Independence with a Home Instead care franchise
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Judith Herrod is one of our more recent Home Instead franchise owners and was selected to take ownership of the Stone franchise in Staffordshire. She began trading in January 2008.
If you ask Judith why she became involved in the care business she will tell you about her parents, an independent couple in their 70’s who travel abroad almost every month and who enjoy life to the full. She will then tell you that their biggest fear is losing their independence.
Like many others who are involved with Home Instead Senior Care, Judith fully understands the importance of supporting the elderly in their own homes and sees how, by providing this care, elderly people can gain many years of independent living.
When you ask Judith how she became involved in care she laughs: “I woke up in New York on my 50th birthday and thought – what shall I do with the rest of my life?” Judith had always been interested in the franchise model for businesses so on arriving home she went on the internet and searched for the latest franchise opportunities. It was here that she read about Home Instead Senior Care, Judith continues: “I saw the words ‘Making a Difference’ and that was it, I just knew this was the business opportunity for me.”
Prior to purchasing her franchise Judith had enjoyed a successful career as Head of Fundraising for a well-known children’s hospice in the Midlands, and before that had owned and run an estate agency/property management company in the Costa Del Sol with her husband.
Whilst Judith found her fundraising role with the hospice hugely rewarding, she did find it unrelenting. “At times I felt like a hamster on a wheel. We constantly had targets to meet and it seemed never ending. I was good at what I did and the job was well paid but I suppose when I hit 50 I decided that I needed to be my own boss again, but I still wanted to do something worthwhile.”
Judith’s friends think she is crazy setting up on her own but she says: “I have less stress now than in any of my previous jobs. Home Instead is already operating as a successful and proven business model so all the systems are there – it’s just down to me to get on with it. The team at head office are great and are there if I have any queries or need any additional support.”
She continues: “What’s really unusual is that there are no targets to meet other than those I set myself. This is the first private company I’ve found that has the ethos of the voluntary sector – they really do want to make a difference. I’ve never been happier.”
Date Published: Feb 10, 2009 - 9:05 pm
It's a family affair at Lighterlife franchise
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Moving from South Africa to the UK for a better life for her family, at 56 years old Colleen’s life has totally changed with her husband and daughter now joining her in her new career.
Based in Walkden, Worsley, Colleen qualified and started her new business as a LighterLife Counsellor in September 2007. Her business has grown enormously in that time, expanding to a second location. Colleen also has dreams of a third location with her family now supporting her.
Her daughter is joining her from a high-powered corporate scene at MBNA bank, which she feels is no longer for her after the birth of her son. After trying IVF for seven years, Colleen now has a lovely grandson, and her daughter has different priorities. Helping in the family business will give her the flexibility she needs to see her son more whilst still pursuing a career.
Working long hours and being away on many business trips, Colleen hardly ever saw her husband. She says the decision for him to join the business will give them a better quality of life. They also plan to take three-day weekends to start enjoying themselves at their time of life. After receiving some inheritance money they bought a VW Campervan and want to explore the English countryside with their free time.
At this time in her life Colleen feels the most confident she has ever felt. Her family are the closest they’ve ever been and her quality of life is at its best. Her company is going from strength to strength and now with her family on board she feels that this is her home and she can really make a life here.
Date Published: Jun 25, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Buying a franchise for security in retirement
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
After falling seriously ill, Malcolm decided that his job, which entailed travelling back and forth between Frankfurt on a weekly basis, was too much, and decided to take a redundancy package offered to him.
Before working with Chemex, Malcolm sold computer hardware and software to major institutions including banks and govt departments in the UK and Europe.
Malcolm fell seriously ill with appendicitis a few years ago and was admitted into in intensive care for 3 weeks. His old job role required 7am flights to Frankfurt 3 times a week. Malcolm was offered a redundancy package and decided to come back to the UK permanently and take after his brother-in-law who had brought a franchise.
Age was also a factor in Malcolm's decision to buy a franchise. Malcolm Dixon had been used to working in a team, so working for himself was a challenge, especially when he realised that the buck stopped at him!
Malcolm plans to increase the specialised contracts and then maybe retire in 4 years time. Plans for the next 3 years are to make this business autonomous to make it better to sell.
Malcolm covers West Surrey and North East Hampshire; including Guildford, Cranleigh, Haslemere, Hindhead, Liphook, Perersfield, Alton, Farnham, Aldershot, Farnborough and Frimley.
Date Published: Jul 12, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Redundancy allowed me to seize the Martin & Co Opportunity
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Name: Ian Waldron
Location: Wimbledon
Franchise: Martin & Co (UK) Ltd.
Martin &Co Wimbledon franchise owner, Ian Waldron, shares his views on why redundancy can be just the beginning, not the end
“I had always like the idea of owning my own business but the prospect seemed daunting, however when I was made redundant it gave me the opportunity to reflect on my situation. Franchising presented the perfect opportunity to own my own business whilst minimising the risks of starting independently.”
“I have always had a genuine interest in property and with my financial background in the city I knew that the trend was moving away from sales and towards lettings. However I had limited knowledge of the lettings industry but with the comprehensive training courses that Martin & Co provides combined with the continued support on offer I felt confident that lettings was the right industry for me.”
“The first time I saw a Martin & Co board in my area I was immediately interested. The distinctive branding that they provide is unlike anything I would have been able to do on my own. With Martin & Co our clients benefit from our office’s local knowledge and expertise backed by the power of a national brand, without choosing the franchise route it would have taken years to build up the brand awareness I already have.”
“Due to the success of Martin & Co as a brand and the fact that their business model has been tried and tested over a number of years, it meant the process of obtaining funding was fairly straight forward. Yes banks are going to ask probing questions but the business plan that Martin & Co provide all new franchises with settled any doubts the banks I went to originally had.”
“It is difficult for me to offer advice to anyone who has been made redundant as each individual case is different, and buying a franchise does require an investment. However redundancy can often offer the opportunity for reflection and change in an individual’s lifestyle which in other circumstances may have never been possible. As long as the franchisee is willing to put in the hard work required and is eager to learn lots of new skills then buying a franchise can be a great option. I love being my own boss and know that my job and my future is secure. People tend to mention redundancy in negative terms but it doesn’t have to be doom and gloom, I have gone from being made redundant to owning a growing business in an industry that I have a real passion for.”
Date Published: Oct 08, 2009 - 10:05 pm
Northwood franchise is a business to believe in
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Previously a Senior Line Manager responsible for a turnover in excess of £20m, Graham Holden took “a well negotiated exit” during restructuring in 2002.
“After 26 years of corporate life, I was very wary of joining another large organisation where internal politics would require far too much energy rather than concentrating on growth and service,” he reflects. “During my career, I had personally created significant wealth for my employer and I wanted to do the same for myself and family. The prospect of buying a franchise attracted me because I believed, and still do, that it would be a speedier route to growing and establishing a business from a standing start. Most of the bugs/mistakes have already been experienced by the franchisor and removed from the business model and operations.”
Attracted by the profit margins and relative stability of the property rental market, Graham discovered the Northwood franchise opportunity in The Franchise Magazine. “It looked polished, professional and, most importantly, it offered appealing marketing USPs which were not evident with other property franchise opportunities,” he remarks. “Having contacted Northwood I was invited to the Franchise Office in Southampton by the Franchisor Andy Goodson. I was given a full presentation of the business model and the opportunity, which was impressive, but two other factors were indirectly very persuasive. The first was the personal attention I received from the franchisor who was candid and displayed total honesty when questioned hard on a variety of topics. The second was witnessing the friendliness and ‘feel good’ vibe when speaking to the franchisor’s team.”
Graham launched his business in August 2003 and, with advice from Northwood, conducted extensive radio and newspaper advertising. “Thanks to the radio marketing campaign and the unique benefits available from the Northwood
Platinum Scheme, results were quick to see,” he recalls. “We currently have 360 properties within the portfolio, the Platinum scheme represents 94 per cent of revenue and my turnover is £1.8 million per year.
“After nearly six years, the business is now well established and we have stable staffing levels. Because of the success of the business it has allowed me to take a back seat in terms of the day-to- day running of the office. I have an excellent General Manager who looks after all day to day activities. This allows me to enjoy a semi-retired life and to focus on longer term strategy.
Northwood is a great business with a great franchisor, full of integrity. You get all the benefits and freedoms in running your own business, yet you also get the backing and support of an experienced, professional and friendly franchise support team. It’s a partnership in all but name and the sum of the total is greater than the individual parts.
Date Published: Oct 12, 2009 - 10:05 pm
The road of success leads back to franchising for Dream Doors business owner
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Franchise Company: Dream Doors Ltd
Franchisee: Barry Kent
Franchise Territory: York
“Giving myself more leisure time will be one of the greatest measures of the success of this business, and is one of the main reasons I chose a Dream Doors management franchise.”
At 58, Barry Kent has had a rich working life. He has worked in management roles with leading international airlines, and is already a seasoned franchisee. After living in Australia for ten years, working in a management role with what is, today, Qantas airlines, he returned to the UK to start a family. He became a Signs Express franchisee, and ran a highly successful operation for 12 years. When the time was right, he sold his Signs Express business. Now, just four months into his new role as York’s first Dream Doors franchisee, he talks about his experiences with the UK’s leading kitchen facelift franchise.
There are hundreds of franchise opportunities out there. Why did you choose Dream Doors?
After I sold my Signs Express business, I played golf for about a year, and did the odd bit of franchise consulting. It was good for a while, but I soon learnt two things: I wasn’t ready to hang up my hat and sit by the fire, and I didn’t like working from home. I looked around at a number of franchise opportunities, and came across Dream Doors. It struck me as a really good proposition, but I didn’t jump straight in. First, I got a job with a major kitchen company, and worked for about a year on the design and sales side of the business to see if the sector was right for me. It was during that time I made my mind up there was a big market for kitchen makeovers. Because of my Signs Express experience, I knew what to look for in a franchised business, and Dream Doors met all of my requirements.
What are your intentions for the growth of the new business?
Firstly, I view Dream Doors as a management franchise. It was never my intention to do the actual fitting. Now my hope is to grow the business by taking on staff and fitters, while I oversee business operations, which is what I’m best at.
You’ve been running your business for four months. Were you worried about the state of the economy before you signed the franchise agreement?
Not really. Dream Doors’ products are right for the current market and will continue to be right. This is the type of business that works well regardless of the economic climate. During a recession, a lot of people don’t move house because it’s too costly and too risky. Instead they do various things to their current homes to upgrade them. The good thing about kitchens is that, although they get old and tired, structurally they are usually pretty much laid out the way people want. The carcasses are intact, and all that’s needed is a bit of sprucing up, and that’s precisely what we do.
What are the main selling points for customers, in addition to those you’ve just mentioned?
Kitchen facelifts are great for customers for a number or reasons. They’re environmentally sound because you’re not ripping anything out and throwing it away, they’re much quicker than a full renovation, they’re far more cost-effective, and the end result is a kitchen that looks fresh and new. It’s important to remember that most of our customers are mature and don’t want the upheaval of a complete renovation, which will often take more than a week. With Dream Doors, we are in and out in one or two days. The kitchen facelifts are also of a high quality, but they’re still less than half the price of a new kitchen.
Why did you buy a franchise, rather than set up your own business?
I’m a firm believer that you buy a business and stick with the plan. If you look at a business and think you could do it better, I would say: “don’t buy it!” A lot of potential franchisees buy a business and then want to change it. What’s the point in that? You’re paying for the formula, and the formula will give you success if you work at it. I think that franchisees who fail with a good franchisor are the ones who pay their money and think they’ve done the hard bit. The work starts after you’ve paid for the business. It’s your business and you have to make it into something valuable. The franchisor won’t do that for you. If the business model is right and the franchisee works hard at the business, it will be successful.
In that case, would you say that the Dream Doors business model right?
Absolutely. I know that Dream Doors has evolved over the last ten years, and is now a mature company. All of the right systems are in place and the support is well balanced. Of course, running my new franchise is not without its hiccups, but so far, any problems I’ve had haven’t been related to the franchise model – they’re the kind of teething troubles you get starting out in any business. The real difference is that, when I do run into problems, Troy and the Dream Doors team are always there to help. I really like that – having people on the end of the phone and feeling part of a team, while at the same time feeling as though I have a great deal of independence.
Did you get any training before you began operating?
Yes. I had two weeks of training in Gosport, which is where Dream Doors head office is based. After that I had training on the job from regional franchise support managers. It’s a staged learning process that gives you enough knowledge to begin trading with confidence.
Since you began trading, what has the sales activity been like?
It’s been a challenge, but for all of the right reasons. The business took off so well that my fitter has been flat out fitting when he could have been helping me get the showroom sorted out! I needed help there too. It’s a nice problem to have, though. Overall, my lead-to-sale conversion has been much better than I expected.
How did you market the business to get the leads?
Dream Doors supplied all of the necessary marketing material. All of the advertisements I used, I picked from a small catalogue of templates supplied by Dream Doors. Head office gave me exactly the right advice about where to place my ads to reach the right audience. This eliminated all of the trial and error scenarios associated with marketing a non-franchised start-up. If you start on your own, you’ve got to dream up new ads and you’ve got to think about where to place them. To be honest, I’d rather be thinking about how to get my kitchens fitted than worrying about whether my marketing is working or not. The comprehensive package laid on by Dream Doors has saved time, helped me to generate really good leads and subsequently boosted my conversion rate.
It’s sounds as though, overall, you’re happy with the decision you made to team up with the Dream Doors brand?
Definitely. It’s done more than live up to my expectations – it’s exceeded them. Things are going much better than I could have hoped. Of course, I’m only four months in, but I’ve been around long enough to know what starting a business is like, and this has been a lot less stress than I imagined. With Dream Doors, It’s all there. The plan works. It really is a business in a box.
In addition to the telephone and field support, do you have a manual to help you if you get stuck with something?
I do have an operations manual, which is comprehensive and thoroughly written. Everything is covered in the manual from finding fitters, advertising for staff, and interviewing techniques to contracts of employment, dealing with customers, carrying out quotes and completing orders plus lots more. You name it; it’s in the ops manual.
What happens when you reach a point of confidence and don’t need as much support?
Really, that’s a great place for both the franchisors and franchisee to be. A smart franchisor will quickly sum up the strengths and weaknesses of all of his or her franchisees. If you don’t need support they should let your run your business without interference – as long as your hitting your agreed targets of course. I know that when I want the help from Dream Doors, they are there for me, but they also give me space to run my own business. It’s a balancing act that Dream Doors has got right.
Did being represented by a recognised franchise brand help with funding?
Definitely. There’s no doubt in my mind that if I’d gone to the bank to ask for a loan to start a kitchen showroom, I wouldn’t have got it. But with an established franchise name behind you, one that’s been successfully operating and expanding for more than ten years, doors tend to open more freely.
What do you enjoy most about what you’re doing now?
I get a big kick from starting a business up. Both times I’ve been a franchisee, I’ve started in a virgin territory. I’ve found the showroom, found the clients, and got a great deal of satisfaction building something from nothing. It also gives me a good feeling to know that there will be at least three or four more people with jobs in York because of me.
The other thing I like is the sense that I’m responsible for my own destiny. At 58, I’m not ready to throw the towel in, and I don’t think I could ever work for anybody again, so I’m really pleased I’ve started something new. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a workaholic, and I do want to get a lifestyle out of this business, such as nice holidays, and a few more rounds of golf, but it takes a while to get to that point. Giving myself more leisure time will be one of the greatest measures of the success of this business, and is one of the main reasons I chose a Dream Doors management franchise. My approach is: get the right staff, get the business geared in the right way, and in a year or two the business should tick over nicely whether I’m there or on holiday.
Date Published: Oct 22, 2009 - 10:05 pm
With an Auditel franchise, who said redundancy was the end?
Over Fifties Franchise Oppotunties at WhichFranchise.com
Llanelli-based Denis Brennan joined Auditel, the cost and purchase management franchise, in September 2008.
Although trained as a lawyer, Denis became IT Director for a multi-national manufacturing business and worked for some years in Europe.
Why I chose franchising
“I had a desire to run my own business on an established model. I wanted to become master of my own destiny rather than to work for an organisation (or perhaps even a type of organisation) for which I had lost respect.”
Why I chose Auditel
“I liked the business model. It bore some relationship to my most recent role in employed life. Before taking redundancy, I was involved in a global telecoms outsourcing arrangement so I feel comfortable in the areas of IT and communications. Very significantly, I liked the people I met instinctively and immediately trusted them. “
How I raised the finance
“Through personal funding.”
The training and support I receive from my franchisor
“Even better than I had anticipated. The training encompassed client acquisition and management, professional marketing and technical training for our areas of operation.”
The challenges I have faced
“Organising my time. You must learn to make time, and plan to wear those hats that in a larger company would be worn by different people – MD, Sales, Finance, and Operations etc…! Both the franchisor and the Auditel network helped enormously in this area. Also there is a time lag between completing assignments and receiving fees so you have to build your business plan accordingly.”
My advice to someone thinking of buying their first franchise
“Decide which type of franchise would suit you. Research these sectors. Identify a number of franchisors and ‘interview’ them. Assess style, ethics, and personal chemistry, ie could I fit into their network? Take up references from existing franchisees. Build an honest business plan and then critique it and probably reduce your expectations. How much effort will it require? Can you afford the costs until they begin to reap rewards in income? Talk it through with your accountant, maybe work colleagues and especially your family – get their buy-in.”
Progress in the marketplace so far
“I have twenty-nine clients, which is ahead of plan. Turnover is just about on target, showing that some (too many) of these clients are not good enough! I treat this as a learning curve – must do better next year!”
My plans for the future
“To grow significantly and quickly but against set targets, taking into account the ability to manage the growth. Will I need joint ventures with other franchisees? Will I need telemarketing? I plan to employ my wife significantly in market research, data-entry and admin/book-keeping roles. At some point, I may consider employing staff. My Auditel franchise allows me to put one more person through training at no extra cost. On a personal level, as I live in Llanelli, I enjoy following rugby, in particular the Scarlets. When time allows I play golf!”
Date Published: Nov 02, 2009 - 9:05 pm
