After years of living in Scotland yet working in London, Robin Cockburn was ready for a change in career direction. It was time to take control and start a business for himself. After researching several franchise options, Robin settled on Auditel as his first choice to launch his business in 2009. “The appeal of the flexibility of working with the Auditel cost management model was what really did it for me,” he says, “being able to do a wide range of things, and not being restricted geographically, with the potential to work with others in the network was a huge attraction.”

Although Auditel was already established in Scotland by the time Robin stepped into his new business venture, he has been able to build-up his business his way, developing a range of clients, including manufacturing businesses, hotels and restaurants, construction, independent schools, charities, sporting clubs and farming. “It comes down to hard work. You are provided with the tools to help you connect with people about what you’re offering, plus you have the backing of the franchise behind you.”

There were already six Auditel franchises in Scotland, but rather than seeing them as competition, Robin embraced having a team of peers around him. “We connect regularly throughout the year, which allows us to discuss common interests, issues we might have, or how we might move things forward – business development activities, that kind of thing. It’s a real source of support.”

As well as having such a strong network in Scotland, Robin has found the support from Head Office in Winchester invaluable. “They hold regular meetings across the UK, which I often attend, as well as our Supplier Exhibition and Annual Conference. It’s a network for people to share their skills and expertise, so I also work with other franchisees in various parts of the UK, as their skills complement mine, and I complement theirs.”

The communication from Auditel allows the franchisees to stay connected with service offering updates and opportunities for regular on-going training. “It’s important as an individual to ensure I keep learning and updating my own capabilities, and the training they provide is always delivered by professionals from within the company who know the business inside out.”

Communication on all levels is important, Robin affirms, “Yes it’s an individual business, but we do help each other out, which is why we get together on a regular basis. And whilst there is another franchise, about three miles away from me, there are five million potential clients in Scotland, so there’s lots of scope and flexibility for how we can grow our businesses. Auditel provide a business model, but it’s up to you how you adapt it to make it work for you. You can target certain industries or sectors which suit you, suit your experience and expertise.”

Robin believes the complementary way in which the Scottish franchisees work together could be a great resource for the whole Auditel network, not just for him and his neighbouring franchisees. “Having more people based in Scotland would help to bring a bigger range of skills and experience for franchises like Auditel, which would be of benefit to the whole UK network.”