A strong turnout for the one day Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo in Perth proved there is a huge appetite for franchising in the Western Australia capital.

Visitors streamed into the Crown Convention Centre on Sunday 15 May eager to find a franchise among the 51 exhibitors participating at the event.

There were some big name brands as drawcards for the franchise buyers, including retail chains Bakers Delight, Clark Rubber, Hairhouse Warehouse, Just Cuts, Lenards, Poolwerx and The Coffee Club.

But there were plenty of well-established and new franchise systems alongside these high street names, an indication of the breadth of the franchise sector.

Other systems included Fastway Couriers, Geowash, WH Smith, Express Mobile Services, Minuteman, National Drones, The Tea and Coffee Merchant, Jims Test and Tag, and VIP.

Xpresso Mobile Cafes was showcasing its franchise model and serving up fresh coffee from a van.

One of the more unusual business opportunities was WA based Echoes which was looking for distributors for its quantum resonance crystal light bed.

Another exhibitor from WA was the Viva Photography business.

And it wasn’t just the opportunity to buy a business that appealed to the visitors; the free seminars were well attended with prospective franchisees and franchisors keen to learn about franchising issues and hear from experts about the realities of buying and owning a franchise business.

The seminar sessions included advice on the suitability of franchising, a keynote speech from Poolwerx founder and CEO John O’Brien, and two panels of franchisees sharing their real-life experiences with the audience.

In the panel discussions facilitated by www.franchisebusiness.com.au editor Sarah Stowe, franchisees from Car Care, Finn Franchise Brokers, Jesters, Success Tax Professionals, VIP Home Services and Wendys Milk Bar revealed some of the challenges and the benefits of buying a franchise.

• The next Franchising &  Business Opportunities Expo will be in Brisbane from 23 to 24 July 2016.