COUPLES FEATURE GREENSLEEVES
Why did you consider franchising and why with Greensleeves? Tim: Katie and I wanted to set up and run a business together. We work extremely well together, so it seemed like a no brainer. However, starting a business on our own was something we had no experience in, so we decided to approach a franchise network, which would guarantee us the training, support and experience required to help us ensure our business succeeded. I have always enjoyed working outdoors and the physical side of the work appealed to me, as I’ve always tried to maintain a healthy fi tness regime. We set up an initial meeting with the Greensleeves directors, David Truby and Phil Paddock, which was extremely benefi cial and informative. The company’s ethos and values were in line with our own, which made the conversation between both parties very positive and streamlined.
How was the sign-up process? What support did you receive? Katie: Throughout the joining process, the head offi ce team were incredible. We travelled to the headquarters in Huddersfi eld for a week as part of our induction and training, and everyone in the team was so reassuring and extremely approachable. They provided a wealth of knowledge, especially on the technical aspects of the franchise. Even now, if we require any additional training or support, head offi ce are always happy to arrange visits year round. The security of knowing you have continuous support with Greensleeves is invaluable.
How do you fi nd working together? Katie: It’s been brilliant. I think we complement each other really well; we both undoubtedly play to our combined strengths. It’s also very satisfying to nurture a business that is our own and we really enjoy working together to help its success to grow. We can offl oad to each other and we keep each other motivated.
Tim and Katie Harrison have two children and are based in Edinburgh. Prior to joining Greensleeves Lawn Care, Tim had various sales roles before qualifying as a police offi cer. Katie currently works as a part-time occupational therapist, which she fi ts in around managing the administrative side of their Edinburgh franchise.
Does working as a couple benefi t family life? Tim: Being my own boss has provided huge benefi ts to my family. Personally, I am now able to attend school sessions, events and meetings, something I struggled to do in previous jobs. As Katie and I have a home-based offi ce, we are able to balance work life and home life more easily. This has resulted in us spending more time together as a family. We can be fl exible with our working hours, so my work life is now scheduled around my family life.
What are your golden rules to live by when you share a partnership and a business? Listen to each other, help one another, appreciate what each of you brings to the table, and don’t talk shop in the evenings or at the weekends (if you can avoid it!).
WORKING TOGETHER : WORDS OF WISDOM
“My husband is just as busy as I am but we’re each other’s best friends. We slow each other down when we need to” - Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code
“It’s always been important to us that we are equal partners in our work. We’ve learned over time to give each other feedback at home about times in the offi ce when we didn’t meet that goal” - Melinda Gates
“The secret to being sane working parents is loving what you do. If I didn’t, I would bring home negative energy that would mess up everything. We try to make [the business] feel like family”
- Brian Sugar, co-founder of Sugar Inc. “We never overlap so we’re optimising our
complementary skills, getting from point A to point B two times faster. It really preserves our relationship because otherwise, if we were working on the same spreadsheet, we’d be fi ghting over the mouth” - Julia Hartz, co-founder of Eventbrite
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