Special Feature
How has this influenced your personal life? Previously I have struggled to balance work and family life. However, although I now work longer hours, I can spend more quality time with my family, as I have drastically reduced my daily commute and, as my own boss, I am able to better plan my schedule. It is also great to be seen as ‘Mr Gautier’ in my local community – I really enjoy networking with other local businesses.
Gautier Romain Pfaff
Romain lives just outside Les Sables d’Olonne, France, with his wife and two young daughters. He has been with Gautier since 2013.
Why did you go down the franchise route and why did you choose Gautier? Having spent many years working for corporate businesses, I really wanted to put my energy into my own business, where I will personally reap the rewards of my hard work. I chose Gautier because I love its furniture and, as a family-owned business, its values matched mine.
What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing? I received really intensive training initially. This covered not just systems and operational procedures, but also in-depth product knowledge and selling skills. I really enjoyed visiting the Gautier factories and actually building the furniture – I can now talk with confidence about the product quality. Ongoing, we use an online training tool and have regular visits from the Gautier team to update us on new products and systems.
What marketing and/or promotional tools do you use to grow your franchise? Marketing is a really important part of my business plan. I try to use as many
different methods as possible, keeping them appropriate to the positioning of the Gautier brand and measuring success, which is not always easy. I balance traditional marketing methods – direct mailing, magazine adverts – with digital marketing – Google AdWords, Facebook, Instagram. It has been a learning curve for me, but I enjoy thinking of new ways to drive PR.
Would you recommend a franchise opportunity with Gautier to others? Definitely. It is hard work, but you get to learn and practise so many different skills and get the satisfaction of selling a great product that will enhance your customers’ home. The Gautier team is always supportive and you really feel like you are part of a family.
What are your plans for the future? Most Gautier franchisees own more than one store and it is my plan to open at least one more. With the knowledge that I now possess I am sure that I could drive success and gain the benefits of greater scale.
Describe a typical day... Every day is different, but the best bit is helping my salespeople develop.
What did you do before franchising? At 16 I started working in my family’s greeting cards shop in Essex before moving to Devon to pursue a job in retail. After eight years in Devon I then moved to Eastbourne and started my Greensleeves journey.
Why did Greensleeves in particular appeal to you as a business proposition?
I had looked at various types of businesses, but soon after meeting the Greensleeves team, I felt at home. Greensleeves is a very friendly company to partner with and I found their business structure and plan to be very solid and one I could exceed in.
How does your previous experience assist you in the running of your franchise? From my background in retail I do have a lot of experience in dealing with customers, providing great service and assisting with individual customer requirements, which has helped me with my business. Although there are some similarities between both industries, retail and lawn care are still very
different businesses that require their own approach.
How has your life changed since investing in the franchise? What’s more, do you have a good work-life balance?
My life has changed significantly since joining Greensleeves. In the past I often worked 12- to 13-hour days, seven days a week, but now that I manage my own time I have a better work-life balance. For most of the year I work five days a week, which allows me more time with family and friends. Greensleeves has allowed me to feel passion again for my work; I can enjoy the jobs I do rather than be too tired to care about work I have done, which I have felt in the past.
Have you got any plans for expansion? I would definitely like to expand my franchise over time, as there is excellent scope to further grow and develop my franchise into a bigger business. The business is very much a marathon rather than a sprint and I aim for month-on- month growth; I will focus time on further developing the customer numbers.
Greensleeves Ashley Humphreys
Ashley opened his Greensleeves franchise in Eastbourne in February 2015.
November 2016 |
BusinessFranchise.com | 33
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