Autosmart wins franchising award

Autosmart is celebrating after winning the Franchise Business Award 2012 in France.

The award is a joint initiative between la Fédération française de la franchise (French Franchise Association) and Franchise Expo Paris. The judging panel selected Autosmart based on the originality of our concept, our professionalism and the success of our franchisees throughout Europe.

Commenting on the award, Autosmart’s managing director, Sophie Atkinson said, “we’re delighted by the award. It is a double celebration for Autosmart as we also recently received the British Franchise Association award, in conjunction with HSBC, for “Best Franchisee Support” in the UK.

With over 30 years’ experience, we know what it takes to recruit the right franchisees and help them to become very profitable. It’s lovely to have this achievement recognised by both the bfa and the FFF (Fédération française de la franchise).

Autosmart has excellent territories available in the UK. They are based in and around Durham, Basingstoke, Tonbridge, Folkestone-Ashford, Hemel Hempstead, Croydon, Lewisham, Battersea-Merton, Enfield, Stratford-Barking, Stoke Newington-Bethnal Green and Edgware.

For more information please call Gemma or Sarah on 01543 482926 or visit www.startautosmart.co.uk

ChipsAway: for quality of life

After completing 24 years’ service in the Royal Artillery as a Staff Sergeant, Dax Gearing was ready for a change. Having decided he wanted to be his own boss, he launched his ChipsAway franchise earlier this year.

Dax served in war zones across the world, including Iraq and Bosnia, and was based in Germany and Larkhill Salisbury. He says that, during his time in the Army, he learned skills such as discipline and punctuality that have certainly helped him in civilian life, particularly in setting up his ChipsAway business.
ChipsAway is the UK’s leading automotive paintwork repair specialist. Franchisees operate from fully equipped mobile workshops, fixing minor damage such as scuffs, scratches and kerbed alloys within a matter of hours and at a fraction of the cost of traditional body shop repair methods.
Dax says that, while he was weighing up his options, it was ChipsAway that caught his eye: ‘I attended a Career Transition Workshop, which was useful to learn how to update my CV and make the change from military to civilian. I was going to take part in other courses that the Army offers, too, but then I came across ChipsAway, which really appealed to me.

‘I went to one of ChipsAway’s open days and decided to take the training from there. I felt that running a ChipsAway business would be interesting and allow me to plan my work around my family. It looked like a win-win situation. I only started with ChipsAway in February this year and already I have a much better quality of life. My business has been growing really well – I have had plenty of work every day.

‘At the moment I am gaining experience and becoming quicker at completing repairs. The better I get, the more jobs I will be able to do, so I definitely expect to be earning more than I did in the Army within a very short timescale,’ he adds.

ChipsAway’s high-profile TV advertising has generated leads for its franchise network to the potential value of £24 million this year, with £500,000 worth of leads in areas where ChipsAway currently does not have a franchisee in operation.

See the advertisement on page 60.

Ovenclean is hot hot hot!

Ovenclean franchisee Ian Fidge describes his business as ‘fantastic’ and says he’s been amazed by the demand for his services. So much so, that his wife has now joined him in the business to help with his rocketing workload.

“Initially I looked at business-to-business franchises that matched with my previous experience and background,” he explains. “However, all too often they seemed overly complex and sometimes I couldn’t really see how I was meant to make money!

“By contrast, Ovenclean offered a straightforward business model and a strong, well recognised brand name; it seemed to have the best package, the best products and a huge marketplace with opportunity to build a regular repeat order customer base. I could easily understand how I could make good money from doing a job that so many people hate to do themselves.”

After his launch, Ian was booked for three weeks solid and, now well into his second year, he says he hasn’t looked back. He has a better lifestyle with more control and flexibility, as well as a good income and tremendous job satisfaction.

“You have to be a people person to succeed,” he points out. “You need good customer service and communication skills; there are lots of advantages to an Ovenclean franchise, and providing you’re prepared to work at it there’s a really good living to be made!

“I can’t praise the franchise highly enough,” Ian enthuses. “I’ve had terrific support from the management team and I’m incredibly busy – in short, I have to say I’m delighted!”

Ovenclean is the longest established and most successful domestic oven cleaning franchise in the UK, providing specialist oven cleaning services to a large, virtually untapped marketplace - including domestic customers, schools, lettings agencies and hotels. Franchisees operate from professionally liveried, fully equipped vans and benefit from low overheads and high flexibility. The top quality, powerful yet eco-friendly Ovenclean system, which is exclusive to Ovenclean franchisees, effectively deep cleans ovens and hobs, Agas, ranges and barbecues, restoring them to pristine condition, with minimum fuss and hassle, in a matter of a few hours.

For more information,
Tel: 0800 988 5434 or visit our website: www.ovenclean.com.

See the advertisement on page 60.

The franchise with the big difference – we supply the contracts!

All Seasons is a family-run business established in 1980 in Leeds, Yorkshire. Its highly innovative website (www.neverpaintagain.co.uk) and other successful marketing techniques have spelled steady growth for the business, which now operates throughout the UK, Spain, Portugal and France. In addition, we have a very close working relationship with Andura, which is our specialist manufacturing partner in the long-life exterior weatherproof coatings that we market (see www.andura.com). With the emergence of long-life UPVC products such as windows, fascias and soffits, now an equally long-life maintenance-free weatherproof wall covering has become very desirable for house-proud home owners.

As stated above, unlike the majority of franchises where the franchisee has to generate his or her own business through advertising, the All Seasons opportunity is completely different. Our established sales force generate the work throughout the UK (or, if you wish, there are some opportunities abroad) and your responsibility will be to apply the products to the high standard that All Seasons expects. All materials are supplied and the franchisee’s only expense is to cover vehicle and travelling expenses and to employ an able assistant. Our existing crews historically earn between £35,000 an £50,000 per annum after covering the aforementioned expenses.

The franchise fee is a one-off payment, there are no future royalties to pay and the investment covers a fully sign-written vehicle, all the specialist equipment, training and ongoing support, and of course, as mentioned, contracts supplied throughout the year. The investment required is £47,500. All Seasons has a try-before-you-buy policy and if, after a successful interview, you wish to take the matter further and seriously consider coming on board, you can work with one of our existing crews for up to two weeks to check the viability and suitability of the business. There is a limited availability and we look forward to hearing from you.

See the advertisement on page 69.

Bouncing back from redundancy!

Just hearing the word ‘redundancy’ seems to send some people into a panic. Not surprising, perhaps, given the recent round of government spending cuts and warnings of more job losses to come. But, for some, redundancy can often prove to be the best thing that could have happened to them …

Ovenclean franchisee Duncan Chandler is a case in point. Twice made redundant, at the age of 50 he couldn’t face another endless round of job interviews, the prospect of possibly having to move house again and, at the end of it, no guarantee of long-term security.

Instead, redundancy became the catalyst for him to follow his long-held dream of working for himself.

‘I started to look for a straightforward, easy to manage and affordable business opportunity,’ Duncan explains. ‘The Ovenclean franchise ticked all those boxes and seemed to offer great value. Well established, with plenty of support from the franchisor and a huge potential marketplace, I felt I had a real chance of success investing in Ovenclean, and I’ve been delighted with my decision!’

Now Duncan’s life is much less stressful and his new business has delivered control, flexibility and great job satisfaction. ‘I feel so much more secure than I did in employment and I’m very positive about my future, too – and it’s all thanks to being made redundant and to Ovenclean too, of course!’

Ovenclean is the longest established and most successful domestic oven cleaning franchise in the UK, providing specialist oven cleaning services to a large, virtually untapped marketplace.

For more information, Tel: 0800 988 5434 or visit our website: www.ovenclean.com.

See the advertisement on page 68.

ChipsAway CarCare Centre expands Andy’s horizons

Last year, former Royal Engineer Andy Darby celebrated ten successful years as a franchisee with leading minor automotive paintwork repair specialist ChipsAway. When he left the Army, Andy was looking for a practical, hands-on business with high earning potential and a long-term opportunity to grow. In 2000, he started his ChipsAway business as a ‘man and a van’, but today operates a busy ChipsAway CarCare Centre (a fixed-base workshop), with two mobile workshops and a team of four employees across three territories. He drives an M3 convertible and estimates that his ‘take home’ earnings are around three times more than his previous salary!

‘My business has gone from strength to strength. Within a couple of months of first launching my ChipsAway franchise I was earning the same level of income I had as a soldier. Today, of course, I earn substantially more than that – in fact, I’m really making serious money now!’ he says.

The unique ChipsAway system removes minor damage to car paintwork within a matter of hours, and at a fraction of the price of traditional body shop repair methods. Franchisees operate from ChipsAway vehicles, customised into fully equipped mobile workshops, and have the opportunity to expand rapidly into a multi-van operation or CarCare Centre.

ChipsAway provides franchisees with outstanding, ongoing support from the start. Training is thorough and new franchisees are mentored on a one-to-one basis by a successful and experienced franchisee. Thereafter, there is access to technical advice whenever it’s needed, as well as strong central marketing activity, including national TV advertising.

See the advertisement on page 65

Grime-fighting franchisees!

Eight years ago Jeff Deeming and Andy Bloore, friends and co-workers at an engineering company, decided to change their lives and invest in their own business. They agreed that franchising would certainly be the safest route and identified Ovenclean, the UK’s leading domestic oven cleaning brand, as the perfect opportunity. A simple to manage, easy to operate business with low overheads, they liked the look of the outstanding support package, impressive track record and the potential to earn great money.

Today, the two man team can hardly believe their success. For thousands of happy customers in the north-west, Jeff and Andy are the best thing to happen in the kitchen since sliced bread, which is why business is booming for the enterprising pair. ‘We’ve had our busiest couple of years ever despite the difficult financial climate,’ Jeff confirms. ‘Currently we clean up to 30 ovens in an average week. Our business is built on word-of-mouth recommendation and regular repeat customers, but we have also benefited massively from the investment in brand building and marketing by the franchisor – just last week we had 17 new enquiries passed to us by the team at head office.’

As well as domestic customers, the pair have secured contracts with local landlords who want ovens cleaned as tenants move in and out, and they also work for three large private schools in the area.

According to Andy, despite their impressive growth curve, they have no plans to put more vans on the road at present – in fact, he says however busy they get, they won’t split their two-man team. ‘We work very efficiently together,’ Andy explains. ‘One of us works inside the kitchen cleaning the carcass of the oven, while the other works outside on the racks and trays. We take turns. As a result we can process a lot of ovens quickly without compromising on quality. Our customers are happy because we leave their ovens and kitchens clean, fresh and fragrant, and we’re happy because we’re providing an excellent service, which is highly valued and very profitable!’

See the advertisement on page 73

Good chemistry for prospective franchisees

Chemex International is one of the largest franchised chemical and biological product distribution businesses in the market. Franchise opportunities exist across the UK – including a limited number of resales. Chemex franchisees enjoy a reputation as suppliers of cost-effective products, solutions and systems to clients in many market sectors, all of whom need clean and hygienic premises for their customers, staff and residents.

Chemex delivers more than just products; it also offers a customised range of service proposals, hygiene surveys, training and compliance initiatives. Franchisees are seen as experts in the hygiene business who advise, guide and deliver a service that their customers appreciate.

It is also the franchisees’ role to safeguard customers’ reputations. A case of food poisoning, for example, or other hygiene-related crises can destroy a business’s reputation overnight. Chemex customers have learned that cutting costs can offer short-term savings but, over time, can be very expensive indeed – especially when a business’s reputation is priceless.

Chemex can be run as a single-van operation or – for those with an entrepreneurial streak – developed into a multi-van business. The company is looking for franchisees that can replicate the hard work, service and reputation delivered by Chemex franchisees.

Chemex believes that the secret of its success lies with its high-quality products, and the consultancy, specialist advice and training its franchisees offer to customers. Whether its control of hospital-acquired infections, entire hygiene systems for food preparation or large-scale laundry or dish-wash systems, Chemex has the products and expertise to give customers peace of mind that their reputation is safe in their hands.

Chemex provides a local service through a national network, enabling customers to take what they need when they need it. There is no more waiting weeks for deliveries or inconvenient minimum order quantities.

Chemex’s cleaning and hygiene products are supplied in a highly concentrated form that lowers its carbon footprint and helps reduce environmentally damaging waste. Chemex is one of the leading mobile distribution companies in Europe, with international partners in six countries.

More than 400 products are available on demand from franchisees’ mobile showrooms, with expert advice on efficient application. As well as market-leading products, Chemex provides staff training relating to COSHH and other relevant legislation. Its franchisees are uniquely placed to supply and service a wide range of market sectors. The combination of service, product expertise, hygiene programmes and training ensures that all franchisees can deliver reliable, efficient and, ultimately, effective solutions that customers appreciate. As a result, a successful franchisee can build a solid, repeat-order business that grows along with their reputation as an expert and trusted supplier.

To find out more, visit www.chemexfranchises.co.uk, email michael.wilson@chemexuk.com or call 0121 565 6300.

See the advertisement on page 72

Top fundraiser rewarded with charity ‘date’

Lunch with the lovely Vicki Butler-Henderson, glamorous presenter of car enthusiasts’ programme Fifth Gear, is merely the stuff of fantasy for her many admirers, but for ChipsAway franchisee Steve Hancock, a ‘date’ with Vicki – the face of the franchise company for the past year – became a dream come true after he raised more than £1,000 for Help for Heroes. Vicki pledged to share a special slap-up lunch with a top fundraiser for ChipsAway’s chosen charity and the two of them headed off for lunch at the Fish & Grill restaurant in Putney, London.

Steve, who is a ChipsAway franchisee in the Daventry area, reached his £1,000 target by taking part in a skydive with the Red Devils. He also placed Help for Heroes collection tins in his local pub, on his van and in his wife’s hair salon, and donated £5 from every repair he did for a month. He says, ‘Going for lunch with Vicki was a real treat. We had a great time. I have always been a car enthusiast and have watched Fifth Gear for years, so it was lovely to meet Vicki in person.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the skydive, too – I can’t wait to do another one. I’m very passionate about Help for Heroes as a charity – men and women in the Forces are willing to risk their lives for us, so I think we should do our bit to repay them whichever way we can. This is a further reason why I want to do another skydive and continue to raise money for the charity.’

Vicki adds, ‘It’s a fantastic cause. I am delighted to have been able to support ChipsAway in raising funds for the charity and thoroughly enjoyed my special “date” with Steve.’

ChipsAway has so far raised around £15,000 for Help for Heroes, and presented a cheque to Dawn Turner, its Volunteer and West Midlands County Coordinator, at the company’s recent Annual National Conference.

Ex-Navy PO grooming his way to success

A former Royal Navy PO has embarked on an exciting new career after 23 years in the Logistics branch – and is hoping that many of his Services colleagues will join him. PO (Logs) Writer Mark Tolan, who retired earlier this year, is building on the success of his wife’s mobile dog grooming business by launching it nationwide as a franchise operation. Joanne Tolan was also in the Navy, which was where the couple met.
Dog Groom UK Limited has a target to sell 100 franchises over the next five years and Mark sees it as a great opportunity for dog lovers who are retiring, or being made redundant from the Forces, to invest in their own business within a disciplined and reliable company.

Says Mark, ‘The current climate is an ideal time for entrepreneurs to start up new businesses, with franchises providing a secure and affordable entry point for people of all ages. For pet lovers, working for yourself with the animals that you love must be the ideal scenario and I am confident that the franchises will be much in demand, particularly with people who have been made redundant and have a redundancy package available to invest.’

Tolan, a 40-year-old father of two, said Dog Groom UK was not merely a dog-wash service, as some competitors provide: ‘All our dog grooming partners will be trained to City & Guilds standards, as part of their start-up package, to groom dogs up to breed standards. They will be able to wash, dry, scissor, clip, and carry out ear cleaning and nail clipping, as well as many other services.

‘Also we are confident that our state-of-the-art mobile dog-grooming salons, which are specially converted by experts and ergonomically designed with specialist features such as a hydro-massaging system, are the best available in the marketplace today. It makes the whole experience pleasurable for both dogs and groomer.’

Mr Tolan says that mobile dog grooming has been increasing in popularity over static salons in shopping areas and can be established for an affordable one-off fee that is far less that the annual rent, rates and running costs of a high-street shop. A new Dog Groom UK partner would be able to start up immediately they were trained, with full business and marketing support, from a fully equipped luxury salon.

For those interested in a franchise partnership with Dog Groom UK, further information is available on its website at www.doggroomuk.com or by telephoning its head office free on 0800 0148289.

See the advertisement on page 66 www.questonline.co.uk/may11

Access franchising expertise – free of charge!

If you are looking to find an established brand with a proven track record, and want to become your own boss, you will be interested to know that the British & International Franchise Exhibition takes place from 18–19 March 2011 at London’s Olympia. It is the only franchise exhibition in London to be supported by the British Franchise Association (bfa) and allows only those franchise companies that have met the bfa’s code of ethics to exhibit at the event. This means you can be confident in the franchise opportunities presented to you. Tickets are £13 on the day; however, thanks to EC&O Venues, you can get yours free of charge – simply use the promo code ‘ECOWEB’ when registering at www.franchisetickets.co.uk.

For the latest news and updates on the British & International Franchise Exhibition, follow it on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ukfranchising, join The Franchise Exhibitions Group on LinkedIn or become a fan of the FranchiseInfo Group on Facebook.

To find out more about a career in this industry, take a look at our franchising feature in this issue.

Published February 2011

Paintballing prize for top franchisee fundraiser

Stafford-based ChipsAway franchisee Carl Hardiman and his team of employees have been treated to a paintballing day after raising more than £4,000 for Help for Heroes, ChipsAway’s adopted charity of the year. The paintballing day was a reward for the franchisee that raised the most money for Help for Heroes in the first half of 2010. Carl raised the funds through holding a charity car wash weekend, which generated a fantastic £1,450, and organising a summer ball, which raised over £2,700.

‘I decided to get involved and fundraise for Help for Heroes mainly because it is ChipsAway’s chosen charity; also I was in the Forces many years ago, and the charity is so topical and key at the moment,’ Carl says. ‘The paintballing day was fantastic – it was really good fun. I did it with Wayne Edge, who works in the workshop, and Daniel Hardiman, my son, who does the valeting and is in training at the moment. We had a brilliant time. It was nice to do something different and a good way to recognise the fundraising for Help for Heroes. I’m proud to be the franchisee that has raised the most money so far!

‘I organised the charity ball with some friends as a relative of theirs is in the Marines at the moment and is serving in Afghanistan. The generosity of people is fantastic – I can’t believe how much money we raised from the car wash. One woman donated £400 and people who didn’t even want their car washing were donating money.’
ChipsAway franchisees operate from professionally liveried vehicles, customised as fully equipped mobile workshops, which means they can repair minor dents, paintwork scratches and bumper scuffs to car paintwork on a ‘same day’ basis, in a location most convenient to their customer and at a fraction of the cost of traditional bodyshop repair methods.

The ultimate prize up for grabs for the ChipsAway franchisee that raises the most money by the end of the year is a dinner date with TV presenter and motoring journalist, Vicki Butler-Henderson. With Carl’s incredible endeavours so far, it looks like he is definitely in with a chance!

To find out more about Help for Heroes, or to make a donation, visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk. For further information on ChipsAway, take a look at www.chipsaway.co.uk.

Published December 2010

Turn your DIY passion into a serious business

Are you wondering what you are going to from here? Do you really want to continue working outside the Services in the same regimented fashion? Then run your own company and turn your practical skills into a successful DIY/property maintenance business with ‘Hire a Hubby’, using its exclusive systems and proven methods, which have already launched over 400 successful franchisees.

The company originated in Australia in 1994 when the friend of a self-taught DIY hero joked, ‘Can I hire your hubby?’ In a short time it grew to be the largest handyman franchise in Australia and New Zealand, and is now in the UK with 15 franchisees all reporting good business.

You will have your own exclusive territory of more than 30,000 households plus the necessary retail/business units where work can be sourced in this busy under-serviced industry. You will be kept interested by the challenge and diversity of different jobs – from hanging pictures and fixing doors to tiling walls and laying floors – and even bigger projects if you have the skills or management experience.

With a complete start-up package and full ongoing marketing support, training and business systems you must be prepared to turn a DIY passion into a serious business, which can be grown as an investment ready to eventually be added to your pension plans.

For more information, contact 0800 111 4664 or visit www.hireahubbygroup.com.

See the advertisement on page 62.

Published September 2010

Latest survey finds franchises flourishing

The latest findings from the 2010 edition of the NatWest bfa Franchise Survey reveal that UK franchise businesses are continuing to grow and remain robust despite the current economic conditions. Average turnover figures rose by just under 3% on last year’s figure, at £335,000 in 2009, with levels in some sectors strengthening as the year progressed. And 2009 was a year where more businesses took up franchising as a business model, with the total number of franchise systems operating in the UK reaching 842, signalling a modest growth from last year’s figure of 835. Franchisors’ confidence for the future of their business also grew, with 94% being optimistic about business conditions, in comparison to only 82% last year. Franchisors and franchisees are hopeful about the potential for growth, with franchisors on average planning for an additional 8.8 franchisee outlets.

Brian Smart, director general of the bfa (British Franchise Association), comments that ‘Franchised businesses have weathered the recessional storm extremely well, which we should not be surprised about if we look at how franchising has proven itself over the years. The combination of wider business support, training and economies of scale, with determination, enterprising nature and local business focus makes franchise businesses a very robust offering. This year has highlighted this particularly well, with the success rates of franchise businesses not dropping, even in the recent recessionary environment.

‘It’s been a tough time for businesses across the UK, but franchised businesses have clearly shown a high level of stability and robustness and made a valuable contribution to the UK’s economy last year. The survey paints a very positive picture of future realistic success for the industry in the coming year.’

To find out more about a career in franchising, turn to our feature on page 64.

Published August 2010

ChipsAway franchisees support Help for Heroes

Leading minor automotive paintwork repairer ChipsAway has launched a year- long fundraising campaign in aid of Help for Heroes, its adopted charity for 2010, to mark the company’s 15th successful year in the UK. The campaign, which will involve a series of events held nationwide, is expected to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the charity and has the enthusiastic support of Vicki Butler-Henderson, popular presenter of TV show Fifth Gear and the newly unveiled ‘face of ChipsAway’ for 2010.

‘We are encouraging all our franchisees to get involved,’ explains Lloyd Evans, chief executive of ChipsAway. ‘There will be exciting prizes on offer throughout the year for those franchisees with the most creative and crazy fundraising ideas, as well as for the top fundraisers. The ultimate prize at the end of the fundraising year will be a date with Vicki, who is a terrific sport and a great supporter of this most deserving charity.’

So far, franchisees’ ideas for fundraising include wearing wellies full of jelly for the day, soaking in a bath of baked beans and a sponsored waxing! Others will be doing sponsored runs, bike rides, the Three Peaks Challenge and charity fashion shows. The first prize up for grabs for fundraiser franchisees is a parachute jump with the famous Red Devils.

Published May 2010

Recognising excellence in franchise professionals

The British Franchise Association (bfa) has launched its first industry-recognised qualification for franchise professionals, aimed at acknowledging expertise in franchising. The QFP (Qualified Franchise Professional) is designed to be a formal recognition of an individual’s professional knowledge and experience in franchising. It demonstrates an understanding of the intricacies of best practice franchising, as well as an investment in further and continuous development.

Tom Endean, marketing manager at the bfa, explains: ‘The bfa is set to raise the bar by not only promoting improved practices and standards, but encouraging franchisors and advisers in the industry to extended their learning and ultimately prove their existing good business practice via the form of an industry qualification.’

Once qualified, QFP status will allow the franchisor to prove their industry expertise to prospective franchisees, clients, fellow franchisors, and even new and existing staff. ‘The industry will benefit hugely from this qualification,’ says Endean, ‘enabling individuals that have already chosen to work in an ethical manner to demonstrate this more easily to potential clients and members of the public. With the recent tough economic climate causing many people to think about entering into the franchise world, this qualification will give an added reassurance that the brand they are buying in to, or the advice they are getting, is in line with the highest possible industry standards.’
To find out more, visit the bfa’s website at: www.thebfa.org

If you are considering a career in franchising, turn to our article on page 51 to find out more.