Retail Feature Ripples Martin Mcdonagh
Martin Mcdonagh opened the door to his Ripples showroom in June 2014. He lives and works in Harpenden, Hertfordshire
What appealed about to you about franchising with Ripples? It had always been my intention to start my own business. I have always wanted to be in charge of my own destiny – after all, you spend such a large proportion of your life working, why not do it for yourself?
Why this sector, and why a franchise investment with Ripples? In bathrooms, presentation is extremely important, and that’s something that Ripples is very good at. It’s a bold move to start a business of any kind, so being a known entity able to negotiate trading terms
CeX Huseyin Nurhakli
Huseyin Nurhakli owns and runs the Hastings and Tonbridge stores for CeX, which operates on a buy, sell and exchange basis trading in electronics, games and DVDs
with suppliers was a huge draw. The fact that you have goodwill
from suppliers and they are willing to open credit accounts for you straight away, is amazing. You also get help with public relations and advertising. Franchising simplifies all the aspects of business ownership.
What did you do before franchising, and what led you to investing in CeX? Before I opened my first store I used to be in the mobile phone repair business, and prior to that I was in the catering industry. I have always had a huge interest in gadgets so CeX was ideal for me. I wanted a well-established and recognised retail brand – CeX ticked both of those boxes. I wasn’t particularly looking to franchise but wanted to be part of Cex, luckily this was a possibility. I first read about it on their website, read a few case studies on there and it inspired me to apply. I wanted to be a part of a large organisation that I had a passion for, but without taking a huge risk. CeX’s fast growth in a short amount of time assured me of the chances of success.
What support do you receive? From my franchise manager, to the operations manager and all the support team, they cannot do enough just a phone call away whenever I need. In particular, my franchise manager assisting with every aspect gave me the free time to concentrate on my training and development.
Is everything how you expected it to be? Yes very much so, I really enjoy what I do. Having just opening my second store I know exactly what to expect, which makes the whole process easier.
What do you offer to customers that makes your business stand out? Our unique selling point is our hand-drawn designs, coupled with a very professional approach. We always communicate by letter, not by email, and when we design, we will sit down for a few hours with a customer and visit the site before producing the drawings. Not many retailers invest that number of man-hours in each bathroom. People want to be more involved with the designs, with storage solutions and mood lighting. It is something we are very good at and part of the complete service we offer.
Would you recommend franchising, or a Ripples investment, to others? Yes! It’s difficult to start any business, but would be a lot more so without being part of the Ripples franchise operation – having the framework in place, an established supplier relationship, good guidance from the franchisor as well as help and advice on administration and accounting. The value of all that’s given to you more than outweighs the fee. If you are considering taking the leap, I recommend going to the Ripples franchise site,
ripplesfranchise.co.uk
What have you found most beneficial? All departments – IT, marketing, training, pricing, anytime I need assistance with anything I have somebody I can contact.
Are you on track to meet your target? My current turnover is £1.7million in the first 20 months in my first store (Tonbridge). I am hoping to achieve an annual turnover of £2.3million with both stores combined. Hastings turnover in the first week was £31,000. It’s early days but this is a very good indicator that the store will perform over expectations.
What do you enjoy most and how has your lifestyle improved?
The most enjoyable factor has been the opportunity to motivate my staff and see them enjoy their work as much as I do. Being my own boss means the freedom to do other tasks required elsewhere, as CeX’s powerful tools are available for me to keep track of performance.
What are your future plans? My plan is to grow my two stores to maximum potential and open two more stores in the next three-to-four years.
What sort of person do you think a CeX franchise would suit? Someone hardworking, enjoys leading and motivating, but most importantly having good people skills is essential.
April 2017 |
BusinessFranchise.com | 29
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