Prior to starting her PACK & SEND franchise in 2014, Deborah Dudley had a long career in accountancy. It was always her dream to start her own business and, when her children had grown up, she made that a reality.
“My children were the main motivation behind investing in a franchise. I’m constantly inspired by Brogan and Ryan – I wanted to create something for their future. It was always my passion to run my own business and raising two children as a single parent did limit my flexibility and freedom to do that. The timing was particularly important as Ryan is disabled and has autism and so I waited until they were both a bit older before I pursued my dream.”
Now, Deborah has created a successful business to be proud of. Her achievements were recognised in 2019 as she was named Franchisee of the Year for the logistics franchise’s UK network. But it was when the COVID-19 pandemic caused several lockdowns that Deborah’s drive came into its own.
Deborah’s tenacity not only allowed her to continue to operate the business safely for customers, but she also experienced four of the best ever trading months since she launched – resulting in a growth of 18% from the previous year. She also boasts an impressive 100% staff retention rate and gained over 50 5-star reviews in 2020. This success earned her a worthy spot on the Woman Franchisee of the Year shortlist at the 2021 NatWest EWiF Awards.
“I believe it’s important for women to be championed in franchising. As we see an increasing number of successful women in the industry, taking things to new heights, it’s extremely inspiring – not least for me, but for the future generation of amazing female talent as they look for their next adventure. For mothers and those who have disabled children, like me, they often think they’re not permitted to do anything but care for them. My children were my inspiration from day one and they continue to be every day.”
