Market Focus ActionCOACH
So, we decided to go for it as a team and I joined ActionCOACH, too.
Rachel Spratling
Rachel is from Wamborough, near Swindon. She has been an ActionCOACH franchisee since 2016 and runs the business with her husband, Chris.
What did you do before franchising? I left my job at the BBC 10 years ago when our two girls were very young and completed some training to become an executive coach.
I happily did that for three years until I was tempted back into corporate life by a £100,000 salary working in a field marketing agency. My role had me travelling up to 800 miles a week training teams and call centre staff on how to use the company’s technology.
How did you find out about franchising and ActionCOACH in particular? My husband, Chris, had met Action Coach Simon Buck at a dinner with a consultancy client and was really interested in what he heard about the ActionCOACH franchise. Even while Chris was doing his due diligence before he joined ActionCOACH, I could see how becoming an Action Coach would be ideal for me, too. We discussed it and thought it could be something I moved towards in a couple of years. I could stay in corporate life for our financial security while Chris was building up his ActionCOACH business. But, as we worked on our vision for the future, something ActionCOACH recommends you do, I realised my lack of free time meant only Chris could work towards our vision.
Describe the process for getting on board – how long did it take? I left my job at the end of May 2016 and spent June working alongside Chris to experience everything ActionCOACH had to offer before I began the initial training. That was the first time we had worked together since we met at work over 20 years ago!
What was the initial training and support like?
I loved every minute of the training – it was a complete buzz. I thought I would be exhausted after that week but, actually, I was so energised that I couldn’t wait to start on Monday morning. There’s such a wealth of information, tools, support and techniques that I can’t possibly fail. Having worked as an executive coach on my own, I can’t believe how different it is as an Action Coach. There’s a network of hugely creative and supportive people to work alongside. Each new franchise partner is given free one-to-one coaching from a master coach until they reach a good level of client income.
How was trading in the beginning and how is business today?
I began working as an Action Coach in August and had a client by the end of the first week. Chris and I run the business together but I concentrate on businesses in West Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire. On a personal level, I’ve had more time at home with the family and I get to walk the dogs in the morning instead of rushing out of the house.
What are your plans for the future? Chris and I are committed to helping over 1,000 businesses in the South West and we’ve invested in a 1,500 sq ft, purpose-built office to help us achieve this goal. We have employed coaches and pride ourselves that all our coaches are successful business owners with hands- on experience of launching, growing and successfully exiting businesses.
Jackson Fire & Security
Sam Gale
Sam left school at 16 and completed an electrical apprenticeship. Five years later, he joined the army and retrained as a tank mechanic with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. After seven years’ service, he retrained and secured a position as a consultant with a small health and safety company, focusing mainly on fire safety in engineering. He later joined a large corporate compliance company, where he worked with clients such as Rolls Royce and Aggregate Industries providing fire safety.
Why did you go down the franchise route, and why did you choose Jackson Fire & Security?
I was looking for a change after working as a consultant in health and safety – predominantly fire safety. However, I wanted to stick to something I knew well; I had in my mind that I was going to start a fire risk assessment and training company. I was actually helping a friend look for a franchise opportunity when I came across Jackson Fire & Security. As I have a background as an electrician and have installed fire and intruder alarms in the past it seemed to fit very well with my experience.
What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing? Initial training included a mixture of classroom-based training on fire alarm and security system design, online training with
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BusinessFranchise.com | April 2018
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