Franchisee Case Studies

John Baldacchino owns the West Cheshire franchise.

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What did you do before you bought your franchise?

 

I'd had 20 years of hospitality industry experience working for brands such as Hilton, TGI Fridays, Starbucks, Punch taverns and Marston's. At Starbucks I was the first store manager in the UK opening the market in 1998. My last job before I bought my franchise was managing self-employed pub operators in an innovative new pub agreement that supported the local pub.

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What made you buy a Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise?

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l previously worked for large global organisations and knew I wanted to be able to take control of the direction of my own business; I'd been looking for the right business opportunity for some years and, having previously managed multiple self- employed operators, understood the benefits that a strong franchise model could offer.

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After investigating a number of franchise opportunities and then meeting the owners, I quickly realised that I was very interested in the opportunity Wilkins were offering. I'd found a franchise business that delivered a quality service within a close geography, in a sustainable market.

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Wilkins Chimney Sweep offered me what I was looking for, that other franchises just couldn't.

What did you do before you bought your franchise?

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I spent 20 years working a variety of roles in the IT & Telecommunications industry supporting household names such as TfL, Marks & Spencer, local / national government and The Royal Family.

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My last job before I bought my franchise was a senior role within a Silicon Valley technology company, helping public sector organisations such as the NHS making purchasing decisions that ultimately resulted in better patient care.

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What made you buy a Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise?

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I had previously helped my partner go self employed and start her own business. I knew much of the first two years was spent designing logos, getting a functional website set up creating templates for invoicing etc. I didn't want to spend time doing those things - I wanted to hit the ground running and focus my efforts on growing my business and generating a good level of income.

 

I looked at a number of franchise opportunities and then met Alan and David, the owners of the Wilkins franchise group. I quickly realised that they had an established blue print that for the right person in the right area could result in a thriving business opportunity.

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How is the business doing now?

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I’m in my second full financial year as an independent franchise owner. My business has grown to the point where I am trading around the VAT registration level. I have a decision to make around whether I want to stay as a single van operator enjoying a fairly relaxed life in the Lake District or whether I want to grow the business further by taking on an employee and becoming a multivan operator. 

 

Wilkins franchise group has a good mix of single van owner operators and multivan operations. I know group has the experience to support me developing the business into a multivan operation if that is something I wish to do.