Case Study - Richard Rowe

“I was not new to being self employed as previously my career in hospitality, mainly as head chef, led me to have my own restaurant for 10 years. After good food and cooking, cars and motor sport is my second passion, so when the time came to hang up my apron a career in the motor industry was a natural progression. Little did I know what lay ahead in my new career.”

“After arriving home the reality hit me that I was now a mobile valeter and I was on my own but with the back up of a recognised brand and franchise. I was confident this was the right move for me as I had been out leafleting the local area and speaking to local business people at the monthly business breakfast. I had a few bookings for the week ahead along with business generated by head office.”

Richard's first day as a new franchisee was like a breath of fresh air, and being June the weather was great. “By lunch time I was kicking myself” he says. “Why had I spent the last 20 years in a hot kitchen working under pressure and unsociable hours, when after only half a day it dawned on me there was a better way?”

“By the afternoon I had attracted a lot of attention in my local business park where I was working. I took four bookings and handed out numerous business cards. This seemed too easy and after a month of trading things were flying - I had built up a small round of local customers, but I wanted more, so the Autovaletdirect expansion and marketing plan was implemented.” 

During the next six months Richard’s business grew steadily, and included numerous paid events organised by head office as well as account work. The Autovaletdirect marketing strategy was paying off and, in March 2009, Richard was approached by a local commercial vehicle dealer to valet all their new sales, stock and service vehicles.

Richard explains “After help from the franchisor and other franchisees in the network a deal was done. It was then that my 21-year-old son, who was working in construction, was made redundant. I offered him a chance to come and work with me and he took to it straight away. Within three months a second van was on the road, which allowed me to spend more time marketing and moving the business forward to the next stage.” 

In 2010 a friend and colleague of Richard’s returned to the Cheltenham area. “I could see him potentially as a third member of the Autovaletdirect Cheltenham team and later that year a third van was put on the road. This was a good move, as I could now spend the majority of my time on the more prestigious cars and charging accordingly, plus I was able to continue to implement our successful marketing strategies.”

Richard’s plans for the  future are to grow the franchise into the next postcode and have another two to three vans on the road in the next five years, “I still very much want to keep the personal touch, and with a true feeling of family business and those values, but even in times of recession the work is never ending. This is not work - it’s just messing around with cars, which is any boy’s dream really!”