Mark Weiniger, 29, is a franchisee in Derry, Northern Ireland, he says: "It's an exciting time for franchising. The economy in Northern Ireland is rocketing at the moment and the industry continues to go from strength to strength.

Back in 1999 I don't think people trying to set up their own businesses immediately considered franchising but today there are new franchises popping up all over Northern Ireland."

"I don't think it's difficult to explain the recent growth in franchising. It was only a matter of time before people realised what they were missing out on! With a good franchisor, there are user-friendly systems in place for everything from pizza-making to marketing."

Mark began his career at Domino's whilst studying biomedical sciences at university. After six years working as a Domino's manager, Mark saw the real potential of franchising and became a franchisee in February 2005. He plans to expand in the future and own more stores.