Case Study - Paul Daley-Smith
Paul Daley-Smith has been an Autosmart franchisee for nearly 6 years. He discovered franchising early on in his working career:
I left school at 16 to serve my engineering apprenticeship in the local bacon factory. Just twelve years later I was the proud owner of my own business and Autosmart’s youngest franchisee at the time.
Even at 16, I wanted to do my own thing, but never imagined it was possible. I knew nothing about running a business and had no idea where to start. I was 28 when I noticed an ad in the local paper to “be your own boss!” It grabbed my attention and I rang for more information. That’s where Autosmart comes in!
It was as if the franchise was designed for me. Most Autosmart franchisees have never sold anything before and the simple one-man business concept means you don’t need management experience. Best of all, it was selling vehicle cleaning chemicals and I’ve always been mad about anything with wheels!
Even the recession hasn’t dented my success. At the moment my turnover is growing by 20%. At the height of the recession I invested in a brand new mobile showroom, to help drive my business forward. We take the showroom to our customers and show them what we do. My potential customers see a very professional, exceptionally well laid-out vehicle, with everything they need on show.
My success has given us huge personal gains. We now have a 3rd child and plan to move into a much bigger house next year, something that would have been out of reach on my engineer’s salary.
When his local Autosmart franchise came up for sale, my cousin decided he would be mad to miss the opportunity. He’s been a franchisee for just over 3 years and is also growing strongly. It’s fantastic to see another family member doing so well, too.
The great thing about Autosmart is it helps inexperienced people like me to become very successful. Education and experience aren’t everything. With the help of the right franchisor, you can make things happen if you work hard, believe in yourself and are enterprising. For someone who left school at 16 with no formal qualifications, my business success means everything to me and I have achieved more than I ever thought was possible.
