The British & International Franchise Exhibition Preview What franchisees say
Andy & Paul Tolhurst, Cash Generator
After working in the fi nance sector in London for two decades, Andy Tolhurst from Hastings wanted to become his own boss and his brother Paul, who had worked in retail for more than 20 years, wanted to open up his own store.
The duo attended the British & International Franchise Exhibition intent on starting their own business and to review the franchise opportunities available. Combining their extensive skills, a franchise in retail had immediate appeal and Cash Generator was the one. Andy comments: “Paul and I chose to go into business together.
Being brothers we had trust in each other, which is vital in business, and with individual experience and expertise, we fi rmly believed in ourselves. “We knew franchising would provide us with a greater chance of success, due to the support you receive, so we attended the exhibition, where we came across Cash Generator – a company that had a proven business model and profi table multi-income streams.” In just seven months the duo successfully swapped the rat race for a successful retail business with Cash Generator. Andy concludes: “The successful opening of our fi rst store has signalled the start of a prosperous brotherly business and we plan to work hard to secure a strong future with the opening of multiple outlets – three in three years.”
Laurence & Ruth Fitch, Auditel
Laurence Fitch was the general manager of a family company importing ceramic tiles throughout the South East. He left early in 2008 due to the downturn in the economic climate. His wife, Ruth, after 10 years working for an international investment bank in the City, decided to take redundancy from the bank in August 2008, leaving the couple with money to invest. Laurence recalls: “Both Ruth and I knew that we wanted to run our own business but could not decide what we wanted to do. We felt that franchising gave us the ideal balance of choosing our own business with the support of an established organisation. “I visited The British and International Franchise Exhibition at Olympia while Ruth was abroad and found that having a full range of
John McGill,
ComputerXplorers ComputerXplorers is part of the
world’s largest franchised network providing quality technology education for children. It operates worldwide as ComputerXplorers, has been established for more than 20 years and has taught over three million classes.
John McGill, a franchisee from South West Scotland, explains why becoming a franchisee was the next career step for him:
“As a professional I always took a real sense of ownership in all aspects of my work, but the reality was that I never really owned the business and this became my ultimate goal. I feel the time is now right to use the skills I have built over the years to own my own destiny and do something I truly believe in. “Buying a franchise gives me the best of both worlds, a proven business model supported by experts at head offi ce and the freedom of being my own boss.” There is no substitute for thorough research and face-to-face meetings with people when considering a franchise. John adds: “My recommendation is to speak to as many existing franchisees, especially those nearby your location if possible to get a better understanding of business at the coal-face.”
franchises under one roof was extremely benefi cial. I came across Auditel and was immediately impressed with their business model and how well it suited the current economic situation. Having spent several months researching, we joined their network in September 2008.”
They both found that the training was outstanding, quickly allowing them to develop the skills required to push their business forward. Laurence comments: ”The benefi ts we have received from having the support of our mentors and the Auditel network of over 200 consultants has been outstanding – even the most obscure problem we have faced has been explained quickly by somebody who has experienced something similar!” Laurence and Ruth quickly became well established within the marketplace of cost management and they have grown a comprehensive client base, many of whom offer glowing testimonials. The Fitches’ growing reputation, both in the business community and the Auditel network, has been fully recognised. Laurence and Ruth were named ‘Rising Stars of the Year’ in 2009 and ‘Franchise of the Year’ in 2010. They declare: “This end result is from one of the best business decisions of our lives!”
March 2012 |
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