Taking back control after redundancy

Been made redundant? Anticipate a major life or career change? Launch yourself in a new direction and invest in a franchise, advises Katie Shevlin

Being made redundant from your job can be a bit of a shock. The uncertain future stretches out ahead of you and the tedious search for a new job beckons. It need not be a scary time, though, as it could be the start of a new and exciting career in charge of your own business.

A franchise business can form the perfect investment opportunity for that redundancy pay cheque. Franchising in general is a more secure option than starting up your own business from scratch, with a franchisor having already ironed out any teething problems and established a firm set of processes by which to run the business.

An Anytime Fitness franchise is a particularly reliable prospect. The nature of a gym business ensures a steady, stable income through membership fees, and the convenience of the Anytime Fitness surveillance technology allows franchisees the flexibility to enjoy a healthy work-life balance, meaning your new job could be a far cry from the 9-5 grind you’ve been experiencing. With 40 clubs trading in the UK and 150 territories sold, the company is expanding rapidly and now is a great time to jump on the bandwagon.

Karl Dietrich, sales and marketing director for the brand, echoes this belief, saying: “Owning an Anytime Fitness franchise gives you freedom; we provide you with all the support you need, using state-of-the-art technology and our experience to help you open and operate your club and still have time for your family and other interests. It is a proven and innovative business model, Anytime Fitness clubs are convenient to members and are located near to where people live or work and the low staffing model means your business is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with fewer overheads but the highest level of security in the business.” If you are willing to work hard, redundancy can be a great opportunity to enter a new industry and carve out a career in a different sector. This is largely because, to be a franchisee, previous experience is not a prerequisite; franchisors prefer candidates to have dedication, professionalism and a drive to succeed.

Here, four franchisees remember their journeys from redundancy into the thriving franchising industry.  

The ZipYard 

Jill Phillips was made redundant from her job in credit control for a major US corporation based in Basingstoke in September 2011. Less than 12 months later, Jill became the proud owner of The ZipYard in Basingstoke and admits it was probably the best thing that ever happened to her.

How did you feel after you were made redundant?

I was really cross when I found out I’d been made redundant. I thought it was a job for life and I didn’t know what to do with myself. After visiting friends in Germany for a few weeks, I spent time mulling things over. I watched This Morning every day and couldn’t really muster up much enthusiasm to do anything, then Christmas came and I thought “Right, you’ve got to get yourself going girl”.

How did you first hear about The ZipYard franchise opportunity?

One day, my husband Gerald returned home clutching a magazine advertisement he’d seen about The ZipYard. He was very excited about it but my initial reaction was “But Gerald I don’t even sew!” Had you considered running your own business before?

I wanted to be my own boss, manage my own time and benefit from my own efforts, but I wasn’t sure how to achieve this. I contacted Nigel Toplis, franchisor of The ZipYard, to get a bit more information. Nigel suggested I pay a visit to Richard McConnell, owner of The ZipYard, Altrincham. Gerald and I went to stay in Altrincham and visited Richard’s centre, we were very excited by what we saw and I felt I could manage this kind of business. That was in February and after that it all happened very quickly – finding premises, training, hiring staff and doing all the legal stuff. I opened in May.

How is it going so far?

I’m really happy. Our sales figures are good and the feedback from local people is so encouraging. People come into the centre and say to me “this is just what Basingstoke needs, thanks for opening here”. We were kept really busy during the races at Ascot, altering garments for race-goers and on behalf of department stores.

Has the franchisor been supportive of your business?

Yes, the whole team has been fantastic. From the training, which was very hands on, to the huge level of support I’ve had, it’s all been great. Although it’s my business and the buck stops with me, I’ve never felt alone or out on a limb – it’s been teamwork from day one.

What are your plans for the future?

Once this business has been up and running for a while I’d love to branch out with another one somewhere else. For now I’m happy just focussing my efforts on Basingstoke and making a success of it. I’ve just taken on another seamstress so the business is growing already.

Would you recommend The ZipYard to other potential franchisees?

Definitely. I’m learning all the time and it’s such a sociable business; I really enjoy talking to the customers and I get such a feeling of satisfaction from seeing how happy they are when their clothes fit properly. 

Ovenclean 

Duncan Chandler was working as a financial services manager when he was made redundant. He launched his Ovenclean franchise in spring 2010.

How did you first become introduced to the franchising concept?

When I was made redundant for the second time from my role as a senior manager for a lending company, I didn’t fancy having to move back to London to find a job and had completely lost faith in the idea that employment meant security. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to invest in the right business opportunity and become self-employed.

What was it that appealed to you about Ovenclean?

When I discovered Ovenclean, I was immediately impressed. The franchise looked like great value; I could see the potential marketplace and understood how the business model worked. Better still, when I contacted them, Ovenclean were friendly and informative, and invited me to visit their head office to meet the team.

What are the biggest benefits and positives about becoming a franchise owner?

I’m really enjoying being an Ovenclean franchisee. No matter how hard you work as an employee, you can be made redundant when times are hard. I have friends and customers who have to reapply for their jobs every year, which is obviously incredibly stressful. My life now is infinitely less stressed – I have more control and flexibility. It’s very different from being a small cog in a large organisation; now I run my own show, I feel more secure than I did in employment. My future is in my own hands. Not many people can say that and you can’t put a price on long-term security.

Home Instead Senior Care 

Mark Darnell is the franchisee for Home Instead East Northants, based in Higham Ferrers. He has been operating his business since August 2010 with his wife Rosie.

What was your career background prior to franchising?

I worked in accountancy for over 20 years. The majority of my career was spent with Dr Martens Footwear Group as commercial and finance director. My career then took an interesting turn when I was also appointed managing director of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club.

Why did you decide to go into franchising and why Home Instead?

I was made redundant three times in 10 years and a four-hour commute to and from home each day was becoming very wearing, so I started to think that I needed to be in control of my own destiny.

I’d been looking into franchise opportunities but knew that I wanted something outside of the finance sector. My wife Rosie and I had been talking about care, as both of us had experienced poor care for our parents, and wanted to get involved at the quality end of the market. Rosie had also trained as a nurse after leaving school. We were aware of the fact that people are generally living longer and of the concept of care at home, so we went to a franchise exhibition, had a conversation with Home Instead and we were hooked!

I was nervous about setting up a new business during the recession and so opting for a Home Instead franchise was a good option as I could get on with it right from the beginning knowing that there was support and a proven system behind me. Home Instead shared the same ethos as myself and Rosie in wanting to make a real difference by delivering the highest-quality care services to clients. There were already 58 Home Instead offices operating with no failures, which were good odds for a cautious accountant.

How has your life changed since you invested in your franchise? What are the benefits of owning a franchise business?

I like a challenge and I’ve always been driven to work hard; I believe your success is in your own hands. I think that is built into my personality but also a product of my upbringing. I always knew that setting up my own business would be a challenge but have been prepared from the beginning to put in the hours to make it a success. Even now, we work some long days, l and go out networking in the community at least one day at the weekend. The main difference is that this time there is also great satisfaction knowing that you can make a difference in people’s lives: clients, their families, our caregivers and also my family.

How have you found the experience so far?

At the beginning you start from scratch, but luckily for us, the business took off fairly quickly. We achieved this by sticking to the Home Instead model and concentrating on getting our name known around town – talking to as many people as possible about who we were and what we offered.

The business has grown rapidly as there is little good competition in the area, and we have worked hard to implement the proven Home Instead model, develop a good management team and recruit a large team of caregivers.

What are your short- and long-term plans for the future?

Our plans are to continue to grow our business and deliver the highest-quality care in our community by building strong relationships with our clients. This will allow us to achieve our goal to help more and more people to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes for as long as possible. We also plan to relocate to larger business premises and become the employer of choice in our community.

What advice would you give to anyone that has been made redundant?

I would advise anyone to consider franchising as the models are established and finance is more readily available, but you need to do your homework and find the business that is the best fit for you and your family.

I have never had any doubts about Home Instead and have never regretted my decision to buy a franchise. I knew it would be a huge challenge and lots of hard work, but after making my investment in the business I had to make it a success! So – my advice would be stick with it in the early days and be confident in the abilities learned in your previous jobs.

ChipsAway 

Brian Palmer recently celebrated his first anniversary since joining ChipsAway. His business is based in the St. Albans area.

What appealed to you about franchising and why ChipsAway?

I was an IT manager on a very decent wage for 18 years before being made redundant, but actually it was a blessing in disguise! I wanted something that was going to give me more security; by nature I don’t feel I’m an entrepreneur and didn’t have the know-how to set up my own business. I wanted to buy a business with security and I felt franchising offered that. I don’t like taking risks.

To begin with, I didn’t have a type of franchise in mind and looked at all sorts of options, from gardening to IT, before eventually coming across ChipsAway. I then went to one of their open days and spoke to franchisees. I developed a huge amount of confidence in the business offering as a result of my research – I just kept coming back to ChipsAway.

What was it that attracted you to ChipsAway?

I was aware of the brand, and the fact it’s been around for 20 years really appealed. ChipsAway head office also generates a lot of leads for the network which, although you can’t rely solely on, is a real positive and certainly a great help!

What are the biggest benefits of becoming a franchise owner?

I have a much better work-life balance. Before, I would leave the house at 6:30am and not be back until 6:30-7.00pm, whereas now we’re able to have breakfast as a family and I’m usually home for tea too!

What are your plans for the future?

Long-term, I have plans to develop into a CarCare Centre (fixed-base workshop), which will hopefully allow me to take a more managerial role and employ people to undertake the repairs.

Would you recommend franchising to others?

Yes, definitely! In fact, one of the first customers I had has since become a franchisee for ChipsAway! 

You may also be interested in...