Posted:19-February-2024
Interview with Paul Wells, Just Shutters franchisee for Yorkshire
- Name: Paul & Lisa Wells
- Location: Yorkshire
- Franchise: Just Shutters
- Date launched the franchise: 5th April 2019
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Just Shutters franchise business?
I grew up in a warm, hugely supportive, and loving home. I went to college and then to university to study a BSc in Biology. However, university wasn’t for me – socially it was great, but the self-led studying part was something I was not ready for. I left university and went into the world of food retail, starting at the bottom as a store assistant – filling shelves and occasionally serving customers. I worked hard and rapidly got promoted. In my final employment, I was a General Manager and Regional Project Manager, meaning I would often leave my team to manage the store whilst running large regional projects.
From this employment I gained several skills that leant very well towards starting my own business.
During this time, I got married and had 2 daughters. I then got divorced and met Lisa, who already had a son. Lisa and I then had another daughter. All 4 of my daughters and my stepson are a huge part of my life, they are also a large part of me/we making the decision to leave the world of working for someone else.
Can you also tell us about the franchise you have bought?
We bought a franchise with Just Shutters, the UK’s largest independent retail Plantation Shutter specialist. We design and install internal shutters for homes and businesses.
We spent 2 years looking into my retail exit and looked at lots of different franchises. Our main aim was to find something that could be developed into an actual business, with a clear opportunity for growth and ongoing scale.
Why did you go down the franchise route? What made you choose your industry? And why a Just Shutters franchise?
The main why is simple. Leaving a £70k salary package along with the desire to be self employed meant franchising was a safer route, a route that gave an accelerated start, with support.
Choosing an industry wasn’t relevant, it was very much about the right business opportunity – one with a high value product, a product with future growth potential and something that could be a sustainable growing entity.
After looking at several different franchises we accidentally stumbled upon Just Shutters (on LinkedIn). We did some research into the window covering market and specifically shutters.
We then spoke with the Just Shutters team, then met them face to face. The rest is history : ))
How did you raise the finance?
A comprehensive business plan presented to parents. Hoping for some capital, allowing an approach to a lender. Parents offered the entire funds required – but with a hint of Dragons Den!
What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?
Fully comprehensive training in both the sales aspect and the installation aspect.
However, if anyone thinks they can just start something new with some training and that is that then they are very naive. Initial knowledge and a start point can be garnered from training, the real training comes from being there, doing the job / running the business.
I personally know this from my retail career – new starter training systems that cost a fortune to develop. Gave them some basic knowledge and skills. Only doing the job / role day in day out actually trained them.
I got excellent foundation knowledge, I then used that to really learn. I has become we as Lisa is fully involved now in the business.
Ongoing – We have a wonderful team of people to give advice, help and even big project support if required.
Almost 5 years in, we do not need to ask for help or support much. If we did need to, we know it would be there with a smile.
How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee
Happily, and brilliantly busy! Totally autonomous : )
With the confidence of excellent back up when / if needed.
Provide information on challenges overcome as well as your key successes to date.
Formed the company in 2019 – then COVID!
However, we class COVID as our most significant success. All competitors stopped advertising. We closed fully for the 9-week first lockdown but ramped up advertising. Once allowed back into the world we had a full diary of pricing/measuring remote sold projects.
Other challenges:
Going from a fixed and known monthly income to self-employed. That was really hard for the first 2 years – but worth it! (and educational, it made us appreciate what we had and who we had much more).
Successes:
Rapidly rising to the top turnover range of franchisees!
Growing from just myself as an employee to myself, Lisa and 2 employees.
Further to the above, Lisa being able to leave work to support the business but mainly be a mum at home for our large, combined family.
Being able to spend a full Christmas together – in retail I was always at it nonstop over the Christmas period, with only Christmas Day and Boxing Day at home.
Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?
Enormously!
Self-controlled destiny – both financially and in day to day life! But with someone there to help, pick you up when worried, to guide and support.
Working hard for your own reward is so very different to working hard for a wage / career progression!!
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
Good planning – financial growth plans, growing the team at the right time.
Remembering “why we started this”!
If you have staff, how do you retain your best staff and keep morale high and productive; how do you incentivise your staff and recognise success?
After 23 years in food retail, I could write a significant essay on this question!
It boils down to simple things:
- Pay them well (above the expectation in the locality)
- Ensure they have everything they need for every eventuality
- Trust and respect them to do a good job, give clear and constructive feedback when something could be done better.
- Understand that you can only achieve your goals with happy and loyal people around you
Can you tell us about any community involvement, including any local partnerships, incentives or charity work you are involved in?
Business wise we have affiliated with lots of interior designers, as well as other window covering companies that do not want to enter the shutters arena.
We also do charity sponsorship for small local charities, very much in our post code area. Currently talking to The Yorkshire Air Ambulance about how we can support them.
What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise?
- Look at the business as a whole, will it provide for you and your family?
- Does it have the potential to grow and scale?
- Could you retire and the business still exist with trained people running it?
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?
This is a hard one! Are you buying a job or are you buying a business!?
You have to be prepared to sacrifice somethings in the early days – graft, network, grow your brand, build reputation, be better than your competition. And quality of life due to having less money, what you bring in needs to be reinvested in marketing and growth.
- Total commitment
- Tenacity
- Integrity
- ENERGY!!
What are your plans for the future?
To keep growing. To have at least 1 of the 5 children wanting to get involved off their own back (so I can eventually retire, only 46 now so lots of time yet!
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
With complete honesty – nothing!
Interested and want to know more about Just Shutters ?
The Just Shutters profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
