Franchise Focus Hire Purpose
In just five years Manjit Singh has developed his Driver Hire franchise into an award-winning operation and is on target for a £1.5 million turnover
investment level: £35,000
to seriously consider walking away with what cash reserves I had left.” Manjit turned to his franchisor for
support – something he couldn’t do when he ran an independent store – and the value of the old adage; ‘being in business for yourself but not by yourself’ became apparent. Manjit recalls: “My franchisor highlighted
that while some other offices had seen revenues fall, there were many offices that were in fact growing their business – proof that Driver Hire’s core business was sound and that there would always be demand for its services. This was a turning point for me. It gave me the reassurance that I was looking for to continue, and to work with my franchisor to come up with a recovery plan and make use of all the tools, systems and network support mechanisms – instead of trying to battle through on my own.” As well as the work Manjit did with
his franchisor, he drew strength and encouragement from the shared experience and advice that was readily available from other franchisees in the Driver Hire network.
Manjit Singh
business. He achieved success with this but eventually reached a point where he wished to move forward, so decided to sell up and investigate various business- to-business management franchise opportunities where advice and support were readily available.
M
Building the business Manjit opened the Driver Hire Enfield office in April 2007. With the support of the Driver Hire head office team, neighbouring offices and one other member of staff, his first week of trading resulted in billing three clients just over £1,000. Six months on, and with a lot of hard work, the Enfield office under Manjit enjoyed a record turnover week – billing just over £15,000. “In my first year-and-a-half of trading,
the growth we achieved was more than I could have initially imagined. Going from
anjit Singh’s previous career saw him running an independent wine store – a typical ‘corner-shop-style’
a turnover of zero to £450,000 in year one had me planning grand things to spend the profits on!” comments Manjit.
“The support and dedication provided by the Driver Hire team and network has meant that I know I’m not alone and can push forward with a positive outlook”
Facing the challenge When the credit crunch hit in September 2008, Manjit initially didn’t experience any signs of a downturn in business but by April 2009 the impact became apparent. According to Manjit thoughts of leaving the business were setting in. He says: “By May 2009 I reached my lowest weekly turnover since opening and made my first monthly loss in December 2009. I started
Onwards and upwards With hard work and support Manjit saw his business start to improve and grow once again in spectacular style. Driver Hire Enfield is now on target for a 2011/12 year- end turnover of around £1.5 million. This has meant that Manjit has also been able to expand the team to further invest in the future growth of his business. In September 2011, Manjit’s hard work
and effort was recognised and rewarded. Shortlisted for excellence in franchising, he made it to the regional finals of the bfa ‘Franchisee of the Year’ Awards. Plus, at their annual winter conference, Driver Hire awarded Manjit and his team the ‘Rose Bowl Award’ for endeavour. Manjit adds: “Running a business is
always going to be a rollercoaster affair with challenges along the way, but the support and dedication provided by the Driver Hire team and network has meant that I know I’m not alone and can push forward with a positive outlook. Being recognised for the hard work is an added bonus and certainly helps to motivate me and the team.” n
driver hire
Website:
www.driverhirefranchise.co.uk email:
franchise@driverhire.co.uk Phone: 01274 361 073 classification: Recruitment
April 2012 |
Businessfranchise.com | 95
Investment: £20k-£50k
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