Case Studies

Prior to operating the OAKA Vending franchise, Guy and Jack were on their way to completing their Master's programme at the University of Edinburgh. They discovered OAKA Vending and decided to take on the Edinburgh territory. Guy and Jack started their OAKA Vending in the midst of COVID in 2020 and have installed 15 machines across Edinburgh in under 2 years. Following the success of Edinburgh, Guy has now decided to partner up with other like-minded individuals to bring OAKA Vending to Manche...

Greenwich-based businesswoman Amrit Rahi is celebrating her fifth anniversary with in-home and online tutoring company, Tutor Doctor. Using the pandemic to advance her operations, Amrit has established herself as an important part of improving the wellbeing of children and students in south-east London, as well as providing high-quality and personalised educational experiences. At the beginning of the pandemic, a sudden and unexpected change in circumstances left Amrit very much fending for he...

After 22 successful years in HR, David Walker became a travel consultant with The Travel Franchise and with zero experience just made over a million in commission. David had a highly successful 22 year career working abroad in HR. But, on returning to the UK, he discovered that path was something he was no longer interested in pursuing. After much deliberation, he decided he’d love to open his own travel agency. There were just a few problems: Despite being well travelled, he’d never sold a...

In late October 2021, Sean Connaughton organised a webinar, primarily using social media and email invitations to business directors of organisations in Scotland. It attracted over 70 attendees and led to multiple meetings through November and into early 2022, the majority of which are still in progress. So far, Sean has signed up five new clients, for whom he will manage their carbon management planning, in line with the British Standards Institute (BSI) verified PAS 2060 standard. The standar...

Brian Skinner launched his Agency Express franchise in August 2020. With many years’ experience in owning and developing a successful family business, Brian had reached a point in his life where he was ready for a change in direction.Like many others, Brain had begun his journey in to franchising during the COVID-19 pandemic, but confident in his decision to sell his business and buy a franchise he continued undeterred.After spending 15 years developing a family business from scratch in the Eque...

Spending long periods of time working for other people can lead many to want to start their own business. Some feel destined to be entrepreneurs, in control of their own workload and driven to achieve success. This is the case for Arran Benstead. Having spent some time working at a brake linings factory following university, he was in no doubt that his future involved working for himself. 20 years later, he’s never looked back.Pursuing a passionHaving always been interested in working on cars, A...

Julian Rolfe is no stranger to running his own business. The avid sports fan and savvy businessman, who sold his share of a previous business two years ago, acquired the Oxfordshire Optic-Kleer territory in early 2021.As someone who has real passion for business, but equally loves spending time with his family, the work-life balance available with the Optic-Kleer franchise was exactly what Julian had been looking for.“I went straight into employment out of school. Working my way up, I was with t...

Laurence has been a franchisee with Optic-Kleer since 2015. He operates his franchise in around the areas of Swindon, Newbury, Marlborough and Oxford.Previously, Laurence worked for many years as a parts manager for a well- known German car manufacturer.How did you first hear about Optic-Kleer?I first heard about Optic-Kleer when I bumped into an ex-manager of mine who I used to work with years ago. He was actually working in a carpark, at a store just down the road from where I was working. Som...

Kemi proves that you don’t need logistics experience to succeed as a DSP business owner. From Underground to On the Road “Logistics is thriving” After 14 years working with the London Underground, Kemi was ready for a new challenge. She recognised that logistics was flourishing and that as a DSP she could lead a business of her own, receive higher rewards and make a positive impact in her local community whilst being supported by the DSP programme. Leveraging Transferable Skills “I take a p...

John Speare found himself at a crossroads when his freelance work in B2B sales started to dwindle, but he had reached a stage in life where he couldn’t envisage being an employee again. After finding out about Optic-Kleer through a family member, John realised his years of retail experience would be perfect for running a franchise where he would be interacting with the general public on a daily basis. Taking on the Bury St. Edmunds territory for Optic-Kleer in September 2011, John celebrated his...

Philip Short recently shared some interesting insights into the early success of his Lakeland Verandahs franchise in East Anglia.He opened the franchise with Callum Collins-Butterton in March 2021 and has not looked back since.Philip stated: “We have just taken an order from our 55th customer of the year, just 9 months after we started.”With customer demand being there since day one, Philip credits Lakeland Verandahs’ sustainable products to the high amount of interest he has received, whic...

Simon Crowter started his franchising journey in June 2021 when he opened the Sussex franchise territory. Thankful for the level of franchise support he has received so far, Simon commented that there is always someone at the other end of the phone. “There’s always someone to chat to. Even Russell, Lakeland Verandahs’ CEO, is able to assist.” For Simon, who had no prior experience in the decking and fencing market, it was crucial to be able to receive guidance from the very top of the business...