SPECIAL FEATURE
Wiltshire
Farm Foods Brian and Donna Way
Brian and Donna Way joined Wiltshire Farm Foods in September 2005. They employ 17 staff in Brighton and make around 900 deliveries each week. In the 14 years they’ve been part of the network, Brian and Donna have increased growth by 410 per cent, boosting their turnover by over £1million. Donna reflects on their time as franchise partners...
Why did you decide to go into franchising and why this brand? We decided to franchise because we wanted to benefit from working with an established brand as opposed to starting something ourselves from nothing. WFF appealed to us because it was a product we could easily relate to and we liked the idea of selling to the growing older demographic. The business model is also resilient to a recession and future proofed for an ageing population, which gave us security for longevity in business.
Why did you decide to go into business as a couple? Initially, buying the franchise was something for me to run day to day with Brian splitting his time 50/50 with WFF and his own business. Going into business together was just natural for us. We’re both level-headed and ambitious, so we’re fortunate that our goals are aligned. About five years in, Brian decided to sell his business of 10 years and focus all his time on Wiltshire Farm Foods.
Going into business together was just natural for us”
What are the benefits of working as a couple? We enjoy being around each other, so it works! We understand the demands the business has on us, but as we are in it together, there are never any issues regarding one of us working too much! Although we both work full time, we don’t actually spend 100 per cent of that time in the same room.
Have you been able to strike a work-life balance? It’s great because we both understand the stresses of running your own business and experience them together, so we have each other’s support. Over the years we’ve learnt to take advantage of the quiet days and book them off, otherwise we could easily work 365 days of the year! However, the benefits of being your own boss and the financial rewards are worth it.
How do you divide the work? We both have defined roles. It wouldn’t work for us if our roles were combined; tasks would get missed and it would be confusing for the staff. I’m predominantly office-based and lead the team, while Brian is more flexible, working on logistics and fixing anything you put in front of him! We do, however, work very closely together on business strategy, finance and marketing.
How has the support been ongoing? Our business development manager is always just a call away. With the size of the network, generally someone has encountered the same problem whatever it may be.
What are your plans for the future? To double the turnover in the next seven years.
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