Franchise Focus
Ambition Driver
Beating a recession, with franchise support, helped Manjit Singh and his Driver Hire business
INVESTMENT LEVEL: £35,000
opportunities – so he could access a business model where advice and support were readily available. Manjit chose Driver Hire. It’s an established B2B management franchise, providing temporary and permanent staff to businesses operating in the transport and logistics sector. Customers include international hauliers, major retailers, builders’ merchants, parcel delivery companies and local authorities. They tend to be businesses where there is a cyclical need for drivers and warehouse staff.
Manjit Singh T
hanks to the economy, the last few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster for all kinds of businesses. One of the clear, and oft-quoted, advantages of
being a franchisee is the support of your franchisor. When faced with challenging times, the value of the old adage “being in business for yourself but not by yourself” becomes ever-more apparent. That’s certainly been the experience of Driver Hire franchisee, Manjit Singh. He can see things from both sides, having run his own business and, subsequently, a franchise. Manjit’s first experience of running a business was his investment in an independent wine shop. It was a successful business, but he reached a point where he needed guidance on moving the business forward. There was no-one he could turn to for advice. So Manjit decided to sell and look at various B2B management franchise
In April 2007, when his local Driver Hire office in Enfield became available, Manjit purchased it. Using the office’s database of lapsed clients and candidates, he got off to a flying start. “In my first year and a half of trading, the growth we achieved was more than I could have initially imagined. Going from a turnover of £0 to £450,000 in year one had me planning grand things to spend the profits on!” Manjit recollects. Initially, when the credit crunch started to bite in September 2008, Manjit’s business wasn’t affected. In April 2009, the impact became apparent. “In May 2009 I achieved my lowest weekly turnover since opening and made my first monthly loss in December 2009. I started to seriously consider walking away,” says Manjit. So he turned to Driver Hire for support – something he couldn’t do when he ran his ‘corner shop’. Manjit recalls: “After a number of discussions with Driver Hire’s directors, the message I got was that I had the right attitude to both recover and take the business to bigger and better things. They pointed out that while some offices had seen revenues fall, there were many offices that – even on recession – were in fact growing their business. This was a turning point for me; proof that Driver Hire’s
core business was sound and that there would always be demand for its services.” So, rather than battling through on his own he made full use of Driver Hire’s franchise support systems. This included the following:
• Attending all Driver Hire regional meetings and conferences
• Working closely with his area development manager
• Building good working relationships with neighbouring Driver Hire franchises
• Sending out bespoke mail shots assisted by the Driver Hire marketing team and press officer
• Using Driver Hire’s league tables as a motivator for the office team
• Making operational changes to his office; job roles, bonus structure and tactical pricing
The results are plain to see: turnover over the last two years’ trading was in excess of £1million. Right now Manjit’s Enfield office is 14 per cent up on 2012/13 and pushing toward £2million turnover this year. He’s taken on extra staff to further invest in his business’s future growth.
“In my first year and a half of trading the growth we achieved was more than I could have imagined”
Manjit is a serial award winner too.
He’s collected several internal awards for beating turnover targets and general outstanding business performance. And this year, the excellent, business-building customer service delivered by Manjit and his team, has put him in the finals of the bfa’s 2013 ‘Franchisee of the Year’ awards. 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. My award nomination is an added bonus and is certainly helping to motivate me and the team.” n
DRIVER HIRE
WEBSITE:
www.driverhirefranchise.co.uk EMAIL:
franchise@driverhire.co.uk PHONE: 01274 361073 CLASSIFICATION: Recruitment
October 2013 |
Businessfranchise.com | 139
Investment: £20k-£50k
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