FRANCHISING industry in Mindanao is growing, the Filipino International Franchise Association (Fifa) said.
Senior Franchise consultant Rudolf Kotik, in an interview with SunStar Davao, said that Mindanao-based firms engaged in franchising already reached nearly 100 players this year.
“Franchising here continues to boom, despite the challenges faced shaking the Mindanao economy, still, it’s business as usual,” he said.
He added that one proof the industry is growing is the successful staging of the 11th Mindanao Franchise Expo, which concluded on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at the Abreeza Ayala Mall. The three-day event opened last Friday, September 8.
However, Kotik noted that there is a significant decline of the total participating exhibitors this year as compared last year.
“We gathered only 30 exhibitors this year, as compared to 50 last year,” he said.
Kotik shared that most of the exhibitors who did not join this year are from Manila who are hesitant to participate because of the ongoing crisis in Marawi City, which put the whole of Mindanao in martial law. Manila-based exhibitors, Kotik said, usually comprise 50 percent of the total exhibitors of the expo.
The 11th Mindanao Franchise Expo, according to its website, aims to bring successful Franchising from Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and other parts of Mindanao and introduce new and promising concepts to the island.
This exhibition is a one-stop venue that connects aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners with new business opportunities, innovative business services and networking opportunities to help one grow and profit.
At present, there are some 1,400 franchising companies in the country, 300 of which are foreign firms.
“Of the 1,400, around 680 are my clients (under Fifa),” he said.
Some of the established and emerging Mindanao businesses who are into franchising are Phoenix Petroleum and Bigby’s.