Franchise Focus
Family fortune D
Franchisee David Fearnley talks about how he went from redundancy to resounding success with Dublcheck
INVESTMENT LEVEL: FROM £14,000
avid Fearnley is the Dublcheck franchisee for Bradford and the surrounding area.
What did you do before franchising? The majority of my working life has been in procurement and supply chain management, most recently within the food manufacturing industry.
Why did you decide to go into franchising and why Dublcheck? I got called into the offi ce one day and was told the company was making some cuts, and that I was being made redundant. I suppose this was the spark that started my franchising journey. The reason I wanted to get into this, ultimately, is I got to a point in my previous employment where it was apparent I was nothing more than a number. I wanted my destiny to be in my own hands and this provides me with that, as well as a level of security that wasn’t there before. My brother-in-law has already been running a Dublcheck franchise with his partner in Leeds for six years, and he has taken it from strength to strength during that time. He and I had a discussion one evening, and he believed there was no reason why I wouldn’t be able to make a go of it myself. Soon after, he was approached to see if he wanted to buy an established branch, but put my name forward instead. There were a lot of pros going for it – it was a solid franchise business – and I offi cially took over in February this year.
Has franchising changed your life? My work-life balance is much better than it was, but you do constantly monitor the phone to see how progress is going. You’ve still got to put the hours in, but you’re answerable to yourself and can work things around your own timetable.
How has business been so far? It’s been good. Obviously, it’s a steep learning curve – you have to get to know the clients and what they want – but I gained some new customers in the fi rst couple of weeks, which was fabulous. Now I’m established, I’m moving on to
Dublcheck franchisee David Fearnley
growing the business steadily and in a controlled manner.
Have you faced any challenges? Dealing with employees. As a people business, there are challenges that can arise. You have to make sure you recruit the right people to work in your business and ensure the customers are satisfi ed. With that, you also have to work around things like sickness and holiday cover.
What training and support did you receive when you joined and ongoing? I received a very comprehensive onsite course from Dublcheck, and spent fi ve days in total at the head offi ce. I got a full overview of the business itself and the systems and techniques it uses, such as cleaning, machinery and the intranet system, where we bill and invoice customers. My brother-in-law, and best friend since we were children, is my offi cial mentor.
We now work in the same industry and communicate on a very regular basis. The team over at head offi ce are always available to help you as well if you need any assistance.
What are your plans for the future with your franchise?
At the moment, I’m a one-man band, albeit with 20 employees. I want to get to the point where I can get managerial staff in as quickly as I can. My brother-in-law and I share resources on occasion, and has helped me out by lending cover staff at short notice, for example.
Dublcheck Commercial cleaning
www.dublcheck.co.uk info@dublcheck.co.uk 0800 317 236
October 2017 |
BusinessFranchise.com | 177
Investment: £10k-£20k
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