At the head of FDSI Ireland is Eamon Curtin, who has extensive experience working with the business and franchise community in Ireland and abroad. Eamon's experience of business planning and strategy, sales and marketing, finance and funding, recruitment and retention and project management, combined with FDS's international reputation and extensive resources, means that FDSI Ireland now offers a comprehensive range of franchise development services, from conception and planning through to implementation and harvest.

"This is an exciting time for franchising in Ireland and I expect to see significant growth," Eamon comments. "I am really looking forward to working with FDS to help more companies and individuals benefit from the franchise system."

Eamon first met with FDS's Managing Director, Roy Seaman, at The Irish Franchise Exhibition in Dublin in 2005. As an experienced business consultant he was interested in the extensive range of services that the company is able to offer established and prospective franchisors and franchisees through its international network. "I was looking for an international partner so I could extend my own capabilities," Eamon recalls. "FDS is an established company with an international track record. This partnership will enable me to offer services that are professionally packaged and efficient, and to connect with international markets though other FDS Associates."

Supported by the FDS network, Eamon will be offering a number of franchise development services that can be tailored to individual companies and to the specific markets in which they operate. At the conception stage Eamon can conduct a complete evaluation analysis resulting in a set of recommendations outlining a franchise development programme suited to the business concept. During the development stage he can work with companies to put in place the necessary infrastructure requirements, attending to all areas critical to success before starting the recruitment of the franchisee network. Finally, when the franchise is ready for implementation he is well equipped to help companies identify the most cost-effective strategy, and manage the lead flow of prospective franchisees, to ensure the franchise has the best chance of success.

He also has the capabilities to help match potential franchisees with the most suitable franchise, facilitate the exportation of a franchise brand to international markets, and help investors to identify potential franchise investment opportunities.

Eamon will be working very closely with FDS head office in Norwich, Norfolk and its publications team, which publishes The Irish Franchise Magazine (TIFM). Founded in 1999, TIFM is the sister publication to The Franchise Magazine, which is the UK's 'best selling franchise magazine'*. TIFM has been used for many years by franchisors as a recruitment tool because it's many distribution channels reach out to serious prospects with the right skills and attributes.

Eamon joins an international community of FDS franchisees and Associates based in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt and Russia. In welcoming Eamon to the team, Roy said: "We warmly welcome Eamon to the team and are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship. Franchising in Ireland is growing and this partnership will enable us to form new and closer relationships with franchisees and franchisors in Ireland."

* WH Smith