Case Study - Cheryl Simons
Cheryl Simons, who has just celebrated her 30th birthday, is X-Press Legal Services Limited youngest female franchisee.
Through Cheryl's study of criminology and previous career with the police, she has gained an understanding of the need for attention to detail and the benefits of following a system which have been fundamental to her success in the search industry.
After returning from maternity leave Cheryl realised that she needed a new challenge. She began to think about what else she could do and the type of business she would like to be involved in.
She commented: "I am not afraid of hard work and I wanted the reward at the end of it. I also wanted the satisfaction of doing a good job and being respected for the work that I do."
Cheryl had an open mind and had never previously paid much attention to the potential of running her own business. As soon as she started to think about being self-employed she realised that franchising was worth considering as an option.
She sought advice on the broad concept of franchising and met X-Press Legal Services Limited at their head office and training centre in Warrington, Cheshire. Cheryl also spoke to existing franchisees about their experiences and put together a sound business plan.
Cheryl explained: "By this stage I knew I wanted to be my own boss and to be able to enjoy the rewards of my own hard work. But I also wanted the security of a proven concept.
She continues: "One of the benefits of this franchise is that you can start off working from a home office which minimises initial overheads, and grow as you need to. Another benefit is that it is possible to be sufficiently flexible when running a business and working around the needs of a new family as well as being able to manage time efficiently."
Cheryl added: "Having now experienced first hand the benefits of running a franchise, I am even more focused on driving the X-Press Legal Services Limited brand forward in my territory and am considering taking on my first employee as the volume of business increases."
"There is a lot of interaction between the franchisees and I have met numerous like-minded individuals who are becoming good friends, which adds more enjoyment to the working day", Cheryl concluded.
Cheryl's hard work and commitment has been recognised by her franchisor as she was one of the finalists for the Business Development Award hosted at X-Press Legal Services Limited annual awards evening.
Commenting on Cheryl's nomination, Franchise Development Director for X- Press Legal Service Limited, Dan Archer said: "Cheryl has been extremely thorough, committed and has a keen understanding of her clients and the market in which X-Press Legal Services Limited operates."
