Special Feature
What are the biggest benefi ts about becoming a franchise owner? I wanted to be my own boss and Greensleeves has given me this opportunity. I have freedom and don’t feel I am against the clock to meet deadlines all day, every day. I plan my working days to suit myself and relish the challenge of growing the business from a new startup by getting more customers, mainly through the recommendations of others.
What did you do prior to franchising? I worked for a National Insurance broker for nearly 30 years. My last post there was as area manager looking after teams of sales and customer service staff across a number of sites.
Greensleeves Ian Rubery
Ian Rubery of Hagley, Worcestershire, spent a career in insurance brokerage followed by a retail management role from which he was made redundant. He began trading with Greensleeves in July 2016 with a view to eventually developing a multi-van operation.
How did you feel after you were made redundant? Following a proposed restructure and also my existing role being made redundant, I did have a choice of applying for an alternative position in the business or voluntary redundancy. My decision was to take redundancy, so with it being my own decision, I was fi ne and accepted this. Having worked for the same company for 30 years, I also knew that it was going
to be a very strange feeling to accept and take stock of but it was also an opportunity to review my career plan with lots of alternative options.
“The whole team have been there for me whenever I needed them, which has been so helpful”
What was it that appealed to you about a Greensleeves franchise? As I was already a Greensleeves customer I was aware of the excellent service the business provided and that the products they use actually work. The business is also endorsed by Which? Trusted Traders, so I knew that their products and services meet their high standards.
What happened next? Tell us about the early days with Greensleeves and the support you received… I arranged to meet with the Greensleeves directors and was instantly impressed with the professionalism of the business. Their model is solid and growing year on year, plus I was reassured that all the training and support would be there for me when needed – which has been the case. The whole team have always been available, which has been so helpful, especially in the early days of running the franchise.
66 |
BusinessFranchise.com | February 2017
How has your life changed since you invested in your franchise? How did you get your franchise up and running? My business base is my home so working from home has many advantages. I have a home offi ce for all my admin work and then I have an outbuilding to store all my machinery and stock. With everything so hands on, this saves time and also sets your day up much more easily. This is very diff erent to my last career where I was travelling 25,000 miles per annum and spent most of my time sitting in traffi c! When I was made redundant I took this opportunity to use the payoff to fund the purchase of my franchise.
What are your plans for the future? I want to grow my business as fast I can through successfully marketing the business to my territory, generating brand awareness and attracting new enquiries and quotes, which I can hopefully transfer into customers.
I will also focus on building relationships with my existing customers so that they continue to recommend my services to friends, family and neighbours. I have short-, medium- and long-term goals for my business but the long-term goal is to be running a multi-van operation, employing a team of people looking after thousands of happy customers.
What advice would you give to anyone that has been made redundant? Being made redundant can be a worrying, stressful time but please look at all the positives. This is an ideal time to plan your next career move, perhaps doing something you really enjoy that makes you happy, rather than something you have previously done for many years and not particularly enjoyed. Also, what a great chance to be your own boss and set up your own franchise business.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144
