What's On In Franchise

What What's On In Franchise does

What's On In Franchise is a London-based, privately-held franchise business founded in 2015 that licenses entrepreneurs to operate exclusive-territory online advertising portals under the "WhatsOnIn" brand, operating under the parent entity WOI Group Communications. Its core product is a self-service web platform deployed for specific postcode areas, towns, or territories, through which local businesses can book, pay for, and publish advertising inventory within minutes. The platform includes mobile-friendly website themes covering 193 countries, an events calendar, a local business directory, online visitor tracking, PayPal-based payments, and an AI/ChatGPT content module. Revenue is generated through one-time franchise fees (e.g., £399/website for Master Franchise, £250-300 for Corporate), recurring monthly management fees (£120/site for Master, £110/site for Corporate), and downstream advertising revenue retained by franchisees from local businesses at £30+ per spot. The four franchise tiers — Single (1 postcode), Double (2 postcodes), Master (5-19 websites), and Corporate (20-50 websites) — are structured to let franchisees scale up to acting as franchisors themselves with re-franchise rights. Customers are two-sided: individual franchisees (entrepreneurs seeking a low-cost home-based business) and local SMB advertisers (traders, service providers, retailers) purchasing ad spots through the self-service platform.

Name

What's On In Franchise

Legal name

What's On In Franchise

Website

https://woifranchise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

What's On In Franchise is a London-based company founded in 2015 that franchises exclusive-territory "WhatsOnIn" online advertising portals to individual entrepreneurs, serving local SMB advertisers seeking low-cost online ads across 193 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees (Ingoing Fees): One-time fees charged to franchisees for acquiring franchise rights to operate 'What's On In' websites in specific postcode areas. Pricing varies by franchise tier: Single Franchise (1 postcode), Double Franchise (2 postcodes), Master Franchise (5-19 websites), Corporate Franchise (20-50 websites).
2. Monthly Management Fees: Recurring monthly fees charged to franchisees for ongoing platform access, support, and services. Master Franchise pays £120 per website monthly; Corporate Franchise pays £110 per website monthly.
3. Advertising Revenue: Franchisees generate revenue by selling advertising spots on their local websites. The company markets to local businesses looking to advertise online. Advertising spots start from £30. 50-50 sales split system available for freelance salespeople.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

What's On In Franchise sells home-based franchise opportunities that grant franchisees exclusive rights to operate localized "WhatsOnIn" advertising portal websites in defined postcode areas or territories. Franchisees are equipped with a self-service advertising platform through which local businesses can book, pay, and submit advertising spots starting from £30, supplemented by an events calendar, local business directory (Traders), and mobile-friendly website templates covering 193 countries.

Product overview

What's On In Franchise is a home-based franchise opportunity offering an online advertising portal model. The core product includes a self-service advertising platform where local businesses can book ads and receive a free sales web page, supplemented by an events calendar and local business directory. The company offers four franchise tiers: Single Franchise (1 postcode), Double Franchise (2 postcodes with discount), Master Franchise (5+ websites, enabling franchisor operation), and Corporate Franchise (20-50 websites for global scale). Franchisees receive access to 34 training modules through an Exclusive Members Area, along with phone, email, and Zoom support. The 50-50 System provides an optional freelance sales model for those preferring not to conduct sales directly. The platform supports 193 countries with mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized website themes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WhatsOnIn Websites: Location-specific online advertising portal websites operated by franchisees, covering towns, cities, and holiday destinations worldwide.

Products and services

• What's On In Franchise (Core Franchise Opportunity)
• Single Franchise
• Double Franchise
• Master Franchise
• Corporate Franchise
• WhatsOnIn Self-Service Advertising Platform
• Local Business Directory (Traders)
• Events Calendar
• 50-50 System

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WOI Group CommunicationscoreOthersParent organization handling communications for What's On In Franchise. Contact: [email protected]. Manages UK, European & Asian franchise inquiries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Yelp: Yelp is a major global platform for local business reviews and advertising. Comparable to WOI as both sell advertising inventory to local SMBs on a directory-style platform, but Yelp is a dominant public company with established consumer traffic versus WOI's franchise-built local sites.
• Yell: Yell (formerly Yellow Pages) is a UK-headquartered online directory and digital advertising platform connecting local businesses with customers. Comparable to WOI as both operate online local business advertising platforms in the UK, though Yell is a large established incumbent with far greater brand and SEO scale.
• Google Business Profile: Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is Google's free local business listing platform that underpins much of local search. Comparable to WOI as both facilitate local business discovery and advertising, though Google operates at massive global scale with structural SEO advantages WOI's franchise sites cannot match.

Emerging players

• Thryv: Thryv is a SaaS platform providing small businesses with marketing, CRM and business management tools. Comparable to WOI as both target SMBs with digital marketing/advertising solutions, but Thryv is a software subscription platform whereas WOI is a franchise-led local advertising portal network.

Direct peers

• Valpak: Valpak is a direct-mail advertising franchise delivering coupons and offers to local households on behalf of SMB advertisers. Comparable to WOI as both are advertising franchises serving local businesses via territory exclusivity, but Valpak operates a print/direct-mail channel versus WOI's digital channel.
• ActionCOACH: ActionCOACH is one of the world's largest business coaching franchise networks, providing coaching services to SMB owners. Comparable to WOI as both operate global franchise networks selling home-based/owner-operator business opportunities to entrepreneurs, though ActionCOACH delivers coaching services rather than digital advertising inventory.
• FASTSIGNS: FASTSIGNS is one of the largest franchised signage and visual graphics networks in North America. Comparable to WOI as both run multi-unit advertising/marketing franchise systems targeting local SMBs, but FASTSIGNS delivers physical signage products while WOI delivers a digital advertising platform.
• Minuteman Press: Minuteman Press is a franchise network of printing and marketing services businesses serving local SMBs. Comparable to WOI as both use a home-based / owner-operator franchise model to deliver marketing services to local businesses, though Minuteman Press focuses on print rather than digital advertising.
• Fully Promoted: Fully Promoted is a franchise network specializing in promotional products and branded merchandise for businesses. Comparable to WOI as both are advertising/marketing franchises targeting local SMB customers, but Fully Promoted sells physical branded merchandise where WOI sells digital ad inventory.
• Signarama: Signarama is a global franchised signage and visual communications network serving local businesses. Comparable to WOI as both operate franchise-led businesses in the advertising/marketing space, though Signarama focuses on physical signage while WOI focuses on digital local advertising portals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WhatsOnInFranchise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 What's On In Franchise