“We’re keeping our drivers busy. It’s nice to find work more or less immediately for newly registered ones”

Running a Driver Hire franchise proved to be a good move for husband and wife business team Andy and Heidi Balmer

Andy and Heidi Balmer bought the Chester and North Wales Driver Hire franchise in 2020 and, despite a worldwide pandemic, they both agree it was a great decision.

“Our business is based in Flint’s old ambulance station, so you could say that customers only call us in an emergency,” says Heidi. Their customers have been doing plenty of that, as turnover has doubled compared to the same time last year.

What’s particularly interesting about Andy and Heidi’s success is, prior to buying the franchise, neither of them had any previous experience in recruitment or logistics. Heidi was a support worker, helping vulnerable adults. Andy’s background was in hospitality, most recently as a business development manager for a national contract caterer.

“We’re both really enjoying it,” says Andy. “In common with many successful Driver Hire franchisees we benefited from an intense two-week Driver Hire foundation course to learn about the business and the industry. That, along with Driver Hire’s proven business model, gave us the platform to get off to a great start. We’re getting a good mix of business from a wide range of industries across North Wales, Chester and parts of the Wirral.”

Heidi adds: “We’re keeping our drivers busy. It’s nice to find work more or less immediately for newly registered ones. For me, one of the best things was finding multi-drop work for a guy who’d been out of work for quite a while. His temporary job became permanent and he’s now training for his Cat C licence.”

Graham Duckworth, Driver Hire’s franchise sales director says: “Andy and Heidi are a perfect example of franchisees who came to us because they wanted a greater, more personal, reward for the hard work they put into their jobs. The pandemic has given a lot of people more time to consider their future; one that might mean becoming their own boss. Franchising is a perfect – and safer way – to do that. And, of course, reap the rewards.”