Text: Megan Dunmore

The first franchisee in the Professional Car Cleaning (PCC) network to regularly achieve a turnover of over £1,000 per week, Matthew Baker is not surprised at his success after swapping his nine-to-five job as a Vodafone store manager for a new business with PCC. He loves his new lifestyle and is prepared to work hard reckoning that his commitment, together with a market leading service and the support of an experienced franchise specialist like the Myhome Group, creates an unbeatable combination. "After 35 years in retailing I wanted a total change of direction," he explains.

"I have always loved looking after my own cars and take pride in keeping them in top condition, so when I read about PCC, it seemed the perfect opportunity for me. I liked the straightforward nature of the business proposition and the fact that I would be out and about meeting new people. I have strong customer service and sales skills and felt that running my own PCC business would be a great way of using my experience, while completely changing career."

Less than two years later, Matthew is steaming ahead. He works hard, not only valeting cars but marketing his business to generate new customers. On the other hand, he admits that he works fewer hours and enjoys the flexibility that comes with being his own boss.

"I'm having a great time," he confirms. "I put a lot of effort into 'priming the pump' to make sure I have a continual flow of customers. I advertise and distribute leaflets, but a lot of my work comes from word of mouth recommendations. People are invariably really impressed by the quality of a PCC valet. Most want to re-book straight away and usually become regular customers. Others need a gentle push in the form of a reminder phone call after a few weeks, but everyone is really pleasant.

"In retailing I used to have to deal with customer complaints all the time - these days I never get customer complaints. It definitely makes for a happier working life!"

Matthew reports that he was busy from the outset. "There are other valeting companies on my patch, but there is more than enough business to go around and I have a definite edge," he reflects. "The PCC van is very visible with eye-catching livery. Also, I look smart and I'm a professional person. All those things, combined with the 'wow' factor of the valet itself, immediately attract attention and reassure people that I'm going to do a good job with their car. It's a question of meeting - or surpassing - expectations. People are prepared to pay good rates for a job well done."

Now in his second year of business, Matthew is certain that he has made the right decision. "It's fantastic to be your own boss," he concludes. "You can take pride in your own achievements and set your own targets. Already I'm ahead of my initial projections and I am confident that by the end of year two I will be earning between 30 and 40 per cent more than I did as a retail store manager."

PCC is a sister franchise to the highly successful ChipsAway International business. Operating from a smartly liveried and specially equipped VW, PCC franchisees provide professional car valeting services to a huge and currently under-serviced marketplace, using a comprehensive range of high quality products, developed exclusively for PCC. Potential customers include private individuals as well as corporate contracts, creating the opportunity for franchisees to build a regular, repeat order customer base and so enhancing the value of their investment.

The franchise for your future

Clean up with PCC, the franchise for your future and seize the opportunity to earn over £1000 a week. You will operate from a smartly liveried, fully equipped VW and provide professional valeting services, using a high quality product range, exclusive to PCC. Benefits include massive marketplace, proven demand, comprehensive training and support as well as access to the industry experience, high profile brand and established customer base of our group network. Call us now and discover a whole new future with Professional Car Cleaning.