About Slatebrook
A small practice built around clear, written advice
We were set up to address a specific gap: owner-operators who are seriously considering franchising their format but have no need for a large consulting engagement — only a careful, considered assessment and a useful document at the end.
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How Slatebrook came to be
Slatebrook was founded in Singapore by a small group of people who had spent years working in and around franchise systems across the Asia-Pacific region — as operators, as development leads and as outside advisers to emerging franchisors. Over that time, a pattern became clear.
The businesses that ran into difficulty during franchise expansion were rarely the ones that had made a poor strategic decision. They were the ones that had moved forward without taking enough time to examine the fundamentals first — whether their operations were truly documented, whether their unit economics could support a franchisee's draw, whether their brand assets were portable enough to transfer consistently to a new operator.
At the same time, the market for franchise consulting in Southeast Asia has tended toward large, expensive retainers that assume the client is already committed to franchising and just needs help executing. There was no obvious option for a single-location owner who wanted a careful look at the question before spending significant money on implementation.
That is the space Slatebrook occupies. We offer structured, written assessments and outlines at a defined fee — short enough engagements to be worth commissioning before any formal decision is made, and specific enough to produce a document that is actually useful afterward.
Our office is in Raffles Place, in the Singapore Land Tower. Most of our work is conducted remotely, with meetings held in person when that is more useful than a call.
Our position
We work before the decision is made
Most franchise consultancies assume you have already decided to franchise. We work with clients who are still examining that question — providing the structured analysis that makes the decision better informed, without pressure in either direction.
Coverage
Our primary coverage is Singapore, with experience across Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia from prior work. All engagements are conducted in English.
The practice
Who works on your file
Slatebrook is a small practice. The people named below are the people who do the work.
David Tan
Principal Consultant
Fifteen years working in franchise development across Singapore and Malaysia, including six years as an in-house development lead for a regional F&B group before founding Slatebrook.
Sarah Chen
Operations Specialist
Background in operations documentation and process design for multi-site retail and service businesses. Leads the Operations Manual Outline engagements and contributes to readiness assessments.
Rajan Nair
Financial Analysis
Specialises in unit economics and financial modelling for emerging franchise systems. Reviews the financial components of readiness assessments and contributes to sounding-board calls involving financial structure.
How we work
Standards we hold ourselves to
These are not marketing commitments — they are the working principles that govern how each engagement is run.
Written outputs, always
Every engagement ends with a document, not a verbal debrief. What we deliver can be read, shared and acted on without us being in the room.
Confidential handling
Materials you share with us are used only for the purpose of your engagement and are not discussed with other clients or used in any other context.
No directional pressure
We do not have a financial interest in whether you franchise or not. Our assessments reflect what we actually find, including where the picture is less favourable than expected.
Scope respected
We do not expand the scope of an engagement without explicit agreement. If we identify something outside the original brief that appears relevant, we will raise it — but we will not bill for it without discussion first.
Direct access to the practitioner
You communicate with the person doing the work, not with an account manager. Questions go directly to the consultant, and answers come back the same way.
PDPA-compliant data handling
Client information is handled in accordance with Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act. We do not retain personal data beyond the period necessary to complete the engagement.
Expertise and context
Franchise development consulting in Singapore
Singapore's franchise sector has grown steadily over the past decade, with local F&B concepts, retail brands and service businesses increasingly looking to franchise as a route to expansion across the region. The decision to franchise, however, involves a number of preliminary questions that many businesses have not fully worked through before they begin speaking with prospective franchisees.
Slatebrook's work sits at this preliminary stage. We review whether an operator's existing documentation, brand assets and financial structure are in a condition that could support franchise development — and we produce a clear, written assessment of where the business currently stands and what would need to be addressed before franchise discussions could proceed on a solid footing.
Our Operations Manual Outline service addresses one of the most common operational gaps in early-stage franchise systems: the absence of a well-structured manual framework. Many businesses have internal procedures — checklists, informal guides, training notes — but lack the overarching document structure that a franchisee would need to operate the concept independently and consistently.
The Sounding-Board arrangement is designed for the ongoing complexity of franchise development conversations, which rarely proceed in a straight line. Owners managing these discussions while also running their core business often benefit from a regular, structured opportunity to think through developments with someone familiar with their situation and file.
Slatebrook operates from Singapore Land Tower in Raffles Place and works with clients across Singapore and the broader Southeast Asian region. All services are conducted in English.
Ready to have a considered conversation?
Send us a brief note about your business and what you are trying to understand. We will respond within one business day.
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