“I feel like I can be myself again”

For Tony Rivenell, joining a franchise was the perfect opportunity to bounce back from redundancy

Whether it is by choice or just circumstances, there comes a time in your life when you need to make a serious decision about the next stage of your career. When that happens, you will want to be sure you are choosing the right opportunity. For husband-and-wife team, Tony and Rebecca Rivenell, a Granite & TREND Transformations franchise was exactly what they needed to take back control of their lives.

Whatever your background or experience, you’ve probably thought about becoming your own boss at one time or another. Tony and Rebecca had already achieved this goal by running their own design business for many years, as well as a successful e-commerce business. When their daughter was born, Rebecca became a full-time mother and Tony sold his business to move into a more stable corporate position.

It was during his time working as a marketing manager for a leading building merchants that Tony was first introduced to the concept of franchising. He says: “The company was basically run as a franchise and that was the first time I had really come into contact with the idea. I soon came to realise that they were a really good thing and I had not had that opinion before. The job also rekindled my love of all things related to kitchen and bathroom design!”

However, unlike Granite & TREND Transformations, Tony’s employers were very hard hit by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and he was forced to accept a redundancy package. Fortunately, Tony was able to see this as an opportunity to move back into self-employment by investing the redundancy money into his own franchise.

With Tony wanting to do his “own thing again” and Rebecca deciding to get back into the workforce, the couple sought out the best franchise opportunity they could.

“I first encountered Granite & TREND Transformations when I renovated my own kitchen several years ago. I decided to completely rip out the kitchen, not a makeover, but ended up regretting it when I realised how painful the demolition process was! So, for a long time after that, the Granite & TREND Transformations makeover idea was in the back of my mind and I was thinking ‘Hey, these Granite people – have a pretty smart concept!’

“After looking at all the pain and upheaval that people normally go through with their full refits and all the feedback from customers and suppliers about the need for a greener alternative, I realised that Granite & TREND Transformations had the answer to all these challenges,” says Tony.

Many Granite & TREND Transformations franchisees operate their showrooms in garden centres or other similar shopping outlets, with their workshops located on a separate site. These have proven to be fantastic locations for targeting exactly the right kinds of customers.

Tony and Rebecca’s franchise in Milton Keynes, however, is an all-in-one operation that provides a complete service for their customers. Since they joined the franchise and began their training back in August 2020, they have kept up the momentum by starting their marketing immediately, making their first sale by the end of September and opening their showroom in mid-November.

Starting a new business during a global pandemic might seem like a risky venture for those not already familiar with Granite & TREND Transformations but business is booming for the kitchen and bathroom industry. 2020 was one of the brand’s busiest years on record with an impressive 100 per cent increase in lead generation.

Granite & TREND Transformations also offers one of the most comprehensive training and support packages available for any franchise opportunity in the UK. With the backing of its team of industry experts, it is able to give its franchise partners a thorough grounding in everything they need to know and make sure they are prepared for whatever happens.

Tony says: “Granite & TREND just get it. They bent over backwards to do what they could when they could, to give us everything we needed. They even helped us get the funding for leasing which we needed. Everyone at head office is awesome – they all genuinely want the best for their franchisees. I have nothing but positive feelings towards Danny and his team. I am really glad we went down this route.

“My only advice to other franchisees would be to start hiring people early and get your team trained up as soon as possible. Things start happening very fast when you join Granite & TREND Transformations!”