Prior to opening his first CeX store in Douglas, near Cork, Ireland, Kevin O’Reilly was self-employed earning a living working on his own website, making gaming and technology videos, but was on the look out for a new opportunity for him to explore. “I was looking for a new business venture and was on the lookout for something that I would like to be involved with. I wasn’t only looking for franchises but, when I found out that I could own a CeX franchise, I got on board with the idea very quickly,” Kevin describes.
Kevin wanted a business that could offer excellent profit margins and strong franchisor support and, needless to say, CeX offered all. “For me a franchise would have to be worth the investment needed to use their brand and structure, so something that is well structured, established and a proven business model is important. The success rate of all the CeX stores was a huge motivator for me.”
After making clear his ambitions to become a CeX franchise owner, Kevin went through thorough training, which involved many hours in store: “I did about three months training in different stores; sales assistant and supervisor training” Kevin explains.
For any franchise owner to be successful, it’s vital that the support they receive from their franchisor does not end when they start their operation and Kevin was keen to clarify this point. “I received a lot of support from my Franchise Manager. I would contact him constantly and he always responded very quickly and was always there to help. I also got a lot of support from my Operations Manager and CeX staff around the country. I couldn’t have done it without them.” Kevin continues; “The support for me was essential as I had not done anything even similar to this before; everything from getting my training to looking at retail units was very valuable to me. They sound easy on paper but doing them is a whole other story and having people who know what they are doing is great.”
What is it about the CeX career that inspires Kevin to get up every day: “I just love dealing with the public, my staff and the various challenges. It’s an ideal situation for me and I am loving it.”
With CeX actively encouraging their franchise owners to expand upon their first store successes by opening more stores, with many franchise owners owning upwards of two units, it would seem Kevin already has a firm eye on the future. “I would love to open another store when this one is established.”
Kevin concludes by telling us what sort of person a CeX franchise would suit: “Someone who enjoys dealing with the public and has an interest in the product line. I think with a franchise it is also important that you are open to CeX’s advice and listen to what they say. At the end of the day, they know what they are doing.”