Case Study - 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: "I liked the idea of working for myself but also knew I would benefit greatly from being under a larger umbrella to help and support me where necessary."
Before LighterLife, Natalie worked as a fashion buyer for TK Maxx travelling extensively across Europe and the UK. Her work life balance was difficult to manage and she was keen to find a new challenge that would re-balance her life in favour of her family – something she has been able to achieve since becoming a LighterLife Weight-Management Counsellor.
Natalie, who has been a Counsellor for five years says, "I had several friends who had completed the LighterLife Programme. I watched their transformation not only from an image and size perspective but their personality and their confidence grew immensely and that's what triggered my interest." It was during the recruitment and training process that she gained a much deeper understanding of the LighterLife Programme: "I knew obesity was a growing problem and felt that this was not only a viable business venture but also an opportunity to help people and have a rewarding career."
LighterLife Weight-Management Counsellors undergo rigorous training to achieve an Edexcel accredited qualification. The training modules cover basic counselling skills, business planning, marketing and sales and a programme of Continuing Professional Development is offered to all practising Counsellors. A Regional Business Development Manager offers dedicated support and advice to help Counsellors grow their business, a client referral system is in place to direct clients towards their nearest Counsellor and ongoing support is provided by in-house clinical and expert teams.
Natalie started her training in January 2005, opened her doors for business by April 2005 and hasn't looked back since!
Natalie says: "The challenges I have faced so far are building up my client base, managing relationships with past and present clients, and making it clear to my clients that no matter what happens they are always welcome back. As my business has grown I have employed two people to help manage the workload and allow me to focus on my clients. Managing my staff, maintaining morale and ensuring that we all share the same goals and work together as a team has been a challenge that I have very much enjoyed.
"If you are thinking about investing in a franchise the advice I would give is to make sure that you are a self-motivator. Although you have the support of a large organisation, it is still down to you to make your business a success. Have good local knowledge of your target market and spend time when selecting your premises to ensure that you are able to offer your clients the very best value for money.
"Buying a LighterLife franchise was the best move I have ever made. It has helped me to achieve a fantastic work/life balance, it has given me the opportunity to realise a dream of working for myself, something I feel I would never have done without the support of a large organisation. My future goals include continuing to build the LighterLife brand on a local level using the additional territory I have invested in to further grow my business and increase awareness of how life-changing LighterLife can be."
