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Special Feature


Award Leisure Simon Baggaley


Simon launched his franchise in Birmingham in May 2017. He has over 20 years’ sales experience in the energy and solar industries


What drew you to franchising? I have learnt a lot about running a business at varying scales from my career in energy and the solar industry. But I always wanted to run my own business, primarily because I really enjoy autonomy and being in charge of my own destiny with regards to business performance. I love working in small teams and I will now have the chance to build a team around me. Franchising itself interested me to get the benefit of a franchisor’s experience and to hit the ground running.


Why did you choose Award Leisure? I was looking for a franchise or business opportunity in the hot tub market and Award Leisure really stood out, not just for having a great range of quality hot tubs at great value but for the holistic nature of its proposition – it has everything you can think of in the luxury outdoor leisure space and it’s truly unique.


In what ways is your business flexible? Being a franchisee of an established business completely removes some of the headaches and challenges new businesses typically need to overcome; for example, supply chain, credit terms and access to consumer finance typically take a long time for a new business to establish. Having tried-and-tested methods and training on the product and what’s worked in terms of business process accelerates the learning curve rapidly. This means that, as a franchisee, I have more time and autonomy to focus on my local market conditions and implement the right sales and marketing tactics to suit its needs.


How has investing in a franchise changed your lifestyle? My former life was as a sales director covering UK and Northern Europe. The travel was extensive and I spent a lot of time away from home. I worked the usual corporate hours during Monday to Friday with weekends off. Now, I work every weekend, but my business is only five minutes from my house and I’m home every night. My family is involved in the business as well, so it’s blurring the work-life balance in a good way!


Do you have plans to grow the business in the future? Yes, I would love to open new territories in the vicinity with Award Leisure.


Do you enjoy being your own boss and working for yourself? I love it. It’s the most fun I’ve had at work in the last 20 years!


What advice would you give potential Award Leisure franchisees? Really get into detail on the assumptions in the financial projections, and understand the expected payment terms with your suppliers and customers. Cashflow is king in the early days in terms of financial metrics – lack of it is the reason most new businesses fail – so as well as the franchise fee and the forecasted start-up costs, make sure you allocate enough working capital to see you through the first few months. Remember that even if you are franchising with a really well-known brand, it will still take time for the awareness to start to build. Be careful how you utilise your marketing spend to avoid wasting it – test and learn in your market to see what is effective without committing too much to one channel.


September 2017 | BusinessFranchise.com | 29


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