Card Connection

  • Investment: £55,733

Card Connection is the UK’s leading greeting card franchise and is the ideal franchise for those looking for both a money making opportunity and a good lifestyle.

Card Connection

Stirling, Scotland
Seller Ref:FRA0106126566
  • Price: £55,733

Card Connection is the UK’s leading greeting card franchise and is the ideal franchise for those looking for both a money making opportunity and a good lifestyle.

Profile Information

Good Money Great Lifestyle!

If you are looking for a franchise with that golden combination of a ‘good money-making opportunity’ and ‘lifestyle’ look no further than Card Connection.

Card Connection is one of the UK’s largest card publishers and is the market leader in the franchise distribution of greeting cards.  The company was established in 1992 and within a few years grew to be the largest and most successful business supplying greeting cards on a consignment basis.  Viewed as one of the UK’s best run franchise operations, the company has been a full member of the British Franchise Association since 1995.

Using a proven system, franchisees place greeting card ranges in retail outlets on a ‘consignment’ basis.  This means the stock and display equipment is installed on free loan to the retailer.  This is one step beyond ‘sale or return’ as Card Connection customers never have to buy the stock in the first place, only paying for what they sell.  The award-winning merchandising service provided to retailer by local franchisees is second to none and has established the company’s excellent reputation especially within the convenience sector.

Franchisees have their own exclusive territory, calling on their customers typically on a monthly basis.

Customers include convenience stores, sub post offices, petrol station forecourts and staff restaurants in large offices.  There are 64 Card Connection Franchisees servicing 13,000 retail outlets in the UK and Ireland.

Card Connection’s National Account customer include Budgens, Londis, Nisa, Spar, BP, WH Smith, Bargain Booze, Shell and many more.

In 2008 Card Connection, became part of UK Greetings Limited (UKG), the UK’s largest card publisher, and the British subsidiary of American Greetings Inc., the world’s largest publicly owned greeting card company.

Good income from well established businesses

Card Connection has had a complete network for over a decade.  All territories sales are therefore re-sales, which mean they have a detailed sales history and an income from day 1.  All franchisees for sale have had a presale audit by Card Connection and are offered goodwill prices which should ensure a good income and return on capital.  Some territories are providing income in excess of £50,000pa.

Flexible Lifestyle

While your retail customers are trading throughout the day, and often into the night, you can merchandise them at hours convenient to you.

Outstanding Product Ranges

There are around 900 quality greeting cards in our range, which cover virtually every style and taste in the card market.  This means that a franchisee is able to tailor their displays to their retail customer’s requirements.

In addition, there are Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas ranges, plus Gift wrap, Gift Bags and Party.

Training And Support

Card Connection offers a comprehensive training programme.  Training is spread over several weeks and covers every aspect of the business in both the classroom and most importantly in the field.

In an on-going basis, every franchisee is supported by a Regional Sales Manager, who provides support and encouragement, as well as genuine business development within their territories.

Franchisees are encouraged to meet regularly, either through formal meetings/conferences or socially.

Who’s Ideal For Us?

Card Connection has limited vacancies for franchisees that are keen to run an exciting business.  Successful candidates would ideally have a strong desire to run their own business and are able to take on an existing business and breathe fresh enthusiasm into it.

Because the franchise networks in the UK and Ireland are complete, the available opportunities now consist of acquiring an already established territory from an existing franchisee.  These vary in price according to their level of development but start at £12,000 (+ stock).

If you’d like to be your own boss by breathing fresh enthusiasm into an existing business, please fill out the enquiry form below.

News / Success stories

LOOKING BEFORE YOU LEAP!

When Tony Nolan bought into a Card Connection greeting card franchise, he was in an excellent potion to understand fully what he was getting himself into. “I was doing part-time merchandising for one of their current franchisees who was ...

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PROFITING FROM A FOCUS ON PRODUCT

Although Card Connection’s Franchisee for Northampton Rakesh Joshi does not have the largest franchise territory in the greeting card supplier’s network, he certainly knows how to make the best of it when it comes to maximising his sales. ...

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Card Connection Looks to the Future!

In their first physical Conference for three years due to the worldwide pandemic, the great and the good of greeting card franchisor’s head office staff and its franchisee network finally got to meet up again.  It was great opportunity for coll...

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Top Accolade to Card Connection Franchisee who leaves his mark

At an emotional awards ceremony in Dublin, Card Connection franchisee Joe Sweeney posthumously won Retail Franchisee of the Year award at the prestigious Irish Franchise Association Awards It was bitter-sweet moment for Joe’s so...

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IT’S GOOD TO TALK!

Card Connection have celebrated a successful year across UK and Ireland by completing their network wide programme of December regional meetings, during which they were able to thank their franchisees for their contribution towards the network’s...

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Franchisees Continue to Triumph in Adversity

To say our world has changed over the past 20 months is probably the biggest understatement ever.  Everyone is painfully aware of the difficulties many sectors of the economy have suffered during the Covid pandemic, but there are examples...

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Card Connection Fly High at Franchise Awards

Whist on the day Card Connection narrowly missed out on the top spot in both the categories they were shortlisted for, they still ran the front runners a very tight race as finalists in the 2021 Best Franchise Awards. “We came equal seco...

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Faith in Humanity

Daryl Perkins our Nottingham franchisee and his partner Lucy have recently funded a local football team by purchasing their kit and instead of advertising their own business on these shirts, they insisted the Rainbows logo take full pride of place...

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Introducing Colin Brattan our Lake District Franchisee

mImagine spending your days working in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Lake District, the Scottish borders, the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Eden Valley….   Well Colin & Margaret Brattan do ...

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Card Connection helps ‘phoenix store’ rise from the ashes

This temporary structure may remind us of the Nightingale hospitals that sprang up last year, but for the residents of Holt village near Wrexham, this ‘pop up’ Budgens store was in many ways a just as much of a lifesaver. &ldqu...

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Bigger is Always Better for Card Connection Franchisee

When it comes to growing his business, Robin Brisbourne, Card Connection’s franchisee in North Wales has become the very definition of ‘Mr Consistent.’  In fact, his territory has shown growth in every year since he ...

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16 Years Taking Care of Business – Martin Sweeney

 After 16 year as a franchisee with greeting card supplier Card Connection, nothing gives Martin Sweeney more of a buzz than installing new displays, reviewing their sales and then challenging himself on how can improve them. His driv...

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Area of the Month – Stirling

The very heart of Scotland could all be yours if you have the ambition and drive to invest in Card Connection’s Stirling franchise.   You’ll be taking over an established business with many prestige customers including Spar, ...

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How do you grow business 14% in the same year as losing your largest customer?

That was the challenge facing Thayalan Markandu, Card Connection’s franchisee for Middlesbrough, when through no fault of his own he lost a chain of his most lucrative stores. A relative newcomer to the greeting card franchise networ...

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Keeping ahead of the competition

Colin and Penny Ellis have been with Card Connection for over 5 years and are still pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved from a well-run, established business.  In the past year, with all the challenges that COVID has thrown...

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The ‘New Normal’ in Greeting Card Sales?

Coronavirus has led to marked changes in people’s behaviour and this extends even to the greeting cards they are choosing to send. “We’ve seen some very obvious changes,” confirms Kelly Courtenay, Creative Director ...

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Making it a Great Christmas, Come What May!

In these uncertain Covid times, no matter how different this Christmas might be, one thing is guaranteed to remain reassuringly the same. “We have our usual full range of around 70 brand new designs on offer for Christmas 2020,&rdquo...

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Card Connection’s Greeting Card Franchisee for Aberdeen

bfa Community Hero Nomination:  Munawar Mohammed From Dundee to the tip of Scotland, Munawar’s franchise territory is huge. However, cards are so important for people to share special moments in their lives, that even in Lockd...

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Card Connection Franchise Aspires To Greater Things

When Kochchu Udayan took on a new career challenge by purchasing the greeting card franchise for Chesterfield back in July 2019 he did so because he actually wanted to work less! “I’d run a convenience store for 4 years with my...

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SECOND HELPINGS FOR MERSEYSIDE FRANCHISEE

In 2019, Liverpool FC came 2nd in the Premier League and Card Connection franchisee Vinny Robinson also made it a 2nd, when he purchased the Liverpool franchise territory, too.

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UNLOCKING SALES DURING LOCKDOWN

A crisis has a way of bringing out the best in some people.  Greeting Card Publishers Card Connection are proud to extend that accolade to every one of their franchisees and members of...

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FROM SHOP KEEPERS TO SHOP SUPPLIERS

When David & Sherran Patient took over the Card Connection franchise for Chelmsford, they already had a head start.  As ex-retailers themselves, they knew the challenges their cust...

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JOE – THE RADIO STAR ON THE GO!

Joe Junior, son of Card Connection’s franchisee for Ireland West & Midlands Joe Sweeney, was merchandising stores in Sligo when he landed himself a starring role on national Radio!   As well as performing admirably under pressu...

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Making A Difference

After 27 years working in the same place, James Bird was ready to make the step up to running his own business.  Investing in a Card Connection franchise gave him the instant advantage of having a ready-made customer base all set up, meaning ...

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Card Connection Keep The Fun In Christmas

Scrooge may have coined the phrase “Bah Humbug” but it also seems to have been adopted by sections of the media who, it seems, would rather see Christmas ...

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Card Connection Franchisee Proves That Scotland Favours The Brave!

When Munawar Mohammed took over Card Connection’s Aberdeen territory in 2016, his initial enthusiasm for attacking his new challenge was bound to make an impact. However, three years later, he’s still not showing the ...

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Blakemore Trade Show

Card Connection on Show As preferred greeting cards supplier in over 370 Blakemore trade partners’ stores, Card Connection’s logo had pride of place when it came to welcoming vis...

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Charity Day – Guide Dogs

October saw Card Connection Head Office staff come together to hold their latest charity fundraising event A Feast For The Senses in aid of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. The charity was put f...

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Press Release – Mark Markandu

New Card Connection Franchisee Hits The Ground Running! When Thayalan Markandu took over the Card Connection franchise for Middlesbrough, he already had a head start on most of the new f...

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New Sales Member – Cormac

  Card Connection’s New Face of Ireland   Greeting Card Publisher Card Connection welcomes a new member to their sales team, as Cormac Flanagan becomes t...

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Videos

Additional Details

BFA Member: Yes
Part-time: No
Home Based: Yes
Finance Available:

Similar Sectors: Retail Franchises ,

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