Q&A: Does ChipsAway Franchise in the UK?

If you’re interested in becoming your own boss, and working within a lucrative sector with a franchise that offers an extensive programme of training and support, why not start a ChipsAway franchise? Read on, and find out everything you need to know about launching your own ChipsAway franchise in 2022.

Franchising is an excellent way to enter the world of business ownership, without the substantial risks that come with doing it from scratch. In fact, fewer than 1% of franchise businesses close per year, as of 2018, due to commercial failure [British Franchise Association]. ChipsAway franchise opportunities are highly sought after within the automotive industry, and you’re about to find out why.

Does ChipsAway franchise in the UK?

If you’re interested in starting your own Chips Away mobile car repair franchise, you will be delighted to hear that yes, ChipsAway does indeed franchise in the UK. Don’t hesitate to invest with the van based franchise, as they’d be delighted to welcome you to their 200-franchisee-strong Chips Away family.

The beauty of running your own business with ChipsAway is that you define your own success. Some franchisees work from a single van, happy to go it alone and celebrate their own financial milestones. Others wish to expand their network, opening several franchises and employing multiple members of staff. Meanwhile, some engineers opt to set up a Car Care Centre which acts as the HQ for their empire.
- ChipsAway

The history of ChipsAway car body repair services

The Chips Away automotive paint repair franchise’s head offices are based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Here, you’ll find the group’s administrative offices, as well as state-of-the-art IMI-accredited training and warehousing facilities. ChipsAway is the largest network of repair specialists in the UK, with over 40 car care centres up and down the country, and it has grown substantially since its founding in 1994.

In 2008, ChipsAway was acquired by international multi-brand franchisor Franchise Brands. This is also the parent company of popular, customer-loved brands like Metro Rod, Ovenclean and Barking Mad, so you can be sure you’ll be in good hands if you invest with ChipsAway.

With a rapidly expanding network of over 200 franchisees in the UK, ChipsAway International is the originator and dominant player in the growing SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) automotive repair market.
- ChipsAway 

Start a franchise in the car repair sector with a Chips Away business

If what you’ve learned so far about ChipsAway has left you more ready than ever to make your investment, keep reading. Once you know the answers to the three questions below, you’ll know everything you need to in order to move full steam ahead with an investment in the ever-expanding van based franchise network...

1. How do you go about becoming a Chips Away franchisee?

If you’re looking to start a Chips Away franchise, you can request more information via the franchise’s profile page here on Point Franchise. Before you do, please note that the franchise has a very good idea of what, in its eyes, makes an ideal franchisee. The perfect ChipsAway doesn’t necessarily need automotive industry experience, but they should 100% be:

• Motivated 
• Hard-working
• Ambitious
• Willing to take on an exciting new challenge 
• Looking to live a more flexible lifestyle and improve their work/life balance

Becoming a franchisee has changed my life. It’s given me the freedom and time to do other things I enjoy outside of work and manage my time the way I want to. I leave the house at around 7.30am and my day consists of doing estimates, booking in customers, marketing, and visiting my 2 employees to check everything is going okay. I’m then home for around 3pm where I follow up on leads.
- Andy Hodges, ChipsAway Portsmouth

2. How much do you need to invest?

If you’re interested in investing in a franchise, the initial costs will vary substantially from business to business depending on the franchise type, the attached brand name and a million other influencing factors. The average cost of starting a franchise was £42,200 in 2018 [British Franchise Association], but to become a franchisee with ChipsAway, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of just £15,000, with a total investment cost of £29,995.

If required, funding support is available through most UK banks, who are willing to lend up to 70% of start up costs. To be a successful applicant, you will need to be able to prove that the franchise is reputable, and that you have a good credit history. There are also other non-traditional ways to secure funding for your franchise, including:

• The government’s Startup Loans Scheme 
• Automotive-sector-specific opportunities 
• A franchise finance loan 

3. What do you get for your investment?

After starting your own Chips Away franchise, you’ll receive a full and comprehensive programme of support and training, which will equip you for franchise success in every sense. You’ll be trained on all the practical and technical aspects of running a ChipsAway franchise unit, and you’ll also attend courses focused on sales and marketing, as well as having continued access to full sales and marketing support and digital marketing and PR support. 

You’ll also be provided with a business mentor, who you can run any questions and concerns by, even long after your ChipsAway franchise has enjoyed a successful launch. And on top of all of this, “[ChipsAway] franchisees receive an average of over 1,000 customer leads per year as a result of the national marketing activity done centrally, meaning you can get up and running quickly and profitably, with the reassurance you’ll have a regular flow of eager customers.”

When it comes to van based franchise businesses, you can’t beat ChipsAway

If, after reading this article, running your own ChipsAway car body repair business in the UK is more appealing than ever, stay on Point Franchise. Here, you’ll be able to deepen your understanding of the car repair industry ahead of an investment. Check out how to start your own car repair franchise, a day in the life of a car repair franchise owner and four tips for running your car repair franchise.