Inside Story Spoilt for choice
Snack-in-the-Box franchisee David Myhill discusses the early days of running the business and his future plans
INVESTMENT LEVEL: FROM £20,000
David Myhill joined Snack-in-the-Box (SITB) as a franchisee in April 2016 and services the Reading area.
What made you fi rst look into SITB? I looked at SITB, along with some other franchises. It was quickly obvious that the snack route was something that seemed easy to start and SITB was a brand that was very recognised and allowed me to sell a product with confi dence.
Why did you choose a SITB franchise? Ultimately, choosing SITB came down to the package that was on off er, along with the territory, which was local, yet large enough to grow into.
A telling factor was also the service
provided by the SITB sales director, Sean Cleveland, in terms of the relaxed approach, which didn’t put me under any pressure but allowed me to decide for myself. Obviously, the business plan and
projections were also important, as were the fi eld day with a franchisee and the transparency of information.
“The whole handover process was relaxed yet concise, allowing me to see the vital elements of the business”
Prior to purchasing the franchise, how detailed was the SITB sales/ selection process? The sales projections were shown in simple terms, including a realistic net profi t. The whole business was not oversold.
What were your three key personal objectives when buying the franchise? My three objectives were to gain a work-life balance that I was in control of, a business that I could grow if I chose to, and
something that I could operate easily with no re-training required.
How did you fi nd the initial training? The whole training package was very well planned, from head offi ce machine training on day one to meeting and servicing my accounts with the existing distributor. The whole handover process was relaxed yet concise, allowing me to see the vital elements of the business.
In terms of the launch programme, did SITB deliver what was promised? Yes, the launch programme was structured in such a way that it allowed me a very accurate overview and timeline of my business and the tools I would need to hit the ground running from day one.
What has the support been like? The support to date has been very good. The franchise manager gives me a sounding board and a fi rst point of contact in the event of me having any issues. I think having a franchise manager who has hands-on knowledge of running a franchise is the perfect dynamic to provide me with a quick and accurate resolution. Engineering support is also very good and machine issues have been dealt with quickly.
What are the three best things about running the business?
The best thing is not having to answer to anybody! But I also enjoy managing my own days and weeks, and the total fl exibility to run a business my way, albeit under the umbrella of a tried-and- tested model.
Are you hitting your sales targets? So far the sales for my territory have been very consistent. It has taken some time to establish my working week in terms of which accounts to visit and how often; initially, I was trying to see everybody every week, which was not unrealistic but unnecessary. As my thought process has evolved and as I have got to know my customers and gain their trust, I now fi nd it
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BusinessFranchise.com | December/January 2017
David Myhill
much easier to know my business. The short-term plan now is to grow key areas within my territory, as I have more time on my hands through working smarter, not harder.
What are your mid-term and long-term goals for the business? There are many options going forward. The easiest one is to utilise the sales expertise within the franchise to add accounts to my business. This will replace and refresh my customer base allowing some poorer- performing accounts to be removed while hopefully benefi ting the turnover.
Snack-in-the-Box Vending services
www.sitb.co.uk sean@sitb.co.uk 020 8879 8303
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