WSI - The World's #1 Ranked Internet and Technology Franchise

WSI Internet

Ron McArthur, President of WSI Internet, talks to Franchise Direct

The boss of the world's leading Internet services franchise shares his secrets for franchise success

September 5, 2007

WSI, which stands for 'We Simplify the Internet', is the world's leading Internet services franchise. Since it was founded in 1995, its systems have come to be used by over 1,500 franchisees in 87 countries and it now successfully services tens of thousands of business customers globally.

In June this year, Success magazine featured WSI in its “Top Ten Franchises We Love,” noting that “with so many big corporates serving other big corporates, it's refreshing to see a company catering to the little guy … WSI creates impressive looking websites on a small business owner's budget, and it's able to deliver less expensively by pooling resources and spreading costs across a large global network of certified Internet consulting professionals.”

Franchise Direct wanted to find out more and was delighted to have the opportunity to talk to Ron McArthur who took over as COO of WSI in 2004 and six months later became president of the company.

We asked him first about the benefits of franchising for all parties concerned - the franchisor, the potential franchisee looking for an opportunity to start a business, and the consumer. “For the franchisor it’s the advantage of distribution and the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs,” he said. “For the franchisee it’s the advantage of not having to reinvent the wheel. You receive a proven model that has already enjoyed success and a support system that assists the franchisee. For the end user it’s the advantage of trust and familiarity with a known brand.” Echoing the sentiments in the Success article, he added, “Personally, franchising offers WSI the opportunity to work with and serve small and medium sized businesses.”

Asked about WSI’s growth since he took over the top job, he replied that it has been fast and steady for several reasons, including the power of the Internet (“we’ve been able to harness that power”), and the continuing growth of small to medium sized businesses.

WSI looks on its franchisees as Internet Consultants, in addition to being business owners, and provides them with a lot of training and support to get them started and keep them going. McArthur stressed the importance of continuing assistance for the franchise network. “We focus heavily on ongoing training. Our e-learning program is very successful. We are always accessible and available to our franchisees. We have a 24/7 help desk they can call with problems or concerns. At a broader level, we encourage our franchisees to attend as many franchise related conferences and seminars as they possibly can.”

There is plenty of competition now for Internet Consultancies, but McArthur has no doubt that WSI is at the forefront, or why. “We award franchises to those who meet certain criteria. Our most successful franchisees come from a business or sales background. We provide them with comprehensive ongoing training in our proven system.

“When our franchisees set up their businesses, they can decide whether to operate individually or hire a staff. Sixty percent of them operate their businesses by themselves, while 40% hire independent contractors or local experts in the field. The real thing that differentiates WSI franchisees from their competition, however, is our follow-up. We want all of our customers to be customers for LIFE, and that’s how they think of us.

We encourage our franchisees to operate in a culture where they work together, sharing ideas and experiences, and helping each other succeed. Even within a single local market, we will have several WSI franchises, and we believe the more the merrier! Some franchise companies don’t think like that, but we have found that a network of franchisees actually enables each one to grow faster and more successfully. There is no cut-throat competition, it’s more like a ‘family’ of WSI companies.”

WSI promotes its franchise in a variety of media and will be familiar to anyone browsing business or franchise websites for opportunities. “We do a lot of Internet marketing, getting our name out there on any relevant site we can,” says McArthur. “We are featured prominently on sites such as Franchise Direct. We do some radio advertising. I have appeared on radio programs as a guest, and I travel internationally giving speeches and talks on franchising. We also work with our franchisees in their own efforts to establish their brand name locally.”

We asked him what his message would be if he were to give a “State of the Union” address on franchising. “The state of franchising is excellent right now. Opportunities abound. There are huge opportunities to make money in almost any field you can think of. Since working collectively has proven to be more beneficial that operating individually, franchising is appealing to a growing number of people, especially if they can operate with a proven franchise model. Their success is almost guaranteed if they follow it.”

What would his response be to this question from a potential customer of WSI, “I have a small enterprise. I know I should be advertising it online but I haven’t a clue about using Internet marketing to grow my business. What can WSI do for me?”

McArthur says, “First you would meet with the WSI Internet Consultant (franchisee) in your area, for an analysis of your business needs and what you wish to accomplish with Internet marketing. That’s where the “Consultant” of WSI Consultant comes in. Anybody can create a website for you, but a WSI Consultant will design an entire online marketing plan that will bring you a great return on your investment. We will look at your website, make changes to it or build you a new one that will drive traffic, be user friendly and get results. Then, and this is most important, we will monitor your results long after your plan is initiated, to make sure it is working to benefit you by enhancing your revenues.”

To anyone thinking about buying a franchise, he says, “More than anything, whatever franchise you buy into, follow their system (business model). It has been proven to work. Commit to the system and you will succeed as a franchisee.”

What about keeping up with the trends in franchising? “That’s important. Maintain membership in franchise organizations – the national franchise association in your country, the IFA (International Franchise Association), and others. Get out in the field – there are 50 to 60 training sessions per year that WSI sponsors, for example, and our franchisees are encouraged to attend as many as possible. Listen to the franchise community. Attend international conferences, share ideas and experiences. Keep up with what’s going on in the industry.

Ron McArthur looks forward to the continuing growth of WSI and the success and prosperity of its franchisees. “We are very proud of what WSI as a team has been able to accomplish in the last year. All our efforts and initiatives are geared towards ensuring the success and profitability of our franchise network. We continually hear the success stories from our franchisees in the field, but it's exhilarating when the world recognizes the great progress we've made as well. Our ranking as #42 in Entrepreneur magazine's Annual Franchise 500 issue this year was exciting enough. That was followed by Success magazine’s Top Ten ranking. Earning the Number 1 position in Franchise Europe’s listing as well is the real icing on the cake for us! Needless to say, it also encourages us to aim higher and strive further towards our vision of being the world’s number 1 provider of Internet solutions to small and medium sized businesses. By simplifying the Internet, WSI is helping businesses to grow their e-business through improved operational efficiencies, reduced costs and increased profits utilizing our affordable, custom built e-business solutions.”

Listen to a WSI franchisee talk about his experience now. Click the video link under the yellow bar on the top right of this page and watch an interview with Taylor Yates who runs his WSI Internet Consultancy franchise from his home in Salt Lake City.