Having come into CeX franchise ownership on the back of a career in the mobile repair business, the new venture was something of a logical progression and continuation for Huseyin Nurhakli. Yet with the company’s help and a comprehensive training package, he was impressed by how smooth the transition was.
He explains: “In total I have received over 400 hours of training. Starting with an initial induction and a three-day store experience. From there I completed my basic training in store as sales assistant then went on to running a store as a supervisor which concluded with managers training. In-between this, I attended various courses at the head office in London, one of them being ‘train the trainer’, which I found very useful when training my own staff.”
Franchise ownership always appealed to Huseyin as an opportunity to be his own boss, working in his own style while enjoying the benefits of a proven business model that provided guidance and an overall template to minimise risk.
Having read about the business in this publication, CeX ticked all his criteria as a large organisation in an industry that he was knowledgeable about, and enjoyed being part of, and of course, one that promises good financial returns if you are prepared to put the hours in.
Huseyin comments: “I wanted to be part of a large organisation that I had a passion for but without taking a huge risk. CeX’s rapid growth in a short amount of time assured me of its success.”
It is a success that has already been replicated in his own Tonbridge store, even in the early days. After completing a busy first week of trading, the customer response leads CeX’s latest franchise owner to believe that strng results are a target well within reach.
Having received such robust training, the new owner felt confident in his ability to effectively run his store on opening day, with the added reassurance that additional support tools were available when necessary through CeX’s internal sites.
Aside from online support, human guidance was equally appreciated, and Huseyin remains impressed by the commitment of the CeX team to helping owners perform as strongly as possible.
“The support has been excellent,” he comments. “Everybody cannot do enough to assist, from my Franchise Manager, to the Operations Manager and all the support team. Everyone is a phone call away whenever I need them. In particular, my Franchise Manager helping with every aspect gave me the free time to concentrate on my training and development.”
While Huseyin has enjoyed all aspects of business ownership, as a ‘people-person’, the most rewarding factor of his store has been the opportunity to motivate his staff and see them enjoy their work as much as he does himself. Being his own boss also affords him the freedom to do other tasks required elsewhere, as CeX’s powerful tools are available for him to keep track of performance even if he is not personally in-store.
While it is still early days, Huseyin is enjoying the experience, and confident enough to look ahead to a time when significant expansion becomes a possibility. He concludes: “Becoming a franchise owner is everything I expected and much more; it feels good to be a part of CeX. I hope to be a multiple store owner, maybe four more stores in the next six years, and I would be interested in opening a branch in one of CeX’s other territories.”