Q&A with Nash Patel from Apollo Blinds about home and garden franchises
Nash worked for another blinds firm for nearly ten years – so he brings plenty of experience and product knowledge to the franchise, which he is building up in the Birmingham area.
He knows franchising well, as his wife also runs a separate franchising business, and he is proud that his online reviews all say he’s “professional, reliable and knowledgeable”.
Q: What did you do before franchising and what prompted the change?
A: The thing that prompted the change was that I wanted to work for myself – and not keep working for somebody else.
Q: How did you find out about franchising and this brand in particular?
A: I’ve known Apollo Blinds for years but haven’t come up against them much because there wasn’t anyone who covered my area.
Q: Were you specifically looking for a business working with home (or garden) maintenance?
A: When I made the decision to work for myself, I looked at franchising because my wife has an oven-cleaning franchise and I knew there were plenty of different franchises to choose from. But I kept coming back to blinds because that’s where my experience and skills are.
Q: Describe the process for joining as a franchisee – how long did it take?
A: It was very straightforward and included tasks such as doing my due diligence on the franchise agreement, registering for VAT and getting my van liveried. The process took six weeks. It culminated in a week-long induction at Apollo Blinds’ head office in Glasgow.
Q: What were the initial training and support like?
A: Although I have ten years’ experience installing blinds, the training was excellent, as Apollo Blinds has lots of products I hadn’t fitted before, so it was great to broaden my skills.
Q: How is business going so far? Have you faced any challenges?
A: I’ve gone from a standing start because Apollo Blinds is new to my area – but I’ve got off to a flying start. It’s coming up to a year since I launched, and I’m very pleased with the growth of my business in terms of brand awareness, the level of sales I’m achieving and the overall profitability of my franchise.
Q: Any standout moments?
A: Securing my first order, having the blinds manufactured by Apollo Blinds and delivered to me – and then taking those blinds and fitting them for my first customer.
Q: What advice would you give to anyone considering a franchise (and one with this brand or this sector)?
A: Despite all the headlines around the cost of living, in my experience, the home improvement sector has remained buoyant because homeowners see the benefits of improving their homes and are happy to invest to make their homes look amazing.
To anyone considering a franchise, I say go for it.
Q: What do you foresee for the future of your business? What are your plans?
A: My focus will be to continue building up my business – there are lots of opportunities out there.
Q&A with Stuart Fawcett from Apollo Blinds about van-based franchises
Stuart is the first to admit that he fell into Apollo Blinds, having previously been a personal trainer and also a project manager in the exhibition industry. During lockdown, he started working for his friend who owned the franchise for Wokingham and within a couple of years, he had bought out his friend.
Q: What did you do before franchising and what prompted the change?
A: Within six months of working for my friend, we started talking about me taking over the franchise, as she was running other businesses as well. It’s a great business and a great business model, so there was no downside to the opportunity.
Q: How did you find out about franchising and this brand in particular?
A: It was only when I started working for my friend that I realised that Apollo Blinds was a franchise and we were part of a national network.
Q: Were you specifically looking for a business that meant you could be out on the road / van-based while delivering the service?
A: Being van-based is much better than having a store because our customers want to see our collections in their homes so they can see how the different blinds and fabrics will look with their windows.
Q: Describe the process for joining as a franchisee – how long did it take?
A: Once the sale was agreed with my friend, I attended the week-long induction programme at Apollo Blinds HQ and started trading straightway. Although I had built up a lot of knowledge and experience already, the training was very helpful, as it filled in the gaps.
Q: How is business going so far? Have you faced any challenges?
A: The business has gone from strength to strength, and we are consistently one of the network’s top performers. The biggest challenge I face is finding skilled people who I can bring on to be part of my installation team. As well as being skilled at installing our products – such as Shutters and Motorised blinds, which are our bestsellers – they need to have great customer care skills.
Q: How has your life (or work-life balance) changed since you launched your business?
A: Between my partner and I, we have four children, so there’s plenty of juggling going on to make sure we put the family first.
Q: What advice would you give to anyone considering a (van-based) franchise?
A: As mentioned, in our industry, a van-based model is the best one because we need to visit customers in their own homes. We have a very striking-looking van, so it’s a great way to stand out and advertise our business as we’re driving from appointment to appointment.
Q: What do you foresee for the future of your business? What are your plans?
A: As mentioned, if we can find skilled installers who can represent our business and our brand, then that could free up my valuable time to attend more home consultation appointments.
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