In April 2020, David will be celebrating ten years as an Aspray franchisee.
David had a strong desire to work for himself after a long and successful career spent in the packaging industry where he started as a sales person and progressed to the Managing Director. His warm and assertive personality was a natural fit for the Aspray business.
In ten years, he hasn’t looked back and praises Aspray’s “personalised first-class service” in addition to the “incredible support from the Head Office claims handling team”.
David shares advice and tips for people considering a franchise…
Q: Why franchising?
A: A good franchise is based on a successful business model. After 9 months of researching different franchise companies, I recognised the project management of building insurance claims, coupled with the Aspray business model, was a good, stable industry to operate within.
In hindsight, I am pleased to say it has worked out really well for me.
Q: Why did you choose the Aspray business?
A: One of the reasons I purchased an Aspray franchise was I wanted to work for myself in a recession-proof business, and this is what Aspray was offering.
The fact you can operate the business on your own was also appealing. Being a Managing Director was very rewarding until the recession hit in 2007/8. After experiencing the impact first hand, I wanted to work for myself without the hassle of employing anyone.
Q: Are there any skills that are essential for the role?
A: I believe my success can be directly attributed to strong negotiation skills. The insurance company and their representative, the loss adjuster, are often looking to reduce the value of the claim, this means you need to be able to justify the costs of property repairs.
My advice to new Aspray franchisees would be to focus on negotiating a settlement that is good for your client and for your Aspray business.
Self-discipline is also crucial, you must be prepared to work hard, although I don’t need to work as hard as I did in the early years.
Q: What advice do you have for individuals who want to own their own franchise?
A: Franchising is a wonderful step to becoming a business owner without having to reinvent the wheel. You need to believe in the company’s model as well as its values. Try to find a franchise in a field you can feel excited and passionate about. With Aspray, I believe in the first-class personalised service we provide to policyholders, and the immense satisfaction it gives me when handling their claim.
Do your due diligence. Talk to other franchise owners so you can make an informed decision that is right for you.
Q: If you could go back ten years, would you make the same decision again?
A: Yes-definitely!
My Aspray franchise has provided me with a good living as well as personal satisfaction. It has been an enjoyable and rewarding ten years.
I believe the Aspray business is even better than when I started ten years ago. The recruitment process makes it clear that you must take a proactive approach to marketing. The induction training has been improved, it is now ten days and accredited by the British Damage Management Association. The CRM system has been further developed and enhanced, it is a bespoke computer software package, enabling you to manage all your day-to-day operations.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role with the Aspray Business?
A: I am only interested in the job being done properly and the customer being totally satisfied. The positive comments from policyholders, once the repairs have been completed, are personally rewarding because they confirm you have done a great job in terms of saving them time and reducing their stress.
Q: What is next for you?
A: I am planning to retire in June when I finish my last big claim, we are demolishing a property and rebuilding it. Retirement is going to be about spending quality time with my beautiful grandchildren, taking more holidays and playing golf!
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: The claims and legal teams have been awesome, they have always been there to help overcome any challenges. The Head Office team all work incredibly hard and are extremely supportive.
Want to find out more about becoming an Aspray Franchise?
If you are still considering Aspray, maybe it’s time to book a 20-minute Discovery Call with our Recruitment Team.
