What does it take to make it as a franchisee?

Business owner Russell Hudson of Revive!

There are many different characteristics that go into making a successful franchisee, and there is no perfect recipe to guarantee success. With over 50 franchisees across the UK we have a wide variety of people from all different backgrounds representing the brand and building their businesses. Some are new to franchising, some are seasoned veterans, some have a history in the automotive industry, others have experience across the business landscape. We even have some franchisees that bring a military background to the Revive! network, all our franchisees are pushing to establish themselves as the go to SMART repairer in their territory. However, there are a number of trends throughout our franchisees that shows what it takes to make it in the Revive! world.

Adaptability

One of the key characteristics of our successful franchisees is their ability to adapt when necessary. A leading aspect of being a franchisee is to listen to the advice of head office and change your approach accordingly. Nat and Dan from Revive! Trafford initially were heavily invested in the day to day running of their business and had little time to take on the advice of head office or even attend meetings. But once Revive! pushed them to change, Nat comments, “it made a massive difference to our growth and pushed us towards better business planning”.

It wasn’t just Revive! Trafford that realised they needed to change early on in their franchisee experience, Jay Belam of Revive! Surrey had come from a military background and soon realised that he should adapt his leadership style to get the best out of his technicians and employees. This softer approach soon led to Surrey becoming one of Revive!’s most successful franchisees.

Eager to grow and develop

Revive! is always helping its franchisee to grow their business and develop their sales opportunities and is always on hand to assist with recruiting and training new technicians. However it’s exciting to see a new franchisee come along with ambitious growth plans. Liam McBride from Revive! Bolton initially started his career in the construction industry, however after deciding to follow his passion for cars, he was drawn to Revive! His eagerness to grow and develop his business has led him to building his team and maximising the opportunities his territory has presented him at a fast pace.

There are also franchisees who with the help of Revive! have built themselves up from the ground to keep climbing the ranks of the business world. Iain of Revive! Northampton for example started out as a Revive! technician, before gradually working his way up to being a partner in the business and eventually buying the Northampton territory in 2016. Iain has since moved into full time management in 2019 and joined the £1m club in 2023.

Confidence dealing with people

It’s not essential to be the most confident person in the room, but it helps! Franchisees who are always eager to chat to others and discuss their businesses can be a valuable asset, their confidence and friendliness often translates into premium customer service levels. One of Revive!’s key values is Outstanding Customer Service, we believe that providing this service is vital to Revive!’s success. So, delivering a smooth, reliable and convenient customer experience has always been our top priority. Being a people person with the confidence to approach customers and sell your services to them not only helps to develop your business but also promotes word of mouth referrals. People skills also help you to build a strong team with your technicians, building up a great reputation locally.

Passionate

It is normal when entering into a franchise relationship that you will face numerous interviews and questions to make sure you are the right person to successfully run a business. Revive! repeatedly interview and vet our potential franchisees, not only see if they have the skills and abilities to run a SMART repair business, but to see if they have the passion and heart to run a Revive! franchise. We value our brand and our people above all else and we expect the same from our franchisees. We are united with one simple and shared purpose – to be the best at what we do. We believe we are the best because we truly care about our customers, our employees, and our franchise owners, it’s why Unity stands as one of our core values. Revive! are always looking for new franchisees who want to represent Revive!, who care about the brand and are willing to shout about our services to anyone who’ll listen.

Team player

As mentioned above, one of Revive!’s core values is Unity, which stands for us as a company being united with one simple and shared purpose – to be the best at what we do. [CH1] We expect our franchisees to also subscribe to our values and represent our company with pride. All of our franchisees no matter their level of development have the full support of Revive! head office, who are always on hand to help tackle any issues and help plan for future development. Revive! franchisees also have the support of each other. Often at our national conference, newer franchisees will chat with their more established counterparts and discuss the progression and development of their business, with successful franchisees offering tips and assistance to their fellow franchisees.

John of Revive! Worcester and Liam of Revive! Bolton have both been chatting with the members behind Revive! East Anglia, one of our most successful franchisees to help them understand the methods and opportunities the business has used to become so successful after many years of franchise ownership. Nathan, Adam and Andy of East Anglia are tremendous examples of Revive! franchisees, always eager to offer advice or answer questions from other franchisees and still have the time to lead from the front and represent the Revive! brand.

For more information about franchise opportunities in your area please get in touch with our team here: revivefranchise.com/contact-us/

Keep an eye on the latest news from Revive! on our socials here: facebook.com/reviveukltd