Posted:13-January-2021
Exclusive Interview: "In control of my life thanks to Barrett & Coe"
At Barrett & Coe, current franchisees come from all different career backgrounds. Previous roles our franchisees have had include Gill Alexander: an ex-dental nurse, Mark Adams: an ex-bodyguard and Bernie Ramsay: an ex-sales director. There really is no previous photography experience needed when you embark on the Barrett & Coe franchise experience.
And Andrew Ginger is a prime example of this too.
Before franchising…
Having worked in the security industry for the last twenty years, Andrew had no previous professional photography experience.
“Although I enjoyed amateur photography, opening a photography studio was very new to me!” explains Andrew.
Top quality training and support
Andrew describes how the amount of support given with Barrett & Coe was a deciding factor for him to go down the franchise route.
“I chose Barrett & Coe because of the training provided from highly experienced photographers amongst all the other support too. There was also a great deal of marketing provided by the franchisor allowing me to spend more time actually taking photographs”.
Andrew underwent a “fast-track franchise”, which gave him all the training and support he needed to become a professional photographer within three months. Click here to find out more information about the Barrett & Coe “fast-track franchise” route.
In addition to this, Andrew attended both the wedding and portrait training courses prior to starting the business. He explains how the training and support has been ongoing.
“Since joining Barrett & Coe, there have been training sessions and bi-monthly meetings where all franchisees and Barrett & Coe Head Office staff attend to discuss ideas to boost appointment numbers.”
The benefits of being part of a franchise network
Although Andrew has experienced all the everyday challenges any small business faces, he says:
“the difference between running a small business and working for a large employer is that the challenges you face can be controlled and solved by you, without having to rely on others”.
“The main change I found taking on a franchise, is that I am now in control of my life. Although the hours of work needed to succeed can be long, I control to a large extent how long these hours are and when. I can now spend time with my youngest child on some days after school and edit images in the late evening”.
Advice to prospective franchisees
Andrew’s main piece of advice to those wanting to take on a franchise is simple; don’t think it’s going to be easy.
He explains: “to succeed, you have to work at it like any other start-up business. The difference is that with a franchise you are not on your own and you can learn from mistakes others have made before you”.
To request our FREE and non-obligatory franchise prospectus, click here.
Interested and want to know more about Barrett and Coe Photography?
The Barrett and Coe Photography basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity
