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Judith MacDonald


Franchise Focus


networking groups and I am pleased to say that Contempo now has a very strong brand presence in Aberdeen as well as a large network producing good numbers of regular referrals. Obviously other challenges were financial,


including the decision in 2010 to take on two staff and relocate to a dedicated shop- front. Cashflow needed to be monitored very closely and managed with precision. Thankfully, however, I have a fantastic support network from head office that I can rely on to guide me through those types of minefields!


Go Contempo


Judith MacDonald has built a strong and thriving business with the support of her franchisor Contempo Lettings


INVESTMENT LEVEL: £19,500


which is backed up by extensive knowledge of the industry and exceptional customer service, and helps their clients maximise the profitability of their investment. The property market has changed


C


dramatically in light of the credit crunch and, with mortgage lenders requiring high levels of deposits, more and more people are renting for increasingly longer periods of time. Similarly there has been an increase in clients choosing to rent out their property rather than sell, since house prices have remained static in recent times. Lower house prices also attract serious investors into the buy-to-let market as the returns can be significantly more lucrative than other forms of investment. This is a trend that will continue into the foreseeable future. Contempo’s longest-standing franchisee,


Judith MacDonald, has used the Contempo model to grow a thriving agency in her local area of Aberdeen and achieved an impressive growth of nearly 30 per cent last year. She describes her journey so far.


Why did you choose franchising? I had always wanted to have my own business and had some experience in renting property privately. I was attracted to Contempo because of their comprehensive


ontempo Lettings provide expert lettings and property management services to the residential buy-to-let market. They take pride in their proactive approach


training programme and ongoing commitment to after-sales support.


What did you do before taking up a franchise? Prior to becoming a franchisee I worked in marketing for a company in Aberdeen providing hoses, instrumentation and fluid transfer solutions, mainly to the oil industry.


How did you raise the finance? I raised finance through the sale of my property and my beloved MG convertible!


What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing? Initially, there was much case-study work about our leases – how they are managed and what to do in the event that a problem arises. There is also a lot of training offered


on marketing and property positioning, however I had good experience in this area already so I chose to focus on the tenancy management and financial aspects of the programme. The flexibility of the training offered was very attractive and allowed me to create a bespoke package so I got the best start possible.


What challenges have you faced? Aberdeen is a market that relies on word of mouth. Initially having started out with no portfolio and no contacts it was a challenge to get properties on board and then fill them. I joined various


Has becoming a franchisee changed your life – if so how? It has changed my life as I am now fulfilling my dream of owning my own business. I still have a support network at the head office to rely on, however I am lucky to have autonomy to manage my franchise in the way that best suits the market here in Aberdeen, which is very important to me and has proved pivotal to the success of the branch. When I first made the decision to do this it was very hard to imagine that


“The flexibility of the training offered was very attractive and allowed me to create a bespoke package so I got the best start possible”


one day I would be in a shop-front with staff, not to mention a really good, profitable business behind me, but here I am!


What advice would you give to


someone thinking of buying their first franchise? This is definitely a decision that should


not be made lightly. However, please don’t ruminate over ‘what ifs’ and possible negatives for too long – get out there and do it! Break everything down into small steps and do them the best you can… you will be surprised at where you will end up!


Would you do it again? Absolutely! n


CONTEMPO


WEBSITE: www.contempolettings.co.uk/franchising EMAIL: carolyn@contempolettings.co.uk PHONE: 0845 519 1550 CLASSIFICATION: Property lettings


June 2012 | Businessfranchise.com | 61


Investment: £10k-£20k


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