George Griffiths could be described as an all-rounder. A qualified Accountant; he’s also got an Honours Degree in Chemistry. Originally from New Zealand, he settled in the UK and used his accountancy skills working for a number of motor dealerships. “I guess you could say that I had one redundancy too many,” says George. “That was when I decided it was time to work for myself.”
There’s no better advertising than a recommendation. And that’s what introduced George to both the idea of franchising and Driver Hire. One of his good friends was – and still is – Dave Quinn, owner of Driver Hire’s Chelmsford franchise. He suggested George take a look at Driver Hire. He liked what he saw – both at Driver Hire and franchising in general. “I looked at a number of other franchises, but settled on Driver Hire. The final decision, as much as anything else, came down to the fact that it was a people business. I wanted to get out of the accountant’s back office role and into the front line.”
In the end, George purchased a ‘turnaround’ situation. The franchise in Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich had been doing over £1m a year but when I looked at the business it was well down on this. I reckoned that if it had been there before, it was possible to get it back. In other words I saw plenty of potential.”
Working alongside his wife Jacqui and with two other members of staff, he’s certainly turned things around in a big way. During a strong summer 2009 performance, despite an unhelpful economy they achieved a record weekly turnover and the Bury-based business is now well on target to return to its former glories.
So, two years down the line, what does George reckon you need to make a success of a Driver Hire franchise? ”It can certainly be a demanding business - I once spent an awful lot of time finding a driver for a job that would only make about £15 profit. But it was a customer I wanted to do business with long-term, so I reckoned it was time well spent. I think a lot of the success is down to the individual franchisee’s desire and motivation. But I also have a lot of help from Driver Hire’s support staff, particularly in those early days when you really need it. Getting the right staff helps too, as does a good grasp of the numbers, so financially you know how you are doing. And, finally, you need to be a good relationship-builder; not afraid of talking to people, understanding their businesses and influencing their purchasing decisions.”
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