Case Study - Phil Dickin
Phil Dickin, 53, isn’t afraid of change and has reinvented himself more than once during his career, most recently deciding to give up his job as Director of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and open his own Mac Tools business in Derbyshire in March 2011.
Phil lives in Coalville with his wife Janette and has two daughters, Nikita, 22, and Heather, 24.
Career to date…
“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school, but I was pretty good at cooking so everyone encouraged me to do that. I got my City & Guilds in Catering and became a chef.
“I worked in all sorts of establishments, including some exclusive places such as the Inn on the Park, Park Lane, London, where I was the pastry chef.”
In 1989 Phil wasn’t enjoying his career anymore so he decided to retrain in an area he’d always wanted to work in since his youth - nature conservation. He returned to full-time education, studying for a number of degrees. Phil landed his dream job working for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust as Director for People and Wildlife in 1999 with a remit to help the Trust engage more with local people and organisations, and raise awareness and funds for projects.
How and why did you decide to take voluntary redundancy?
“I’d been at the trust for 12 years and done the job I’d been asked to do. We started off with 3 members of staff and had 36 when I left!”
“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.”
What made you look at franchising?
“This may sound strange, but I never really had any great desire to run my own business. I thought that franchising would offer me the opportunity to do what I wanted but with people alongside me who know the issues and are there to offer support. And that’s exactly how it has been!”
What made you choose Mac Tools?
“I looked at two different types of franchises that I felt fitted in with my personal interests – gardening and vehicle/driving related franchises.”
“Once I’d narrowed down my preferences I visited the National Franchise Exhibition in Birmingham and chatted to four franchises of which Mac Tools was one.”
“Out of all of them Mac Tools stacked up the best. I liked the set up and the fact that I could run it on my own. Also, I didn’t need to be a tool expert, which was a good job really as I had no previous experience at all!”
Has the support and training met your expectations?
“Definitely. The training was and is great and I’m learning new skills all the time. For example, I didn’t know how to do my own books and they’ve taught me how to do that.”
“Having the might of the world’s biggest tool company behind you really opens doors. There is an automatic respect from customers and suppliers.”
How is it going?
“I really enjoy it. I like meeting people and it doesn’t matter that I’m not a natural salesman because the tools sell themselves. I’ve had lots of office-based, sedentary jobs in the past and now I really enjoy the feeling of freedom that I get from being on the move and travelling around”
“It’s probably a bit early to say, but the guys at head office tell me I’m doing well and I’m ahead of my targets. I figure that if I can stay ahead during a recession maybe I can really fly when the economy takes off.”
