Hear real life franchisee stories at London Olympia franchise exhibition this March

whichfranchise is delighted to once again be sponsoring the ‘Real Franchise Stories’ panels, the next of which is at the British Franchise Exhibition in London Olympia on the 11th and 12th of March 2016.

At whichfranchise we are passionate about helping you to decide if franchising is right for you, so what better way to do this than hearing first-hand from real-life franchisees about their journey into franchising.

What is it really like to run a franchise? Has it changed their lives for the better? What might they have done differently with hind sight? Come along to the franchisee panels on each day of the exhibition and hear the answers to these and many other questions, as well as having the opportunity to pose your questions to franchisees.

Panelists at the forthcoming exhibition will include:

Theatre 1: Friday, 11th of March, 14.45 - 15.45

Theatre 1: Friday, 11th of March, 15.15 - 16.00

Theatre 1: Saturday, 12th of March, 13.00 - 13.45

Theatre 1: Saturday, 12th of March, 15.00 - 15.45

*Please note that the speakers may be subject to change.

Franchisee Speaker Biographies:

Right at Home - Alistair Shanks

Prior to becoming a Right at Home Franchisee, Alistair worked with Unilever where he spent some time working in Italy. He then returned to UK as he wanted to concentrate on running a family business, quickly realising that he wanted to work within the local community. Alistair decided that homecare was a very rewarding way do this, and joined the growing team of Right at Home local owner/operators in 2012 when he opened Right at Home Guildford and Farmham, and says it’s a hugely rewarding thing to be doing!

Driver Hire - Dave Graham

David Graham has worked in logistics since he was 17 years old. Gaining a degree in Logistics he worked his way up to Home Delivery Compliance Manager for B&Q – responsible for 13 depots across the UK. That’s when he came across Driver Hire; as a customer looking for a recruitment company he could rely upon. So when he then decided to look for a B2B management franchise opportunity he could grow and a franchisor he could trust it seemed the natural choic. David opened Driver Hire Teesside in May 2008 and is now self-employed and in control of his own destiny! David recently won the 2015 Driver Hire ‘Franchisee of the Year’ Award and in the financial year 2015/16 he’s achieved well over £1m turnover.

Right at Home – Bryan McMorrine

Bryan is a relatively new Right at Home Franchisee, having opened his Right at Home Central London franchise just this year! Over the past 20 years, Bryan has held various research and marketing roles in the investment management industry, however he chose to leave this career and follow desire to help and care for those in the local community that need a little help to maintain their independence, or have more complex care needs where we can help improve their quality of life. Bryan holds a degree in Maths with Finance from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Tutor Doctor – Gordon Dickens

Prior to introducing Tutor Doctor educational support services to students in South West Hertfordshire in the summer of 2012, Gordon enjoyed more than 30 years developing his skills in the marketing of consumer products with major international brands including Kodak, Timberland, G-Shock and Bulova.

Expense Reduction Analysts – Keith McGregor

When Keith McGregor was made redundant in late 2014, the fear of facing similar circumstances again turned this once solid 9-5er into a passionate business owner. Keith launched his Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA) franchise in July 2015 and he hasn’t looked back since.

Promedica Plus - Tibor Dusnoki

Before Tibor became a Pro Medica franchisee, he held a range of jobs in marketing, public relations, sales and healthcare. His personal experience gave him the initiative to make quality home care his profession, and now he enjoys being part of an organisation that supports more and more vulnerable adults in England and helps them win back their independence, assists them in everyday life and ensures they never feel lonely, helpless or unsafe again. Tibor says it fills him with enthusiasm and pleasure to see how their live-in carers become good friends with their clients – how they cheer them up and make their later lives easier and happier.

Mail Boxes Etc. - Shahram Bashiri

Shahram Bashiri is one of Mail Boxes Etc. biggest success stories. He opened his first Mail Boxes Etc. store in Clerkenwell in April 2011 and has opened another four stores in quick succession. Even with so many stores in operation, Shahram plans to build his empire even more and hopes to open at least another five stores. He is now enjoying the benefits of his hard work.

Prior to joining Mail Boxes Etc. Shahram had owned and run a number of his own businesses. Mainly in the catering industry, his most recent venture had been running two successful noodle bars for 13 years. Shahram found the working hours in the catering industry long and unsociable. His previous career did not fit in with his family life and he found that he was missing time with his children and seeing them grow up. His second daughter was of a young age when he first joined Mail Boxes Etc. and he finds that he now has time to spend with his family and to do the things he enjoys.