Special Feature
severely restricted my ability to stay within the industry I’d always been employed in. I realised very quickly that I had to take control of my own destiny if I wanted any future security. Franchising seemed to be a solution.
Why did you choose LawnHopper? I enjoy DIY and I’d landscaped my last two gardens myself and laid all the lawns. I’d tried to get rid of weeds in the lawn myself without any success so I’d been using a lawn treatment company for many years and I knew what a difference professional treatments made, and that it was a service people want to continue with. LawnHopper was the solution I was looking for.
What are your day-to-day duties? A typical day can either be hands-on – actually treating customer lawns – or knocking on doors distributing leaflets and giving quotations. I tend to do most of my administration at the end of each day whilst it’s fresh in my mind and that way I always know exactly where I’m up to.
Do seasonal patterns affect the business? The year is broken down into six blocks of two months in which the various lawn treatments and mechanical winter work is performed. Whilst the winters vary considerably and there are times when the snow and ice create problems, these tend not to last too long and you can soon catch up on lost time.
Has the uncertain economic climate had any affect on the business? The downturn hasn’t really affected the business too much. Whilst there might have been a reduction in general disposable income, people are not moving as frequently and as a consequence they are investing money in their gardens as they have more leisure time to spend outside. They want to enjoy their homes and the garden is becoming a bigger part of that, from just relaxing to entertaining al fresco.
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Businessfranchise.com | June 2012
Wilkins Chimney Sweep
Things Feels Good) by Matthew Crawford, which gives a new perspective on the sense of achievement gained from practical work. An added bonus is that I’ve lost 10lb in weight since I started sweeping chimneys!
“The outdoor lifestyle appeals to many that have previously worked in an office or indoor environment”
Mark Frost, 52, purchased his Wilkins Chimney Sweep Brighton and Worthing franchise after meeting franchisors Louise and Peter Harris in February 2011. He lives in Worthing with his wife Sue and two sons Nicholas and Simon.
What did you do before franchising? I was a surveyor working in commercial property fund management.
Why did you consider going into franchising?
Buying a franchise gave me professional backup, training and, most importantly, an established name behind me. I liked the idea of working ‘for yourself but not by yourself’ and the support provided has been invaluable.
Why did an outdoor-based maintenance franchise appeal to you?
Having worked in an office since my early 20s, I was attracted to the idea of working in a more practical hands-on way. I also read a book called ‘The Case for Working with Your Hands’ (Or Why Office Work is Bad for Us and Fixing
Describe your typical day. A typical day begins with reviewing the list of customers I need to visit that day. It could be to sweep their chimney, fit a cage, cap or cowl, remove a bird’s nest or offer general chimney safety advice. I really enjoy being out and about in my van, which receives lots of attention and is one of my main sources of advertising. Now we’ve got QR codes on them it’s even easier for new clients to contact me, but it still makes me laugh when I see people pointing their phones at my van! While I’m out sweeping chimneys my wife Sue answers all the phone calls; being a professional year-round business we don’t like customers having to leave messages, we aim to answer their calls first time. Later, it’s time to hit the computer to deal with email enquiries, marketing via local websites and doing my business accounts.
Do you find that some periods are busier/ quieter than usual?
Chimney sweeping can be seen as seasonal as the bulk of new enquiries for chimney sweeping work come in the autumn, when the evenings are chillier and people start to think about lighting their fires. However, because of the marketing strategy developed by the franchisor, and the way I work with my customers, I have a fully ‘year-round’ business.
What do you see for your future in this business?
My plan is to concentrate on building up the business, increase my customer base and of course increase profits. In the future I plan to take on extra staff and maybe to buy another adjoining area. People will always need chimney sweeps and by offering a year-round, professional, insured and police-checked service I hope to make myself the preferred chimney sweep in the Brighton and Worthing areas. n
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