Talented film and TV animator Richard Dexter decided to make a radical life change three years ago, leaving his successful career to invest in a ChipsAway franchise. As Richard’s reputation as an animator grew, his work was constantly taking him away from his family and had even begun to affect his health.
“I was tired of working on computers and travelling to London or overseas,” he explains. “Also, I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, so I took the plunge and started to look at different franchise options.”
Richard likes cars and was keen to replace his desk-bound job with working outdoors, so leading automotive paintwork repair brand ChipsAway immediately appealed. Having attended the company’s informal Open Day to find out more, he and his wife Emma found themselves impressed with the professionalism of the ChipsAway team and joined the network soon after.
“Our launch weekend went really well,” Richard confirms. “We did estimates for around 60 customers with a total value in excess of £9,000 and booked a further 31 jobs worth over £5,000.”
Now into their fourth year, they are pleased to note that over half of their business comes from word of mouth or repeat custom.
“About a third of our leads still say they found us via Google, so the work done by head office in keeping us up at the top of the page on Google searches is also a key factor in generating new business, as are the national TV commercials, which currently generate approximately 20 per cent of our new business,” Richard explains.
Richard now also helps out at Open Days, which he really enjoys and says he has absolutely no regrets about becoming a ChipsAway franchise owner!
“As well as being able to spend more time with my family, I am also fitter and happier! I enjoy working outdoors, I have no ‘office politics’ to deal with, I get a great deal of satisfaction from completing a good repair and being physically active suits me better than being stuck at a desk. I just wish I had done this 20 years ago,” concludes Richard.