in collaboration over competition and people-first business growth.
As we celebrate World Franchise Day, we also celebrate the incredible franchisees, business owners and advisory board members who continue to make a positive difference every day.
Because great businesses grow stronger together.