Summary of Operation
With more than 17 years of experience, ChipsAway is one of the most successful automotive franchises in the UK, and also a brand leader of the automotive paintwork repair market. Operating from fully equipped mobile workshops and CarCare Centres, ChipsAway specialists provide high quality, on-the-spot repairs to minor car bodywork damage, quickly and cost-effectively.
INITIAL INVESTMENT REQUIRED £29,995 + VAT
Mike Bruns joined ChipsAway, the UK’s leading automotive paintwork repair specialist almost seven years ago and says he’s been busy ever since.
“My launch was brilliant, I opened for business on my first day with £3,500 worth of business booked in, and it’s just grown and grown, largely through word of mouth recommendations from happy customers,” he says. “It’s got to a point now where I definitely need someone to help me, both in meeting increased demand for my services and in expanding my business further. My dad was the person who recommended ChipsAway to me when I first explored becoming self-employed, so it seems fitting that he is joining me now.”
When Mike’s father Danny was made redundant, he looked for an opportunity to invest his money in a successful business that would yield a good living. His son’s successful ChipsAway franchise seemed the obvious solution, providing Mike with the resource and support to expand, and offering Danny a chance to retrain and put his technical background to good use.
As a result, the pair are currently considering whether to invest initially in a second van or go straight for the option of opening a ChipsAway CarCare Centre (fixed-base workshop), which would enable them to process many more vehicles and take on additional employees as the business builds.
“Whichever way we go, I know we can expect maximum support from ChipsAway,” Mike declares. He says his life has changed immeasurably since he left his previous employment at a bank, he enjoys real job satisfaction and has reaped the financial rewards of his hard work too, enabling him to buy his first house and his first brand new car.
“I could tell from the outset that there was a strong potential market for ChipsAway,” Mike explains. “Cars are so many people’s pride and joy, and the volume of traffic means that paintwork constantly gets scratched and scuffed, so I knew there would be high demand. There’s a real ‘wow’ factor to a ChipsAway repair too, customers are delighted with the results and that’s a great feeling to have every day!”
He adds: “It’s really exciting with dad coming on board now, I know we’ve both got an even better future ahead – and I can’t wait.”
ChipsAway is the UK’s leading automotive paintwork repair franchise with around 350 specialists in operation nationwide, as well as a network of Master Franchise Owners overseas.
Based on unique technology, the ChipsAway system continues to dominate in the ‘on-the-spot’ repairs sector, removing scratches, bumps and scuffs to car paintwork on a same day basis, and at a fraction of the price of traditional body shop repair methods. With over 34 million vehicles on the road and up to 17 million minor damage repair opportunities every year, ChipsAway estimates that currently it serves only three per cent of its potential £2 billion marketplace.
Franchise owners initially operate from professionally liveried ChipsAway vehicles, customised into fully equipped mobile workshops, and have the opportunity to expand rapidly into a multi-van operation or CarCare Centre.
Written by Megan Dunmore