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Run Your Own Driver Hire Office - Share In Our Success

Every picture tells a story ……………….
When you’re deciding whether to buy a franchise one of the most valuable things you can do is speak with existing franchisees and learn from their experiences.  As part of Driver Hire’s franchise assessment programme we provide you with details of every one of our franchisees and encourage you to speak with as many as you like before decisions are made.  Driver Hire franchise owners come from all walks of life and just to give you a flavour of their background and previous experience, we’ve included some case studies below.

John Fraser
Driver Hire Hull

John Fraser is the franchisee at Driver Hire Hull.
John is a relative newcomer to the Driver Hire network, having purchased his Hull franchise from the previous owners in December 2006.  Having originally trained as an accountant, the majority of John’s career was spent managing farm estates on behalf of large organisations.  He made the decision to start out in business by himself and when the opportunity arose to buy Driver Hire Hull, John grasped it with both hands. 

Says John Warren, Driver Hire’s Franchise Sales Director, “John took over a  territory that, although well-established, had seen little growth for several years and he didn’t waste any time in transforming it.   He immediately relocated the business to new and larger premises, hired  additional office staff and began a concentrated sales and candidate recruitment  programme.  The results speak for themselves – in little over six months the business is flying high with +50% year-on-year growth and is consistently breaking sales records.  It just goes to show that you don’t necessarily need a background in either recruitment or transport to succeed in our business.  Much more important are personal qualities such as self-motivation, energy and enthusiasm coupled with sound commercial judgement and the ability to build strong relationships with customers and candidates alike”

Jackie Williams
Driver Hire Lancaster

Jackie Williams is the franchisee at Driver Hire Lancaster.
Jackie Williams owns the Driver Hire franchise in Lancaster.  She had something of a head start in the business because she worked for the previous owners and opted to buy the business when they decided to sell. A former ‘New Start of the Year’, Jackie certainly got away to a flying start. But now, two and a half years down the line, does she feel that she made the right decision?

“Because of the area we are in we perhaps have to work a bit harder than some other offices,” says Jackie. “But we’re  doing very well here and there’s  no doubt that my Driver Hire franchise has proved to be a good investment.”

Jackie finds that the back-up she receives from Driver Hire’s central support teams is very useful. “We’re one of the first agencies who can justifiably claim to be fully compliant with the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations. That’s a big plus-point because customers know they can rely on our in-depth knowledge to ensure they don’t breach working time limits. In fact, thanks to the regular updates we receive, I often think I’m better informed than my customers!”
Ian Ware
Driver Hire Bradford

Ian Ware is the franchisee at Driver Hire Bradford .
After spending ten years working for Driver Hire Group Services, latterly as Director of Training, Ian Ware decided to take the plunge and buy his local franchise in Bradford. Not only has he been hugely successful with 56% growth in his first full year, he loves what he’s doing too!

“My background is in education,” says Ian. “I was a teacher for 15 years and then ran my own retail business before moving into distribution.”

Ian cites the strength of the Driver Hire brand as one of the key reasons why franchising works for him. “It’s something you simply can’t achieve as a one-man band. There’s also the support of the network and the knowledge that the answer to issues is only a phone call away. Also because I’ve been with the business for a decade I’m also part of a network of franchisee friends for whom I have a lot of respect.”

Ian also enjoys the simple dynamics of running his own business. “Everything is much more immediate. You can develop an idea, put into practice and quickly see the results. There’s no departmental hierarchy. I find that very refreshing and it confirms that, unquestionably, I made the right decision.”

Simon Wise
Driver Hire London North

Simon Wise is the franchisee at Driver Hire London North .
If anyone should understand the benefits of buying a good franchise, it’s Simon Wise.  Prior to becoming a Driver Hire franchisee Simon was Deputy Director of the British Franchise Association, a position which gave him an in-depth knowledge of hundreds of  different  franchise systems.  In 2005 he decided to follow his own advice and opted to purchase Driver Hire’s North London territory.  Two years on and Simon is delighted with the way his business has grown, breaking sales and performance  records along the way.  His achievements have not gone unnoticed by the company – in 2006 he won Driver Hire’s prestigious ‘New Start of the Year 2006 Award’ closely followed by a Silver Award for the outstanding sales’ performance.

“The thing you get with franchising that’s not available in any other business situation is the infrastructure and support,” says Simon. “It’s vitally important and Driver Hire has a great ratio of Group Services support staff to franchisees. That meant I had a dedicated resource in my office for the first few weeks of trading. They helped me with my business plan and ensured that all the necessary systems were in place, creating a launch pad for future success.”

Grant Wilson
Driver Hire Aberdeen

Grant Wilson is the franchisee at Driver Hire Aberdeen .
When the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society decided that they no longer needed Grant Wilson’s accountancy skills things were looking a little bleak for him. But rather than risk being made redundant again, Grant decided that he’d go it alone and become his own boss. “After all, it’s impossible to give yourself the sack,” Grant observes wryly.

After doing some research his accountant’s eyes alighted on the possibilities of franchising – in particular a Driver Hire franchise. Needless to say Grant was soon sold on the benefits. “It reduces the risk factor immensely,” says Grant. “You’re buying into a proven business model, there are plenty of other franchisees to check things out with before you buy and, if you choose to go ahead, full back-up and support from the franchisor.”

Nonetheless, Grant’s Aberdeen franchise didn’t get away to flying start. He began trading in 1994 and, at the end of his first year achieved a net profit of £2,500 on a turnover of £127,000. Things have moved forward considerably since then. He now employs eleven people and is consistently recording “best ever “ weeks.  In June 2007 Driver Hire Aberdeen topped the company’s performance league table of 110 offices, hitting weekly sales of £50,000 plus – quite an achievement for a city with a population of only 200,000 .

“Success really is quite simple,” says Grant. “We focus and target activity, following the campaigns provided by Driver Hire. Over the years we’ve had to adapt to meet changes in the marketplace. But, if you believe in yourself and build a great team around you, there really are no limits with Driver Hire.”