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Special Feature


Expense Reduction Analysts


Andrew Beer


Andrew, a former equities trader, lives in Billericay, Essex, where he runs his Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) franchise. ERA specialise in procurement, and cost management and reduction for businesses


What did you do before you went into franchising?


I was an equities trader at a global investment bank and spent 20 years in the industry. From 2003 to 2006 I founded and ran a security company, which I sold before returning to the City.


Why did franchising appeal? From previous experience I know how difficult it can be to start a business without any support, particularly if the reality differs from the business plan. Having a franchisor to lean on and ask for advice can make the difference between success and failure.


Why Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) and why this sector? I did a lot of research into which type of franchise would suit my own skillset and hold my interest in the longer term. I wanted to remain in the financial world but also challenge myself to do something a bit different. Of all the companies I spoke with, the Expense Reduction Analysts’ approach to its clients seemed to most closely match the way I believe business should be conducted. Also, it’s easy to buy into the principle of making a long-term difference to clients without exposing them to risk.


“If you’re good at what you do… the money will follow naturally”


How did you discover this franchise? On the British Franchise Association (bfa) website in the first instance, but when I dug deeper I discovered that a former colleague had also joined the franchise.


How did you go about signing up and taking the plunge with ERA? The first hurdle was deciding with my wife, Rebecca, that it was the right decision for our family. The next step was to go to head office and meet the whole support team, plus speak with several current franchisees, which I think is vital. Once I was comfortable with the whole package I built a detailed business plan with the help of ERA to ensure that the numbers stacked up. I held quite a number of detailed conversations with Matt O’Neill, the recruitment manager, to ensure that I was right for ERA and vice versa – after that, signing on the dotted line was easy!


32 | BusinessFranchise.com | April 2017


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