Special Feature
I had no intention of going into franchising at all, and attended a franchise exhibition in 2015 with the sole intention of getting some new ideas for my consulting business. I met with ERA and a couple of other white-collar franchises. ERA was my choice because the business model makes perfect sense to me and I can easily see why it would appeal to many financial directors and business owners. It also seems to be a lot more recession-proof that many other white-collar franchises.
Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) Keith McGregor
A qualified accountant, Keith joined ERA in August 2015 after many years working as a finance director.
What did you do before franchising? I spent 18 years working in the finance team at an estate agency, of which the last nine were as financial director. Following a relocation of the company’s head office, I took redundancy and spent 18 months doing consultancy work.
What drew you to franchising and ERA in particular?
What did you do before franchising? I was a qualified electrician running my own portable appliance testing business.
Why a franchise in the white-collar sector?
As an electrician, it was easy for me to make the switch and there will always be work available in the services sector. Also, the franchise is low-cost, which made it an easy choice.
How did you find the initial training? Even as a qualified electrician, they offered additional training at no extra cost to make sure everyone was comfortable in starting our new businesses. The support has been fantastic; the three-month business coaching has helped me set goals.
What is the ongoing support like? You are never alone with Express; you can call them anytime. The head office is extremely helpful at answering any questions or getting the marketing department to make up any extra adverts I need. This is all at no extra cost.
How did you find the initial training and support?
The five-week initial training was excellent, very intensive and a good blend of learning styles. I learnt an awful lot of stuff without there being too much for me to absorb. The fact that we had a large group on our induction training was a little bit worrying, but worked out really well, as all the questions I didn’t think to ask were asked by others in our group. We have all bonded really well, which has helped hugely in our first year.
What is the ongoing support like? It’s a mix of specific category training, regular academy days, mentoring in the first few months and support on tap when required.
How have you found trading so far as a franchisee?
The first year has been very tough, simply
How have you found trading so far? I thought the first month was going to be tough, but I was able to get leads in the first week and started bringing in money. It wasn’t long before I had regular clients and didn’t have to worry about marketing.
In what ways has your life changed? After running a successful franchise, I soon bought a regional master franchise with Express. This enabled me to help manage other franchisees while receiving a percentage of the weekly franchise fee. I was then approached by Express to take a greater role in the company and I have now moved over to the UK to help grow the business in the global expansion.
What are your plans for the future? I hope to show people in the UK that it isn’t hard to start your own business. I also want to help those who may not like their job or need a change to start doing something they love and work the hours that they want. As the business grows over here I hope to be managing franchises across the whole of the UK.
because of how the business model means there is a long lead-in time between first contacting potential clients and getting paid. I was made aware of that before joining but actually living through a long period with no income has been challenging and I’ve had a few sleepless nights.
However, I’ve mostly managed to focus on activity levels, and I’m now starting to see the results coming through. As I become more experienced and gain confidence, I’m starting to make progress with potentially longer-term clients.
In what ways has your life changed? It’s been really tough, but also very satisfying and I really enjoy getting up every day. I probably should have done this a few years earlier. I’m working harder than I ever have before in my life, but I’m very happy.
Would you recommend franchising with Expense Reduction Analysts to others? Yes, if you are prepared to put in a huge amount of work, not let obstacles get you down, be thick-skinned, stick to the system and never give up.
What are your short- and long-term plans for the future? I plan to get more clients, work with more people within ERA to take care of the additional workload, and consistently earn my target income from year three onwards.
Express Business Group
Adam Murphy
Adam joined Express in 2014 and began trading as a multi-master franchisee in March 2016. Prior to this, he worked as an electrician in Australia.
October 2016 |
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