Running his own Revive! business is everything Hicham Bouissa hoped it would be – and more.

In just 12 months since launching Revive! Uxbridge, Hicham has increased his workforce and won an award at the UK’s leading SMART repair network’s annual conference.

He said: “Choosing Revive! was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I haven’t regretted it or looked back. The work is there and demand is high. The enquiries keep coming in.  It’s better than I ever imagined.”

Hicham’s work-life balance is better than before, enhanced by the fact that he is living on the doorstep of his territory: “The advantage of my business is that it’s all local. So if there are any issues with customers or if my technicians require some paint that’s missing, they are literally just round the corner from me – it’s very convenient!”

The training and support provided by Revive! were among the main aspects of the opportunity that initially attracted Hicham to Revive! and he hasn’t been disappointed.

“The level of support from head office has been brilliant from day one,” continued Hicham. “ At the start I thought it was a matter of you sign up to the franchise, then have a few weeks training here and there and then they’ll just leave you to do what you have to do. But it’s been so good. The training is always available, with regular conference calls and meet-ups and the head office team are only a phone call away at all times which is really handy. With so many  other things to deal with when you’re  running a business, having that level of support helps a lot.”

For Hicham, the highlight of his first year was making the big decision to take on another technician. “The work was there and I could see the business was growing. But at the same time, it was a bit worrying, but if you don’t take risks, you will not grow as a business. You just need to bite the bullet and then move forward.”

The whole bodyshop industry is facing a skills shortage, which is why Revive! has launched a month long programme at its own  training academy in Rugby to train up people with no bodyshop industry experience to become fully qualified paint technicians.

“This is a really great development,” said Hicham. “Finding the right staff has been the biggest challenge for me, but now I am already talking advantage of the new scheme – my latest staff member is currently at Rugby doing the training and I’m really excited about it. 

Marketing the business is an area Hicham has discovered he’s good at! In addition to the central marketing service provided by head office Hicham has built up a large following for Revive! Uxbridge on Facebook and  Instagram.  So successful is his social media that he scooped the Instagram Marketeer of the Year Social Media award at Revive!’s annual conference held earlier this year.

So what are Hicham’s plans for Revive! Uxbridge moving forward?  “We obviously want to continue growing the business. My plan for next year, probably by the end of the year, is to have at least four technicians. From there I want  to grow the business as much as possible, getting closer to my ultimate goal which is to have at least five or six technicians.”