Franchisee : Wendy Malcolm-Brown
"I picked SITB as it was a business I could understand, I knew the products and I could see a need for the service"
Women in franchising
Wendy worked for her previous company for 12 years as the Group Credit Controller. Upon leaving she didn't want to work for another company as she didn't want to go in and have to re-establish herself.
She also did not want to manage staff or deal with office politics. She says "I have always worked hard but seen the companies I work for gain from my hard work rather than me."
When looking at franchising, Wendy was looking for something that was easy to understand and fitted around her lifestyle.
"I picked SITB as it was a business I could understand, I knew the products and I could see a need for the service. I could also control my working day. I wanted to start work at 9 after dropping my son at school and to be able to finish in time to pick him up. Plus, as an avid football fan I wanted to keep my weekends free."
"I started the business last January. SITB found the customers and did everything they said they would. They helped with the 1st stock orders, set up my routes, and trained me on how to find new customers. I had a SITB franchisee trainer with me for the first 4 weeks and even after I went solo I had several people I could call for help.
After I established myself with the boxes, I then introduced vending machines to the business. I knew nothing about machines but with the help of the SITB team I learnt fast and even now I have the back up of 3-4 people on call for help if I have a problem. When dealing with customers it also helps to have that infrastructure behind you. It helps solve any problem or answer any questions."
One year on Wendy is well established with her franchise business and enjoying the lifestyle. She says: "I work the hours I want, I am turning over more than I expected and I have learnt a lot. I would say Franchising only works if you are prepared to work. But if you need someone to tell you to work then it is not for you, but personally it suits me perfectly."