{"id":45066,"date":"2014-10-27T12:10:23","date_gmt":"2014-10-27T12:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.startups.co.uk\/startups-awards\/?p=45066"},"modified":"2021-05-25T08:56:56","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T07:56:56","slug":"franchisee-year-2014-meet-finalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.startups.co.uk\/startups-awards\/franchisee-year-2014-meet-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"Franchisee of the Year 2014: Meet the finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some people will claim that buying a franchise is an “easy” way to start a business, and whilst it can be less risky to have the backing of a big brand behind you right from the off, the difference between a merely good franchise and an exceptional one can be astonishing.<\/p>\n

In this award, we recognise the franchisees that have gone above and beyond with their ventures, effectively delivering the principles of their parent brand as well as creating a splash in their own right.<\/p>\n

The finalists<\/h3>\n

Diamond Logistics (Birmingham) – Julian Westwood<\/b><\/p>\n

Having spent nine years running his own recruitment consultancy, it was perhaps no surprise that Julian Westwood took so naturally to the process of running a franchise – although no less impressive. Since launching his own arm of the specialist same-day courier company, Westwood has bought into the company philosophy with aplomb – amassing an impressive array of clients and well on target to hit £1m turnover in less than three years.<\/p>\n

Read the full Diamond Logistics profile here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Driver Hire (Hereford & Worcester) – Vance Parsons<\/b><\/p>\n

Driver Hire’s franchise proposition sees its partners act as recruiters for short-term drivers and logistics staff in their area, which can involve significant legwork on the part of the franchisee. No-one knows this better than Hereford and Worcester area franchisee Vance Parsons, who, after purchasing his franchise in mid-2013, has overseen seriously impressive growth. Using labour-intensive (but effective) methods such as cold-calling local businesses, travelling around the region to meet clients, and contacting local Jobcentres to find unemployed drivers, Parsons is now running a round-the-clock service to keep up with demand.<\/p>\n

Read the full Driver Hire profile here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jasper’s (Warrington) – Nick Blake<\/b><\/p>\n

In little over a year, Nick Blake has grown his franchise from a three-person operation to a wildly successful catering group with eight employees, 90 regular customers, and the fastest rate of growth in the area (according to their bank). This has been no fluke – Blake has introduced a number of innovations to his arm of the specialist catering service, including replacing the traditional menu with a 16-stage business-focused conversion process and a commitment to only offering the best quality products and freshly prepared food without compromise.<\/p>\n

Read the full Jasper’s profile here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The judges<\/h3>\n

A judging group that includes Crowdcube co-founder Luke Lang, Elizabeth Varley of TechHub and Startups’ own editorial director Ian Wallis will be well placed to pick out the best of these very impressive franchisees.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some people will claim that buying a franchise is an “easy” way to start a business, and whilst it can be less risky to have the backing of a big brand behind you right from the off, the difference between a merely good franchise and an exceptional one can be astonishing. 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