10 years. I get to start this journey as soon as possible, grow my business as much as I can and hopefully pass that on to my children – that NextGen step that’s possible with McDonald’s.


After a career as a pilot and entrepreneur, Rav Sandhu wanted to work among teams again, and so involvement with a ‘people business’ was an obvious choice.


What did you do before you embarked on your McDonald’s journey? I was a pilot in the Royal Air Force. I flew the Hercules, which was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, and served in Iraq. It was always an ambition of mine to fly and I felt privileged to have served. I did that for a decade and I retired


after an injury. I then went to work with my brother within his food retail franchise. That sparked my interest in working for myself. I launched my own business, which mostly shipped products around the world, but it was a small operation and it was very clear, very quickly, that I missed being in teams (as I was in the RAF) and the buzz of people, like I had with my brother in his franchise. So, about three years ago, I started thinking: “Well, where do I want to go with this?” McDonald’s was a very obvious choice.


I wanted to work for myself, I knew the opportunities they had; it’s a fascinating business, it keeps innovating. It was something I always kept an eye on, and I could see myself being a part of their future. I went to an Insight day and thought: “This is the right place for me!”


How did you know it was right? As soon as they started talking about “hard work”, “dedication”, “be hands on”, “know your people” – it all made sense to me and was something that I was missing. We heard from a number of existing


franchisees, too, and straightaway I thought: “Yes! This is the kind of thing I


know and love!” But actually, it’s far more exciting, because there’s a lot more going on with McDonald’s. The Insight day made it pretty clear what I was getting into.


What happened next? The next phase is thorough, there’s no denying that. It’s long, and so you have the opportunity to reflect on whether you’re doing the right thing – and that’s good, both ways. It’s rigorous – interviews go on for many stages. You meet other franchisees, you go and work in a store – it all benefits you as well. And at any point you can say: “This isn’t for me,” and I think it needs to be that way. You have to be sure of what you’re getting into – it’s a very hands-on business. You also need to be a people person.


So it was a chance to make a big change? Yes, because to do this, I moved some of my investments around, and I pulled out of my business to become a franchisee and for the purpose of setting myself up for these nine months. I know there is a bursary, which can make a big difference for some – all these things help. I’ve learned about banks and funding, too. At the open day, there are people from the banks who’ll tell you how confident they are lending to you. Obviously, as a borrower you’re


interested in what kind of deal you get. As a franchisee, you’re considered a very low-risk investment. The deal they give you is competitive – banks are generally supportive of the franchise model. Reassurance like that makes you very confident that there is lending available. The other side of the funding conversation is the commitment from your own savings – what you need to have depending on your investment. Figures show that with a franchise – when compared with setting up a business entirely on your own – there’s, relatively speaking, less risk involved. During applying, you can say openly: “One of the reasons I’m here is to try to align à


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