“It really is brilliant, I love running my own business”

Initial Investment Required From £250,000 + VAT (£60,000 + VAT capital requirement)

Pre-school nurse, Hazel Linford, decided becoming her own boss would be the perfect way to beat the recession and obtain financial security and job satisfaction.

"When the recession hit there were huge job losses in the public sector and I didn’t want to be next on the chopping block, so becoming my own boss seemed like the most secure option,” explains Hazel. “I had worked in nursing since I left school so I wasn’t too sure what sort of business I wanted to start and knew I would need some guidance to get my business off the ground.”

Hazel and her partner Kevin Nurse thoroughly researched the UK franchise market to find a business that would suit their skills and ambition. While in Huddersfield, the pair visited a CeX store and they instantly knew the second-hand franchise was the exciting business opportunity they had been looking for.

“We just loved the concept of the business and the atmosphere in the store – the workers seemed happy to be there. We spoke to the store owner, Zuber Patel, who was so enthusiastic about the business and was more than happy to help us find out more about the franchise opportunity,” says Hazel.

With the help of a CeX Franchise Manager, Hazel and Kevin researched the Stockport area to find a suitable location for their CeX store. The pair also received excellent hands-on experience and product knowledge by working in Zuber’s two CeX stores in Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

“When we launched our store in September 2009, we felt more than ready to run our business successfully,” reveals Hazel. “A member of the CeX franchise team assisted us with the store launch and then stayed on for a few weeks to help us get to grips with the store accounts and administration systems, it really was a great help having that support.”

Hazel is enjoying every minute of being her own boss and owning a CeX franchise.

“It really is brilliant, I love running my own business,” enthuses Hazel.

“I’m a real people person, so I like to be out on the shopfloor meeting customers and learning about the products, while Kevin is out back dealing with the store accounts and admin.

“As well as having job satisfaction, running my own CeX franchise also provides me with great income. We achieved our first year’s financial target and we will easily exceed this next year.”

In the future, the pair plan to expand their retail portfolio by opening a second store and widening their customer base.

“With a CeX franchise I get job satisfaction and security, great income, and I am able to fit work around my little boy – it’s everything I wanted from a business.”

Reported by Tiffany Brooking