Name: Stephen Jones
Franchise: Wilkins Chimney Sweep
Location: Swansea

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise business?
I live on the outskirts of Swansea in a village called Pontlliw, I have 2 children Caitlin 20 and Rhys 17, I had previously worked in McDonald’s for 30 years undertaking various roles, including Restaurant Manager, Business Manager, Regional People Manager, Apprenticeship Quality Manager.  While I am not at work I play golf, squash and hold a season ticket for Swansea City FC.

Can you also tell us about your Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise business?
I have bought a franchise with Wilkins Chimney Sweep, the franchise provides a professional, organised, structured business module to deliver a great service experience for all customers needing a chimney sweep, the growing number of wood burner installations UK wide has created a demand for more chimney sweeps.   The franchise package not only focuses on repeat business from existing customers but also attracts new customers through great customer feedback and trust scores.

Why did you go down the franchise route? What made you choose the chimney sweeping industry? And why did you choose a Wilkins franchise?
I always had a desire to be my own boss and franchising is the perfect solution as the hard work in creating a successful business system has already been done, also franchises generally have a good track record for training and supporting franchisees to succeed as success breeds success. 

Although most would not see chimney sweeping as a glamorous business, I could see the growth potential with the market, a low start up and a low running cost as stock and premises were not needed. 

I chose Wilkins because I knew an existing franchise from Cheshire who spoke highly of the opportunity and I loved the brand and information pack.

How did you raise the finance?
I rented my home, used some savings, obtained a loan and sold my car to help with the purchase.

What training and support did you receive to help get your franchise launched?
I had 3 weeks intensive training 2 weeks practical and a week on business systems, the training was very well organised and covered all my needs, the training was catered to help me in my opportunity areas, I was experienced with office and business, so less time was spent here and more allocated to the practical side.

How would you describe your role as a franchisee?
My role is to demonstrate the values of the brand each day to ensure my customers receive a great experience that keeps them using my services and in turn referring me to new customers.  My role is also to grow the brand over time in order to expand and provide employment which in turn will give me the capacity to increase the service to wider market whilst increasing sales and ultimately profit.

What have been the biggest challenges so far in getting your franchise launched?  And how have you dealt with them?
The biggest was at the planning stage, will it work in my area? Is there enough business for me to survive and thrive in the future?   I made sure I researched the need for Chimney Sweeps, the current services operating, and the quality of service offered, once I had analysed the potential market I was happy that if I performed to the level of a Wilkins Franchisee I could offer the same if not a better service than the best in Swansea.

Any advice for someone considering franchising? 
Have you completed thorough research on:  Market needs, future market needs, current providers, legislation that could affect future need for your business. 

Have you got the skills, determination and funds to launch?

Tell people what you do, focus on target audience by using various vehicles, google adwords, leafleting, Facebook and attend events.

To find out more about a Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise click here