What Platinum Wave does

Platinum Wave is a UK-based franchise consultancy, operating as Platinum Wave Limited (a private limited company incorporated in the UK, founded 2008) with offices in Edinburgh and London and a team of nine. It is BFA Accredited, with all senior leadership individually holding BFA Accredited Advisor status since 2011. The firm provides an integrated suite of services to franchisors and aspiring franchise businesses across the UK and internationally, delivered by a coordinated team rather than a single consultant. CEO and founder Suzie McCafferty built the firm on the back of having previously scaled her own printer cartridge business into a 70-plus-outlet network across six countries and serving as Franchise Director at Select Appointments.

The company's core offerings span Franchise Consultancy (feasibility, franchise model design, legal documentation, operations manuals, and ongoing network support), Franchisee Recruitment (strategic screening and onboarding), Digital Marketing & Design (collateral, campaigns, and brand assets), PW Staffing (executive recruitment placing senior leaders at salary bands from £40k to £200k), International Expansion (market feasibility, entry planning, and launch support for UK, Europe, Asia, and Middle East markets), and Training & Development / Growth Mentoring. Revenue is generated through bespoke, quote-based professional services engagements rather than standardized pricing, with multi-year contracts typical. Distribution is relationship-led via direct consultancy engagement, supported by owned marketing channels including a podcast, franchise seminars, social media, and participation in events such as the British & International Franchise Exhibition.

The firm's go-to-market targets three primary segments: aspiring franchisors seeking to convert a proven business model into a franchise system, established franchisors pursuing network growth or international expansion, and franchise support teams requiring senior leadership talent. Notable enterprise and mid-market clients include German Doner Kebab, Wendy's, Ben & Jerry's, Anytime Fitness, Mini First Aid, Right at Home UK, Home Instead, and Razzamataz Theatre Schools. Platinum Wave has no external funding rounds and operates as a privately held founder-led business, with strategic positioning reinforced by governance roles at the British Franchise Association and EWIF, and an award record spanning BFA HSBC British Franchise Awards, Elite Franchise Top 100 (Supplier and Service Provider of the Year 2026), EWIF awards (five-time winner), and European Franchise Federation recognition.

Name

Platinum Wave

Legal name

Platinum Wave Limited

Website

https://platinumwave.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Consultancy Services: End-to-end franchise consultancy including feasibility studies, franchise structure design, legal document preparation, operations manual creation, and ongoing strategic guidance. Services are tailored to each client's needs and delivered by the integrated team.
2. Franchisee Recruitment Services: Strategic recruitment, screening, and onboarding of franchisees for franchisor clients. Includes lead generation, candidate qualification, discovery day support, and onboarding programs.
3. Digital Marketing & Design Services: Marketing collateral creation, franchise prospectuses, sales brochures, digital campaigns, and brand materials for franchise networks.
4. Executive Recruitment (PW Staffing): Discreet executive search and placement for senior franchise roles including C-suite, operations directors, and franchise support positions. Placements range from £40k to £200k salaries.
5. Training & Development Services: Growth mentoring, coaching, and development programs for franchisors, franchisees, and support teams. Includes bespoke training programs and ongoing accountability coaching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Platinum Wave provides end-to-end franchise consultancy, helping business owners convert profitable, replicable businesses into franchise systems through feasibility studies, franchise model design, legal documentation, operations manuals, and launch support. The firm also delivers franchisee recruitment, digital marketing and design, executive search via its PW Staffing division, international expansion planning, and bespoke training and growth mentoring for franchisors, franchisees, and franchise support teams.

Product overview

Platinum Wave is a BFA-accredited franchise consultancy offering an integrated suite of services rather than a single product. The core portfolio comprises Franchise Consultancy (feasibility, strategy, franchise model development, legal documentation), Franchise Your Business (end-to-end franchising guidance), Franchisee Recruitment (strategic screening and onboarding), Digital Marketing & Design (creative collateral and campaigns), PW Staffing Executive Recruitment (senior leadership placements), International Expansion (global market entry support), and Training & Development/Growth Mentoring (bespoke coaching programs). The company also produces the People In Franchising podcast and hosts Platinum Wave Franchise Seminars as supplementary content and educational offerings. Services are delivered by an integrated team of BFA-accredited advisors with deep franchise industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Franchise Your Business Comprehensive guidance for business owners seeking to transform a profitable, replicable business into a franchise system, covering feasibility assessment, franchise model design, legal documentation, recruitment, launch, and ongoing support.
• Franchisee Recruitment Strategic recruitment, screening, and onboarding services to attract and qualify high-quality franchisee partners aligned with the franchisor's brand vision and values, covering lead generation, candidate qualification, discovery day support, and onboarding programs.
• Digital Marketing & Design Marketing and design services including copywriting, franchise prospectuses, sales brochures, digital ads, social media training, graphic design, video production, and photography for franchisors and franchise networks.
• PW Staffing (Executive Recruitment) Discreet executive recruitment division placing senior leadership talent into franchise businesses, covering C-suite, operations directors, franchise support positions, and CFOs with placements ranging from £40k to £200k salaries.
• International Expansion Strategic support for taking franchise businesses beyond domestic borders, including market entry planning, partner selection, local compliance, and ongoing governance across UK, Europe, Asia, and Middle East markets.
• Training & Development / Growth Mentoring Bespoke training, coaching, and development programs for franchisors, franchisees, and support teams, focusing on accelerating growth, performance, and franchise success.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and major.

• British Franchise Association (BFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum Wave has been BFA accredited since 2011. All senior leadership team members are individually BFA Accredited Advisors. Suzie McCafferty serves as the BFA's Advisor & Supplier Forum Chair and is a regular judge of BFA awards. Andy McCarroll previously served as Business Development Manager for the BFA.
• Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuzie McCafferty serves as EWIF Scotland Chair. Platinum Wave has won EWIF awards 5 times. The company sponsors and actively participates in EWIF events and meetings.
• German Doner Kebab (GDK)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuzie and the Platinum Wave team have been instrumental in German Doner Kebab's continued international success since the beginning. Imran Sayeed, Global CEO states: 'Suzie and the Platinum Wave team have been an important part of our GDK family since the beginning and are instrumental in our continued international success!'
• HERO BrandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuzie McCafferty is a long-standing advisor to HERO Brands, owners of several international franchises including German Doner Kebab and Razzamataz Theatre Schools. She also serves as On-Boarding Director at HERO Brands.
• Right at Home UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuzie McCafferty serves as Non-Executive Director on the board of Right at Home UK, providing strategic advisory support.
• OrinsenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommercial property consultants included in Platinum Wave's network of expert service providers for franchise clients.
• WorldpayminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPayment processing services recommended to franchise clients for consistent customer payment experiences across franchise networks.
• PeninsulaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHR, employment law and health & safety advisory services recommended to franchise clients as part of Platinum Wave's network of expert service providers.
• Wendy'sflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum Wave's executive recruitment division has recruited for Wendy's UK expansion, finding experienced multi-unit franchisees for the brand's organic growth in the UK.
• Ben & Jerry'sflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPW Staffing has recruited executive talent for Ben & Jerry's franchise operations in the UK.
• Anytime FitnessmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiona Creswell, Head of Franchise Development states Platinum Wave created a bespoke solution for franchise recruitment and lead handling: 'They are incredibly professional, diligent and a pleasure to deal with – I can highly recommend involving them at any stage of your franchise growth plans.'

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Inventya Ltd: UK innovation and franchise development consultancy supporting franchise growth and international expansion. Compares to Platinum Wave's international expansion service line, though with a stronger innovation/R&D orientation.

Direct peers

• Ellen Julien Franchise Consultancy: Independent UK franchise consultant helping businesses franchise their models. Closely comparable to Platinum Wave's end-to-end franchise consultancy service for aspiring franchisors.
• Williamson & Soden: UK franchise resales and transfer brokerage. Comparable adjacency to Platinum Wave's recruitment services, though more narrowly focused on resale transactions within franchise networks.
• MBM Franchise Marketing (formerly MacMillan Bruce Marketing): Long-standing UK franchise marketing and recruitment agency serving franchisors across sectors. Comparable to Platinum Wave's digital marketing and franchisee recruitment service lines with a similar UK-focused client base.
• The Franchising Centre: UK-based franchise consultancy offering franchise development, recruitment, and advisory services to aspiring and established franchisors. Closest direct peer to Platinum Wave given similar boutique UK positioning and end-to-end franchise service offering.
• The Franchise Team: UK franchise consultancy offering franchise development, recruitment, and network support services. Operates in the same boutique UK franchise advisory segment as Platinum Wave with overlapping service lines.
• Ashton Brown: UK franchise resales and recruitment firm serving franchisors and exiting franchisees. Overlaps with Platinum Wave's recruitment service line, particularly for franchise resale and network development.
• Blue Sky Franchise: UK franchise recruitment and lead generation specialist working with established franchisors to grow their networks. Directly comparable to Platinum Wave's franchisee recruitment and lead handling services.

Broad incumbents

• WorkBuzz: UK employee engagement and feedback platform with deep franchise industry focus (powers Best Franchise Awards with Lloyds Bank). Adjacent to Platinum Wave's franchise network services but operates at a software/platform layer rather than consultancy.
• Franchise Brands plc: AIM-listed multi-brand franchise operator (includes Pimlico Plumbers, Wilkins Chimney Sweep). Operates as an incumbent in UK franchising rather than as a consultancy, but represents the broader industry infrastructure Platinum Wave serves and could partner with.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgkx91ujgjRwFKF4xH_aIxQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/PWFranchising
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/platinum-wave-franchise-experts
• Instagraminstagram.com/platinumwavefranchising
• Xx.com/PlatinumWaveLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Platinum Wave