Ali earns £300k after starting from scratch with a franchise
Many of us dream of owning our own business one day but the costs involved can be very high, so starting a franchise can be an affordable way to follow your dream.
ali Hoy, a franchisee with a Chipsaway car repair centre in Cardiff, says: ‘I was in sales and marketing, but looking to start a business. I chose Chipsaway for its brand awareness, affordability and return on investment.
‘you can start with a relatively low investment, so you are making money from day one, and you grow the business at your own pace.’
after six years ali, 58, has a team of six employees, turns over £300,000-plus a year and has plans for growth. He says: ‘Chipsaway head office provided emotional and practical support. Their focus on customer marketing and TV advertising means brand awareness and market share are growing.’
The minimum personal investment to start a Chipsaway franchise is £15,000, and Chipsaway provides access to funding to help you make up the total investment of £29,995.
Tim Harris, chief executive of Franchise Brands, which owns the Chipsaway franchise, says: ‘The minimum personal investment is set relatively low so that we are an affordable option. But this doesn’t mean franchisees don’t have to take it as seriously as if they had invested a six-figure sum.
‘We seek franchise partners with self-motivation and the ambition to grow a successful business.’
Former auditor andrea Holmes now provides a personal assistant service as a Pink Spaghetti franchisee.
andrea says: ‘Setting up on your own always involves some degree of chance, but I felt there was less risk involved as I didn’t have to take out a loan to pay the £4,449 franchise fee or start-up costs, so I wasn’t starting in debt.’ andrea, 49, who launched in 2012, says: ‘I never felt that because I hadn’t paid out that much, I wasn’t going to give it my all. I now have two employees and a freelance team member.’
Pink Spaghetti co- franchisor Caroline Gowing says: ‘ Ideal franchisees have had a good career, are highly self- motivated and organised, with tenacity and a sense of urgency, a can-do attitude and high customer service ethos.’