Special Feature
marketing and training, as well as providing professional advice on employment law, health and safety and environmental legislation.
Has making a success of the business been as easy as you have made it look? The high quality of service offered by the whole of my team has made a huge contribution to the success of my branch. We make sure that our clients have no reason to change. Well-trained, motivated staff are extremely important and we have found that by fine-tuning our service to match clients’ ever-changing requirements we’re picking up extra business. High standards and flexibility have helped us to build long-term client relationships. By offering a comprehensive range of complementary work, all their cleaning needs are met by one reliable and trusted source.
What are your plans for the future of the business?
The size of my territory has given me almost unlimited scope for expansion and my branch achieved a remarkable growth rate of 16.6 per cent in 2013. I was named the 2013 Franchisee of the Year at Minster’s recent annual conference. The award is based on performance criteria including sales, new business acquisition and customer retention. I see no reason why this success shouldn’t continue and I have no plans to take things easy for the foreseeable future!
CHIPSAWAY
Paul identified the perfect opportunity in ChipsAway, a leading automotive paintwork repair brand.
What attracted you to franchising with ChipsAway?
I decided I wanted to work for myself and started looking for a practical, hands-on business that offered the chance to achieve good earnings and retire early. I could see the potential of a ChipsAway franchise from the outset. I visualised that from initially being an owner-operator, I would eventually develop my business into a management franchise and make a lot of money – and that’s exactly what I’ve done!
How is business going? Today, I have two thriving ChipsAway CarCare Centres (fixed-base workshops) on adjacent territories, a fleet of mobile units and a team of six employees. I am busier than ever, repairing bumper scuffs, scratches and alloy wheels to an average 16 cars a day!
Have the skills you used in the forces helped you in running a franchise? Is there any crossover?
I find the planning side of things similar to being in the forces. Spending 10 minutes at the start of each day planning and briefing staff can save you hours of wasted time later on. It’s very much an old RAF habit!
Does running your ChipsAway franchise differ from being in the forces?
My salary is vastly different to that which I used to take home. I now earn at least six times more than I did in the RAF – even allowing for indexation – and my business keeps going from strength to strength! Last year was my busiest yet and I’m looking forward to an increase in turnover again next year.
F
What do you enjoy most about your ChipsAway franchise? I love being my own boss and the independence this brings. I decide where I want to take the business – if I want to earn more, I can set my own targets and work to achieve them, rather than waiting for someone to promote me. Also, if I want to take eight or 10 weeks’ holiday a year, I can, all in the knowledge that the business carries on without me!
ormer engineering officer Paul Fabian spent 13 years in the forces before taking voluntary redundancy from the RAF. Keen to be independent and use the skills he had gained,
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Would you do it again? Absolutely, I have no regrets whatsoever about becoming a ChipsAway franchisee. If you’re prepared to work hard, you can achieve amazing results.
G
raham Coulston Hermann retired from Lancashire Constabulary after 30 years of service, leaving behind his role as Chief Superintendent, in charge
of one of the force’s six divisions. Graham bought a Dublcheck franchise in September 2012 and after successfully trading for 14 months he has more than doubled his turnover.
Why did you decide to go into franchising after leaving the forces? I wanted to do something different but I had no initial business experience and no real idea of what I wanted to do, simply a burning desire to run my own business.
DUBLCHECK
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