Chris and Mags Jones - Peterborough

"This business is as recession proof as it gets… I genuinely didn't appreciate how well it would work in this economic climate." Chris Jones, Dream Doors Peterborough

Chris Jones, and his wife, Mags, bought the Dream Doors franchise covering the Peterborough area in October last year. On 1st August 2009 they opened the doors to their showroom in St Ives, just outside Huntingdon, to a flood of interest from the local community.

Says Chris: "We advertised heavily in the lead up to August, and were being asked for weeks before the showroom opened, 'when can we come and see you, when will you open?' People weren't actually banging down the doors, but it felt a little like that – we took 44 appointments on the first day – and that's a Dream Doors record.

I've been flat out since then, and have been going out on three appointments almost every day. My conversion rate has been as high as 55 percent and I'm thinking about bringing in some help as the business has already become too big for just the two of us. Thankfully we have a great deal of support from head office and, in the day-to-day running of the business, from our Franchise Manager, Deena Garside.

I have to credit Dream Doors for the training and support, which has been excellent. And Managing Director, Troy Tappenden's enthusiasm is infectious. He's very focused, and always willing to listen, to offer advice and try new things to help grow the brand. In the last year alone Dream Doors has invested heavily in advertising on television, introduced new finance and sales training courses, plus organised regular 'best practice' days where we get to network and learn from our more established peers.

The selling side of this business has actually surprised me. It hasn't been as difficult as I first thought, especially when you consider that I've never worked in sales. I think that this business is as recession proof as it gets. I'm glad I went against the better advice of my friends who were very nervous about the economy. I bought a franchise even though I genuinely didn't appreciate how well it would work in this economic climate – and it works.

We're now getting more referrals, and last week when I went to collect a cheque from a customer, he told me to go and talk to his neighbour across the road. He wouldn't tell me why, and at first I thought it might be a complaint about how the van was parked! She invited me in and, when I asked how I could help, she told me she wanted the same kitchen as her neighbour. I quoted for it there and then, on the night, and sold the job for around £4,500. Now that's what I call keeping up with the Joneses!

I wasn't naive coming into this, and I know running a business isn't easy, but we definitely made the right decision. I get so much satisfaction from seeing a job through from start to finish. And the reaction from customers at the end is phenomenal."

Says Mags: "The support and training from Dream Doors has been superb right from the start, and the week's induction was essential. The sales training we had at Head Office was amazing, and really valuable, because neither of us had any experience in sales. It was a lot to take in at the beginning, and I felt a little out of my depth. But I've surprised myself at how much I did take in, and which elements of the training I'm now using every day.

We can phone or email our franchise manager, Deena, at any time, and I'm no longer surprised to get an answer straightaway even when I've sent her an email late at night or over the weekend. She's pitched in to help us out on a number of occasions. Having someone like Deena, who really knows her stuff, is so important to us because we knew absolutely nothing about the kitchen industry before we started this business.

We have a family franchise here – our son James is one of the kitchen fitters – which is exactly what we wanted. It has been hard work, especially because at the same time as running the business I've been completing a degree in social work, but I wouldn't change a thing. And, although I planned to go back into social work part-time next year, I don't think that will be possible now, not unless we start recruiting staff. This business has grown quicker than we'd anticipated, and I'm not sure I'm ready to pass over the reigns to someone else just yet. The showroom is my baby after all, and I'm just enjoying myself too much.

None of this would be possible without the help of Dream Doors. We knew this business would be great the first moment we walked into the head offices in Gosport and met the team. We had a really good feeling, we get on well with everyone here, and our dream of running our own business has now come true."

Barry Kent - 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 week's 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.

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Dream Doors Limited - Full Member With over 30 branches in total, and 25 showrooms now open, Dream Doors are Brand Builder of the Year in the BFA’s Franchisor of the Year Awards. Dream Doors are also winners in the National Training Awards, were finalists in the Franchisee of the Year Awards and feature on ITV’s 60 Minute Makeover. Sector: Home Improvement Dream Doors Limited Information Request 1175 Dream Doors Limited Unit D22, Heritage Business Park, Heritage Way, Gosport, Hants, PO12 4BG Tel: 02392604630 Fax: 02392586317 www.dreamdoorsfranchise.co.uk Miss Kelly Chambers Tel: 02392 604630 Fax: 02392 586317 recruitment@dreamdoorsltd.co.uk