What Franchise - Issue 21.2

When Matt Strutt, then in his mid-40s, took on a franchise opportunity with logistics company InXpress, failure was, for him, literally not an option. Having spent 21 years working his way up through the ranks of a major American company, he had established a lifestyle commensurate with that level of success – and when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic forced the business to make him redundant, there was no way he was going to let his family feel the impact. “The redundancy process started during the first lockdown,” Matt recalls. “I was put on furlough, which gave me time and space to reassess my work/life situation. We have four children and I realised that I’d already given up a lot of time with them thanks to that classic corporate treadmill. It was time to get rid of the safety net, and go it alone.” For some people, finding the right franchise is about following their passion. For Matt, it had to be about following the money. “I’m not an ideas person; I’m a doer,” he says. “I was looking for something that would pay the mortgage and put food on the table, within a reasonable timeframe. My wife was on board, and we both understood that there would be sacrifices, but there was a sustainability level about which I wasn’t prepared to negotiate.” To ensure he found a model that would meet his needs, Matt simply looked up a list of the top ten franchises in the UK. After ruling out brands that seemed too niche, or involved prohibitively high entrance fees, he found himself seriously considering InXpress. The simple logic of his next step perfectly illustrates why he was always likely to succeed in the franchise space. “I looked at the potential turnover of the top 25% of franchisees, and the bottom 25%,” he explains. “I called five from the top, and five from the bottom, trying to work out the mindset that Winning Franchise of the Year 2023 LOGISTICS: FRANCHISEE Matt Strutt, InXpress Gatwick inxpress.com 1. Five to the left, five to the right Cold calling for sales didn’t come naturally to Matt, so he took a rigorously disciplined approach, using a simple rule: every time he visited a potential customer, he’d also knock on five doors to the left, five to the right. His mindset was bluntly practical – what’s the worst that could happen? Rejection was inevitable, but inaction was riskier. 2. Hire smart and early As soon as the business allowed, Matt took on part-time support: if someone else could do a task, he delegated it. Freeing himself from admin early meant he could focus on sales, relationships and growth – the areas that genuinely moved the needle in those first months. 3. Keep the business plan alive The plan Matt produced before signing up with InXpress wasn’t written once and forgotten. He revised it regularly, using it as both a reality check and a source of reassurance. Clear milestones helped him measure progress, adjust course and boost his confidence during the tougher days. E A R LY W I N S : 3 B E H A V I O U R S T H A T P O W E R E D P R O G R E S S F O R M A T T 60 WHAT FRANCHISE Issue 21.2