One such person is Malcolm Jones of Redditch who, as one of the first SITB franchisees, is also celebrating 10 years in the business.

Before SITB, Malcolm worked in his family retail business, but when this was sold he took a few months to have a close look at his options with an open mind. "From reading The Franchise Magazine I started to learn about SITB and the more I found out, the more I believed that this would be the opportunity I was looking for," reveals Malcolm. "The business has a simple premise - selling a product that everybody likes - with the advantage of having an association with the universally recognisable Cadbury brand."

Casting his mind back, Malcolm recalls that the training he received was exactly what he hoped. Alongside being taught the practicalities of running a business the training also let him experience a hands-on role in the business: "I was allowed to work alongside another franchisee which gave me a great idea of what the business would be like for me. From the start, SITB was friendly, open and eager to help. I found it a great introduction to the business."

One of the major appeals of the business, says Malcolm, is that SITB sets you up with your first 150 customers meaning there is a potential to earn from week one. Since then Malcolm reports that he's been able to steadily grow the business to a level that he finds manageable: "I always wanted to run a single van business and SITB has enabled me to do this. However, the great thing is that SITB lets you grow your business to any level you like. If you want to invest in more vans and take on employees, then the opportunity is always there. With SITB you're able to tailor the business to the size of your ambitions."

In terms of support, Malcolm reveals that SITB have been excellent: "It's an easy to run business and I've never had any major problems but when I do ask for advice, the backup is always there. I've found running my SITB business to be enjoyable and stress free. Most importantly it gives me the freedom to manage my own time. A decade in, I haven't looked back."

Realising their Dream!

Investing in a Snack-in-the-Box (SITB) franchise proved the key to Susan and Keith Denwood realising their dream of working together. "I was a head chef and my husband was a lorry driver," explains Susan. "Our jobs meant that we didn't spend as much time together as we'd have liked and we realised that the answer was to work for ourselves."

Understanding the risks involved in starting their own independent business, the Denwoods focused their attentions towards franchising. Quitting their jobs, they felt that a franchise would be a safer and more secure route to self-employment and, through months of research, came across a handful of opportunities that appealed to them.

It was the association with the Cadbury brand that held the Denwoods' interest in SITB, says Susan. "We thought this was a great boost to a business. The more we learned about the business, the more it appealed. It soon became apparent that this would be the business for us."

Buying the Bradford business as a re-sale, the Denwoods benefited from inheriting a number of customers from day one - but did not rest on their laurels. "It helped us get on our feet but we used what we learned in SITB's excellent training programme to canvas for new business and expand our customer base. One thing that we love about the franchise is the great flexibility it offers us. As there are no contracts for placing machines, we always have the ability to move those that are underperforming to sites that will potentially bring us more profits."

Approaching the end of year one in the business, Susan exudes enthusiasm for the support she still receives from SITB. "We've continued to receive great support," she reports. "This includes regular meetings and even a convention - there's a great network and everyone is willing to help, including other franchisees."

Planning to expand the business gradually over the next few years by investing in more vending machines, Susan says she can only see the business getting bigger and better. "It's a very pleasant job, we enjoy meeting new people every day and our lives have changed for the better," she enthuses. "We get to see so much more of each other, it's fantastic. We believe in what we're doing and are very happy doing it."