What-Franchise-Issue-20.1

the deal was signed and Nic was the part owner of a business turning over £125,000 a year. Just four years later Nic was able to pay Driver Hire back in full and become the sole owner of the Gatwick franchise. In 2024, he is now turning over just shy of £3,000,000 a year. STRICT DISCIPLINE Nic puts much of his success down to his early swimming training. “I think you learn through failure and I’m ok with that,” he says. “Yes, it’s painful but you only learn through trying. I like a life that is organised, and target driven. I get up at 4am every day to be in the office at 5.30am, so I can leave at 2pm to pick my girls up from school. My family is my life; I don’t need anything else. Everything I do is for them and my Driver Hire business has allowed me to build us a wonderful life.” ‘BELIEVE IN YOURSELF’ Nic’s advice to anyone with minimal funds but big dreams is: “Trust yourself; if you think you can do it, if you believe in yourself, then do it. You will have challenges to overcome but if your journey is anything like mine, you’ll have an opportunity to be financially secure, to love what you do and get to spend as much time with your loved ones as you want.” FOR THE LOVE OF CARING Family and caring for people were also at the heart of Matthew Nutting’s decision to buy a franchise. Having left school with a handful of C grade GCSE’s and a BTEC diploma in theatre, Matthew (36) began his working life as a care professional and support worker. To this day he claims caring for people is the only skill he has, but his P&L would seem to dispute that. THE ‘BAKED BEAN’ YEARS In 2018 he found himself with a wife and two children under five, earning £30,000 a year while working for the NHS, but the money simply didn’t stretch far enough. They were forever living half the month in overdraft, running up credit card bills, sleeping on a mattress on the floor because they couldn’t afford to replace their broken bed and a meal of beans on toast was the norm by the end of the month. A PASSION FOR CARING Matthew had a passion for caring and he knew he could make a difference. Initially he thought about setting up his own independent care company but found the red-tape too complex, which led him to find Radfield Home Care, a franchised domiciliary care company that would allow him to build the business he wanted but with the support of an experienced franchisor to handle all the ‘red tape’ issues. START UP LOAN But where was he going to raise the necessary capital to buy the franchise? In 2018, at the age of 29 he approached the government start up loans agency and was awarded £19,000. He also managed to convince his father to match the money in return for a 50% stake in the business. AWARD-WINNING FRANCHISE Fast forward to 2024, just five years later and his business turns over £2,000,000 a year, he employs 60 staff and cares for approximately 80 people across his territory of Harrogate in Yorkshire. He has repaid his father and won numerous awards for his work surrounding the LivingWage Foundation. LIVING WAGE FOUNDATION ACCREDITED EMPLOYER Matthewwas adamant that all his staff would be paid fairly, not according to the government’s minimal wage scheme, but one that paid them for their travel, considering inflation and the cost of living. Seven years ago, he became an accredited “Trust yourself; if you think you can do it, if you believe in yourself, then do it. You will have challenges to overcome... but you’ll have the opportunity to be financially secure” 80 WHAT FRANCHISE Issue 20.1 Behind the Brand | PARTNER CONTENT