Franchise Focus
Jason Gee Auto aid
Jason Gee reflects on the benefits gained from his Car Medic franchise
INVESTMENT LEVEL: £16,500 B
efore joining leading paintwork repair franchise Car Medic, Jason Gee spent 24 years in the double glazing industry as a works manager. He’d
always dreamed of working for himself and so when he sold a rented property for £25,000, he decided to invest the money in setting up his own business and building a new life for himself. Jason’s father had been a mechanic all his life, so Jason had grown up with car repairs and had inherited his dad’s interest in working with vehicles. It was unsurprising, therefore, that he decided to look around for a business opportunity in the automotive services sector. “I looked at various franchises, but Car
Medic really attracted my attention,” he says. “It offered just as much, if not more, than some of the other SMART repair companies but the price was significantly less, the ongoing management fees were lower and I wasn’t expected to sign up to an agreement that gave what I considered to be too much control to the franchisor. Car Medic don’t want to look over your shoulder all the time and they don’t expect to take a high percentage of your profits.” Managing director David Cartwright
confirms that this is something he hears time and again from Car Medic recruits. He says: “Our franchise is much less prescriptive than others in our industry. Car Medic appeals to people who want to operate a straightforward ‘man-and-a- van’ business. We’re not in the business of trying to push our franchisees to achieve multi-vehicle management franchises unless they actually want to go down that route.
“I have a strong reputation, my work is appreciated and I have no cashflow issues”
Our philosophy is simple: we will provide franchisees with a strong, established brand, an excellent repair system and a wide range of repair opportunities; we offer comprehensive professional training and the ongoing support they need to build a successful and sustainable business. At the end of the day, the business belongs to the individual franchisee and it’s his
responsibility to run it, not ours. Providing our franchisees operate to the well-proven Car Medic format, we won’t interfere – unless, of course, we’re specifically approached by a franchisee in need of help.”
Car Medic are ready to provide support as and when Jason needs it – for example, when the new environmentally-friendly water-based paint system was recently introduced, Jason received two days of intensive training on a one-to-one basis from a Car Medic trainer. For newer franchisees, an evaluation and refresher course is offered automatically three months after launch, to ensure any new problems or lingering concerns are fully addressed and ironed out. This is Jason’s fifth year in operation and he says a great advantage of being your own boss is dealing with clients directly. “Previously I had no contact with customers, now I personally complete every job and I make sure it’s absolutely right. As a result, I have a strong reputation, my work is appreciated and I have no cashflow issues – my customers are always delighted with the job and with my service.”
He concludes: “I really enjoy what I do. I work the hours that suit me and I actually really look forward to going to work in the morning – which is the best feeling in the world!” n
CAR MEDIC
WEBSITE:
www.carmedic.co.uk EMAIL:
franchise@carmedic.co.uk PHONE: 01525 375 375 CLASSIFICATION: Automotive services
October 2013 |
Businessfranchise.com | 185
Investment: £10k-£20k
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