Special Feature
Screen Rescue Jaime Hilario
is the franchisor of Screen Rescue, a dedicated commercial windscreen repairs specialist operating from fully equipped mobile units. Providing advanced windscreen and glass repair solutions to the commercial automotive sector, Screen Rescue count major fleet operators amongst their clients. Jaime reveals what makes his franchise opportunity, low-cost and high-return.
A-Star Sports Kyle Taylor
is a new franchisee for children’s sports-coaching brand A-Star Sports and runs her classes in the territory of Northwich, Knutsford & Runcorn in the county of Cheshire.
How long have you been running your franchise?
I’ve been running my franchise for a few months now. I was mainly concentrating on the Northwich area to begin with.
What did you do prior to owning your business and how did you come to franchising?
I’ve worked in this industry as a children’s sports coach for five years and delivered coaching under the A-Star Sports brand since its launch in 2011. It was because of this experience and getting to know the franchisor and other franchisees that I had the inspiration and confidence to start my own franchise. Prior to this, I worked in retail but had a passion for sport that led me to pursue it as a full-time career.
Why did you choose A-Star Sports in particular? Was the low cost an important factor? I chose A-Star Sports as I really like their approach to coaching children, making sure that fun comes first and offering a wide variety of sports. The low start-up cost is a positive factor but what has influenced me more is that I’ve seen first-hand how successful A-Star Sports franchises can be. I’ve experienced building up classes as a coach myself and the positive progression towards being a business owner is an exciting one.
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Businessfranchise.com | March 2015
Do you feel you received a good return on your investment? What training and support did and do you receive? The initial training was thorough and adapted to my needs. I have access to a team site with all the business support and coaching materials that I need as well as a business mentor. I have regular telephone updates and meetings plus one-to-ones if I have specific development needs. I’m never afraid to ask a question and I feel very positive about my investment and future with my A-Star Sports business.
What are your plans for the future of your business? I really want to grow the business well throughout my entire area. I’d like to build a team of high-quality coaches to engage even more children in physical activities and sports. My neighbouring franchise has 60-plus weekly classes up and running and does 250-plus parties every year – that’s my target, too!
What advice would you give to anyone considering a franchise? Do lots of research on your intended territory and speak to other franchisees. You may have a true passion for your business but it takes discipline and hard work to be successful and you need all of these things to really reap the rewards. Finally, be prepared to listen to the advice from your franchisor – they’ve spent a lot of their time and resources making the brand successful.
What are the features that make your franchise low-cost? Aside from a moderate entry level of £18,000 plus vat, Screen Rescue is a mobile-based operation. This means you are able to operate with lower overheads as you eliminate the cost associated with leasing or renting business premises, and so retain higher profits from day one. It’s extremely important to maintain the quality of our BSI-tested resins, peripherals, materials and leading technical repair systems – their combined use guarantees unbeaten repair results. So, in addition to passing on group purchasing discounts to each franchise partner, we also provide them with every item on a non-profit basis. This helps reduce their cost of sales and generates a consistently higher gross profit margin. Screen Rescue also has many operational and financial tools available, which reliably remove most of the usual staffing costs associated with running a business. At head office, we operate a sophisticated central billing system and aged debtor collection service,
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