My franchise story: redundancy victim - twice in three years

“I’d always had a dream to run my own business and the increasingly tough times in the print industry, where I worked previously, persuaded me to take the leap now rather than seek another job and possibly face redundancy again,” says Andy Cornell

Andy Cornell says he’s been busy since day one of launching his business and is never less than fully booked four weeks ahead.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with the way my new business is going,” says Andy, a former sales and marketing director who has suffered redundancy twice in three years. “I’d always had a dream to run my own business and the increasingly tough times in the print industry, where I worked previously, persuaded me to take the leap now rather than seek another job and possibly face redundancy again.”

High quality
Andy already knew a ChipsAway franchisee and had also had a ChipsAway repair himself, so the UK’s leading automotive paintwork repair brand seemed a pretty good place to start. He had experienced the high quality of the ChipsAway service and understood the earning potential and opportunity for expansion the franchise offered.

However, before contacting ChipsAway he took time to research a variety of alternative options, from food to retail, as well as other automotive franchises, but finally decided that joining ChipsAway was the right move for him.

“I wanted something flexible, that was not massively expensive and which had the potential for growth,” he explains. “ChipsAway seemed to fit the bill and has proved to be everything I’d hoped for. It does what it says on the tin and if you follow the business model you can’t go wrong.”

According to Andy, the training and support he has received has been superb and he says his professionally organised launch weekend couldn’t have gone any better. “I’ve been busy since my first day,” Andy confirms. “I earned very good money as a company director and I calculate that within 12 months I will be making at least the same money, with potential to earn considerably more. Now all I need to decide is which will be the best way forward for me – whether to expand through the mobile route and invest in more vehicles and a team of staff or instead open a ChipsAway CarCare Centre [fixed base workshop].

“I’ve had terrific support from ChipsAway from the outset and I know that whichever option I choose I can count on the experience, enthusiasm and advice of the management team to help me build my business and achieve the long-term success I’m aiming for.”

Specialists
ChipsAway has around 350 specialists in operation nationwide, as well as a network of master franchisors overseas. Based on unique technology, the ChipsAway system continues to dominate in the ‘on the spot’ repairs sector, removing scratches, bumper scuffs and kerbed alloy wheels on a same-day basis and usually at a fraction of the price of traditional body shop repair methods.

Franchisees operate from professionally liveried ChipsAway vehicles, customised into fully equipped mobile workshops, with the opportunity to expand rapidly into a major management franchise with multiple vehicles, territories and CarCare Centres.

With over 34 million vehicles on the road and up to 22 million minor damage repair opportunities every year, ChipsAway estimates that currently it serves only three per cent of its potential marketplace.

At a glance ChipsAway International

Established: 1994
Number of franchised outlets: 200+
Location of units: nationwide
Investment range: £29,995 +VAT
Minimum required capital: £15,000 +VAT
Contact: Laura Booth – Laura@franchisebrands.co.uk