Not that he's working any fewer hours as a ChipsAway franchisee, but Lee Chaplin determines his own work schedule, loves doing what he does and best of all, he is earning significantly more now than he did as a courier!

"I moved to London and sort of fell into courier work," Lee explains. "It is easy to get a job and it's instant money. I worked for a number of companies then set up on my own, but it didn't get any better - if anything it was a downward spiral. The traffic was terrible and getting worse, the running costs were increasing with the introduction of congestion charges and higher insurance premiums, and I was just feeling trapped, unhappy and broke!"

Lee says that the ChipsAway franchise "leapt out" at him when he started to look at franchising, leading him to attend an Open Day, where he saw the unique ChipsAway SMART (Small and Medium Area Repair Technology) system in action. "I realised as the day progressed that this was something that was fun to do, offered real job satisfaction and, with a huge market potential, I could make good money too," he recalls.

Lee's training commenced last October and his ChipsAway business was launched the first weekend of November, generating about a month's booked work. "I was flat out from day one," he remarks. "I have been flat out ever since and the work just keeps flowing in."

ChipsAway developed and introduced the concept of SMART repairs to the UK. The unique technology enables franchisees to make invisible repairs to minor scratches, bumps and scuffs to car bodywork, quickly and cost-effectively restoring vehicles to factory finish standard in a matter of hours.

Franchisees operate either from ChipsAway CarCare Centres or from specially customised vehicles fitted with fully equipped mobile workshops. The quality, value and convenience of the ChipsAway SMART repair service has made the company number one in the marketplace, with over 350 franchisees across the UK and a network of Master Franchisees worldwide.

The biggest gain for Lee has been in quality of life. Now he has the flexibility to work around his family commitments - and his passion for cycling. "It's not so much that I have more time - I work Saturdays now to fit in all the repairs I have booked whereas I avoided working weekends before because I hated my job so much," he explains. "But I can plan my life and now I have the energy and positive outlook to enjoy everything so much more. My wife and friends can't believe how much happier I am since I made the change to ChipsAway!"

What makes the ChipsAway franchise different from others?

ChipsAway International is the world's leading SMART (Small and Medium Area Repair Technology) repair specialist, providing perfect repairs to car paintwork on a same-day basis and at around half the price of a traditional body shop.

So, with almost 30 million cars on the road in the UK and rapidly rising demand for repairs to minor bumps, scuffs and scratches, it's no wonder ChipsAway franchisees have full order books for weeks ahead and start to make money from week one.

• Unique paint repair system
• World leading brand
• Proven unfulfilled demand
• Massive market potential - 30 million vehicles
• Personalised training and support package
• Unlimited earning potential
• Rapid return on investment

ChipsAway - not your normal 9-5

At ChipsAway International, we believe that life's too short to be miserable. Our franchisees think so too.They've left the world of nine-to-five, have the freedom to live life to the max, and are earning great money doing something they love.

Our customers love ChipsAway too.That's why they recommend us to their friends, and why ChipsAway franchisees are never short of work.

If you like the good things in life, you'll love ChipsAway. Find out more at one of our free no-obligation Open Days.