UNISO FRANCHISE
External thermal insulation and façade cladding solutions UNISO
What is the purpose of Uniso Franchise?
Laurent Girard: Uniso Franchise is first and foremost the natural extension of the historical activity of the Myral group. The company has been improving private homes for 35 years with its exterior insulation solution. This solution is unique and our design office has constantly improved it so that it progresses and achieves thermal, aesthetic and environmental performance among the best on the market. And the DNA of Uniso, as it was thought out by our president Sylvain Bonnot, is to ensure that this product is installed according to the rules of the art so that the inhabitants make the most of the comfort provided. through their building envelope. In short: no distribution to material merchants, but a sale, customer support and installation, carried out by local craft companies who know their territory and the product. With a charter and the Applied Label, the franchise provides both control, support, permanent accompaniment… and obviously a family spirit for its members!
When you meet a candidate for the franchise, what do you expect of him?
Laurent Girard: I’m waiting to feel a feeling. Moreover, often, subliminally, the candidate is driven by a certain ethic. This is what we detect in him and what we are looking for. Then, like all human relationships, they are dictated by a form of adequacy of objectives. We say: “Birds of a feather flock together!” More generally, what we like to feel in a candidate is their propensity to adhere to the product, to like it and to perceive its arguments without having to write about it. This is also what we find in our end customers. 70% of our individual customers perceive and understand without being told that the product meets their needs: performance, aesthetics and durability.
“The composite portrait of the Uniso franchisee is emerging, but there is no single profile! »
What is the profile of franchisees?
Laurent Girard: As the network develops, I realize that there is a form of robot portrait taking shape. That of professionals who come from the building industry, and in particular from the world of joinery products, who are interested from the outset in environmental quality and the improvement of the habitat. They want to create, develop or complete their service offer. But there are exceptions to this profile. I am thinking, for example, of one of our franchisees who comes from the world of finance. He looked for a buoyant sector, related to the environment and housing, which had prospects for the future. And he found our product. Today, he has based his entire business on Uniso.
To get started, do you need to already have a business or is it possible to start from scratch?
Laurent Girard: Anything is possible! Some of our members already have a company and offer heat pumps, solar, joinery, even air treatment or heating. What unites all these professions is that they participate in the energy renovation of housing. But also that these are products with a dry installation which requires a technical, sharp and precise implementation. It is therefore natural for them to add a ITE Uniso activity.
But we have also integrated franchisees from “nowhere”, I would say! From the moment they are convinced by the product, we have all the tools and processes to support them from the prospect cycle to the invoice, including implementation.
“On average, an area includes between 80,000 and 110,000 pavilions”
Throughout the territory, there is currently a strong demand to insulate your home and reduce your energy consumption. Does the activity of Uniso Franchise respond perfectly to these massive challenges?
Laurent Girard: Totally! The first thing to do when you want to save money is to work on the building envelope. Besides, it is said that the fastest money earned is the one that is not spent. It is therefore important not to throw calories through windows and walls. And once you’ve insulated the attic and the windows, which is quite simple, and the insulation of the walls is a must before even thinking about changing this heating system. And in terms of thermal insulation from the outside, either we choose a hydraulic coating on polystyrene, with the advantages, but also the disadvantages that this represents for installation, ageing, the limits of implementation periods. Either we choose our product which fully meets market expectations with its advantages of immediate comfort, a lifespan of 50 years certified by the CSTB, no maintenance, and of course aesthetics.
How do you assure applicants that there will be activity in their area?
Laurent Girard: We size our zones according to a meticulous multi-criteria market study with the number of pavilions, the dates of construction, the densification, the age and the financial capacity of the occupants. On average, an area includes between 80,000 and 110,000 pavilions. We therefore provide objective data on the potential of each sector. Then, we rely on the feedback from Uniso partners who have been operating areas for sometimes more than 30 years and who are constantly renewing their clientele. Moreover, for our first franchisees, the development is such that some quickly choose to expand into a second sector in the same department.
“The most difficult thing is to make yourself known. But as soon as people talk about the product, the game is won! »
You, Laurent, what is your role within Uniso Franchise?
Laurent Girard: I am involved in the development, management and animation of the franchise. My role is first of all to welcome the applicants, to give them the keys for their decision. I try to convey to them the enthusiasm of the team, our passion for the product. I open the doors of this family to them, I show them the factory, the process, the product, the successes. I explain to them that people have been working with us for 30 years. In short, I communicate our state of mind to them. But also, sometimes, I have to be frank to explain to them that their intention is not necessarily that.
Then, once they have entered the network, I have a permanent listening role. I bring up information, I give them answers, I accompany them, I stimulate them. When you create a franchise and you are alone, you can be confronted with the loneliness of the entrepreneur. To get to know this problem well, I try to overcome the daily problem by being present, by telephone, by email, by providing them with the tools that allow them to carry out their action.
Also, subsequently, I ensure compliance with the franchise charter, the proper implementation that will allow them to sustain their business.
You have set up a solid administrative, commercial and technical framework. Is this the key to success?
Laurent Girard: Above all, the key to success is the product! I have spent my entire career in the construction industry and have never seen such a unique product with so much potential. The most difficult thing for the franchisee is to make themselves known. But when you make your product known, people pay attention to it, the game is won!
By your side, who makes up the team that supports the franchisees?
Laurent Girard: On a daily basis, here at the head office in Is-sur-Tille in Burgundy, a team of around ten people supports me in the service of our franchisees. These are the professionals who experienced the birth of the network and who developed the tools made available to them. Among them, there are digital experts with a very advanced support service, an ERP and personalized spaces. We also have technicians, from the installation, to assist them in the drafting of quotes. And there is also our 3D scanner. From one end of the chain to the other, everyone is very concerned.
Today, how many franchisees does the network have?
Laurent Girard: At the start of the school year, we will have 13 franchisees. And since the beginning of the franchise, not a single failure. I watch the order books on a daily basis, they are all full until the end of the year, and for some, until mid-2023. All benefit a lot from word of mouth, sponsorship, proximity. We are gradually increasing the number of members and some have multiplied. For example, our franchise in Est-Gironde has expanded into the Landes. He hires a salesperson and splits his teams. Ultimately, for us, the objective is to have about thirty members and there are therefore about fifteen areas left to be filled. To good listeners!
How to join the UNISO network?
Would you like to know more about the achievements of the UNISO brand and the conditions required to get started alongside it? Go to the personalized network sheet to find out how become a UNISO franchisee.