own and run Oven Wizards – and the rest, as they say, is history.
After a phone call, a meeting was
promptly arranged. We decided to go ahead with one stipulation, which was that I wanted to start trading before the end of 2011 to take advantage of the pre- Christmas rush.
“When you are the boss you need to work hard to be successful”
Mark and John worked very effectively to get me up and running, and after a succesful launch at a local supermarket I was soon trading.
What stage are you at now? I have nearly completed my second year of trading and it has been very challenging, but also very successful. I am ahead of my initial plan, and I have cleaned hundreds of ovens, hobs and extractors.
What training did you receive? The two weeks of hands-on technical training was very in depth and gave me great confidence to go out on my own. The business training and development programme was extremely informative and useful. Mark and John are always on hand, along with any other members of the Wizards community, should you need advice and support.
What is your typical day like? When you become self-employed you are the boss and you need to work hard to be successful. With much leaflet dropping, local advertising and all the other business development techniques I picked up in the training, the work started coming in. I am now always busy and because of the great service we provide I get lots of referrals from customer’s family and friends.
What advice would you give to new franchisees?
My experience with customers has taught me to treat them with respect, be courteous, friendly and put them at ease. Be confident and always be professional. Do a good job and always clean up after you’ve finished and – believe me – the word will spread. Yes, there is competition, but if you follow the Oven Wizards model, you’ll see there is plenty of business out there.
What are the advantages to a cleaning franchise and Oven Wizards in particular?
I now not only clean ovens, hobs and extractors, but also quote for repairs, for example door hinges, seals, bulbs etc. It’s all good income and the customer is delighted that you (as part of Oven Wizards) can sort 99 per cent of any problems.
My franchise gives me the flexibility to work a seven-day week or a four- day week, and you will soon find the phone never stops ringing. In terms of great value and support, I believe Oven Wizards is the best franchise on the market.
PVC Vendo
suitability for the particular franchise you are considering. Remember, taking on a franchise is a very serious long-term commitment. You are investing money in a business that will require your complete dedication. I do not know of a franchise that is a nine-to-five, five-days-a-week occupation.
Do you have any regrets about your decision?
None whatsoever – my franchisor has honoured all promises and over 24 years has not been late by even one day in the advancement of my complete turnover each month.
Are there any outstanding features in the PVC Vendo business model? Yes, at least four that spring to mind: • Monthly advancement of my turnover • Bad debt underwritten by my franchisor • Continuous marketing by head office • No advertising levy
NIC
Darren Martin has been the PVC Vendo franchisee for the Cambridgeshire area for over two decades. Established 45 years ago, PVC Vendo provides commercial vehicle sanitary services to multi- depot, nationally known commercial vehicle fleet operators.
Why were you attracted to this franchise proposition? I had examined many franchise offerings and PVC Vendo ticked all the boxes. I investigated their status, their trading, their financial position and their personnel. All were positive, which made me feel comfortable. They allowed me complete access to my enquiries. PVC Vendo are also members of the bfa.
Now that you have had 24 years as a franchisee with PVC Vendo what are your feelings?
Other than marrying my wife, Debbie, and having our son, Lewis, PVC Vendo is one of the best decisions I have ever made!
Do you have any advice for potential franchisees? Yes, choose with caution and ask your family for an honest opinion as to your
When Kerry Miller was made redundant from her role in management, she decided to take a different route altogether and open a cleaning franchise with her business partner Charlotte Eccleston. The pair has been running their NIC Hygiene West Yorkshire franchise for the last seven years.
What made you decide to open an NIC Hygiene franchise? Well neither of us had experience in the cleaning industry in particular, but Charlotte was unhappy in her role at the time and I had just taken redundancy, so we were both in the right position and wanted to look for something different. Charlotte had already done some research and came across NIC Hygiene. As it was quite local to us and seemed to be offering a good franchise model, we decided to go for it.
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