HANDS-ON FRANCHISING Autosmart
Established in 1979, Autosmart is the UK and Ireland’s largest manufacturer and distributor of professional vehicle and food processing cleaning products for trade customers
Why choose an Autosmart franchise? Autosmart franchisees are owner-operators; the Autosmart van franchise concept involves selling unique vehicle-cleaning products every month to a diverse customer base in your own exclusive franchise territory. In 2011 Autosmart was recognised as the best franchise for franchisee support by the British Franchise Association, and best franchise overall in 2012 and 2014. Support is at the core of our franchising concept; we off er each of our franchisees ongoing, tailored, practical business support and mentoring in our proven business model. Autosmart coaches you to succeed and achieve your dreams of successful self-employment.
What are the benefi ts of buying an Autosmart franchise? Autosmart off ers a proven franchising business model and a secure route to working for yourself. You will benefi t from our extensive training and award-winning support. You will also be able to capitalise on our unique, market-leading products and existing brand awareness in order to gain an excellent return on your investment.
Is Autosmart fi nancially stable? Yes! We have been successfully franchising for 35 years and counting. We have experienced growth and profi t year on year and we have grown internationally, franchising across eight
countries. We have 117 van-based franchisees in the UK and over 200 worldwide, so franchising opportunities with Autosmart will always be resales, meaning you enjoy an existing customer base with plenty of monthly turnover. All types of businesses use Autosmart products, from valeters, hauliers, car dealerships and garages to schools, pubs, farms and more. Any business with something to clean is a potential customer.
How much does it cost to set up an Autosmart van franchise? The cost will vary depending on the available territory. There are various routes into the business depending on your available capital. Investment can start from as little as £20,000. Your investment buys your business assets, including your Autosmart mobile showroom, customer base and stock, and also funds your working capital. These are assets that you sell on when you retire, giving you a substantial cash lump sum.
What skills do I need to be an Autosmart franchisee? Our franchisees come from all sorts of diff erent backgrounds and previous sales or business experience is not necessary. What they all have in common is commitment, a desire to enjoy working for themselves, drive, determination and an appetite for hard work. Autosmart franchisees are enthusiastic and enjoy being on the move and meeting lots of diff erent people each day.
Laurence Lagden is an Optic- Kleer franchisee and has been running his franchise since 2015. He operates in Swindon, Newbury, Marlborough and Oxford
Optic-Kleer How did you originally discover the franchise Optic-Kleer?
I made initial contact through the website, then visited head offi ce and spent a few hours with the team, going through how the brand works. Being my own boss was a big step and the team explained how being self-employed with Optic-Kleer works and the freedom you get with it. The training was very enjoyable. I came up and spent four days at the head offi ce. We went over the aspects of the paperwork and the actual training, where we cracked lots of screens and repaired them. The whole team made me feel very welcome and it was very easy.
How was setting up your own franchise business?
It was actually quite straightforward. The accountants that Optic-Kleer recommended came down and talked me through my whole fi nancial situation and how it was going to work – a step-by-step process of how to set up, what to expect and setting up your vat side of it.
Did you earn from day one?
There were non-stop enquiries and repairs, and I couldn’t believe the amount of money I had earned on my fi rst day, but it really was a case of jumping in at the deep end. It was nice to be my own free man. You turn up at the site, set up your canopy, and chat to your customers.
What do you need to possess to be an Optic-Kleer franchisee?
Be friendly and approachable. As you are dealing with people’s insurance companies, they have got to put their trust in you. You gain that because the branding is right, the way you look is right, everything is right. You don’t need a huge skillset or to be a salesman, all you need is to just be able to talk to people and the repairs look after themselves.
September 2018 |
BusinessFranchise.com | 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
