UFRAD and DAMU bring together more than 200 entrepreneurs for webinar

A joint webinar series organised by the UFRAD Franchising Association and Kazakhstan’s DAMU Entrepreneurship Development Fund began with its first session on 5 November 2026. The event brought together more than 200 participants to share Türkiye’s experience in franchising and retail with Kazakhstani entrepreneurs. Discussions focused on building a scalable business model, assessing investment costs and maintaining service standards as outlet networks expand.

Sharing Türkiye’s franchising experience with Kazakhstan

According to UFRAD’s announcement on 9 November, the event was the first in a webinar series launched under a cooperation agreement between the two organisations. Entitled “The Fundamentals of Franchising – How to Build a Scalable Business Model”, the session lasted around two hours. Presentations were followed by questions from participants about franchise investment and outlet management.

Murat Bapayev, Deputy Chairman of DAMU’s Management Board, highlighted the dynamism of Türkiye’s franchise community and Turkish brands’ experience of growing through franchising. He stressed the importance of sharing successful Turkish practices with Kazakhstani entrepreneurs. The session therefore explored not only the model’s basic concepts, but also how operational experience gained in Türkiye could be applied in another market.

For Türkiye’s franchise community, a notable feature of the event was the way it combined experience-sharing with practical investment questions. Brand expansion, adaptation to local conditions, contractual arrangements and operational support were all covered in the same programme. Alongside watching the presentations, participants could ask speakers directly about issues that arise when making investment decisions, such as initial franchise fees and outlet profitability.

Maintaining service standards alongside growth

Osman Faik Bilge discussed different franchise models and their investment costs. He also examined how brands can maintain consistent service standards across all outlets as their networks grow. His presentation underlined that expansion involves more than adding new locations: it also requires established operating practices to be replicated at new outlets.

Discussing investment costs alongside service standards highlighted both the financial and operational aspects of franchising. The resources needed to establish a model and the ability to operate it consistently across different outlets were treated as complementary considerations. Decisions about opening an outlet were therefore discussed together with the operating requirements that follow its launch.

Training and operational support provided to franchisees before and after opening were also covered. This complemented the discussion of maintaining service standards and prompted practical consideration of why the relationship between a brand and its franchisees needs to extend beyond the initial set-up to include ongoing support once an outlet is trading.

Local market adaptation and contract terms considered together

Drawing on examples of Turkish retail brands’ experience in Kazakhstan, Mesut Süren explained how a franchise model can be adapted to the local market. His comments focused on choosing a business partner and selecting a location. He noted that customer profiles, local competition and operating costs should be assessed together when choosing a site.

Rather than basing a decision on a single feature of a location, this approach brings several factors into the same assessment. Customer profiles, competition and costs were not simply listed separately during the session; they were treated as interconnected elements of local market adaptation. The application of a business model developed in Türkiye to Kazakhstan was discussed within this framework.

Lawyer Süleyman Soysal focused on the legal aspects of franchise agreements. He covered the clear definition of each party’s rights and obligations, protection of brand rights and the granting of exclusive operating rights to a franchisee within a specified territory. This part of the session considered not only the commercial expectations of an investment, but also the terms governing the relationship between the parties.

Discussing contract terms after partner and site selection allowed the session to approach investment decisions from several angles. In particular, treating brand rights and territorial operating rights as separate topics illustrated the range of issues entrepreneurs need to examine in an agreement. The legal framework was presented as an integral part of the business relationship, rather than a formality unrelated to an outlet’s day-to-day operations.

Participants’ questions focus on costs and profitability

The webinar’s question-and-answer session covered how initial franchise fees are set and how turnover-based royalties are calculated. Participants also asked about the impact of these payments on outlet profitability. The discussion therefore considered ongoing payments as well as the initial investment.

Other topics included examining different profitability scenarios before investing, protecting brand rights through the contract, and training and operational support. Questions ranged from the general principles of franchising to specific business calculations. The session encouraged entrepreneurs to assess costs, support and legal terms together when considering an opportunity for growth.

Practical takeaway: When assessing a franchise investment, look beyond the initial fee. Include turnover-based royalties, different profitability scenarios, territorial rights and post-opening support in the same due diligence checklist.