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your own business is that it’s not difficult to get time off together. If we decide we want to go away for a long weekend then we can do this. What’s more, with both of us involved in the day-to-day running of the business, it’s not difficult to pop out.


How have you found working together so far? RM: It was a difficult transition to start with, as it was something that we hadn’t done


before. As time has progressed and the franchise has grown we have settled into our daily work routines. Whilst we still have difference in opinion from day-to-day, we feel that this is good for the business and an amicable decision is always reached.


What kind of support have you received from the franchisor? RM: Excellent. The support offered when opening was fantastic and they were


always just a phone call away. Even to this day, four years on, they continually support you with regards product development, advertising and promotional ideas.


Do you take your work home? RM: I try not to but it can be difficult. We run two branches, which means we don’t see each other all the time at work, so when we do get home we sometimes have work to discuss.


and resources, and generate the energy within my clients, so they can face their challenges and capitalise on the opportunities available.


What are the benefits of working with your partner? TR: We are very different in approach and attitude but share the same values. We both want to provide a quality, friendly service that really cares about the client’s business as we do for our own. The balance of personal traits works well as we are suited to our respective roles.


ActionCOACH Tim and Juliet Rylatt


After recently returning to the UK, Tim’s career with the police had to be curtailed due to a serious knee injury. However, both Tim and Juliet wanted to stay involved in society in a way which was helpful and allowed people to enjoy a better quality of life, so they chose to invest in an ActionCOACH franchise.


Explain to us a little more about what made you invest in an ActionCOACH franchise? TR: I had explored a number of different career options and many were, on the face of it, a safer, lower investment option. But, the value shown by ActionCOACH really grabbed me. When I spoke to existing franchisees, whether they were highly successful or still on the journey, they were happy and fulfilled by their work. That was very attractive.


What strengths does each of you bring to the business? TR: Juliet is the organised one. She is diligent, highly professional and keeps our systems working smoothly. She covers the finance, PA and admin support roles. I am the creative one. I provide the coaching, develop new approaches


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How do you fit work around family life? TR: Over the past three years we have been refining our business model to balance duty and time off. I now coach every alternate week with a very busy schedule, and have to be pretty ruthless in managing my time. But on the opposing weeks I pretty much have free reign on where to invest my time. Other interests including a fair bit of travelling, the opportunities to do developmental things like writing a second book and attend training courses, are all relatively easier now!


How have you found working together so far? TR: We are now in our eighth year side- by-side and can honestly say we enjoy it. We are a well-balanced team and we each bring something important to the party. As in all businesses, there are times of stress and disagreement but we are mainly aligned and get past those points pretty quickly. It is also great that we are now building a team beyond the two of us and have some fantastic alliance partners and joint venture partners.


Are there any disadvantages to working with your spouse? TR: Not that I’d be brave enough to write here! All jokes aside, there are very few. The main one is the challenge of switching our conversation away from work when we are at home. That one I’m still working on!


What kind of support have you received from the franchisor? TR: A substantial amount to start with, less in years two and three as we found our feet and gained traction in our marketplace, but in recent times actually quite a lot. I have a good relationship with both the regional master licensees and the global team and I feel that their commitment to supporting franchisees has really stepped up in the last year or two. Having spoken with many other franchise owners in different sectors, I feel genuinely lucky to have the support team we do.


Do you take your work home? TR: Yes, but not late into the evening and not in a way that stresses me. I have a home office, and the flexibility of my role and the structure we have created allows for me to work from there on occasion.


HomeXperts Jason and Gaya Barnett


The main reason the couple went into business was to spend more time with each other, and it has been a blast.


What’s it like investing in a franchise with your partner? JB: Our clients really like how we work together and treat each other and that translates into how we treat them. We relish the fact that we can discuss an important work topic late at night or we can interact with things in our personal life during a break at work.


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