CeX franchise owner's perfect mix of work and family life

\"Once you get a store established and it is running successfully, there is nothing stopping you opening another\"

Zuber, who owns stores in Huddersfield and Dewsbury and is about to launch a third in Barnsley, chose to become part of the Complete entertainment eXchange (CeX) network when the lease for a newsagent he was running in Leeds expired.

"I was left wondering: 'What do I do now?'

"I saw how busy the Leeds store always was and the option for Huddersfield became available."Zuber opened that first store in 2008 and such was its success, a second store in Dewsbury, where Zuber lives, opened one year later.

"The CeX concept is amazingly self-sufficient as it doesn't have to rely on brand new stock," explains Zuber. "People always want the latest games and gadgets and if they can trade in their old stuff, then it is a win-win situation for them and us.

"What's more, the demand for this kind of business will always be there as games and gadgets are constantly changing."

Zuber also explains that another key to the CeX franchising success story is the company's Epos computer system which monitors all the stock at each store so it can be transferred between stores and let franchise owners know which titles are selling well and which aren't.

CeX actively encourages its franchise owners to expand, which Zuber has embraced, averaging a new store every year.

"Once you get a store established and it is running successfully, there is nothing stopping you opening another," explains Zuber. "However, I found that having a good manager is the key to success and I am very lucky in that I have brilliant staff upon who I can totally rely on."

Such staff loyalty and being his own boss has also enabled Zuber to have a very healthy work/family balance.

"Last year my wife and I adopted a little boy and little girl and then had a baby daughter a few months after. Being my own boss meant I could give myself extended paternity leave while also being able to look after the paperwork at home and entrust the running of the store to the managers," says Zuber, whose brother Zakir is also a CeX franchise owner in Bridlington.

Reported by Fraser McKay