Two's company

Lisa Bennett’s LighterLife franchise has been so successful, her husband’s bought one too!

Lisa Bennett is a passionate weight-management counsellor who took up the LighterLife franchise opportunity in 2006. She has such belief in her business, her ability to make a real difference to people’s lives, and her business’s capacity to provide for her family, that her husband Karl has also recently taken up the LighterLife franchise opportunity, too.

“I have struggled with my weight my entire life,” says Lisa. “I was a fat child, an overweight teenager and an obese adult and had tried every diet on the market with little or no success.

“As a last resort I decided to try the LighterLife programme and joined as a client in 2006. It was a defining moment and I lost more than three stone and have maintained my weight loss since. After finally finding a weight loss programme that actually worked, I wanted to be part of the solution.”

Lisa requested a recruitment pack and found it ticked all of the right boxes. She explains: “What appealed to me most was the fact that it didn’t make any wild promises about becoming a millionaire overnight. It was very real, very honest and I decided to take the opportunity and get involved!”
Initially Lisa planned to take on the franchise as a part-time venture, but didn’t realise how quickly the business would grow. Within six months of opening the doors for business, Lisa had outgrown her premises and within two years the business had become too big to handle alone, which is where Karl came in.

“Karl lost three stone on the LighterLife programme a year after I did,” says Lisa. “So as he has the same passion for the business, it was logical for him to train as a LighterLife counsellor. We have worked together before and are aware of our strengths and weaknesses, so we make a great team. We have also been able to grow the business and now have premises in both Exeter and Devon.

“We used to run our own Post Office and convenience store and the hours were very long. We worked from 7am till 10pm, often seven days a week, and living and working in the same building meant that we were never able to switch off.

“Although taking on the LighterLife franchise opportunity was an unknown quantity when compared to the Post Office, which was already a well-established business, I am so delighted that we made the change. Although we still work very hard, we now have a healthy work-life balance.
“I believe in a three-day weekend and have arranged my working hours so that I can work four days and then have three days off with my family. I have also taken on a part-time administration assistant to deal with all the paperwork, which means that I can completely focus on my clients and information sessions as well as marketing and growing the business.

A typical week for Lisa involves working Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 10.30pm on Mondays, 3.30pm to 10pm on Tuesdays, 9am to 10.30pm on Wednesdays and a half-day on Thursday. Lisa says: “I make sure that a late night at work is followed by an easy morning, which means that I can sleep in, go to the gym or just potter around at home.

Whilst Karl is growing his business he has also taken on a more active role at home. In his previous career, Karl used to spend the week away at work, whereas now he can spend more time with the couple’s two daughters. Lisa says: “Our daughters are definitely benefiting from the fact that we are around more often. I am pleased to say they both understand what we do is worthwhile and are very proud to say that both of their parents are LighterLife counsellors.

“I now have more than 100 clients and the interest in Karl’s practice has been high. The great thing about a LighterLife franchise is the fact that you have the ability to start earning an income straight away.

“My advice to anyone who is thinking about taking on a LighterLife franchise is to start small. I started in small premises, which meant a smaller initial outlay, and halfway through the first year I was able to see the real potential of my business, which meant I could relocate to larger premises and grow from there.”

Lisa realises there is great earning potential as a LighterLife franchisee, but advises that as a business person you have to be realistic. She says: “By starting small you are able to start earning straight away and any money you take is yours – Karl has taken this advice on board when launching his business. 

“The biggest challenge I have faced since launching my LighterLife franchise has been keeping up with growing demand. It is easy to lose sight and get bored when you are self employed so I make sure that I attend both independent and LighterLife training sessions once a month. I find this revitalises me as well as allowing me to provide a better service for my clients.

Lisa continues: “I work hard and am committed to helping my clients achieve their goals. I provide good value for money and, at a time like this, that is a precious commodity. I am unable to quantify if the recession has affected my business, but my client’s response has been that LighterLife is actually a money saver. People are not baulking at the cost of the programme, which is amazing in a recession and many people are starting to realise that you can’t really put a price on your health.”

In terms of support, LighterLife’s central office provides support in everything from marketing to clinical expertise and is also extremely proactive in terms of producing new products, and reviewing and refreshing programme content and materials, which keeps everything fresh and in line with industry best practice.

Lisa says: “I am excited about what I do and am confident that I am providing the best possible support and service for my clients. I am living proof that the LighterLife programme really does work and, because of this experience and the support I receive from central office, I am able to speak from a position of strength.

“Some people might say that my husband and I are putting all of our eggs in one basket with both of us taking on a LighterLife franchise opportunity, but we are not worried at all! Not many people can say they love what they do and we are completely passionate about the business.

“Not only do we love what we do, but the financial rewards are more than enough to look after our family. We have a much better work-life balance, are excited and rewarded by what we do, are able to make a very real difference to people’s lives and, as well as paying the bills, we are able to go on holiday, which is not something all other franchisees are able to do!”

LighterLife is currently expanding its network of weight-management counsellors throughout the UK and is looking to recruit motivated, self-starters to run their own business. Training counsellors will receive the support of LighterLife’s nationally recognised brand to help some of the estimated 23 million overweight and 14 million obese people in the UK live lighter, more active lives. 

Lisa Bennett is a passionate weight-management counsellor who took up the LighterLife franchise opportunity in 2006. She has such belief in her business, her ability to make a real difference to people’s lives, and her business’s capacity to provide for her family, that her husband Karl has also recently taken up the LighterLife franchise opportunity, too.

“I have struggled with my weight my entire life,” says Lisa. “I was a fat child, an overweight teenager and an obese adult and had tried every diet on the market with little or no success.

“As a last resort I decided to try the LighterLife programme and joined as a client in 2006. It was a defining moment and I lost more than three stone and have maintained my weight loss since. After finally finding a weight loss programme that actually worked, I wanted to be part of the solution.”

Lisa requested a recruitment pack and found it ticked all of the right boxes. She explains: “What appealed to me most was the fact that it didn’t make any wild promises about becoming a millionaire overnight. It was very real, very honest and I decided to take the opportunity and get involved!”

Initially Lisa planned to take on the franchise as a part-time venture, but didn’t realise how quickly the business would grow. Within six months of opening the doors for business, Lisa had outgrown her premises and within two years the business had become too big to handle alone, which is where Karl came in.

“Karl lost three stone on the LighterLife programme a year after I did,” says Lisa. “So as he has the same passion for the business, it was logical for him to train as a LighterLife counsellor. We have worked together before and are aware of our strengths and weaknesses, so we make a great team. We have also been able to grow the business and now have premises in both Exeter and Devon.

“We used to run our own Post Office and convenience store and the hours were very long. We worked from 7am till 10pm, often seven days a week, and living and working in the same building meant that we were never able to switch off.

“Although taking on the LighterLife franchise opportunity was an unknown quantity when compared to the Post Office, which was already a well-established business, I am so delighted that we made the change.

Although we still work very hard, we now have a healthy work-life balance.
“I believe in a three-day weekend and have arranged my working hours so that I can work four days and then have three days off with my family. I have also taken on a part-time administration assistant to deal with all the paperwork, which means that I can completely focus on my clients and information sessions as well as marketing and growing the business.

A typical week for Lisa involves working Monday to Thursday, from 9am to 10.30pm on Mondays, 3.30pm to 10pm on Tuesdays, 9am to 10.30pm on Wednesdays and a half-day on Thursday. Lisa says: “I make sure that a late night at work is followed by an easy morning, which means that I can sleep in, go to the gym or just potter around at home.

Whilst Karl is growing his business he has also taken on a more active role at home. In his previous career, Karl used to spend the week away at work, whereas now he can spend more time with the couple’s two daughters. Lisa says: “Our daughters are definitely benefiting from the fact that we are around more often. I am pleased to say they both understand what we do is worthwhile and are very proud to say that both of their parents are LighterLife counsellors.

“I now have more than 100 clients and the interest in Karl’s practice has been high. The great thing about a LighterLife franchise is the fact that you have the ability to start earning an income straight away.

“My advice to anyone who is thinking about taking on a LighterLife franchise is to start small. I started in small premises, which meant a smaller initial outlay, and halfway through the first year I was able to see the real potential of my business, which meant I could relocate to larger premises and grow from there.”

Lisa realises there is great earning potential as a LighterLife franchisee, but advises that as a business person you have to be realistic. She says: “By starting small you are able to start earning straight away and any money you take is yours – Karl has taken this advice on board when launching his business. 

“The biggest challenge I have faced since launching my LighterLife franchise has been keeping up with growing demand. It is easy to lose sight and get bored when you are self employed so I make sure that I attend both independent and LighterLife training sessions once a month. I find this revitalises me as well as allowing me to provide a better service for my clients.

Lisa continues: “I work hard and am committed to helping my clients achieve their goals. I provide good value for money and, at a time like this, that is a precious commodity. I am unable to quantify if the recession has affected my business, but my client’s response has been that LighterLife is actually a money saver. People are not baulking at the cost of the programme, which is amazing in a recession and many people are starting to realise that you can’t really put a price on your health.”

In terms of support, LighterLife’s central office provides support in everything from marketing to clinical expertise and is also extremely proactive in terms of producing new products, and reviewing and refreshing programme content and materials, which keeps everything fresh and in line with industry best practice.

Lisa says: “I am excited about what I do and am confident that I am providing the best possible support and service for my clients. I am living proof that the LighterLife programme really does work and, because of this experience and the support I receive from central office, I am able to speak from a position of strength.

“Some people might say that my husband and I are putting all of our eggs in one basket with both of us taking on a LighterLife franchise opportunity, but we are not worried at all! Not many people can say they love what they do and we are completely passionate about the business.

“Not only do we love what we do, but the financial rewards are more than enough to look after our family. We have a much better work-life balance, are excited and rewarded by what we do, are able to make a very real difference to people’s lives and, as well as paying the bills, we are able to go on holiday, which is not something all other franchisees are able to do!”

LighterLife is currently expanding its network of weight-management counsellors throughout the UK and is looking to recruit motivated, self-starters to run their own business. Training counsellors will receive the support of LighterLife’s nationally recognised brand to help some of the estimated 23 million overweight and 14 million obese people in the UK live lighter, more active lives. 

Classification:
Weight loss 
management
Investment Level
Franchise fee:
£12,000 plus VAT
and working capital
Website: 
www.lighterlifefranchise.com
Email: 
businessteam@lighterlife.com
Phone: 
0800 2 988 988