Franchise Focus In it together
David Brown, Bluebird Care franchise owner for Leeds, is growing his business steadily and values the wider support of a franchise network
investment level: £32,500
Franchising is often seen as a more attractive option than other kinds of start-up because it provides a tried-and- tested business model and the support and awareness of an established brand. Bluebird Care is one of the UK’s fastest growing care-at-home businesses, with an annual turnover of over £40 million, and a network of 132 offices providing over four million care visits at home every year. David Brown is an established franchise owner who, with business partner Rod Miller, launched his Leeds- based Bluebird Care business in 2008. Having left university, David decided
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to work in the US for three months but stayed for three and half years. On returning to the UK, David worked for Ford Motor Company before opening a Mexican restaurant with Rod in Bradford. A further three restaurants followed including one in Leeds and, in total the pair ran the restaurants for 28 years, working mainly front of house, in terms of hospitality, and managing the business. David says: “We enjoyed running the restaurants, but could see the UK recession coming and knew that dining out was one of the first things to suffer with reduced disposable income. We learnt about the franchise industry through Rod’s brother, who ran a successful Costa Coffee franchise. “Coupled with this, we liked the idea of the care sector, as Rod’s mother- in-law was receiving care at that time and we just knew that we could provide a better care service than she was receiving. We visited the British Franchise Exhibition in Manchester in 2007 and met with various care companies. Bluebird Care stood out
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tarting a new business in the current economic climate could be classed as a risky move; there are those, however, that are bucking the trend.
David continues: “I would say the care industry has changed substantially since we first started. The market conditions have changed and our work is predominantly concentrated on the private market. Our aim in 2012 is to focus on steady and consistent growth. We are currently recruiting further care workers to extend our current team of 35 and our aim is to be a £2 million turnover business by 2015. All of the team understands our vision, which is to be the quality care provider of choice in the Leeds area.”
Being part of a franchise network brings lots of benefits. These include the ability to talk to other franchise owners, across the UK as well as locally. David acknowledges the nature of franchising as being part of a bigger picture. He says: “If you want to run your own ship and do things your own way, then franchising may not be for you. You have to acknowledge the business model is there to help you and that’s what you signed up for.” Of the Bluebird Care franchise support network, he says: “They’re a great source of advice and ideas. We also have a very supportive business- development manager. “To those considering a franchise opportunity, the benefits come from being part of a larger organisation with a successful business model such as Bluebird Care.”
• Bluebird Care, with offices across the UK and Ireland, is Britain’s fastest growing care-at-home business, with an annual turnover of £40 million.
David Brown
“Our aim in 2012 is to focus on steady and consistent growth and to be a £2 million turnover business by 2015”
as a young company which really focused on quality service. “We were the 21st Bluebird Care franchise to open in 2008, and the network now has 132 offices! Strangely enough, there are many similarities to running a restaurant with working in the care industry. Both are very much people- orientated businesses and there has to be focus on quality in both sectors.”
• Bluebird Care provides over 4 million care visits at home every year. That’s more than 10,000 care visits to more than 4,500 customers a day.
• Bluebird Care now has over 130 franchise offices across the UK and Ireland.
• Since the franchise operation launched in June 2006, Bluebird Care has opened two new franchise offices on average every month. That is now one new office every 15 days. n
bluebird care
Website:
www.bluebirdcare.co.uk email:
franchises@bluebirdcare.co.uk Phone: 01730 260 026 classification: Care Services
Investment: £20k-£50k
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