There are many reasons people procrastinate over opening their own business. Some believe they lack the necessary experience to operate their own enterprise, some don’t have the finances available to make the jump, while others believe that their background and work experience has shut the door on them even being given the opportunity. Well, Revive! are here to tell you that’s not true!
We have previously covered the diversity of our franchisees’ prior careers before joining the Revive! Network. (Click here to read that article) But some of our franchisees have a background that has provided them with unique skills that can set them apart from other business owners, even give them an advantage in some cases. Having on the ground experience provided by a previous position can give you a significant head start that your competitors could take years to catch up to.
Revive! Northampton – Iain Wallis
Revive! Northampton owner, Iain Wallis was a quick learner when he first picked up a spray gun, so much so that he quickly found himself as the Training Manager at Revive! Head Office. When he took sole ownership of the Northampton franchise in 2020 after buying out the previous owner, Iain worked hard to develop his teams skills, turning them into paint perfectionists worthy of the Revive! Northampton name. It was the team management skills and training expertise that Iain perfected as training manager that has taken the Northampton territory from strength to strength guiding the business into the £1m turnover club in 2023.
Revive! Birmingham North – Paul Morris
Paul Morris started his automotive career in bodyshops, it is this hands-on experience that gives him an advantage over his competition. Paul is uniquely equipped to understand the repairs his customers bring him and explain the repair process to them. He also has the ability to recognise specific technician’s mindsets and perceive the unique problems and pain points from a technicians point of view. With a growing family to support and an ambition to be his own boss, when the opportunity to buy Revive! Birmingham North came up Paul jumped at the chance.
Paul’s experience as a technician helped him quickly transition to his new role as business owner. Revive! Birmingham North celebrated their fifth anniversary last year and is looking to continue expanding and growing to ensure the entire territory can benefit from Revive!’s services.
Revive! Southampton – Ian Stewart
For Ian Stewart of Revive! Southampton it wasn’t just transferable skills he brought to his new operation back in 2018, but family ties also. Having previously been a part of different franchising operation with his father Ian was very familiar with the process and quickly made a mark in his new venture. “I ran a Service Master franchise with my father, so I knew how franchising worked. It made sense to find an interesting proven business model that I could buy in to and then hit the ground running,” Commented Ian.
Both of Ian’s sons quickly joined the business as technicians and the family unit went from strength to strength. Being so familiar with one another could have led to tension between the trip, but on the contrary for Ian and his sons, the dynamic works perfectly and the trio have high hopes for the future. Whilst the family is close, they have never lived in each other’s pockets and the brothers have always got on well together. The deep understanding between them means that they have slipped naturally into their roles within the business. Said Ian: “My younger son Chris is more technical and hands on, whilst Ian, the eldest, with his retail management experience, is more customer focussed and good at marketing and social media.
Revive! Stockport – Martin Jones
It’s not just skills learned on the job that can bring an advantage when starting your own business, life experience can bring its own advantages. How well you know your territory can be a key point why some businesses succeed and others fail. If you’ve spent your whole life growing up in your territory it gives you a unique perspective that can’t be replicated. This was certainly the case for Revive! Stockport owner Martin Jones, who was born in the territory and knew the area like the back of his hand.
This gave Martin the ability to immediately connect with local dealerships and quickly build a relationship with them. Similar with his retail customers, it was his local knowledge that helped Martin appear as a friendly local business, rather than a larger chain enterprise ran by an outsider who couldn’t relate to them on a personal level. Revive! Stockport gave Martin the chance to not only run his own business but to do it in a community he has been a part of since he was born.
Revive! have a broad range of franchisees within the network, all coming from varied backgrounds and experience levels. While some are seasoned veterans of the franchising world, others are complete novices. As a management franchise, your role as a Revive! franchisee will involve building a strong team, looking after customers and ensuring that your team deliver outstanding customer service. Revive! is open to all experience levels and provides the necessary training to put you in a position to succeed.
For more information about franchise opportunities in your area please get in touch with our team here: revivefranchise.com/contact-us/
Follow Revive! on our social media here: instagram.com/reviveukltd/
