Posted:13-January-2021
Driver Hire franchisees show that research pays off
Name: David and Gina Quinn
Location: Chelmsford
Franchise: Driver Hire
David Quinn is no stranger to working in sales or in the transport sector - having previously worked as a General Manager for a commercial vehicle dealership - but that’s not necessarily why he chose to buy his Driver Hire recruitment franchise back in January 2006.
David and his wife Gina were primarily looking for a business they could run together and from which they could reap the rewards of their hard work. David recalls when looking for a franchise, “We wanted our own business – one where we could directly benefit from the effort we were putting in. We knew we would have to do some thorough research on all the franchise options available, but we wanted to make sure our final decision ticked all our boxes.”
“It’s important to look at yourself when choosing a franchise,” adds David. “Only you can make your business thrive, but with the help of a proven brand name, franchisor knowhow and a formula for success, your chances increase tenfold.”
Driver Hire did well to tick the boxes on David and Gina’s wish list. They were looking for a financially rewarding management franchise with scope for development, a proven and established brand, a thorough training scheme and comprehensive head office support.
Nationwide award winner
David and Gina decided to buy the Driver Hire franchise for Chelmsford and became part of a successful network which now consists of almost 100 offices nationwide. Providing recruitment services to the logistics sector, Driver Hire first started franchising back in 1987 and has been a finalist in the bfa’s ‘Franchisor of the Year’ Awards for the last seven years, winning outright in 2006.
The Driver Hire support package includes a two week intensive training programme; administrative functions such as invoicing and payroll; a bespoke IT system that takes care of bookings, candidate and customer records, and helps to ensure legislative compliance; a national accounts team that delivers centrally won business opportunities; a marketing team providing a steady stream of professional marketing resources; and a dedicated area development manager.
“I really valued the initial two week training course that Driver Hire provided before we were let loose,” comments David. “The dedication and willingness to help from my Area Development Manager and the head office team was second to none and still is, six years down the line. For me the research paid off and for anyone considering Driver Hire, they are very open and will give you every opportunity to do that research.”
Financially rewarding
With six full years’ trading under their belt, David and Gina’s only regret is that they didn’t make their move to Driver Hire sooner. “Although trading conditions are tougher than when we started there are still plenty of opportunities to make money with Driver Hire,” comments Gina. “Persistence pays and in our case, we believe our customers like the fact that we are a strong husband and wife team and that they get to deal with the business owners on a daily basis. We’ve worked hard and always make use of the professional sales and marketing resources that head office create. They’re vital in keeping a dialogue with our customers and the quality is second to none.”
Driver Hire Chelmsford has now achieved sales of over £1m for the second year in a row. Their dedication to their customers and candidates embodies the Driver Hire spirit and in January 2012 David and Gina’s efforts were recognised and rewarded when they were presented with the ‘David Walter Salver’ award at the Driver Hire annual winter conference in Edinburgh.
David adds: “The biggest challenge in any business is growing it, but with Driver Hire we’ve achieved our aims of owning our own business and being in control of our own destiny. We’re not stopping yet. Being part of the Driver Hire network means we can access the tools and resources we need to keep growing, whilst the opportunity to compare against and mix with other franchisees keeps us both keen and motivated.”
Interested and want to know more about Driver Hire?
The Driver Hire basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity
