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Franchising Case Studies

  • Andy Rees Ableworld UK Ltd : Andy Rees Andy, who has previously served in the Royal Navy, opened his Ableworld store with business partner Barry O'Donnell in 2008. Three years on, they have just signed up for a second store.
  • Michael Holt Adept Cleaning Services : Michael Holt Michael Holt has always been ambitious, and prior to becoming an Adept Franchisee his career had blossomed, but he had always been an employee...
  • Placing a stake for success Agency Express Ltd : Chris Hutton With the current housing boom reaching new heights, Chris Hutton owner of Agency Express (Cambridge), has capitalised on this growing trend by expanding his operation to service the adjoining Peterborough area.
  • Gillian and Ian Proudfoot Agency Express Ltd : Gillian and Ian Proudfoot Gillian was looking for a change in career when she and her husband Ian purchased the Agency Express North Lakes franchise from a neighbour. They now employ three members of staff and run a multi-van operation.
  • John Hebson Antal International Network : John Hebson I am a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 30 years experience in Construction and Maintenance. During my experience in these industries I had acknowledged that there was a huge demand for engineers and technical staff, which could not be filled from within the UK.
  • Liz Dillon Antal International Network : Liz Dillon Liz explains why she chose Antal International
  • Salvatore Fernandez Antal International Network : Salvatore Fernandez Salvatore kindly took time out to answer some questions
  • Michael Crilly Aspray Ltd : Michael Crilly Michael has shown that an investment in training and equipment can have a great boost for future business.
  • Daryn Dodge Auditel : Daryn Dodge East Anglia-based Daryn Dodge has been an Auditel consultant since 2001. He has never regretted his decision to give up a top job with a US software company and buy an Auditel franchise.
  • Lee Freeman Auditel : Lee Freeman Lee Freeman joined Auditel in March 2010. He had qualified as a chartered accountant with Grant Thornton in 1992 and stayed for a further 6 years. Senior financial roles followed with listed plcs’ including Informa for five successful years. Then he held an FD role for an investment group in Luxembourg, returning to England just as the recession was beginning.
  • Richard Reynolds Auditel : Richard Reynolds Richard Reynolds, ex-senior IT professional, joined Auditel in September 2010. He recalls: “I had been an employee for almost 30 years. Several family members were self-employed. Following redundancy, I decided it was time for me to move in the same direction.
  • Steve Ray Auditel : Steve Ray Salisbury-based Steve Ray was formerly Production Director of the UK-arm of an Italian-based engineering company and joined Auditel in September 2007. He says: "To make a transition into running my own business as smooth as possible, I chose franchising. This provided immediate access to a proven business model and an industry knowledge base."
  • Chris Baker Auditel : Chris Baker Chris Baker joined Auditel in 1998 and works from his home-based office in South East Wales. Chris has reached his personal goal of achieving a billing figure of fifteen thousand pounds per month.
  • David Lowe Auditel : David Lowe "I'm still amazed that I had the guts to take the plunge into self-employment. It was completely out of character for a thoroughly 'corporate man', but Auditel has given me an earnings capacity far greater than my expectations."
  • Kevin Curran Auditel : Kevin Curran West Sussex-based Kevin Curran spent 36 years with HSBC Bank, mainly working within the commercial and corporate sector, latterly including a role as Regional Commercial Director. Following redundancy, Kevin decided to fulfil a long-held ambition.
  • Roz Hartley and Geoff Syme Auditel : Roz Hartley and Geoff Syme Investment bankers Roz Hartley and Geoff Syme decided to join forces in July 2011 and operate an Auditel Cost and Purchase Management Franchise.
  • Ruth & Laurence Fitch Auditel : Ruth & Laurence Fitch Husband and wife team, Ruth and Laurence Fitch had both wanted to start their own business for some time, after visiting the British and International Franchise Exhibition they finally took the big step of joining the Auditel franchise.
  • Nick Charles Autosheen Ltd : Nick Charles After twenty five years in the financial sector, Nick decided on a change of career. He has now expanded into a second territory within three months of his launch.
  • Rob Stobbs Autosheen Ltd : Rob Stobbs Having left the stress and politics of corporate life, Rob has just completed his first year as an Autosheen valeting specialist and is delighted with the progress he’s made in building his new business.
  • Robin Latcham Autosheen Ltd : Robin Latcham Ambitious and hard-working, 20 year old Robin launched his franchise in June 2011 after leaving his previous employment at a garden centre. Constantly busy since his launch, he now has plans to expand his franchise further.
  • Frank Sutherland Autosmart : Frank Sutherland Frank was 45 when he joined us and had been working as a regional Operations Manager for Co-op stores, with 20 stores in his area. Whilst working for the Co-op, he felt stuck in a rut – earning a good salary but with 10 other colleagues at the same level all waiting for their boss to leave in order to get promoted. Frank had reached a position where he couldn't progress any further and was frustrated that he couldn't achieve any more.
  • Paul Daley-Smith Autosmart : Paul Daley-Smith Paul left school at 16 with no formal qualifications. After completing an apprenticeship in engineering, he came across Autosmart and has now been running a successful franchise for nearly 6 years.
  • Atul Patel Autosmart : Atul Patel Atul spent 8 years working for prestige car dealerships before becoming an Autosmart franchisee 3 years ago. He was looking for a change that would benefit his family’s future whilst allowing him to use his skills in an industry he enjoys.
  • Phil Johnson Autosmart : Phil Johnson Having a wife who runs her own business, Phil, a former manager with a fleet rental company, envied the independence it gave her. When a local Autosmart franchise came up for sale he knew that it was the opportunity he was looking for.
  • Richard Rowe Autovalet Direct Franchising Ltd : Richard Rowe In June 2008 Autovaletdirect Cheltenham and Richard was driving his new van back home after training, feeling both nervous and excited about what the future held.
  • Paul Salmon Autovalet Direct Franchising Ltd : Paul Salmon Becoming a franchisee seemed the best way forward, given all the research I had done.
  • Richard Keen Autovalet Direct Franchising Ltd : Richard Keen Richard had limited quality family time, early mornings, and job security was unpredictable. At 47 he decided if he didn’t change his career before it would be too late.
  • Azeem Arshad Baguette Express Franchising Ltd : Azeem Arshad Master franchising allows people to buy the rights to sub-franchise within a certain territory. This allows the master franchisee the opportunity to grow a good business quickly. Franchisors also usually grow very rapidly.
  • Maz Hussain and David Henderson Bairstow Eves Franchising : Maz Hussain and David Henderson By the end of 2002, Maz Hussain and David Henderson had become victims of their own success. Having worked in IT for more than 20 years – for blue-chip companies including BP and IBM – both men were regularly working away from home for four, sometimes five nights a week...
  • Mark Hodgson and Brian Campbell Bairstow Eves Franchising : Mark Hodgson and Brian Campbell Mark Hodgson and Brian Campbell, the franchisees behind a number of Bairstow Eves' branches in northwest England, came into estate agency from backgrounds in management consultancy and banking, respectively.
  • Jeff Cook Bairstow Eves Franchising : Jeff Cook Jeff Cook, one of the director's behind Bairstow Eves’ largest core franchise, Ross Estate Agencies, was "just about retired" when he was first presented with details of Bairstow Eves Franchising.
  • Alan Bidmead and Jeffrey Cook Bairstow Eves Franchising : Alan Bidmead and Jeffrey Cook We chose to invest in a franchise as it provided us with the opportunity to trade under a national and respected brand name. We were also able to take advantage of their provision of tried and tested operating procedures, computer software and training facilities and to benefit from having legal advice readily available.
  • Alex and Chris Cowe Barking Mad : Alex and Chris Cowe Alex and his wife Chris had a passion for all things canine - but they knew that alone wouldn't be enough to run a successful business. Doing your homework and preparation is the key, they say.
  • Rob Schuler Barking Mad Ltd : Rob Schuler Rob Schuler came across the Barking Mad franchise when looking for care for his chocolate Labrador, Rolo. He now runs dual territories in Dorset and Somerset, which continue to go from strength to strength...
  • Jane Brushwood Barking Mad Ltd : Jane Brushwood Jane Brushwood took on her Barking Mad franchise after being made redundant and now runs a successful business that fits around her family life and caring for her children...
  • Veronica Young Barking Mad Ltd : Veronica Young Veronica Young first came across an article about Barking Mad in 2004. Five years later and disillusioned with her job, she had a decision to make about her future...
  • Alex and Chris Cowe Barking Mad Ltd : Alex and Chris Cowe Alex Cowe was made redundant from a management job so took it as an opportunity to start a home based franchise business with his wife Chris...
  • Brian Ellwood Barrett & Coe : Brian Ellwood A former radiographer in the NHS, Brian has been interested in photography since the age of 15. He has now turned his hobby into a business by taking on a Barrett & Coe franchise.
  • Julia Taylor Barrett & Coe : Julia Taylor Having worked in a corporate environment in the financial services industry for 20 years, amateur photographer Julia took on her Barrett & Coe franchise after taking voluntary redundancy in 2009.
  • Marisa Taylor Barrett & Coe : Marisa Taylor Marisa became a Barrett & Coe franchisee after having her first son. She took on her franchise in Bath & Somerset in August 2007 and finds that it fits perfectly with family life.
  • Lee Davison and Neil Rice BCR Associates Ltd : Lee Davison and Neil Rice Two friends decided to secure their futures before new Government regulations affected their careers as independent financial advisers by investing in a BCR Associates franchise.
  • Nigel Collins BCR Associates Ltd : Nigel Collins When his previous job as a mortgage broker took a serious blow during the start of the recession, Nigel Collins not only discovered that becoming a BCR Associates franchise owner was a profitable way to become his own boss but also an enjoyable one.
  • Jane Forbes Belle Casa Ltd : Jane Forbes Having joined us in April 2007, in just three months Jane had obtained 65 clients! With such a success and her area growing daily, in 2008 Jane purchased a further two areas – Belle Casa Wakefield followed by Belle Casa Leeds.
  • Bob and Wendy Swift Belle Casa Ltd : Bob and Wendy Swift Since joining Belle Casa in July 2004, Bob and Wendy have made big inroads into the Bournemouth area and have just signed a new five year contract.
  • Barry Turpin Belle Casa Ltd : Barry Turpin Having been with us for seven years Barry is King Pin, when it comes to turnover, one of the highest earners in the company.
  • Alf and Rachel Martin Belvoir Lettings : Alf and Rachel Martin Husband and wife team Alf and Rachel Martin will open Belvoir Sale in 2010. The couple have worked together before and believe they have the necessary complementary skills to run a successful business.
  • Lee Shuell Belvoir Lettings : Lee Shuell Lee Shuell of Belvoir Oldham explains how redundancy provided him with the chance to make the best decision of his life.
  • Rick Flay Belvoir Lettings : Rick Flay Belvoir Lettings' Sheffield franchisee, Rick Flay, has broken all company records for his first eight months trading. Announcing Rick's award as "New Franchisee of the Year" Mike Goddard, Belvoir co-founder and CEO, said: "In 11 years we have never seen anyone achieve such phenomenal growth from a standing start."
  • Paul Collins Belvoir Lettings : Paul Collins Belvoir's Lincoln franchisee Paul Collins has won a major accolade as the franchise's "Record breaker of the year" for 2006. He has achieved a consistently high turnover throughout the year, the most ever for anyone in the Belvoir network which now has 97 property lettings shops across the UK and Ireland.
  • Phil Pinkney and Greg Greatbatch Belvoir Lettings : Phil Pinkney and Greg Greatbatch Before becoming franchisees, Phil had enjoyed a 30 year career in travel, four years of which was with a travel franchise, giving him an insight into the franchising concept. Greg had spent 15 years in the motor industry, as after sales manager for Saab, Volvo and Chrysler dealerships. Co-incidentally, Phil and Greg are brothers in law.
  • Terry Lucking Belvoir Lettings : Terry Lucking Terry became a franchisee in 1999 after a career in the food industry spanning 22 years. He was a director of two major plcs before being headhunted to become managing director of a successful family farming business in Cambridge.
  • Simon Bell Belvoir Lettings : Simon Bell Simon Bell had a very clear plan in mind of the boxes his choice of franchise business was going to have to tick. Having been voted Belvoir's New Franchise of the Year, he's happy that he made the right choice.
  • Kishore Patel Betterclean Services : Kishore Patel After 35 years working in senior management roles for multi-national corporations, Kishore Patel was looking for a new challenge where he could take charge of his destiny
  • Raj Patel Betterclean Services : Raj Patel Raj was initially attracted to Betterclean Services because it was a managerial business, where other franchise opportunities he considered focused more on working in the business.
  • Ian Bailey Betterclean Services : Ian Bailey Ian had a background in the commercial cleaning industry, and dreamed of running his own business. He knew the Betterclean Services brand and wanted to find out more about their management franchise opportunity.
  • Trevor and Cheryl Hatch Blazes Heating Solutions Ltd : Trevor and Cheryl Hatch For ten years, Trevor Hatch and his wife Cheryl have been running a thriving candle manufacturing and retail business in Lancashire's scenic Ribble Valley. However, due to the seasonal nature of the business, the couple decided to look for an additional revenue stream to supplement their existing income.
  • Chris Knight Blazes Heating Solutions Ltd : Chris Knight It's all about the back-up – that's the advice of former surveyor Chris Knight who got off to a record start after buying into a Blazes Fireplace and Heating Centre franchise after a visit to the National Franchise Exhibition.
  • Jane Stuart Blazes Heating Solutions Ltd : Jane Stuart After more than 6 years in Asia, Blazes' new Wakefield franchisee, Jane Stuart, was given a warm welcome when she took over from retiring franchisees, Pam and Graham Bastow. Here she explains her reasons for returning, why Blazes fired up a passion for business and why she's still waiting for husband, Paul, to fly in.
  • John and Jane Perry Bluebird Care : John and Jane Perry Since joining Bluebird Care in December 2007, John and Jane Perry have won a string of Bluebird Care awards including the recent accolade of Franchise of the Year 2011.
  • Brian McAuley Bluebird Care : Brian McAuley With a career in IT spanning 18 years, Brian had often dreamed of setting up his own business. Here he tells the story of how and why he joined Bluebird Care.
  • Tony and Sharon Ryan Bluebird Care Franchises Ltd : Tony and Sharon Ryan The Ryans – whose previous businesses including a building firm and running holiday cottages with fishing lakes – were drawn to Bluebird Care after seeing the company's managing director, Paul Tarsey, interviewed on national television.
  • Ian Barnes Bluebird Care Franchises Ltd : Ian Barnes A Bayston Hill businessman who set up a thriving Bluebird Care office just two years after a successful kidney transplant was voted best newcomer at a national awards ceremony.
  • Joy Grant Bluebird Care Franchises Ltd : Joy Grant Lutterworth businesswoman Joy Grant has won a national award after overcoming all the odds to succeed in business. Joy, who runs Bluebird Care in Market Street, won the "Spirit of Bluebird Award" after suffering key staff shortages. Despite this, Joy managed to keep her care at home business running and even to increase the number of carers she employs from 10 to 34 over the past two years.
  • John Prendergast and Phil Miles Bluebird Care Franchises Ltd : John Prendergast and Phil Miles Two local men who beat the recession and created 65 local jobs have scooped a top award from the UK's fastest growing home care company, Bluebird Care.
  • Roger Hetherington Business Plan Services Ltd : Roger Hetherington Roger Hetherington became first Business Plan Services franchisee, he discusses his experience.
  • Brian and Angela Cafe 2 U Ltd : Brian and Angela Having run and sold his own logistics business, Brian wanted to find a business he could operate with his wife, Angela, which would challenge them both yet allow them to retain some independence.
  • Darren Cafe 2 U Ltd : Darren Darren operates his Cafe2U in Ealing, very close to the centre of Ealing, and doesn't visit any business parks, but rather stops at businesses as they fall.
  • Ian Cafe 2 U Ltd : Ian Ian serves customers from approximately 8.15am until 1.45pm each day, and only works Monday to Friday. He likes his weekends to be free for the children and the golf course!
  • Jeff Cafe 2 U Ltd : Jeff Jeff was Franchise Partner of the Year in 2008, and has three Cafe2U vans running in his territory, employing 5 full time and part time people, as well as renting premises for van parking, and storage, and plans on a 4th van by 2011.
  • Stephanie Cafe 2 U Ltd : Stephanie Steph attends very few events, preferring to concentrate on the week day business, which she operates from 8am until 2pm each day.
  • Tracey Cafe 2 U Ltd : Tracey Tracey operates her business from 8.30am -- 1.30am 3 days a week, and 9.30am -- 1.30pm two days a week, allowing her to balance business with still being involved in the school run and other activities with her children.
  • Faye Cochrane Cafe2U : Faye Cochrane Faye Cochrane was the Business Franchise Manager of a popular coffee house in Scotland. She loves coffee and always wanted to be her own boss, so it made perfect sense for her to take on a Cafe2U franchise territory.
  • Laura Macrae Cafe2U : Laura Macrae Laura Macrae, Cafe2U’s Aberdeen West Franchise Partner, had spent several years working for a survival training company but when she decided to start her own business, franchising was her survival net.
  • David and Marie Clements Card Connection A trading division of UK Greetings Ltd : David and Marie Clements For twelve years David and Marie Clements ran their own Londis store in Kilkhampton, Cornwall. The shop was successful and they loved the freedom of self employment. However, after many years behind the counter they were looking for a new challenge and this is when the idea of becoming a Card Connection franchisee first took shape.
  • Karen Humphrey Card Connection A trading division of UK Greetings Ltd : Karen Humphrey Karen Humphrey joined Card Connection in 2006 and has since become the company's first sole female platinum franchisee. This means she now manages one of Card Connection's largest territories.
  • Latif Twigeri Card Connection A trading division of UK Greetings Ltd : Latif Twigeri Having struggled to find the right role after university, Latif took on the existing Guildford and Farnham Card Connection territory. Having since expanded to Kingston and Sutton, he now supplies over 500 stores...
  • Asif Malik Card Connection A trading division of UK Greetings Ltd : Asif Malik Asif Malik joined Card Connections in 2009, he now finds himself expanding his franchise territory. He discusses his experience and growth.
  • Helan Graham and Stephanie Doherty Caremark Ltd : Helan Graham and Stephanie Doherty Helan Graham and Stephanie Doherty, owners of Caremark (Oldham), are amongst the latest group of franchise owners to complete the two week initial franchise owner training course with Caremark Ltd. The course covers everything needed to prepare Caremark franchise owners to deliver the highest standards of care within their region.
  • Mike Cooper Cartridge World : Mike Cooper Mike Cooper saw the light and opened the doors to his new Cartridge World franchise store in June 2008. Just 18 months later he has been joined by his wife, Jacqui and their first employee as they continue to celebrate record sales.
  • Hugh and Alex Pattison-Appleton Cartridge World : Hugh and Alex Pattison-Appleton Hugh and Alex Pattison-Appleton made a significant life change when they chose not only to work together but to run their own business.
  • Donna Mackenzie Cash Converters : Donna Mackenzie Donna Mackenzie, who along with her partner, Keith Woodford, opened her first store in August 2009, decided to invest in Cash Converters after she was made redundant from her job as a national retail account manager in November 2008.
  • Dave Elwood Cash Generator : Dave Elwood Dave Elwood is one of Cash Generator’s most successful franchisees, owning a total of 10 stores with additional stores to open this year.
  • Kevin Old Cash Generator : Kevin Old Entrepreneur Kevin Old, from Bournemouth, has owned a number of successful businesses in a range of industries. From a second hand car dealership and finance broker firm to a restaurant, Kevin’s eclectic experience encouraged him to embark upon a new career in franchising.
  • Neil Shelbourne Cash Generator : Neil Shelbourne Having worked for Cash Generator for many years at its Head Office in a number of roles, Neil has witnessed first hand the impressive growth of the discount retailer.
  • Gary Andrew Chem-Dry Franchising Ltd : Gary Andrew Gary Andrew started his independent carpet cleaning business six years ago in Devon. A successful businessman in his own right, Gary wanted to achieve greater growth and has this to say about his subsequent move into franchising with the Chem-Dry Brand.
  • Jackie and Mike Clark Chem-Dry Franchising Ltd : Jackie and Mike Clark Jackie & Mike Clark purchased A&G Chem-Dry© in May 1995 as a going concern which had been operating for four years. Mike’s previous career in the flexible packaging industry, which saw him progress from a junior sales position to M.D, had run its course and he was looking for a new direction.
  • James Carter Chem-Dry Franchising Ltd : James Carter Former Distribution Manager James Carter purchased Chem-Dry’s 700th franchise licence in November 2005. The 27-year-old family man decided long ago that he wanted much more than a nine-to-five, office-based job with the same daily routine, and by the time James had secured his management post, he’d already started to consider what other options were open to him.
  • Ray Jennings Chemex International : Ray Jennings When others are thinking of retirement the former hotel maintenance manager has switched careers by launching a new business venture supplying cleaning and hygiene products.
  • Chris Lunn Chemex International : Chris Lunn "No two days are the same, the role is very varied and I meet people from all walks of life. Chemex have provided me with excellent training and the support has been fantastic. The company have a professional, organised and ethical approach to franchising"
  • Steve Smith Chemex International : Steve Smith Who says accountants are boring. Steve Smith is an accountant, a former semi-professional footballer and is in a tribute band to the Blues Brothers, performing in gigs around the country. Now, at 52, he has launched his own business.
  • John Bennett Chemex International : John Bennett After a successful career in farm management, John Bennett has just made a complete, mid-life switch. John, 41, has invested in a franchise with Chemex International covering South Nottinghamshire, including Nottingham city centre, Southwell, Grantham, Long Eaton, Bingham and Radcliffe-on-Trent.
  • Findlay Georgeson ChipsAway : Findlay Georgeson Investing in ChipsAway helped West Lothian-based Findlay Georgeson turn his life around twelve years ago after he had been made redundant.
  • Alistair Hoy ChipsAway International Ltd : Alistair Hoy When Alistair Hoy invested in a ChipsAway franchise earlier this year, he had big plans for his business. Although he intended to operate initially as a ‘man and a van’, his sights were firmly set on opening a ChipsAway CarCare Centre within six months, as a first step to establishing a management franchise.
  • Jamie Birks ChipsAway International Ltd : Jamie Birks A senior manager for a major finance company, he had spent three years managing large IT programmes and company mergers, but sitting on a beach while on honeymoon in the Caribbean, he realised that he had achieved what he wanted from corporate life and now wanted to do something completely different.
  • Roger Catchpole ChipsAway International Ltd : Roger Catchpole When Roger Catchpole was made redundant from his job as an IT Manager for the second time, he realised that being employed was no guarantee of security. He decided that in future his life would not be dictated by the decisions of other people, and that by becoming self-employed he would take control of his own destiny.
  • Anatol Poyer-Sleeman and Michelle Clark ChipsAway International Ltd : Anatol Poyer-Sleeman and Michelle Clark In a move that underlines confidence in a strong and profitable future despite the current financial climate, Anatol Poyer-Sleeman and his partner Michelle Clark, who operate across five franchise territories, have signed up for a further five year term with leading automotive paintwork repair specialist ChipsAway.
  • Findlay Georgeson ChipsAway International Ltd : Findlay Georgeson Investing in ChipsAway helped West Lothian-based Findlay Georgeson turn his life around twelve years ago after he had been made redundant.
  • Dharam Singh Cloud Bookkeeping : Dharam Singh Fresh out of University and supporting his family, Dharam Singh invests in a Cloud Bookkeeping franchise...
  • Yvette Taylor Cloud Bookkeeping : Yvette Taylor Entrepreneur, Yvette Taylor takes on another business becoming a Cloud Bookkeeping Franchise Owner...
  • Disha Solanki CNA International : Disha Solanki A former project manager in the pharmacy sector, Disha decided it was time to change. Having climbed as high as she could within her organisation, the only chance for progression was to work for another company. If she was going to leave she would rather work for herself.
  • Nick Thompson CNA International : Nick Thompson Nick was Director of Recruitment for a Franchisor operating in the healthcare sector. After hitting the age of 40, he decided that if he was ever going to fulfill his dream of being his own boss it was now or never! So in 2001 after researching his options.
  • Mark Bolton CNA International : Mark Bolton Before joining CNA International, Mark Bolton had a varied career in industrial engineering, re-designing supermarket checkouts, recommending the best type of dray for a large brewery company and reducing cashmere waste for a spinning plant in Hawick.
  • Bob Walker CNA International : Bob Walker All CNA owners specialise in an industry or sector and Bob offers recruitment solutions to the chemical industry: "the chemical industry is global and speaks English, so we have always looked beyond the UK for business. Our first placements were in Germany and Saudi Arabia, and we have bid for business all over Europe, as well as in Malaysia."
  • Sharone Freed Colourfence : Sharone Freed Looking online I came across Colourfence and researched it as a customer. I then met with Mark Stewart Woods and his team and was so impressed with the product and the people that when I learned it was available as a franchise in my area I had to go for it.
  • Stephen Hall ComputerXplorers : Stephen Hall Stephen, 35, was born in Omagh Northern Ireland. He moved to England in 1994, aged 18, to study at Sunderland University. He has been running his ComputerXplorers franchise in Birmingham East with his partner Fiona since January 2011.
  • Dave Cooper ComputerXplorers : Dave Cooper Dave, a former Analyst/Programmer, became a ComputerXplorers franchisee after being made redundant. Trading since May 2010, he is aiming to have 25 clubs running by the end of the school year.
  • Nicola Petty ComputerXplorers : Nicola Petty Nicola decided to become a franchisee because of the advantages it offers her. She joined ComputerXplorers at the latter stages of their pilot phase.
  • Steve Latham Concentric Lettings Ltd : Steve Latham With his first year in business being a great success, what plans does the future hold for Steve Latham and his Concentric Lettings Crosby franchise?
  • Dawn Bennett Concentric Lettings Ltd : Dawn Bennett Dawn Bennet has taken her Concentric Lettings franchise from strength to strength; we look into her formula for success.
  • Judith MacDonald Contempo Lettings Property Management : Judith MacDonald Judith MacDonald swapped marketing in the oil industry with becoming a Contempo Lettings Property Management franchisee - and hasn't looked back since.
  • Gary Mitchell Contempo Lettings Property Management : Gary Mitchell The Contempo Lettings franchise model allows Gary to focus on the areas where his skills lie, sales and marketing, whilst they take care of the financial and back office tasks which he would have found challenging.
  • Neil Freshwater Contempo Lettings Property Management : Neil Freshwater Neil's best advice to potential franchisees? Get to know the people you will be working with (franchisor) before signing. He think this ongoing support – both business and moral – is the most worthwhile aspect of franchising.
  • Judith MacDonald Contempo Lettings Property Management : Judith MacDonald Judith MacDonald swapped marketing in the oil industry for a Contempo Lettings Property Management franchise - and hasn't looked back since.
  • Robin Arkle Costa Ltd : Robin Arkle At one of the many Franchise exhibitions I attended I met Matthew Holgate who was launching the Costa Coffee Franchise model. Upon investigation it seemed like a very robust and sound business model.
  • Ian Michael and Richard Ball Countrywide Grounds Maintenance : Ian Michael and Richard Ball Ian Michael and Richard Ball formed a partnership in 1997 to take the Countrywide Grounds Maintenance franchise for South Wales. Since taking the franchise their workforce has grown from just themselves to 30 staff and the fleet has expanded from 1 vehicle to 12 vehicles, and is now considered one of the largest privately owned grounds maintenance companies in the UK
  • Richard Keast Countrywide Grounds Maintenance : Richard Keast Richard Keast has been one of the success stories at Countrywide. Richard became a franchisee back in 1991. Despite him having, what some would say is a mature business, he has achieved consistent year on year growth and more importantly consistently high profits.
  • Jim Stevenson Countrywide Signs : Jim Stevenson When former Business Analyst Jim was made redundant he wanted a change from working in an office, to take control of his future and to grow his own business.
  • Colin Lancaster and Gary Millen Countrywide Signs Limited : Colin Lancaster and Gary Millen “As a Business Manager for Lloyds TSB, I was the face of the bank and delegated the workload. After 19 years in banking I began looking for a new challenge where I could work for myself and have sole responsibility.
  • James and Jane Bickerstaff Countrywide Signs Limited : James and Jane Bickerstaff Even though Countrywide Signs franchisees James and Jane Bickerstaff started their business eight years ago, they still find that every day is different and interesting.
  • Ian Morris Countrywide Signs Limited : Ian Morris When Ian Morris took voluntary redundancy from his job of 17 years working at a Vauxhall Motors factory, Countrywide Signs gave him the opportunity he had been looking for through franchising.
  • Anthony Williams Countrywide Signs Limited : Anthony Williams Already experienced in running his own business Anthony Williams decided to become a Countrywide Signs franchisee as it provided the brand recognition he wanted.
  • Jim Stevenson Countrywide Signs Limited : Jim Stevenson When former Business Analyst Jim was made redundant he wanted a change from working in an office, to take control of his future and grow his own business.
  • Liz Cairns Creation Station : Liz Cairns "I had a good job that was flexible around my family but it just wasn’t challenging or rewarding. I knew I needed to find something that would give me my oomph for life back again!"
  • Claudia Watt Creation Station : Claudia Watt “Creating change in your life can feel like a huge and scary step, trust me - I really know!”
  • Karen Carnson Creation Station : Karen Carnson “My old job was not giving me the flexibility I needed to put my family first. The Creation Station has given me the confidence to be my own boss and I am very positive about the future.”
  • Jennifer David Debutots Ltd : Jennifer I love the fact that I'm delivering a product that I genuinely think is amazing for children. I'm enjoying the responsibility of being in charge and being able to choose my own hours.
  • Clare Hodgson Debutots Ltd : Clare Hodgson The support, not only from Head Office, but also from the team of franchisees from around the country is great.
  • Stephanie Miles Debutots Ltd : Stephanie Miles I wanted a job that would fit around my daughter and could grow as she did, but I thought that such a job would be impossible to find.
  • Astrid and Anil Patil Domino`s Pizza : Astrid and Anil Patil High-flier Astrid Patil left her job as a solicitor at the beginning of 2005 to follow her dream of becoming her own boss. Today, Astrid and her husband Anil are the successful franchisees of 11 Domino's stores located in Alton, Bognor Regis, Bromsgrove, East Grinstead, Evesham, Worcester, Farnham, Southampton, Christchurch and Portsmouth.
  • Lisa Tobias Domino`s Pizza : Lisa Tobias Lisa Tobias is Domino’s most successful female franchisee in the UK and Ireland. She has gone from being a Scottish champion gymnast and part-time worker at Domino's to a highly successful, inspirational businesswoman.
  • Sean Geddes Domino`s Pizza : Sean Geddes Sean Geddes decided to drastically change his lifestyle after the birth of his first child, turning his back on a logistics career to become a Domino's franchisee. He's now the company's largest franchisee in Scotland.
  • Sean Geddes Domino's Pizza : Sean Geddes Sean Geddes decided to drastically change his lifestyle after the birth of his first child, turning his back on a logistics career to become a Domino's Pizza franchisee. He's now the company's largest franchisee in Scotland.
  • Lisa Tobias Domino's Pizza : Lisa Tobias Lisa Tobias is Domino’s most successful female franchisee in the UK and Ireland. She has gone from being a Scottish champion gymnast and part-time worker at Domino's to a highly successful, inspirational businesswoman.
  • Rob Simpson Drain Doctor Ltd : Rob Simpson Former Yellow Pages manager Rob Simpson took on the East Anglian Drain Doctor franchise in October 2009. Drain Doctor had been one of his main clients and when he found out that the East Anglian franchise was for sale -- because the existing franchisee was retiring -- he jumped at the chance to run his own business.
  • Darren Senior Dream Doors Limited : Darren Senior Seasoned salesman, 47-year-old Darren Senior, took over an existing Dream Doors franchise in July 2010.
  • Chris and Mags Jones Dream Doors Limited : Chris and Mags Jones 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."
  • Barry Kent Dream Doors Limited : Barry Kent "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."
  • Paul Dyson Driver Hire : Paul Dyson It's fair to say that Driver Hire attracts franchiseees from a wide range of backgrounds and industries; acting, teaching, accountancy, the armed services and in Paul Dyson's case – the police force.
  • George Griffiths Driver Hire : George Griffiths George Griffiths could be described as an all-rounder. A qualified Accountant; he's also got an Honours Degree in Chemistry. Originally from New Zealand, he settled in the UK and used his accountancy skills working for a number of motor dealerships. "I guess you could say that I had one redundancy too many," says George. "That was when I decided it was time to work for myself."
  • Darran Perkins Driver Hire : Darran Perkins Darran Perkins was manager at Driver Hire's Cardiff office for two years. When his boss and franchise owner decided to sell, Darran spotted a perfect opportunity to invest.
  • Sue Crilly Driver Hire : Sue Crilly Being a woman in a male-dominated business environment has never fazed Sue Crilly one bit. And neither has the fact that she operates her Driver Hire franchise from Wisbech – a small market town in the depths of rural East Anglia.
  • Roy McLellan Driver Hire : Roy McLellan Roy McLellan is one of Driver Hire's newest franchisees, having acquired the Dundee & Perth business through a re-sale. The previous owners had bought the business 5 years ago and turned it into an extremely successful operation.
  • Robert Walmsley Ecoliving Ltd : Robert Walmsley Having run a financial services business for 16 years I was no longer enjoying the business. It was therefore time for a new direction and I had heard that solar panels were about to boom when I found Ecoliving.
  • Steve Frise Ed`s Garden Maintenance : Steve Frise Steve Frise, 40, from Hersham, Surrey, has swapped the hectic world of the motor industry for the more fulfilling climbs of garden maintenance by buying into successful national franchise, Ed’s Garden Maintenance.
  • David Stevenson EnergyMyWay : David Stevenson With a background as a property developer David recognised the growing popularity of renewable energy, and decided to explore a career in this area.
  • Richard Jones EnergyMyWay : Richard Jones Richard Jones is the owner and director of EnergyMyWay in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, he sheds light on his EnergyMyWay franchise experience.
  • Peter and Helen Mould EnviroVent Ltd : Peter and Helen Mould It has certainly changed our day to day life and especially our work/life balance. The distinction between work and life is a lot more blurred now we are working for ourselves.
  • Sue Winterson Expense Reduction Analysts (UK) Ltd. : Sue Winterson After spending a considerable amount of her working life in supply chain management and the FMCG market, Sue Winterson was facing redundancy and unsure where to turn. After contemplating her options, Sue thought about franchising and wondered whether there was a credible white collar opportunity available in the UK.
  • Mike Anderson Expense Reduction Analysts (UK) Ltd. : Mike Anderson For 20 years, Mike enjoyed a highly successful career in industrial product, service and energy businesses, working with blue chip companies across Europe, Asia and the Americas. He held senior engineer, project management and business unit management positions before advancing in 2005 to become the youngest ever Managing Director of Teradyne Diagnostic Solutions Ltd, a $100m global business.
  • Steve Letley Expense Reduction Analysts (UK) Ltd. : Steve Letley Steve Letley lives in Southampton and joined Expense Reduction Analysts in April 2010. Steve explains why he joined Expense Reduction Analysts, and how he found the whole process.
  • Paul Duesbury Expense Reduction Analysts (UK) Ltd. : Paul Duesbury Paul Duesbery had wanted to work for himself for a while and when redundancy came, it provided him with the impetus and the resources to make that dream a reality.
  • Paul Reeder Expense Reduction Analysts (UK) Ltd. : Paul Reeder Based near Sudbury in Suffolk, Paul Reeder previously had a very successful corporate career in the construction industry, but when he retired his wife and he decided to carry on working and started to look at franchise opportunities.
  • Richard Hunter Expense Reduction Analysts (UK) Ltd. : Richard Hunter Based in South London, Richard Hunter had a successful corporate life in banking, working as Operations Director for Aggreko plc and latterly as Corporate Director for Barclays.
  • Richard Wedgwood Fastsigns International : Richard Wedgwood Richard, 41, set up FASTSIGNS® Manchester in July 2010 after a career in the ceramics industry spanning 20 years and involving lots of international travel. The recession led to inevitable cost-cutting in the industry and when Richard found himself moved to a new role that wasn’t working for him, he decided to seek a redundancy package.
  • Paul Bentley Fastsigns International : Paul Bentley In 2004, after 12 years of working in the legal publishing and the exhibition market, Paul Bentley was overtaken by entrepreneurial spirit. Realising that he wanted “a white-collar business that offered a clean, professional environment,” he began exploring how he could start his own company.
  • Trevor and Mark Davies Fastsigns International : Trevor and Mark Davies A father and son with unique backgrounds in motor racing and small business management. Trevor Davies, who previously owned a food industry company, and his son, Mark, a racing driver for Renault Sport U.K., opened a new FASTSIGNS® centre in Huddersfield in spring 2005.
  • Jenny Boreham Fastsigns International : Jenny Boreham After leaving school at 16 and marrying at 19, Jenny, by her early twenties, was a single parent with two young boys. She says, “I always knew I could be a good businesswoman and was determined to have a career.
  • Garth and Lindsay Allison Fastsigns International : Garth and Lindsay Allison When Lindsay Allison went in pursuit of a new business venture, she knew she wanted a “fast-track” business—one that would get up and running quickly. With a wide range of business experience, including seven years as the Economic Development Manager for the Training and Enterprise Council and careers as a buyer, catering manager and lecturer, she was ready to take on the challenge of becoming an entrepreneur.
  • Nav and Harry Sandhu FFS Brands Ltd t/a Southern Fried Chicken : Nav and Harry Sandhu After running the local general convenience store for many years, a newly empty unit in the same parade of shops as their store gave Nav and Harry Sandhu the opportunity to expand their business portfolio and they began investigating franchises.
  • Dean Martin Filta Fry : Dean Martin Shock redundancy hit former bindary technician Dean Martin when Norwich’s New Jarrold Printing closed in September 2006. However, turning lemons into lemonade, he used his new-found freedom to commit to a FiltaFry franchise.
  • Gordon Finlay Filta Fry : Gordon Finlay The day after Gordon Finlay flew back from holiday he made a life-changing decision. Looking round the Franchise Show, he came upon the FiltaFry stand. By June 2002 he was running his own FiltaFry business.
  • Tom Burke Fit4less by Energie : Tom Burke Having worked for large health club organisations in the past, Tom has been able to bring his knowledge and experience of this industry to his two franchises.
  • Mike and Eileen Smith Furniture Medic : Mike and Eileen Smith Eileen and I came into Furniture Medic rather abruptly, as both of us were made redundant from our separate jobs within two weeks, purely by co-incidence.
  • Maureen and Carl Artis Furniture Medic : Maureen and Carl Artis I was in the army for 30 years, latterly working in military facilities management. My wife Maureen was a Chiropodist until the government changed some rules and regulations; we decided to look for something we could do together.
  • Dave Canderton Furniture Medic : Dave Canderton I’ve done various jobs, each giving me skills necessary to running a business. I started off working as a joiner which gave me valuable practical experience and since then have had several management jobs, which have included Estimating, buying and managing teams of staff.
  • Paul Cordingley Gas-Elec Safety Systems Ltd : Paul Cordingley With his experience as a skilled Royal Navy technician, Paul Cordingley has proved to be an ideal candidate to own a gas-elec Safety Inspection Franchise.
  • Clive Matkin Go Kart Party (UK) Ltd : Clive Matkin Clive Matkin from Oxfordshire, tells us how he and his family have made a phenomenal success of their Go-Kart Party franchise in just 17 months…
  • Peter Morrison Granite Transformations : Peter Morrison 2010 was undoubtedly a winning year for Peter Morrison. He gained Bronze in the prestigious bfa/HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards and won the hotly contested Midlands category...
  • Rob and Georgina Douthwaite Granite Transformations : Rob and Georgina Douthwaite People come into franchising from many different career backgrounds. Former Army Captain, Rob Douthwaite, who owns a thriving Granite Transformations franchise on the south coast, served a full 22-year engagement with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment...
  • Darrell Smith Granite Transformations : Darrell Smith Even those with extensive management experience appreciate the worth of a proven business model and established systems, provided by a mature franchise package.
  • Derek and Pauline Delaney Granite Transformations : Derek and Pauline Delaney Franchising can be something of a family affair, with husband and wife teams increasingly involved at ownership level...
  • Judy and Jimmy Wilson-Petch Greensleeves Lawn Care : Judy and Jimmy Wilson-Petch Running a lawn treatment business may sound appealing when the sun is streaming through your office window, but in the cold winter months does it still stack-up?
  • Ian Perris Greensleeves Lawn Care : Ian Perris In 2005 Ian Perris was looking for a new direction to his career, following a successful time, managing a number of businesses he was looking to develop his own business but in a relatively stress free environment.
  • John and Jane MacKeddie Greenthumb Lawn Treatment Service : John and Jane MacKeddie A franchisee who beat serious illness and still managed to grow his business by over 30 per cent during the worst downturn for a generation was voted GreenThumb Franchisee of the Year.
  • Clare Phelan Greenthumb Lawn Treatment Service : Clare Phelan Former health service worker Clare Phelan was forced to make colleagues redundant before deciding to leave herself…and she has never looked back.
  • David Moore Home Instead Senior Care : David Moore David Moore acquired the Home Instead Senior Care Stockport franchise in October 2006. With a lot of hard work David has seen his business flourish and growth in the last couple of years has taken his turnover to an impressive £1.45 million.
  • Chris and Sue Broadbent Home Instead Senior Care : Chris and Sue Broadbent Chris and Sue Broadbent purchased the Home Instead Senior Care Chester franchise in January 2008. The Chester franchise was originally established in early 2007 and was Home Instead Senior Care's first UK territory.
  • Judith Herrod Home Instead Senior Care : Judith Herrod 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.
  • Dale and Diana Bevington Home Instead Senior Care : Dale and Diana Bevington Canadian born Dale and Diana Bevington chose Home Instead Senior Care so they could make a real difference to their local community.
  • Mike and Catharine Chalton Home Instead Senior Care : Mike and Catharine Chalton Mike and Catharine Chalton have been Home Instead Senior Care franchise owners for 3 ½ years. In that time they have helped to shape the way care is delivered on the Wirral.
  • Simon Hawtrey-Coombs Interlink Express Parcels Ltd : Simon Hawtrey-Coombs Missing the birth of his son due to work commitments was the catalyst for Simon Hawtrey-Coombs’ mid-life career change.
  • Tony Mawdsley In-Toto Ltd : Tony Mawdsley Tony Mawdsley had no previous experience in kitchens or home improvements. He was attracted to In-toto's business proposal by its' 'clean' nature. It offered real satisfaction and the promise of a very good income.
  • Andrew Hatfield and David Armitage In-Toto Ltd : Andrew Hatfield and David Armitage Andrew Hatfield and David Armitage each have almost twenty years experience in the kitchen industry, from installation to design. Latterly both held design posts within a major UK manufacturer.
  • Rob and Hilary Evans In-Toto Ltd : Rob and Hilary Evans The In-toto franchise at Cheltenham has chalked up over 20 successful years in business. Run by franchisees Rob and Hilary Evans, the Cheltenham showroom was initially launched by Hilary’s mother Carol in 1987.
  • Shanti Panchani In-Toto Ltd : Shanti Panchani After fourteen years working for a large home improvement chain as General Manager, Shanti Panchani decided to jump ship and set up his own business.
  • Anne Wallis In-Toto Ltd : Anne Wallis Anne opened her In-toto kitchen showroom in Beverley in May 2000. Many In-toto franchisees had no relevant experience, but Anne won the 'Young Kitchen Designer' award that included a travel bursary to several European manufacturers.
  • Paul Wheeler In-Toto Ltd : Paul Wheeler Paul Wheeler is one of the network’s newest recruits. Although he was already operating successfully in the kitchen industry, Paul was amazed at the difference the In-toto brand name made.
  • Frank McIsaac In-Toto Ltd : Frank McIsaac Frank McIsaac has been an In-toto franchisee for nearly sixteen years. A kitchen fitter for the previous twelve years, Frank knew the industry well, was familiar with different product ranges and understood what customers were looking for in a new kitchen.
  • Kunbi Osinoiki Jo Jingles Limited : Kunbi Osinoiki I first heard about Jo Jingles when I stumbled on their website in a desperate search for childcare for my son. My husband was changing jobs, which meant yet another house move. As my son was due to start school soon, I was keen to find flexible after-school childcare that would enable me to continue working full time.
  • Sharon Burbridge Jo Jingles Limited : Sharon Burbridge I was first introduced to Jo Jingles in September 1999 while living in Windsor, Berkshire where I took our 2-year-old son Harry to a class for 1-2 year-old toddlers. It was something we both thoroughly enjoyed; in fact it became a high point of our week and something that Harry obviously loved.
  • Tara Dye Jo Jingles Limited : Tara Dye I was on maternity leave after having my second child when I spotted an article about Jo Jingles, in a Daily Mail feature on franchising, and how it offered an opportunity to run a business from home that would fit around a young family.
  • Carol Bell Jo Jingles Limited : Carol Bell Five years ago I was looking for something to do to get me back to full-time work having had two children and several years of part time work in playgroups, first as a helper then as a supervisor.
  • Jennifer Mellor Jo Jingles Limited : Jennifer Mellor Before I took up the Jo Jingles franchise I worked part-time in a private nursery school - for approximately 10 years. Prior to having children I was trained as a secretary and was a Personal Assistant to a Chief Executive Officer when younger.
  • Claire Lambert Jo Jingles Limited : Claire Lambert Former paediatric nurse Claire Lambert was facing a back-to-work problem as the mother of three children - how to fit the demanding hours of her job as a nursing sister round her growing family?
  • Ian Beasleigh Just Shutters (Franchise) Ltd. : Ian Beasleigh Since joining just shutters, Ian Beasleigh spends more time with his family and feels in control of his future. He discusses his experience.
  • Andrew Cook Just Shutters (Franchise) Ltd. : Andrew Cook Andrew had worked within the car body repairs business for 10 years, after a long break he decided it was time for a change.
  • Peter Holford Just Shutters (Franchise) Ltd. : Peter Holford Peter emigrated from South Africa this year in order to look for a new business. Although owning a franchise was not his plan, Just Shutters was just what he was looking for.
  • Tina Vincent Kumon Educational UK : Tina Vincent Go for it! But be prepared to work very hard. It isn’t all roses and one has to be prepared to wait for deferred gratification! Probably the best advice is to be open to the advice and support of colleagues, and to be willing to share ideas.
  • Matthew Allcott Lawnscience Ltd : Matthew Allcott Before becoming a Lawnscience franchisee, Matthew Allcott had a successful career in TV location management and subsequently gained franchising experience running a courier franchise for 10 years.
  • Gary Pearce Lawnscience Ltd : Gary Pearce Gary Pearce started his Lawnscience franchise in March 2010 leaving behind a career as a Senior Manager in the food retail industry...
  • Kevin and Sue LawnTender : Kevin and Sue In 2007, having spent many years in the Hotel and Pub industry, we decided that it was time to make a change to our pressurised lifestyle. However, we were unsure exactly what we wanted to do when an article in a national newspaper on franchising caught our eye...
  • Keith LawnTender : Keith We arrived in the UK from Zimbabwe in 2003, suitcase in hand and having to start all over again. We are in our fifties, came from a farming background and tried our hand at various occupations before concluding in 2005 that we wanted to run our own business.
  • Robert LawnTender : Robert After 30 years of an office bound 9-5 (often 7-7) job I needed a change. I was in partnership with my brother in a family run insurance brokerage. The first 20 years were fine but the last 10……….
  • Michael Levy Leadership Management (UK) Ltd : Michael Levy Michael previously spent 18 years in the Lloyd's Insurance Market. Whilst maintaining many insurance clients, Michael has also worked with directors and managers from various industries ranging from furniture to pharmaceuticals, from bioscience to banking.
  • Nick Howes Leadership Management (UK) Ltd : Nick Howes Nick from Coventry discusses his experience from the start with Leadership Management UK (LMI UK)
  • Eve Armstrong LighterLife UK Ltd : Eve Armstrong Eve Armstrong began her career in franchising after realising that working for someone else wasn't providing her the job satisfaction she needed. Eve says: "My previous job had become a bit stale and after working for over ten years, I knew that I had not met with a really exciting challenge and needed something fresh."
  • Natalie Bellis LighterLife UK Ltd : Natalie Bellis Natalie Bellis decided to go down the franchise route when launching her own business as she was confident, after having worked for large corporations throughout her career, that a franchise would offer a superior level of support.
  • Jacquie Hanson LighterLife UK Ltd : Jacquie Hanson Jacquie Hanson was confident that investing in a LighterLife franchise would give her the best of both worlds – balancing being self-employed with the right amount of business support.
  • Kate Allerston LIPA 4:19 FRANCHISING Ltd : Kate Allerston A former actress is celebrating a business milestone as the stage school franchise she helped set up marks its second birthday.
  • Michael Da Silva Pearce LIPA 4:19 FRANCHISING Ltd : Michael Da Silva Pearce Michael Da Silva Pearce owns a LIPA 4:19 franchise in Wanstead. Michael, 51, has been running the academy, which is based at Wanstead High School, for 18 months.
  • Philip Edwards Mac Tools : Philip Edwards Philip left school at 16 to undertake a two-year National Diploma in Advanced Engineering. At the same time he worked a couple of days a week for a local garage where he'd been helping out on a Saturday since his school days. He continued his studies with an NVQ in Motor Vehicle Maintenance before joining the garage full-time.
  • Paul Bloxham Mac Tools : Paul Bloxham As a welder and fabricator, Paul Bloxham from Nuneaton had no experience of the automotive or tools sectors, but after a colleague of his built up a successful business as a Mac Tools franchisee, he decided to give it a go himself. Thirteen years on, he has not looked back.
  • William Briggs-Price Mac Tools : William Briggs-Price Following years of wanting to be his own boss, William Briggs-Price, 29, finally began trading as a Mac Tools franchisee in January 2009. As he explains, he is relishing the chance to realise his dream.
  • Adam Osmond Mac Tools : Adam Osmond Adam Osmond has become the youngest Mac Tools franchise holder in the country. The 26-year-old has taken on the Mac Tools franchise for the Cambridge and the Royston area and has spent the last few months learning all about the business.
  • Phil Dickin Mac Tools : Phil Dickin “Above all I was ready for a new challenge and was feeling a bit bored. When I had the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy I went for it.”
  • Dave Sharp & Carole Lillywhite Maid2Clean : Dave Sharp & Carole Lillywhite We had decided after very careful thought to go into business for ourselves, Dave had previously had his own business but always said if he went into business again it would be a franchise.
  • Linda Kenyon Maid2Clean : Linda Kenyon Having searched long and hard for a business opportunity that would give me the freedom from bosses and the independence to set my own income, I never dreamed I would find what I was looking for.
  • Mark Wilton and Keith Brunt Maid2Clean : Mark Wilton and Keith Brunt Keith and I started Maid2Clean Belfast in September 2005 and since then we have grown to 140 clients whilst predominantly operating the business on a part time basis.
  • Peter Atkins Maid2Clean : Peter Atkins My best pal Linda had asked me to attend a meeting with her and her husband Adrian, to look at yet another business opportunity, I made sure that there was no misunderstanding between us; I was not in any way interested in this opportunity. However I would be more than happy to pull it apart and ask the questions that she may not wish to.
  • Karen Hawes Maid2Clean : Karen Hawes Having spent 12 years bringing up children, the prospect of returning to employment was not an attractive one. Over a period of 3 months, my husband and I looked at just about every franchise available in the UK as well as a few established business that were up for sale.
  • Linsey Davis Maid2Clean : Linsey Davis After much thought I decided I wanted to purchase a cleaning franchise, having found Maid2Clean via the internet very easily contact was made with Elaine from there on every thing seemed to come together very quickly.
  • Laura Mills Mail Boxes Etc : Laura Mills Laura Mills had many years’ experience of dealing with people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life when she decided to realise a long-held ambition to be her own boss and chose retail-based Mail Boxes Etc. to start a new career as a franchisee.
  • Justin Brookes Mail Boxes Etc : Justin Brookes Justin Brookes, who owns two Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) stores in Oxford, was one of the early franchisees to join the network, which has now grown to over 120 “one-stop” High Street stores in the UK and Ireland.
  • Steve Kennedy Mail Boxes Etc : Steve Kennedy “Leave no stone unturned” might have been coined exclusively for Steve Kennedy, the energetic and imaginative Mail Boxes Etc franchisee in Wilmslow, Cheshire who is always keen to explore new ideas and exploit new opportunities.
  • Graham Angus Mail Boxes Etc : Graham Angus Graham Angus opened his Mail Boxes Etc franchise in July 2005. He believes becoming a franchisee was one of the best decisions of his life.
  • Murli Mulchandani and Rikesh Nichani Mail Boxes Etc : Murli Mulchandani and Rikesh Nichani London franchisees, Murli Mulchandani and Rikesh Nichani, former 'franchisees of the year', now have three outlets in the capital.
  • Carole and Martin Roberts Mail Boxes Etc : Carole and Martin Roberts Martin Roberts, former CEO of a worldwide transportation company, and his wife Carole have been Mail Boxes Etc. franchisees for almost nine years, during which time their business has grown significantly...
  • Faraz Ahmad and Osman Ahmed Mail Boxes Etc : Faraz Ahmad and Osman Ahmed Faraz Ahmad and Osman Ahmed have forged a strong business partnership that has gained them their franchisor’s highest accolade. They attribute their success to their staff and to following MBE's systems.
  • Vladimira Ondruskova Mail Boxes Etc : Vladimira Ondruskova Vladimira Ondruskova came to the UK from Slovakia aged 17 specifically to learn English. She liked it so much she stayed and 11 years later is the proud franchisee of one of Mail Boxes Etc.’s newest London stores.
  • Bridget Maendl and Sehrinaz Celebioglu Mail Boxes Etc : Bridget Maendl and Sehrinaz Celebioglu Despite Bridget Maendl and Sehrinaz (Naz) Celebioglu being the first exclusively female partnership in the company, neither was looking for a franchise to buy when they first discovered Mail Boxes Etc..
  • Sandra Reeves Martin & Co. : Sandra Reeves "I am not the type to revel in the quiet life and I also wanted to show that age doesn't have to be a barrier by launching a Martin & Co franchise at the age of 64 in 2006.
  • Ian Waldron Martin & Co. : Ian Waldron Martin & Co Wimbledon franchise owner, Ian Waldron, shares his views on why redundancy can be just the beginning, not the end
  • Dennis Roodhardt Martin & Co. : Dennis Roodhardt Our competitors’ common weakness is poor customer service. We’ve spent the last year focusing on our customers, ensuring that we’re not only efficient, but also personal and approachable.
  • Richard Oldaker and James Wiggins Martin & Co. : Richard Oldaker and James Wiggins "Ahead of target" are three words that any business likes to hear, but to be comfortably ahead of your targets less than a year on from signing your franchise agreement, as with Martin & Co's Aldershot office, is an impressive achievement.
  • Paul Crocker McDonald`s : Paul Crocker You really do have an effect. You're involved all the way, from coming up with ideas, to approving campaigns and budgets.
  • Zulfikar Somji McDonald`s : Zulfikar Somji Zulfikar Somji believes working with the community and building local contacts makes a winning difference to McDonald's image.
  • Karen Walker McDonald`s : Karen Walker Karen Walker had never worked for McDonald's before she secured her franchise in 2004 at Bellshill near Glasgow. She and her husband, who helps to run her franchise, did have plenty of business experience - in advertising and utility cost management.
  • Grant Copper McDonald`s : Grant Copper I could see the opportunities within the Company when I was doing my A-levels and decided to stay on.
  • Rosemary O'Rourke Merry Maids : Rosemary O'Rourke "After a lot of research I decided that a franchise would be the best option for me. Having made the decision to start a new career in an unfamiliar market I wanted the security of working with an established business model."
  • Nicky Morris Merry Maids : Nicky Morris Nicky Morris was 36 years old when she started her franchise from scratch. Four years on, she has a 10-year-old son & a husband employed as a senior manager with a local blue chip company.
  • Wendy Burre Merry Maids : Wendy Burre In moving back to the UK from South Africa, Wendy had to decide which direction her career would take, and with two young children to look after, she needed something that would give her a good level of support and guidance. In discovering that franchising would be able to realise her ambitions, Wendy set about the task of finding the right opportunity for her.
  • David Greenwood Merry Maids : David Greenwood Having worked for Halifax for 29 years, reaching a position of Senior Manager, David Greenwood decided it was time for a new challenge where he could reap the rewards of his hard work himself.
  • Bill Grant Merry Maids : Bill Grant Bill Grant had already had two successful careers, including running his own business, when he became a ServiceMaster franchisee. Here he extols the advantages of franchising in his experience.
  • Linda and David Oakes Metro Rod : Linda and David Oakes They were very aware of the national presence and huge success of Metro Rod, with over 50 franchises throughout the UK. Linda and David had even been sub-contracted by Metro Rod on several occasions in the 18 months before taking on the franchise.
  • Maureen and Clive Newport Metro Rod : Maureen and Clive Newport Maureen and Clive Newport had decided to join up with Metro Rod in 2001. They were approaching their 50th birthdays, and felt that the time was ripe for a change in their working lifestyles.
  • Jim Wotherspoon Minster Services Group UK : Jim Wotherspoon Jim, 40, is married and has two daughters aged 12 and 10. He began his career as an apprentice with coal mining equipment manufacturer, Anderson Strathclyde, moving from there to Ferranti. He then went into sales with R D Taylor - a distributor of high-tech materials for the electronics industry - where the turnover doubled during his time there. He then set up his own business in the electronics industry and had sales of over $50 million per annum at its peak.
  • David Charlton Minster Services Group UK : David Charlton With 20 years in retail management with Marks & Spencer, David Charlton had the ideal skills for Minster. As he explains, both businesses are very dependent on the calibre of people that they employ...
  • Sandra Redmond MOLLY MAID UK Limited : Sandra Redmond Sandra Redmond purchased an established Molly Maid franchise in 1995 and now operates 14 cars and a staff of 30 out of offices based in Wimbledon.
  • Andy & Lynne Crewe MOLLY MAID UK Limited : Andy & Lynne Crewe Andy and Lynne have built a customer base of over 200 customers.
  • Julie Beckham MOLLY MAID UK Limited : Julie Beckham Julie operates 11 routes with 22 staff members and is hopping for further expansion.
  • Rachel Huggins Monkey Music : Rachel Huggins My background has been entirely business orientated. I started working for the family business and progressed through recruitment into sales, marketing and business development. My final position was a Business Development Director for an award winning interactive design consultancy in London. Monkey Music met all my needs as an individual and single mother and it has been the best decision I have made.
  • Jeni Eastlake Monkey Music : Jeni Eastlake I was an Early Years and Key Stage 1 teacher and music co-ordinator in primary schools for almost 10 years. Although I enjoy playing the piano, I don’t have any formal music qualifications. However, I’ve always been passionate about music, and loved being in charge of the music at my school.
  • Martin Brown Mr Electric UK : Martin Brown Looking at the market I was moving into I had two choices, set up on my own, or look at taking on a franchise....
  • Paul Davies New City Franchising : Paul Davies Prior to joining New City I'd spent over 17 years in the care sector, working for local authorities and private care organisations...
  • Ann Backs No Letting Go Inventory Management Ltd : Ann Backs As a successful regional administrator for an estate agency franchise, Ann Ennis already had a good grasp of the workings of both the property and franchise industries prior to joining the No Letting Go network.
  • Lorraine Verlander No Letting Go Inventory Management Ltd : Lorraine Verlander Working with the Metropolitan Police as a radio engineer in a male dominated environment was always going to be a challenge for a woman, but the life skills Lorraine Verlander picked up during her 20 year stint as an engineer and later a manager, have proved invaluable in running her own No Letting Go inventory management business.
  • Chris Holmes No Letting Go Inventory Management Ltd : Chris Holmes Making that final decision to go it alone and start your own business is right up there with a handful of life changing experiences, but for some, that defining moment and personal call to action, simply represents a natural path to follow...
  • Clare Muir Oscar Pet Foods : Clare Muir Having run her business for five years, Clare Muir from Hampshire took up a new OSCAR marketing initiative that has helped her to see the bigger picture on how to promote and refocus the image of her business.
  • Michael Cameron Oscar Pet Foods : Michael Cameron Michael Cameron and OSCAR were destined to meet – eventually. Within in a year of selling his printing company in Paisley, Michael became anxious to get back to work only to find OSCAR just around the corner.
  • Tracy Berry Oscar Pet Foods : Tracy Berry Thanks to Tracy Berry's mum she found her vocation, her mum's faith in OSCAR as a customer, was enough for Tracy to realise that her life was about to change when her area of Hertford was in need of an OSCAR business.
  • Hugh Allam Oscar Pet Foods : Hugh Allam Hugh Allam from Woking in Surrey purchased his OSCAR franchise in 2005 and with over sixteen years experience in franchising at management level he had good knowledge of the industry. Julie, his wife, has supported the business throughout and success has now led to the expansion of an additional area meaning that Julie and Hugh are now full-time partners.
  • Claire Taylor Oscar Pet Foods : Claire Taylor My long term ambition was to work for myself and it took me couple of years to research the market. The British Franchise Association was my point of contact, via the internet, followed by reading magazine after magazine.
  • Brian Hulme Oscar Pet Foods : Brian Hulme I spent twenty-seven years chasing my tail in search of a product that was worth promoting, and a job that would be totally rewarding.
  • Howard Lomas Oscar Pet Foods : Howard Lomas Howard Lomas, from Lancashire, was looking for a venture that gave him more than repeat business, excellent products and a reliable service – he wanted the reward of job satisfaction which came complete with his OSCAR franchise.
  • Shaun & Dawn Brigden Oscar Pet Foods : Shaun & Dawn Brigden When Shaun & Dawn Brigden heard that their Oscar Pet Foods franchisee was due to retire, they didn’t hesitate in making contact!
  • Jane Adams Oscar Pet Foods : Jane Adams When Jane Adams first met OSCAR she had something to sell them, not realising that one day the tables would turn.
  • Michael Cameron Oscar Pet Foods : Michael Cameron Michael Cameron and OSCAR were destined to meet – eventually. Within in a year of selling his printing company in Paisley, Michael became anxious to get back to work only to find OSCAR just around the corner.
  • Violet Lee Oscar Pet Foods : Violet Lee Following redundancy, Violet Lee did some careful research into franchising and liked what she learned. After finding Oscar Pet Foods, her pet labrador Chester is also happy with her choice.
  • Matthew Smith Oscar Pet Foods : Matthew Smith Matthew Smith came to OSCAR as a complete novice with intentions of only wanting to be self-employed following graduation from university. He found franchising to have the perfect balance for his circumstances.
  • Margi Willis Ourhouse Franchising : Margi Willis Margi Willis speaks about why she decided on an ourhouse franchise and how it has worked for her...
  • Duncan Chandler Ovenclean : Duncan Chandler Unable to face the prospect of further redundancy down the line, he decided to invest his redundancy money into something he really wanted to do.
  • Stephanie Rouse Ovenclean : Stephanie Rouse Retiring Ovenclean franchisee, Raymond Moon, has just sold his successful business for several times its initial cost to one of his best customers, former Company Director, Stephanie Rouse.
  • Clare and Clive Pearson Ovenclean : Clare and Clive Pearson When Clare and Clive Pearson found they were expecting twins ten years ago, the couple decided that their demanding career-focused lifestyles needed to change.
  • Matt Cutforth Ovenu : Matt Cutforth Matt Cutforth, 31, was feeling the effects of the economic downturn on his construction business, so he looked elsewhere to channel his entrepreneurial ambition.
  • Amit Singh Anand Papa Johns (GB) Limited : Amit Singh Anand Amit, franchise owner of a Papa John’s in Middlesex, says he had the confidence to take on his store because it was already a successful franchise, and is now looking to take on another outlet.
  • Raheel Choudhary Papa Johns (GB) Limited : Raheel Choudhary Raheel Choudhary took on his first Papa John’s Pizza store eight years ago and now has nine stores within the M25.
  • Bruce Meredeen PC PAL Franchising Ltd : Bruce Meredeen East Sussex-based Bruce Meredeen launched his PC PAL franchise in October 2010. Bruce changed career at 50 after 25 years in Human Resources. During the transition he worked as a Postie for Royal Mail, and in a meat factory.
  • John Savage PC PAL Franchising Ltd : John Savage Bristol-based John Savage launched his PC PAL franchise in September 2009, having only had limited experience of repairing computers...
  • Sallyann and David Gray Petpals (UK) Ltd : Sallyann and David Gray Leaving the rat race well and truly behind, husband and wife team Sallyann and David Gray realised a lifelong dream to work with animals when they set up pet services franchise Petpals in Darlington in 2006.
  • Jo Davies Petpals (UK) Ltd : Jo Davies Having always had a great passion for animals and coupled with the desire to run her own business, Jo Davies decided that owning a Petpals franchise was the perfect solution for her.
  • Judy Mizen PFS : Judy Mizen Four years ago, I was a physiotherapist in the NHS and after nearly 20 years had reached the post of clinical specialist in a regional neurological rehabilitation unit.
  • Roy Heaton Pirtek Europe plc : Roy Heaton It has always been my ambition to run my own business and when Pirtek announced it was planning an expansion in the Manchester area, I leapt at the chance to take the franchise.
  • Alan Maidwell Pirtek Europe plc : Alan Maidwell Most of my colleagues were quite sure I had “flipped” when I traded in more than 40 years in financial services for the chance to own and operate a Pirtek outlet some nine years ago.
  • Mike Cairney Pirtek Europe plc : Mike Cairney It is just a question of identifying the industries within the area, the equipment they operate, then going out to get the Pirtek name established with those companies you see as potential clients.
  • Charlie Oakhill Pirtek Europe plc : Charlie Oakhill I really enjoy the Pirtek business and having successfully developed the Gloucester centre over two years, I decided to open in Worcester.
  • Jane and Simon Gillate Platinum Property Partners : Jane and Simon Gillate Jane and Simon Gillate have been able to utilise their experience of buying and developing their own family homes over two decades to successfully build their Platinum Property Partners franchise.
  • Liz Bunton Platinum Property Partners : Liz Bunton Working in the film industry for over thirty years and regularly globe-trotting to far-flung destina-tions sounds glamorous, but Liz Bunton, 55, wanted a better work/life balance.
  • Mike Anderson Platinum Property Partners : Mike Anderson It was a long overdue review of his pension plans in 2009 that started Mike Anderson’s journey towards building a property portfolio as a franchisee of PPP
  • Simon and Rebecca Waterfield Platinum Property Partners : Simon and Rebecca Waterfield Deciding that they wanted to change direction and set up their own business to achieve a better work/life balance, Simon and his wife Rebecca researched all available options before pursuing franchising with PPP
  • Neil Mansell Platinum Property Partners : Neil Mansell Neil Mansell joined Platinum Property Partners in 2007 following, as he describes, “A disastrous annual review at work which actually turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
  • Nigel Croud Premier Sports Ltd : Nigel Croud A former manager of the redundant Pfizer Production Plant is taking on a new challenge after more than two decades with the same company — to make sport his business in a bid to inspire today’s children with a passion for fitness.
  • Andrew Joinson Premier Sports Ltd : Andrew Joinson Andrew Joinson, 27, has a degree in Sports Industry Management and Football Studies. He spent 5 years coaching football and basketball before starting his own Premier Sport Franchise in the Sussex, Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath, Hastings and Bognor areas.
  • Ben Eshelby Premier Sports Ltd : Ben Eshelby Ben, 21, first heard about Premier Sport through a friend at their local Job Centre. After taking an interest he became a candidate for the Future Jobs Fund (FJF) and at the age of 20, got a job as a FJF coach for a franchise in the Leicestershire area.
  • Gavin Winter Premier Sports Ltd : Gavin Winter Eleven time Champion speed skater Gavin Winter hung up his skates in 2008 and embarked on running his own business with a Premier Sport franchise.
  • Stuart Gordon Premier Sports Ltd : Stuart Gordon Stuart joined Premier Sport in 2008, since then he hasn’t looked back.
  • Raakhee Morrison Premier Sports Ltd : Raakhee Morrison Hertfordshire Mum of two Raakhee Morrison decided to join Premier Sport after ten years working for HBOS.
  • Ian Wilkes Premier Sports Ltd : Ian Wilkes Ian Wilkes 45 from Cheshire had spent 25 years working in the Banking Industry before deciding to follow his dream and set up his own business.
  • Robert Sage Prestige Nursing Limited : Robert Sage The management of change has been a regular part of Robert Sage's business career ever since he became Prestige Nursing's first franchisee back in 1997...
  • Carol Stafford Prestige Nursing Limited : Carol Stafford Following a highly successful career in medical device sales, both in the UK and previously in her native South Africa, Carol Stafford was looking to change direction after being made redundant in 2008...
  • Croash Robinson Prestige Nursing Limited : Croash Robinson Back in 1997 former Naval Stores Accountant Croash Robinson made a life-changing decision...
  • Justin Holloway Prokill Professional Pest Prevention : Justin Holloway To launch a new business in an unknown sector on the cusp of a recession is naturally daunting and what you don't want to do is to make too many mistakes. After all, the two most precious commodities you have are time and money. The franchising model helps avoid costly mistakes and minimizes the learning curve.
  • Matt Garwood Prokill Professional Pest Prevention : Matt Garwood Whilst I made a fair amount of money, I decided that I needed something different. At just over 40, and having just started a family, I couldn’t see myself spending another 24 years in the City...
  • Rob Howard Prokill Professional Pest Prevention : Rob Howard ...but late in 2010, when major cuts were being imposed on all public sector and council budgets, the pest control unit became a vulnerable area and so I decided it would be best to opt for voluntary redundancy.
  • Glenn Patullo Prokill Professional Pest Prevention : Glenn Patullo In late 2006 I was approaching retirement and looking into a number of options for future employment – with three children and a new house to support doing nothing, although an attractive proposition, was out of the question!
  • Sarah Quilty Pyjama Drama Ltd : Sarah Quilty Sarah Quilty, a mum of two from the Wirral, has always had a love of drama and in her previous role as a primary school teacher she saw first-hand the benefits that drama has on young children...
  • Emma Luxton Pyjama Drama Ltd : Emma Luxton At 22 Emma Luxton may be younger than the average business owner but coming from a family of self-employed people, she was always determined to work for herself...
  • David Earley R T Franchise Ltd t/a robertson technologies : David Earley David Earley is taking the bleak tundra of today’s graduate recruitment market and turning it into fertile planting ground by sowing the seeds of his own industry in computer support franchise, robertson technologies.
  • Helen Murray Raring2go! : Helen Murray Helen Murray, a 45-year old former primary school teacher originally from New Zealand, joined Raring2go! almost three years ago and is the archetypal example of a Raring2go! franchisee...
  • Jan Chidley Recognition Express Ltd : Jan Chidley Jan was born in New Zealand and first came to England at the age of 21. Having been a full time mum to three children, she decided that a Recognition Express franchise would give her the opportunity to run her own business with flexibility around her home life.
  • Paul Mitchell Recognition Express Ltd : Paul Mitchell Former airline steward Paul has been a Recognition Express franchisee since 1981. Being a franchisee has allowed him to successfully develop and expand his own business.
  • Hugh O'Neill Recognition Express Ltd : Hugh O'Neill Hugh launched his franchise in May 2010. He had heard of Recognition Express through his previous company and now sees himself developing a solid base on which to grow his business.
  • Richard Norton Recognition Express Ltd : Richard Norton Richard had always wanted to run his own business and launched his Recognition Express franchise in June 2011. He already has plans for expansion with a key focus on the education sector.
  • Steve Sykes Recognition Express Ltd : Steve Sykes Steve, 52, has returned to Recognition Express to take over the West Yorkshire franchise after leaving the network in 2008 to work for a slimming franchise.
  • Manj Singh Redstones Franchise Ltd : Manj Singh Prior to taking up his Redstones franchise, Manj Singh was a busy man. Working in the fast food industry had its challenges, but he felt he had achieved as much as he could and was looking for his next adventure.
  • Manoj Patel Redstones Franchise Ltd : Manoj Patel As he was already active in the property lettings world when he considered changing the path he was on, and entering the franchise community, a property-based business seemed the natural thing for Manoj Patel to do.
  • Dean Caldon Redstones Franchise Ltd : Dean Caldon Dean Caldon has moved away from investing for a living to investing in his own future with a Redstones franchise. He tells the story of why he decided on such an unusual career move.
  • Jay Belam Revive! Auto Innovations (UK) Ltd : Jay Belam Jay Belam, 31, joined the army as a vehicle mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, where he spent nearly 7 years, before moving on to join the Army Physical Training Corps.
  • Huw James Revive! Auto Innovations (UK) Ltd : Huw James Huw James decided to take a leap of faith and set up his own franchise, after working in procurement and logistics for over 15 years.
  • Kim Richardson Revive! Auto Innovations (UK) Ltd : Kim Richardson Kim Richardson, 27, became co-owner of Revive! Luton in October, after spending 12 months travelling the world with partner, Adam Smith.
  • Mary Watson Riverford Organic Vegetables Ltd : Mary Watson When Mary Watson and husband Chris decided to embark on a new life in business together, they had no idea it would coincide with so many other life-changing events.
  • Alan McInnes Riverford Organic Vegetables Ltd : Alan McInnes Northern-based Riverford Organic franchisee, Alan McInnes, started his business in Warrington and Widnes just two years ago. Since then, he has acquired the Liverpool territory - a move that has substantially increased his turnover.
  • Anna and Jim Harbridge Riverford Organic Vegetables Ltd : Anna and Jim Harbridge 33-year-old, dad-to-be, Jim Harbridge has stepped into a new life. One made up of vans, veg boxes and organic food. Just three weeks into his ‘fledgling’ business (a fully developed franchise bought from his predecessors), he has to complete no less than 13 delivery rounds in a week, learn the names of streets he never knew existed, and greet hundreds of people he’s never met before – his customers.
  • Nigel & Sophie Rogers Riverford Organic Vegetables Ltd : Nigel & Sophie Rogers Partners in life and business, Nigel and Sophie Rogers began their Riverford Organic food delivery franchise in March 2010. One year on, Nigel talks candidly about how a chance meeting turned their business ownership dreams into reality.
  • James Negus Riverford Organic Vegetables Ltd : James Negus James Negus took over a struggling Riverford Organic franchise territory a year ago. In this short time he has turned the business around, increasing customer engagement, driving sales and boosting business revenues by 50 percent.
  • Vanessa Cook Riverford Organic Vegetables Ltd : Vanessa Cook Vanessa Cook left her public sector job in 2005 to join her husband delivering organic vegetables, and other produce, in the Milton Keynes area...
  • Tim Maycock robertson technologies : Tim Maycock Tim runs through a typical day as fledgling robertson technologies franchisee.
  • Jim Callaghan robertson technologies : Jim Callaghan Jim Callaghan is up early most mornings to drive forward his new robertson technologies franchise in the crucial South of England market.
  • Bronwyn Murray Rosemary Bookkeeping Ltd : Bronwyn Murray Bronwyn Murray only started her franchise with Rosemary Bookkeeping in November 2011 and within 6 months she was surpassing her financial targets and personal objectives at an astounding rate.
  • Rachel Rowling Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs : Rachel Rowling After graduating and working professionally in law, Rachel Rowling, the Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs franchisee for the Dewsbury, Batley and Heckmondwike area, never imagined that a holiday with her husband would result in a complete career change!
  • Karen Perkins Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs : Karen Perkins Karen is 40 and before becoming a franchisee in Suffolk worked in financial services. She currently runs 22 classes a week and has 3 employees.
  • Sedge Gooding Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs : Sedge Gooding Sedge Gooding was formerly a dancer. 12 years ago she became a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs franchisee in the Reading area.
  • Sarah Skelton Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs : Sarah Skelton When Sarah Skelton started work as an optician's receptionist, she never expected she would end up running her own business. But, by working and studying hard, Sarah became a dispensing optician and went on to run a Specsavers' franchise.
  • Geraint Williams Safeclean : Geraint Williams A Chelmsford man providing superb specialist cleaning to homes throughout South Essex is celebrating his 20th anniversary with Safeclean.
  • Martin Davenport Safeclean : Martin Davenport Martin Davenport used to work in the IT industry, but he felt that his life had become too pressurised and began looking for an alternative. "I wanted a change, with a chance to control my own destiny," Martin said. "Franchising seemed to offer the best opportunity to achieve this."
  • Russ Vernon Safeclean : Russ Vernon Russ Vernon had over twenty years of experience in sales and marketing in the Packaging and Motor Industries when he decided to become a Safeclean franchisee. He had previously worked at senior management and director level, but a desire to work for himself led him to consider franchising.
  • Mark Wormald Sandler Training : Mark Wormald Mark, 48, discovered the Sandler Sales Institute on the internet and was so impressed with our unique sales training programme that he quit his high-powered job and set up his own Sandler franchise.
  • Neil Price Sandler Training : Neil Price In his native town of Pontypridd in Wales, Neil is known as “Philip Price’s brother” but in the competitive world of sales coaching, Neil is carving out a name for himself as an inspirational individual with a passion for his craft...
  • Steve Wright Sandler Training : Steve Wright According to some, you are born to be a salesperson – something which Steve Wright knows a lot about having dabbled in two totally different careers before becoming his own boss. Steve - a trained optician, decided to leave the opthalmic industry to focus on a career in sales training and coaching with a Sandler franchise in Birmingham.
  • Surinder Hothi Select Appointments Ltd : Surinder Hothi Select Appointments is a leading UK recruitment franchisor and currently has a number of successful franchise partners. One of Select’s recent success stories is Surinder Hothi, Franchise Director of Select Appointments in Oxford.
  • Robin McKee Select Appointments Ltd : Robin McKee With 17 years experience working for small, medium and global recruitment companies, Robin McKee identified his own ideal role – running his own staffing business with the backing of the UK’s leading recruitment franchisor.
  • Becky Harker Select Appointments Ltd : Becky Harker Becky Harker loved the company she worked for so much, she bought a part of it!
  • David Nield Select Appointments Ltd : David Nield When he was working as a Management Consultant, David Nield used a Select Appointments’ franchise office to recruit staff. He was so impressed with their service he invested in a franchise of his own in Portsmouth together with his wife Jenny in March 2007.
  • Friedel de Beer and James Hope-Lang Seriously FUN Swimming Schools : Friedel de Beer and James Hope-Lang James and I have worked in the City for various investment banks, we also ran a South East London triathlon club and James is a qualified triathlon coach and RYA Yacht Master...
  • Andy Telfer ServiceMaster : Andy Telfer Andy worked for ServiceMaster for 10 years before he became one of their franchisees. His long apprenticeship in the industrial cleaning industry stood him in good stead to succeed when he got to the top.
  • Sid Friend ServiceMaster : Sid Friend Sid followed in his father's footsteps when he became a ServiceMaster franchisee - and then his sister did the same. He'd already tried the self-employed route when he turned to franchising, and never looked back.
  • Ian Glasgow ServiceMaster : Ian Glasgow Ian had been self-employed for 25 years, but after selling his business he knew that franchising would offer him the right kinds of challenges and opportunities.
  • Tom Frame ServiceMaster : Tom Frame Having been made redundant after 20 years in the Electronics industry, Tom found a new career with a ServiceMaster Clean franchise which he considers to be a great career move and resounding success.
  • Richard Mason ServiceMaster Ltd : Richard Mason I have been running my ServiceMaster franchise almost a year now, initially buying two Leeds areas from a retiring licensee and since then adding the Dewsbury area and part of the York area from other licensees.
  • Sidney Friend ServiceMaster Ltd : Sidney Friend My Father was the first to buy a franchise and I worked as a technician for him around 1987-1988 and I loved the job, however I decided to go on my own as a self-employed decorator...
  • Les and Jo Nobes ServiceMaster Ltd : Les and Jo Nobes Josephine and I bought our ServiceMaster Franchise Location in 1985, as we knew an existing successful Franchisee. Prior to this, we had been in the Licensed/Restaurant trade, and prior to this I was in the Police Service and Josephine was a Secretary.
  • Tom Frame ServiceMaster Ltd : Tom Frame Before I bought the franchise. I worked in the Electronics Industry for 20 years in the Central Belt of Scotland. With the demise of the once booming electronic industry I found myself redundant along with a large proportion of the industry sector in this area...
  • Andy Telfer ServiceMaster Ltd : Andy Telfer Andy worked for ServiceMaster for 10 years before he became one of their franchisees. His long apprenticeship in the industrial cleaning industry stood him in good stead to succeed when he got to the top.
  • Anne Hitch Signs Express : Anne Hitch Anne Hitch is a full time working mother, whose husband works abroad. Her hard work and determination has lead Anne to receive national recognition in the Sign Excellence Awards at this year’s Signs Express Convention...
  • Nick Dawes Signs Express : Nick Dawes As one of the first franchises to open Nick has been centre owner since 1992 and now employs six staff from his 2300 sq ft unit...
  • Jayesh Patel Signs Express : Jayesh Patel Originally opened in 2003, Jayesh employs four staff at his 3000 sq ft unit based on Vector Park in Feltham...
  • Joe Smith Signs Express : Joe Smith Joe Smith opened the doors of his custom designed sign making centre back in June 2006 at the age of 29. Since then he has become a family man supporting his wife and son as well as continuing to run his successful Signs Express franchise...
  • John Miller-Wilson Signs Express : John Miller-Wilson Originally opened in 2004, John has been franchise owner since 2007 and now employs seven staff from his 2200 sq ft unit...
  • Malcolm Lant Signs Express : Malcolm Lant Originally opened in 1998, Malcolm has been centre owner since 2005 and now employs six staff from his 3448 sq ft franchise...
  • Nick Baxter-Sibley Signs Express : Nick Baxter-Sibley Originally opened in 1995 husband and wife team Nick and Marion Baxter-Sibley now employ ten staff at their 2000 sq ft franchise...
  • Dave & Kim Nurse Signs Express : Dave & Kim Nurse Originally opened in 2003, husband and wife team Dave and Kim Nurse now employ six staff at their 1981 sq ft franchise...
  • Steve McMurray Signs Express : Steve McMurray A strong brand and support from a dedicated team at franchise headquarters were the main attractions of Signs Express to Steve McMurray, one of the few franchisees with a sign-making background to join the company.
  • Steve McMurray Signs Express : Steve McMurray A strong brand and support from a dedicated team at franchise headquarters were the main attractions of Signs Express to Steve McMurray, one of the few franchisees with a sign-making background to join the company.
  • David and Mandy Durham Snack in the Box - Compact Vending Solutions : David and Mandy Durham David and Mandy Durham established their Glasgow franchise at the end of 2004. “We’d owned a newsagents for 10 years and were looking for an opportunity to make a better income,” recalls David.
  • Susan and Keith Denwood Snack in the Box - Compact Vending Solutions : Susan and Keith Denwood “I was a head chef and my husband was a lorry driver. Our jobs meant that we didn’t spend as much time together as we’d have liked and we realised that the answer was to work for ourselves.”
  • Kirk Little Snack in the Box - Compact Vending Solutions : Kirk Little “I wanted a business that was simple to run, easy to manage and with great support and I found all of this with Snack-in-the-Box (SITB),”
  • Ricky and Anita Fairall Snack in the Box - Compact Vending Solutions : Ricky and Anita Fairall As an independent financial advisor with a background in the insurance business, Ricky says he became more and more disillusioned with the industry. “I wanted to continue working for myself but thought that it would be great if I could work with my wife Anita."
  • Vitor Reis Snack in the Box - Self Service Box : Vitor Reis "We came to this country because the pace of life is actually much slower here," he says. "We're better off in every way since we started our Snack-in-the-Box business. We're less stressed and we see more of each other.
  • Trevor Jones Snack in the Box - Self Service Box : Trevor Jones "When the opportunity arose for me to take a redundancy package I felt that this was my chance to become my own boss."
  • David and Neena Hills Snack in the Box - Self Service Box : David and Neena Hills A former sales rep, David was attracted to franchising by the chance to own his own business with the backup of a franchise company behind him.
  • Maurice Hemmingway Snack in the Box - Self Service Box : Maurice Hemmingway "As an engineer I couldn't earn anymore than the fixed rate," he reveals, "so I decided that if I wanted to help my daughter with her dream, I had to do something else."
  • Lisa McGhee and Debbie Shrimpton Snack in the Box - Self Service Box : Lisa McGhee and Debbie Shrimpton By working together, Sisters-in-Law Lisa McGhee and Debbie Shrimpton are fulfilling their ambitions of running their own business with the help of Snack-in-the-Box (SITB).
  • Robert Pritchard Snack in the Box - Self Service Box : Robert Pritchard On returning to England after working abroad as a ski instructor, it was Snack-in-the-Box (SITB) that enabled Robert Pritchard to get back on his feet and fulfil his potential.
  • Mark Houston Snap-on Tools : Mark Houston Mark Houston is a man dedicated to his business. He has owned a Snap-on franchise for two years. However he started with the company as an employee of another franchisee...
  • Simon Stack Snap-on Tools : Simon Stack I left school at 15 to start my apprenticeship as a garage mechanic. In those days the government paid apprentices up until your 21st birthday, so about three months before that I was told that I would be laid off as soon as my apprenticeship finished...
  • Matt Carson Snap-on Tools : Matt Carson Snap-on Tools franchisee Matt Carson was a 22 year old motorcycle mechanic when injury forced him to rethink his career. “After smashing my hand, working on bikes became very difficult and riding them was impossible. I had always wanted to start my own bike business eventually, but I thought that was the end of that.”
  • Jay Tomkins Snap-on Tools : Jay Tomkins Jay joined Snap-on with limited capital but has managed to buy his business in record time through sheer hard work. Turnover in his first full year exceeded £260,000 – more than two-and-a-half times the average for mobile franchises, according to the authoritative NatWest/bfa survey.
  • Tim Adkin Snap-on Tools : Tim Adkin You don’t need to know much about the product to start a Snap-on franchise. Improbable? In reality this was a positive advantage for Scarborough based franchisee Tim Adkin when he started with Snap-on 11 years ago...
  • Moira Hampson Swimtime UK Ltd : Moira Hampson Moira has had great success training Tri Athletes and coached Trafford team swimmers for over 15 years. So when the Manchester Franchise became available it was an easy decision to make...
  • Rachelle Vipond Swimtime UK Ltd : Rachelle Vipond Rachelle has always had a passion for swimming from a very young age, and quickly became a club swimmer competing at National Level...
  • Paul Lagar Swimtime UK Ltd : Paul Lagar Running a franchise in Scotland with all the challenges such a large geographical area has to offer, was a relatively easy decision for Paul...
  • Marie Naud Tatty Bumpkin Ltd. : Marie Naud Marie Naud a research scientist by trade found her previous jobs restricting, she joined Tatty Bumpkin as a franchisee in February 2009. She discusses her experiences and how joining a franchise has improved both her home and work life.
  • Zoe Patmore Tatty Bumpkin Ltd. : Zoe Patmore Zoe Patmore has been a Tatty Bumpkin franchisee, running yoga-inspired classes for little ones in the Oxford area since January 2009, this is her story.
  • Kate Gaitt Tatty Bumpkin Ltd. : Kate Gaitt Kate Gaitt inspired by her family now runs her own Tatty Bumpkin franchise.
  • Dai Alford Tatty Bumpkin Ltd. : Dai Alford Dai Alford has been a Tatty Bumpkin franchisee, running yoga-inspired classes for little ones in Winchmore Hill/Enfield area since March 2010. She talks about her experience with Tatty Bumpkin.
  • Catherine Pencavel Tatty Bumpkin Ltd. : Catherine Pencavel Catherine Pencavel had just moved home while pregnant and needed to find a job that fitted in with her family commitments, Tatty Bumpkin seemed like the perfect solution.
  • David Dixon TaxAssist Accountants : David Dixon I am a qualified Chartered Management Accountant and prior to joining TaxAssist Accountants worked as a Group Financial Controller for a large motor dealership group based in Colchester. Prior to that I had many years experience within the small company sector including several years as a director of the family motor dealership business.
  • Jackie Bligh TaxAssist Accountants : Jackie Bligh I had spent 15 years working as an accountant in multi nationals and was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the ever increasing workloads and the headcount slashing mentality...
  • Mark Fordham TaxAssist Accountants : Mark Fordham My background is in banking, internal audit and lecturing at degree level. Realising that my whole career had been with big corporations, I decided that I wanted to work for myself and build up my own business close to where I live in St Albans.
  • Phil Marriott TaxAssist Accountants : Phil Marriott I joined TaxAssist Accountants in December 2002 having purchased an existing fee bank from a franchisee who was returning to a former employer...
  • Steve McKenna TaxAssist Accountants : Steve McKenna As a father to a seven-year-old boy, Steve decided it was time to establish his own business, which would allow him to spend precious time at home with his family.
  • Alasdair MacLean TaxAssist Accountants : Alasdair MacLean With five years as a business advisor with the Midlothian Enterprise Agency and 12 years experience as an accountant and insolvency practitioner, Alasdair always enjoyed helping small businesses with their tax and accounts.
  • Denise Ingram and Gabriel Hutchings The Camping and Caravanning Club (franchising) Ltd : Denise Ingram and Gabriel Hutchings Denise Ingram and Gabriel Hutchings were seeking a new opportunity that would also enable them to have a complete change of lifestyle, following the sale of their thriving organic vegetables business that Gabriel had started from scratch.
  • Lynn and Bill Sayer The Camping and Caravanning Club (franchising) Ltd : Lynn and Bill Sayer After 27 years of running his own training consultancy, Bill Sayer was semi-retired and, as he put it, "bored". Bill's wife Lynn, an account director of a call handling company, also had ideas of doing something different.
  • Nicky Sellier and David Weller The Camping and Caravanning Club (franchising) Ltd : Nicky Sellier and David Weller Becoming franchisees with The Camping and Caravanning Club has enabled Nicky Sellier and David Weller to realise their ambition to have a business of their own and a completely different lifestyle as well.
  • Karen and Greg Baines The Camping and Caravanning Club (franchising) Ltd : Karen and Greg Baines After many years working in education, teachers Karen and Greg Baines decided they would like to do something completely different in a new sector where they could work together.
  • Jayne and Chris Woods The Camping and Caravanning Club (franchising) Ltd : Jayne and Chris Woods Booking a family camping holiday turned out to be the first step on the path to a very welcome and complete change of lifestyle for Jayne and Chris Woods, franchisees at the Teversal, Nottinghamshire campsite of The Camping and Caravanning Club.
  • Dawn and Rob Muggridge and Julie and Neil Purnell The Camping and Caravanning Club (franchising) Ltd : Dawn and Rob Muggridge and Julie and Neil Purnell The Thetford Forest site of The Camping and Caravanning Club, winner of the prestigious "Park of the Year 2009"* leisure industry award, is owned and run by a family firm. It was chosen by readers of the Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly Magazine, in the face of stiff competition from thousands of campsite owners across the UK.
  • Gavin and Debbie Stirrup The Christmas Decorators : Gavin and Debbie Stirrup Gavin and Debbie Stirrup are no strangers to running their own business. They have previously run their own project management business that installed power stations for mobile phone masts and then went on to operate a franchise that processed insurance claims.
  • Liz Cairns The Creation Station Ltd : Liz Cairns After the birth of her child, Liz wanted to return to work in a flexible but rewarding role. She's delighted she found The Creation Station at a franchising seminar as it has ticked the boxes she wanted.
  • Claudia Watt The Creation Station Ltd : Claudia Watt Claudia moved back to the UK, got married, became a step mum and found out she was pregnant within the same few months! She really needed flexibility in her career, and she found it.
  • Karen Carnson The Creation Station Ltd : Karen Carnson Karen's old job was not giving her the flexibility she needed to put her family first. The Creation Station has given her the confidence to be her own boss and she is very positive about the future.
  • Alastair Kendall The Little Gym : Alastair Kendall During the last four years, my life has transformed beyond recognition. In 2003, I was made redundant and decided that it was time to re-address my work life balance...
  • Rachel Kirk The Original Poster Company : Rachel Kirk Running one of the top five performing territories in the UK wasn't always what Rachel Kirk had in mind. Prior to that, she worked a nine-to-five job with little autonomy, and found spending quality time with her children was difficult...
  • Chris Tranter The Original Poster Company : Chris Tranter With his elaborately sign-written vehicle sporting an H15 OPC private number plate, 37-year-old Chris Tranter is a man evidently committed to his Cornwall-based greeting card business. However, taking over the thriving area of one of the company's highest-performing franchisees, and improving on it, didn't exactly sound like a stroll along the beach
  • Liz Cooper The Original Poster Company : Liz Cooper Today, 'enthusiasm and zest for life' is Liz Cooper's mantra. But for many years she worked in a high-flying job, often clocking up 12-hour days, six days a week...
  • Chris Archer The Original Poster Company : Chris Archer Only in his late 20s, Chris Archer had been working as a pub franchisee for several years. With life governed by a gruelling schedule that ran six-days-a-week from 6am to 1am the following morning - with just a couple of breaks in between -he eventually reached the crunch point and had to make the decision whether to carry on or quit...
  • Martin and Jane Tillsley The Original Poster Company : Martin and Jane Tillsley Having been made redundant due to business relocation, one of OPC's married couples, Martin and Jane Tillsley, bought a large franchise area in Birmingham with scope for development...
  • Karen Fitzgerald & Jackie Goode The Original Poster Company : Karen Fitzgerald & Jackie Goode Karen and Jackie discuss their experience with The Original Poster Company
  • Guy Fryer The Original Poster Company : Guy Fryer Guy invested in a franchise after seeing the smooth business operation.
  • Sam & Jashani Senthuran The Original Poster Company : Sam & Jashani Senthuran Since joining the husband and wife team and have been helped by many other franchisees.
  • Pam Case The PC Support Group : Pam Case Pam Case's background as a manager for an electrical wholesale company, and husband Phil as a highly qualified IT engineer with over 20 years experience, means they form the perfect work partnership.
  • Angus Kerr The PC Support Group : Angus Kerr Angus ran a small computer consultancy business in his spare time until he took voluntary redundancy from his then employer HBOS in November 2008 and started to look for a computer service franchise.
  • Sundesh Hemraj The PC Support Group : Sundesh Hemraj Sundesh Hemraj was joined by his wife Rita as their Harrow franchise expanded.
  • Derek Farr and Andy Thompson The Wheel Specialist : Derek Farr and Andy Thompson “I was looking for a career change from engineering when Derek mentioned the franchise opportunity, it never crossed my mind that just a few months later I would be running my very own business.”
  • Richard McConnell The Zip Yard : Richard McConnell Richard, 32, opened his ZipYard franchise in Altrincham in September 2011. Although well established in Ireland, Richard’s business is the first ZipYard centre in England.
  • Allan Hogg and Alistair Mercer Toni & Guy : Allan Hogg and Alistair Mercer "We really enjoyed the family atmosphere at Toni & Guy and didn't want to lose that. Now we have the best of both worlds - we are owners of our own business but enjoyed the back-up of Tony & Guy."
  • Paul Edwards Top Corner Events Ltd : Paul Edwards Paul Edwards has lived in North London all his life and is a fanatical Arsenal fan. He had worked at Top Corner since 2005, managing football leagues, but it was time for a new challenge.
  • Debbie Lowther Trophy Pet Foods : Debbie Lowther One of our new franchisees and off to a flying start, Debbie is concentrating on premium only sales for long term loyalty and sustainable profit margins.
  • Wendy and Dean Smith Trophy Pet Foods : Wendy and Dean Smith Trophy Pet Foods Hampshire is owned and operated by Wendy & Dean Smith, with the help of their Doberman Bonnie who likes to personally test all the food and treats!
  • John and Gill Thurley Trophy Pet Foods : John and Gill Thurley Trophy Stafford is owned and operated by myself John Thurley with the help of my family. I have lived in Stafford for over 20 years having settled there after serving in the RAF.
  • Kirsty Lydeard Tumble Tots (UK) Limited : Kirsty Lydeard Before I joined Tumble Tots I was a teacher in primary and special needs education. I really loved being with the children and seeing them learn and achieve different goals, but gradually got fed-up with the ever increasing paperwork associated with the job and the number of hours outside the school day I had to put in.
  • Monique Brennan Tumble Tots (UK) Limited : Monique Brennan After I had my own children I decided I could see myself working with children (something I had never previously considered), and when we saw an advert about Tumble Tots franchises we jumped at the chance.
  • Nicky Miller Tumble Tots (UK) Limited : Nicky Miller I started working for Tumble Tots as a leader in September of 2004 and loved every minute of my job, so when I found out that a local area had come up for sale I knew that this would be my vocation.
  • Nick Wolf and Donna Wood Tumble Tots (UK) Limited : Nick Wolf and Donna Wood Franchising was an attractive option for us, as it gave us the opportunity to run our own business but with the safety net of an established brand...
  • Howard Whiteley and Jayne Potts Urban Planters Franchise Ltd : Howard Whiteley and Jayne Potts “Over the years, whilst operating businesses in West Yorkshire, I have come across the well-known name of Urban Planters many times, so it’s great that we now have the opportunity to bring Urban Planters back to its birthplace”
  • Thomas Palfreyman Urban Planters Franchise Ltd : Thomas Palfreyman Thomas Palfreyman hasn’t looked back since starting up his first Urban Planters franchise in Derbyshire in 1996.
  • Tony and Mike VIP Bin Cleaning : Tony and Mike Anthony (Tony): 22 years in the Royal Air Force as a Supplier, Always wanted to own my own business but never before had the financial backing or courage to undertake. Michael (Mike): Served 2 years and 4 months in the Royal Air Force as an Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic, but wanted to do something else.
  • Caroline Harrison Wagging Tails Ltd : Caroline Harrison “I had been looking for a new challenge for some time, something that I could really get my teeth into...
  • Teresa Bowers Wagging Tails Ltd : Teresa Bowers "In the past, our two dogs Scooby and Tyler were always looked after by one of our children when we went on holiday but when we were planning a holiday last year, neither were available..."
  • Bryony Johnstone Water Babies Ltd : Bryony Johnstone I first heard about Water Babies through my sister, Jess, who founded the company with her husband Paul in Yorkshire in 2002. At that time, baby swimming was pretty much confined to the South East and they were amazed by the speed at which the business took off…
  • Lo Winchurch Water Babies Ltd : Lo Winchurch Before joining Water Babies, I was working for another large independent swim school and was also a self-employed personal trainer in some of London’s top gyms...
  • Budge and Ali Pountney Water Babies Ltd : Budge and Ali Pountney It was the birth of our daughter, Naeve, three years ago, that first introduced us to the world of baby swimming. Having both come from very sport-focussed careers (me from PE teaching, Budge from professional rugby) we were keen for her to start some form of exercise as soon as possible...
  • Kim Bennett Water Babies Ltd : Kim Bennett I was working as a local authority swimming instructor when I first saw an article about Water Babies in 2003. Little did I think that one phone call to the founder, Paul Thompson, would completely change my life...
  • Claire Southworth and Steve Partridge Water Babies Ltd : Claire Southworth and Steve Partridge We first got involved with Water Babies when we took our own children to classes in Bristol. Having both previously worked in social housing, we did the classic ‘post kids’ thing of deciding that we wanted a complete career change; leading, hopefully to a new kind of lifestyle.
  • Dave Connolly Wilkins Chimney Sweep Limited : Dave Connolly After more than 20 years working in a local business, Black Country based Dave decided to pick up the brushes, and started learning one of the oldest trades in the land.
  • Adam Michallat-Cox Wiltshire Farm Foods : Adam Michallat-Cox Adam was one of the first franchisees to join the Wiltshire Farm Foods network and in his words, “It has been an exciting journey and very hard work.”
  • Val and Terry Barrs and Richard Parrott Wiltshire Farm Foods : Val and Terry Barrs and Richard Parrott Val and Terry Barrs and Richard Parrott did not have to go far to find the franchise of their dreams – it was right next door...
  • Michael and Karen Louw Wiltshire Farm Foods : Michael and Karen Louw Michael, 34, and franchisee owner Philip Morrison, set up their Wiltshire Farm Foods franchise based in Huntly in October 2004. Back then they had just enough customers for six delivery rounds...
  • Alison Browne Wiltshire Farm Foods : Alison Browne ALISON Browne has a real head for figures and just 18 months after setting up her Wiltshire Farm Foods franchise she’s proved she has a head for business, too.
  • Wendy Pake WPA Franchise : Wendy Pake Wendy Pake knew she had the people skills to succeed as a franchisee, even though she didn't have a lot of experience in the industry she chose.
  • Dan Wade WPA Franchise : Dan Wade Customer care makes Dan the best in the business - in January 2012 he was named WPA's Franchisee of the Year at the age of just 24.
  • Cheryl Simons X-Press Legal Services : Cheryl Simons Cheryl Simons, who has just celebrated her 30th birthday, is X-Press Legal Services Limited youngest female franchisee.
  • Louise Morgan X-Press Legal Services : Louise Morgan Kent-based Louise Morgan, enjoyed a successful career in a senior management position at the Bank of Scotland for 18 years, until she felt that it was time for a change...
  • Russell Brown X-Press Legal Services : Russell Brown Russell, 'Franchise of the Year' was chosen from a 40 plus strong nationwide network. Previously a jet-setting international sales manager, he joined X-Press Legal Services Limited in 2006 serving a large area of Cheshire, including Trafford, Macclesfield and Stockport.
  • Andy Gallagher X-Press Legal Services : Andy Gallagher Durham-based Andy started his X-Press Legal Services business in 2007 after deciding on a career change from 15 years with HM Land Registry. He runs his business with partner Louise.
  • Suzanne Allen X-Press Legal Services : Suzanne Allen Originally from Plymouth in Devon, Suzanne previously spent her working days buying, sourcing and developing designs with manufacturers locally, nationally and internationally.
  • Tim Billingham and Alex Stewart X-Press Legal Services : Tim Billingham and Alex Stewart Tim Billingham and Alex Stewart have acquired the biggest territory in X-Press Legal Services' rapidly-growing franchise network. Their area covers a large part of South East England.
  • Sally Taylor X-Press Legal Services : Sally Taylor Former astrophysicist Sally Taylor is one of X-Press Legal Services’ new franchisees, covering the High Wycombe area...
  • Steph Hector X-Press Legal Services : Steph Hector X-Press Legal Services franchisee Steph Hector has won the award for “Newcomer of the year” in recognition of her exceptional start with the franchise...

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  • Kunbi Osinoiki
    Jo Jingles Limited - Franchisee case study

    I first heard about Jo Jingles when I stumbled on their website in a desperate search for childcare for my son. My husband was changing jobs, which meant yet another house move. As my son was due to start school soon, I was keen to find flexible after-school childcare that would enable me to continue working full time.

    Read the full case study View franchise details
 
 
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