Before joining Swisher he looked carefully at all of the available possibilities. He recalls: "The first step was looking through many magazines and websites and seeing what kind of franchise package was attractive to me."

By spending time contacting and visiting a number of different franchises, Martin was able to narrow his choice down to a few opportunities. "I believe that this level of research is essential to anyone looking to invest in a franchise," he explains. "When researching Swisher, I spoke to the franchisees, which was very helpful in getting an idea of the actual work on a day-to-day basis."

Martin made his decision to invest in Swisher after checking that the franchise met his criteria. "The company is a Full Member of the BFA," Martin says. "I saw that Swisher is an established brand with a proven concept that had received significant recognition through the recent franchise awards it has won. My research told me that I would be investing in an opportunity that was proven, had potential and had a good track record. Swisher is moving in the direction I want to follow. With over two weeks of extensive training that was of great help in getting the business started, Swisher also provides me with good corporate backup and excellent support, as and when I need it."

After eight months of business, Martin is employing three people and steadily picking up new customers. Planning to diversify his customer base by servicing a number of markets, Martin is looking forward to growing his business as quickly and as steadily as possible.

"With hard work, the business has great potential," he reflects. "We have already gained annual contracts worth £100,000 and are looking to continue our excellent growth in the coming years."