Owen Rowlands shares his experiences with facing redundancy and journeying into franchising.
With the COVID-19 crisis having a devasting effect on the lives of people across the UK and the globe, you might find yourself being made redundant. But don’t fret just yet, you can take inspiration from the experience of Ovenclean franchisee Owen Rowlands. After being made redundant a number of times in the highway construction industry, Owen knew he needed a complete career change:
“I was exhausted with the same cycle of finding a job that offered security, working hard in that role and then finding out a couple of months down the line that I was being made redundant.”
He continued:
“I decided that I needed a complete change in my work life and thought I would be better off self-employed. But I had always worked in construction and had no experience elsewhere, so I felt trapped. Ovenclean seemed to be a realistic way out. I have never been afraid of hard work but I had no idea how to set up my own business, that’s where a franchise can help you.”
Owen said that the transition from redundancy to franchising went successfully, but it required a lot of hard work. With any new business venture, you need to set realistic goals that you can actually achieve. Owen advises people who find themselves in this position to set small targets for the first few months.
“With my financial plan in place, I had a target to reach every month. I kept the target low and achievable at the start. Every month when I hit that target, I felt so good. So, I began upping the target by £50 or so, for a night out or little treat.
“I have spoken to a number of people who start a new business with unrealistic targets for their first few months. When they don’t meet these high targets, they start to lose confidence and enthusiasm for the business.”
As the business owner, you are the beating heart of your franchise. Owen highlights how important exceptional customer service is when it comes to operating a profitable business.
“When I’m in a customer’s house, I always think about the service I would want to receive as a customer.
“You have to become a good judge of character, as some customers want to sit and chat with you and others just want you to get on with the job as quickly and quietly as possible.”
Ovenclean is offering an attractive investment opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to start their own oven cleaning franchise unit. Owen provides the following advice if you are also considering the franchise route:
“Investing in a franchise requires a thorough thought process and lots of research. Go along to an Ovenclean open day and spend a day with an existing franchisee – I found this invaluable. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re happy to spend your day cleaning ovens then it is a really stress-free way to earn a decent wage with no redundancy fears!”
Don’t worry – you don’t need any previous experience in oven cleaning to be accepted onto the franchise programme. View its profile page for more details about the investment costs and training and support provided.
Becky Martin, Point Franchise ©
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