Goodchilds Wednesbury

The results speak for themselves!

Luke Weaver was the second “difference maker” to join the Goodchilds franchise team and from a new start up is already confident that his franchise will exceed all his expectations

What’s Luke say?

The idea of what people think running a franchise is like compared to the reality is worlds apart. I didn’t realise that I would need to learn so much so quickly, it was most certainly a steep learning curve at the start but to be fair the Goodchilds team were continually amazing.

Their help with both the larger issues and small detail was priceless from finding premises in the right location and dealing with lease contracts to small ad-hoc issues like trying to source a missing electric metre (The landlord said the same as you – it should have been there)

Why a Goodchilds franchise

Time is an issue for me and my selected picture above provides for me what important. Setting my own horizon and goals whilst also being able to decide how quickly I want to get their and by what route, was a key requirement for me.

I had looked at a number of franchise opportunities but for me it needed to be something I wanted to do but above everything else with people I believed would both allow and enable me to achieve my aspirations and this part I was very clear, it was very much about people.

The Goodchilds team, for me, had the ability to immediately tune into me and I was assigned to a team member whom I had warmed to and this was important for me. But overall there was an abundance of commercial and academic ability which for me provided immediate confidence

So, do you believe the Goodchilds franchise will work?

Yes I believe so – you really have to do your homework when looking for and selecting a franchise. But for me the Goodchilds choice was far beyond financial numbers and a quick run around their offices.

I figured that I could check the numbers and I could see that the business existed but the acid test for me was meeting the team and speaking to their staff.

I’ll share with you a small confession. I had an appointment to meet initially with one of the team and I had arrived at their Brownhills office 1 hour earlier than planned , that’s right I was being smart, or so I thought.

I had been greeted well and apologies made for the person being absent and immediately offered coffee. I hadn’t realised I was about to fail my very own rule of “perception is often reality”. I picked up a magazine and pondered about what this Director person would look like, as the pictured unfolded in my mind my drifting thoughts were broken when the staff member announced that my appointment had arrived. Stepping out of a Range Rover sport was a larger than life 23 year old who oozed confidence. Clearly bowled out by my own rules this person was to become my assigned contact as having discussed with him my options and requirements this person had already experienced the journey – with success.

Lessons learned?

In addition to the one above? – well there were many, and to be fair the experience of the Goodchilds team was invaluable. As I stated earlier, I knew that this franchise was something that I wanted to do but I really hadn’t understood the learning curve that was ahead – but fortunately the Goodchilds team did!

Living in the office and shadowing was priceless and you really get to feel the business, equally priceless was my dropped jaw when faced with awkward questions to include the lady who phoned to say she had a ghost in the house – no – steady on, I didn’t send the ghost busters.

Are you really your own boss?

Yes you are, but your never alone if that’s a worry for you. Meeting with the team you’ll find that commercially they are very knowledgeable and they discussed with me the level of support I required and how they understood that a transition would exist between us wherby their influence would change to mine – and it has.

Will it provide career opportunity?

Yes I believe it will, but the real question is the quality of opportunity it offers, for how long and is it sustainable?. Nothing is “market proof” for example; a significantly high percentage of the population today will have witnessed the birth and demise of the video player. It was ground breaking technology in 1972 costing £600 but in 2006 it was dated technology costing £25.

Yes of course, we all accept that everything is vulnerable but property and it’s associated interest, appears to have stood the test of time. The business itself demands real commercial control and you really do need apply or build your management expertise.

What’s been most encouraging?

The infectious behaviour of the Goodchild’s team towards, “contagious customer care”.

The business is very busy and at times frantic. But during my training I witnessed many events whereby the staff would really take responsibility for handling customer requests.

I have a story to share, the phone never really appears to stop, so answering the phone very quickly became a matter of routine but I would discover the calls most certainly were not routine. Late one afternoon I answered the phone to a deeply distressed tenant, she had returned home to find the fire brigade at her flat “what am I to do she cried”. Completely lost I turned to my colleague to repeat the question “What am I to do?” (without the tears of course). The answer I got was superb -- he said “face the challenge that’s before you”. In short and following discussions with landlords the tenant was moved within 3 hours

My learning was, I was immersed in a great service culture, my next learning lesson would be to remind myself that I personally would be responsible for making the “can do” service level within my franchise.

How about funding?

My operation was a start-up and the Goodchild’s team offered remarkable assistance with preparing the business plan in readiness for the Bank. With the first hurdle over I approached Lloyds TSB, the funding manager was great and he navigated me through routes to secure funding.