Take the wheel
Having retired from a 30-year career with the police in 2017, Phil Hewish was looking for a means to supplement his pension income and to occupy his time. The idea of running his own business was attra ctive. He says:
“Having been told what to do every working day of my life for over 30 years, it was time to be my own boss.”
Zerodry time
Why franchising? Providing a ready-made business, franchising appealed to Phil. He attended The National Franchise Exhibition in February 2018 to research the brands and business types on offer. “By the time I attended the exhibition,
it was clear that I wanted a van-based franchise because I wanted a business that would keep me active and away from a desk and also allowed me complete control over my work schedule.”
Why Zerodrytime? Phil explored the vehicle-based franchise showcase at the exhibition and was immediately drawn to the dry carpet and upholstery cleaning brand Zerodrytime. “I approached their stand where I met
David Muirhead and Dean Davis, who run the business. I must have taken up 90 minutes of their time, getting every detail of how the franchise network operated, the services offered and what would be required of me. It was invaluable speaking with them face to face to truly understand the business – both David and Dean have on-the-ground experience of delivering the services their franchisees provide.
Did you know? £11bn
The commercial vehicle sector contributes £11billion to the UK economy each year, with the vehicles covering 61 billion miles
4m
There are currently four million vans on UK roads. Activity is expected to double between now and 2040
78,219
There were 78,219 commercial vehicles built in the UK in 2017. In the same year, 362,149 commercial vehicles were registered
BUSINESSFRANCHISE.COM 63
“I was impressed with the cleaning services Zerodrytime offered and the support they clearly provided for their franchisees.”
Next steps Things progressed swiftly after the event and Phil became the proud owner and operator of his Zerodrytime franchise in April 2018. His business covers South Warwickshire and the Cotswolds. “Having been an employee all my
working life, there was so much that was new to me about running a business, from setting up a business bank account to fi nding customers. The support provided by head offi ce with launching and marketing the business is so good, however, that it really made getting my franchise off the ground feel easy.”
Life as a franchisee A year into running his own business, Phil explains what it’s like being a Zerodrytime franchisee: “Even though I am autonomous over my business, I still feel like I am part of something bigger. Coming from such a tight-knit work environment as the police, and always having worked as part of a
team, it is great to feel like I’m not alone. “The Zerodrytime head offi ce is run by a team of supportive family and friends and this culture fi lters down through the franchise network. “The franchisees are always in touch with each other, sharing support and advice. Zerodrytime offers many services now, from dry carpet cleaning to leather restoration, and sometimes customers present us with challenging tasks, but you can feel confi dent saying yes to jobs because you’ve got the experience and advice of other franchisees to draw upon. “I’m enjoying growing my own business with the support of a brand that continues to develop its services and reputation.”
Being your own boss “I am really enjoying being in charge of my own work schedule after all those years of having every shift pattern dictated! I’m now in a position where I can take a day off or book a holiday exactly when I want to. I don’t have a set pattern and I can work exactly when it suits me. “Time with my family has increased and
my social life has really benefi ted since becoming a Zerodrytime franchisee.” l
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