Retail Feature


Mobalpa


Simon Pochin and Kimberley Bowers


Mobalpa is a high-end interiors design company with retail outlets in a growing franchise network. Simon Pochin runs the store in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with business partner Kimberley Bowers


training at the manufacturers in France which was essential for us both to see how the company was structured. Not being from the industry ourselves, it gave us the opportunity to understand the manufacturing process in more detail and get a feel for the company in general. We have been supported every step of the way by the national franchise development


“Franchising has made something possible, whilst we’re independent, but it’s a team effort. Franchising gave us the opportunity and we’re grabbing it with all four hands!”


What did you do before franchising? Kim is a very experienced HR and payroll manager, I used to run a campsite in the South of France and on my return to the UK I was employed in retail, selling bathroom products and services.


How did you find out about Mobalpa? We were initially looking for franchise opportunities online following my brief experience in retail selling bathrooms and Mobalpa popped up. Having lived in France for many years I recognised the brand as there are many stores in over there, plus I had heard of their reputation for quality kitchens.


What support and training is there? The support has been and still is absolutely top class. We underwent seven weeks’


30 | BusinessFranchise.com | April 2017


manager, Kyle Whittle, and the franchise director, Cyril Raberin. We have really appreciated the honesty and transparency in all aspects of the venture.


What are the benefits of working in the retail sector? Working with the general public is always a challenge, but when you deliver a service and product on which the end user has collaborated, there is no better feeling than making a dream (kitchen) come true!


Have there been any challenges on your journey so far? Learning the ins and outs of a whole industry is challenging enough in itself and every element divides and sub divides into more details which all have to be understood, from the initial contact to


ordering every item for the showroom. A good year later we have been challenged in every possible way, and the learning curve is steep but we had the franchise team from Mobalpa helping us up that slope, challenges a plenty!


Any highlights or memorable moments to speak of so far?


For my part I worked for a few months at the Warrington store and making that first sale is definitely a key moment. Kim’s memory of the first visit to the factory and the general atmosphere of well-being amongst the staff has always been a key defining moment, the company had an identity to us from that day on, a soul! We are still near the beginning of our adventure and have done so much already, we have new skills to add to the old ones, it’s challenging but we believe the rewards will be there and that Mobalpa believe in us as we do them, we’re independent but it’s a team effort. Franchising gave us the opportunity, we’re grabbing it with all four hands!


Would you recommend franchising with Mobalpa to others? We would definitely recommend Mobalpa and have already done so, we know that the ongoing support and training will be there to any new franchisees. Franchising has made something possible to us that we could not have achieved with our experience and background. It’s a definite recommendation to anyone who has an idea but not necessarily all the skills to make that idea a reality.


What advice would you give to potential franchisees? For potential Mobalpa franchisees I would simply say: trust their method.


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