BF April 2010 Issue

118
Franchises from £20,000 to £50,000
ChipsAway
Investment level:
£22,500 plus VAT
o
c
u
s
Website:
www.chipsaway.co.uk
Email:
uk@chipsaway.co.uk
n
c
h
i
s
e

f
Phone:
f
r
a
0800 731 6914
classification:
Automotive
support that forms part of the ChipsAway
philosophy.
Ian describes the launch of his new
business last September as “astounding!”
Within two days he had written 114
estimates worth £18,595 and booked
£4,335 of repairs into his work diary.
Ian Whitlock
“It’s not rocket science or luck,” he says.
“You make your own luck by working hard,
planning your marketing and giving it 100
Up and away
per cent!” Ian had superb support from
his business developer – an experienced
ChipsAway franchisee – as well as from
his wife and a promotional team that
From ﬁ nancial services to freedom with ChipsAway,
he’d organised. Despite howling wind and
rain, according to Ian, the event was an
discover Ian Whitlock’s story
unqualiﬁ ed success.
Within his ﬁ rst week, Ian had managed to
A
52-YEAR-OLD Ian Whitlock Even Ruth, who had been highly sceptical
“I was looking
get ChipsAway onto the internal intranet site
has ﬁ nally hit lucky after a about investing in another franchise, was of his local Borough Council with a personal
rollercoaster experience in the won over by the professionalism of the
for a strong
recommendation from the deputy mayor,
ﬁ nancial services sector. The misfortune management team and the strong ongoing franchise...” whose car he had repaired free of charge.
of being made redundant twice, as well “I polished out some paintwork scratches
as being the victim of a ﬁ nancial services for her and she was so delighted with the
franchise failure, might have sent a lesser job she made sure I was also listed as one
man reaching for the bottle, but Ian is made of the ethical, honourable and reliable local
of sterner stuff. Although determined to do trades people. It’s about thinking laterally and
his ‘due diligence’ to the ultimate degree, he spotting opportunities to get your name
decided that working for himself was what across to as many people as possible!”
he wanted and that franchising – despite his Business has continued to boom ever
previous unhappy experience – still offered since and Ian asserts that levels of work have
the best way forward. meant that he could have worked every
“I still had conﬁ dence in the franchise single day since his launch, had he wanted
model. For me it was a question of ﬁ nding to. His biggest problem is simply keeping up
the right franchise,” Ian explains. “I was fed up with demand for his services.
with the ﬁ nancial services game and wanted “I wasn’t expecting to be this busy or
a change. I was reasonably open minded for it to be this good,” he says. “But I feel
about the kind of business and looked at it’s too early in the day for me to take on
several different options, but above all I an employee just yet. I want to take a little
was looking for a strong, well-established more time to establish myself and learn to
franchise, with a good reputation, long track walk before I run; my plan is to take on an
record and plenty of successful franchisees employee in the summer.”
making good money.” He concludes: “If this level of business
Having whittled the various contenders is sustainable, and I believe it is, I can
down to a couple of real possibilities, Ian see future potential for me taking a split
and his wife Ruth attended a ChipsAway role managing a full time second vehicle,
open day and were suitably impressed. running my own van part of the time and,
“What I liked about ChipsAway was it stood developing and running the business on
up to scrutiny,” he recalls. “There were no a more intense basis – maybe eventually
unrealistic promises or guarantees, other adding a full CarCare Centre. But for now,
than if you work the system, it will work for I’m loving every minute of my business,
you – and there was plenty of evidence to I feel invigorated and positive about the
back that up.” future – and it’s all thanks to ChipsAway!” ■
April 2010 www.businessfranchise.com
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 | Page 145 | Page 146 | Page 147 | Page 148 | Page 149 | Page 150 | Page 151 | Page 152 | Page 153 | Page 154 | Page 155 | Page 156 | Page 157 | Page 158 | Page 159 | Page 160 | Page 161 | Page 162 | Page 163 | Page 164 | Page 165 | Page 166