David Stansbury had worked in maintenance and engineering for 30 years. In his last employed role, he oversaw a 10-strong team, but when the company announced it was closing its premises near David’s home in Edenbridge, Kent, he did not fancy relocating to the Midlands. In any case, he had grown tired of the job, wanted a better work/life balance – and quite relished the prospect of trying something new.
David explains: “I just wasn’t happy in my work anymore. Being my own boss provided the solution, but I did not want to work in engineering any more. I did some research into franchising – I thought it best to go with a proven business model. I looked at a few car repair franchises, but then I came across Just Shutters on the bfa website and I was extremely impressed.”
David visited the Just Shutters business website and liked what he saw, so he decided to find out more. “I arranged an informal meeting, which went very well and made me feel even more confident that it was a good opportunity.
“I was searching for a mobile franchise opportunity with excellent prospects and Just Shutters ticked all the boxes. One of the key advantages is you are given a big territory, which was not the case with other franchises I came across.
“I like the approach that founder Chris Rocker takes. Even though he runs a highly successful network of businesses, Just Shutters still has the feel of a family business. In October 2012, I started my own Just Shutters business operating in Kent.”
Trekking is Grandfather David’s favourite hobby. “I haven’t had much time for it lately – because of work – but I’ve scaled Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, Ben Nevis and Snowdon.” He will no doubt be hoping his new business scales similar heights!
David would like to quickly establish and grow his business, and possibly employ a fitter in the near future. “My wife is doing shift work at the moment too, which isn’t ideal, so hopefully she’ll be able to come on board at some point. I am hoping my new business will provide a better quality of life for us both.
“I researched Just Shutters and liked what I saw – it’s an excellent product and brand. I see this as a good opportunity to improve my life and run my own successful business. If, like me, you are looking for a new challenge and more variety in your working day, Just Shutters could be just the thing for you too.”
UPDATE – December 2021
Nine years later David is now one of our most successful business owners employing several fitters. His area is so strongly established that he is now selling the east part of his territory and will still achieve the same level of sales in his core area.
