John Heslop started his career as a mining engineering apprentice in the early 70s and worked his way up to senior position with British Coal by the 1980s.
Hard work and study had given him a bright future in an industry that by then was going nowhere.
“My wife has a successful printing business and like a lot of people I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else anymore. Self-employment was the only way to do that, but I didn’t have a trade or a bright idea that was going to make my fortune so I started looking at franchising. I didn’t particularly want to retrain in a completely new industry so I started looking at some of the hydraulics and engineering franchises. What put me off those was they involved 24 hour callout. I had had enough of all that over the years and wanted something different.”
I started talking to Chemex in early 2000 and spent as much time as I could talking to existing franchisees. I was surprised at how open everyone was: they all believed in the product and the system, and they were always welcomed by their customers.”
“I finally took the plunge in late 2000, working a virgin area with products I knew little about in an industry in which I was clueless, doing the one thing I had never done before. Selling. So much for sticking to an industry that I was familiar with. One thing I have always been good at is motivating myself and grafting. I set myself targets – fairly simple ones at first like ‘you’re not going home until you’ve sold something’, so I worked some long hours. You need to do that or you will fail.”
“I really enjoy spending time with new franchisees. It reminds me of the learning curve I went through in the early days and I think it helps them to be with someone who’s been through the same pain. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. I’ve worked hard and built a successful business that is still growing.” OK, I’m interested. I’d like to request a brochure.
“I learnt the hard way that it is all about, planning, persistence and knocking doors. Lorraine was incredibly supportive. Now when I get potential or new franchisees spending a day with me, I ask them if they can spend six months working sixteen hours a day. When they say yes, I ask if they can then spend a further six months doing the same all over again, because if they can’t, they won’t make it.
John, has since been a finalist in the British Franchise Association’s Franchisee of the Year Awards and has expanded his business so much that his team now operates across three territories.
“My first few days out proved to me that the products were excellent and that it was indeed a nonseasonal, repeat order business, where customers come to depend on you – not only for their cleaning and hygiene materials but for the advice, support and training you can offer their businesses,”
“It seemed to me that this was what made Chemex different. As far as I know, no other company is genuinly offering this level of service in this particular marketplace – and that convinced me Chemex was the franchise for me”.
Although I know that the business works and they’ll get out what they put in, I think anyone getting in to franchising needs to know it isn’t an easy ride.” OK, I’m interested. I’d like to request a brochure.
