Posted:26-April-2023
Filta franchisee with 30 years' franchise experience is building multi-van operation
With over 30 years’ experience in franchising as both franchisee and franchisor, there is not much that David Fox doesn’t know about running a franchise business. Having only joined Filta Environmental in July 2022 as the franchisee for Oxfordshire, David has already taken on a technician to work alongside him and is on the lookout for second. David talks more about his franchise journey with Filta.
Why did you choose to Filta Environmental? How has the industry since you first joined it?
I was looking for a business that is protected from obsolescence, there will always be commercial kitchens which require specialist cleaning. Even though the areas we cover may change in the future there isn’t any imminent likelihood that fryers will be replaced by an alternative method of cooking and regulations regarding eco-friendly solutions and environmental improvements will only get stricter.
What attracted you to a career in franchising?
I have been involved in franchising through the majority of my working life, both as a franchisee and as a franchisor. The statistics speak for themselves regarding failure and success rates. 90% of start-ups fail and only 1% of franchisees fail each year. It is also a very cost-effective way of starting a business, avoiding setting up marketing, websites, suppliers etc.
What makes Filta a great business to work for?
It is currently going through big changes to the master franchise set up, the actual trading model remains similar. This gives me an opportunity to be part of that change and to have input. The people involved in helping setup a business and, moving forward, working with on a regular basis are what makes a significant difference. Everybody is extremely helpful and wants you to succeed.
What sets Filta apart from its competitors?
On the FiltaFry side of the business there really is no competition. The filtration machine is exclusive to Filta.
Having the ability to cover National accounts means that very few others can compete for the more prestigious, large accounts such as McDonald’s, KFC, Greggs etc on the FiltaFog (Fats, Oils and Grease) side of the business.
Why would you recommend Filta to potential franchisees?
The business model is based on regular, repeat business in a simple and easy to learn arena.
They have access to National Accounts which would never be achievable on your own.
CRM and business reporting systems are all in place. This makes a huge difference to those without business experience.
It gives you an opportunity to build a management-based business which will have a good sale value when you decide it’s time to sell.
What were you doing before becoming a franchisee?
I was working as a management consultant running a retail kitchen installation franchise for the previous 3 years. Prior to that I have been involved in a mortgage broking franchise for over 20 years, both as a franchisee and franchisor and for 10 years both at the same time!
What kind of training and support did you receive?
The training is based on the individual’s needs and experience but will cover specific areas such as initial office-based training covering Health & Safety, CRM systems, customer acquisition.
Following on from that then it is working with an experienced franchisees to gain practical experience. I never intended to clean fryers or grease traps for any length of time but it’s essential to know how to do so if you are intending managing people who are employed to do so.
What has been your biggest achievement since becoming a franchisee?
Reaching the point of taking on my first engineer within 3 months of starting and then looking for a second after 6 months. I am absolutely certain that this wouldn’t have been possible with a standard start-up.
What has been your biggest challenge since becoming a franchisee? What did you learn from that experience?
I always knew that recruitment of staff was going to be the most challenging element, and it has been. Finding good people at the right salary is always difficult. Making contact with them is the issue. What I would suggest is being open-minded about where you can make that contact, look locally, social media has been the best, and cheapest, method for me.
What surprised you the most about becoming a franchisee? Was it all that you expected it to be?
Having been involved in franchising for more than 30 years there aren’t a lot of surprises left! I was surprised by how well received we were when approaching previous customers to reinstate our services following a break during the Covid-19 pandemic.
How do you plan to develop and grow your business? What are your primary business goals in both the near- and long-term?
Now I have reached the point of having a FiltaFry van and a FiltaFog van on the road I shall consolidate for the next few months to fill their days up as they become more experienced in their respective roles. It’s important not to swamp them until they become proficient and used to the different types of customers.
My goals are very specific to me as I shall be building the business to a certain level and will then look to recruit a manager to take over the day-to-day running of the van so that I can semi-retire. This person will also be expected to cover holidays and sickness periods so will probably come from within the business as a way of progressing. I want to be known in Oxfordshire as the only place to go to for fryer and FOG management services.
What three (3) bits of advice would you give to new franchisees – either in the same franchise business as you and/or as it relates to franchising, in general?
Do your homework. Make sure that the franchise you are looking at will help you achieve your dreams. It’s not like taking a job that you can then move on from if you don’t like it. It’s a huge commitment and usually life changing. You must have your family’s backing and support, make sure they are involved in the decision-making process.
Speak to as many existing franchisees as possible, good and bad news is needed to make an educated decision.
It’s a two-way street, don’t expect everything to be handed to you on a plate by the franchisor. It will be hard work and there will be difficult days. Being part of a franchise means there’s always people to speak to, especially other franchisees who will be happy to help and advise.
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisor-franchisee relationship?
Mutual respect is key to any business/franchise relationship along with wanting to work together to achieve a common goal. It’s not always about a quick win, you need to look at the next 5 years and what you want to achieve.
When you’re not busy growing your business, what do you do for fun?
We’ve been renovating a house in France for the last 3 years and have thoroughly enjoyed, it might not be classed as fun!
My lifetime passion has been anything with an engine!
Interested and want to know more about Filta Environmental?
The Filta Environmental profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
