Franchise Focus Taking up the reigns
Mark Willgoose supports his young family with a Mac Tools franchise INVESTMENT LEVEL: £50,000
Mark Willgoose M
ark Willgoose took to the wheel of his Mac Tools van in June 2013. Having recently become proud father to baby daughter
Lola, he decided it was time for a change in career in order to spend time with his young family. Mark worked as a sales manager at Ben Weaver Commercials Sheffield for seven years prior to joining Mac Tools. “Darren Lee, the Mac Tools franchisee in Sheffield, came to my previous workplace every week. One day he asked me if I couldn’t see myself becoming a Mac Tools franchisee as well. I had never really thought about starting my own business before and wasn’t aware of the concept of franchising either. So I asked him questions every week when he came round and the more I learned about the tools and the company, the more I thought this was a great opportunity to be in charge of my own destiny and work for myself. “I called mechanics in my area to ask them what they thought about Mac Tools in comparison to its competitors. I also did some research online and looked at their accreditations with the bfa. I just wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision and didn’t join a ‘Mickey Mouse’ business. Everywhere I looked, Mac Tools came across as a stable organisation and the product range is very good. The Mac Tools package is a great opportunity
to earn a good living. So it only took me about one week to make up my mind to join Mac Tools.”
“The training was very good and the ongoing support is just brilliant; no one is ever more than a phone call away”
Mac Tools is part of Stanley Black &
Decker, a £7billion-plus global organisation that owns the world-famous Facom, Britool Expert and DeWalt brands and employs over 30,000 people worldwide. Over the last three years, Mac Tools has achieved 25 per cent year-on-year growth in what is considered to be a flat market. The Mac Tools line consists of over 18,000 professional tools including screwdrivers, ratchets, wrenches and assorted air tools, as well as its own toolboxes. Franchisees like Mark are trusted distributors of what many consider to be the best quality tools on the market to customers such as car dealerships, automotive repair shops, manufacturing units, and engineering companies. Mark completed Mac Tools’
comprehensive training programme and then received hands-on support from his
regional franchise manager for the first two weeks out on the road as well as regular support from a dedicated team of staff at the European headquarters in Sheffield. “The training was very good and the ongoing support is just brilliant; no one is ever more than a phone call away. I can phone other franchisees and customer services if I need to; they can help you with basically everything and are very quick. I feel very welcome. “If you are looking into buying a franchise, I would advise you to make sure that your area is as compact as possible so you don’t have to drive a long way to your customers. It is important to understand that there will be ups and downs, as with any business, but if you do your best and put the hours in, you will have a good level of sales. “My plan for the future is to keep on doing what I’m doing. The Mac Tools franchise has given me more flexibility as I get my full weekend now and I enjoy the fact that if I want to finish at three o’clock I can. There is a lot of work involved but to start and finish when I want is a definite advantage when you have a little girl!” n
MAC TOOLS
WEBSITE:
www.mactools.co.uk EMAIL:
franchise@mactools.co.uk PHONE: 08450 600 060 CLASSIFICATION: Automotive
April 2014 |
Businessfranchise.com | 85
Investment: £50k-£100k
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