“As soon as we started the business became busier than we’d anticipated and we were picking up more and more orders. Our figures show that having a showroom does make a difference and that all our hard work has certainly paid off! Dream Doors have been there every step of the way, time has never been an issue and it’s nice to have a regular input.”
Andy and Shelley, Dream Doors Dorset
This is a white collar franchise, so the only tool you'll ever need carry is a tape measure. Your franchise area manager will help you find local sub-contracted fitters to complete your installations. Dream Doors award-winning training programme includes everything that you need to learn to run a successful retail franchise.
But all the training in the world can't give you the right attitude. That is entirely down to you.
If you possess managerial, organisational and communication skills - and are good with people - you are an ideal candidate for the Dream Doors franchise opportunity. Add to that drive, ambition and enthusiasm and the winning formula is complete.
Our business format franchise has proven itself to be particularly successful for husband and wife teams, but has also been highly effective for other partnerships and individuals. Starting from a home-office within six months you will be managing your own Dream Doors showroom, eventually adding showroom staff and a van driver to your team.
As a kitchen facelift can be fulfilled at a fraction of the cost of a complete kitchen refurbishment, typically in just one day and with much less disruption, there are impressive earnings potential for franchisees.
Chris Hann operates the Dream Doors Lincoln franchise and has been running his franchise for eight years. He won the prestigious Dream Doors 'Franchisee of the Year' award in December 2009 for an outstanding annual turnover of more than £550,000. He also assists Dream Doors head office by his sharing methods and best practice with other franchisees. Chris has demonstrated the determination, resilience and abilities to succeed as his own boss.
“It was great to win the award in 2009, and it was our sales of more than £100,000 in November that year that clinched first prize," he says. "2010 was another solid year in which we broke through half-a-million pounds in turnover, and we've now ramped up business even more by opening a new showroom on the high street. 2011 was our best year in eight years of trading and this year is looking even better so far.”
He adds: "One of the most enjoyable aspects of the business is that you are driven by your customers and not by a boss. Dream Doors has come a long way since I started, with even greater emphasis on training and support".
For most franchisees, starting a new business is testing enough. Leaving the security of a monthly pay-packet, embracing new skills and processes, and investing life-savings into a venture takes some nerve. But for South African nationals, Hayley and Gary Ashe, joining Dream Doors as its Guildford and Woking franchisees was just one of a series of challenges they faced as they left their friends and family to start a new life the UK.
Emigrating from South Africa to the UK in June last year, the couple had found rented accommodation, schools for their two young daughters and embarked on a new business venture within six weeks of landing at Heathrow. Six months later, they and their daughters are settled, and they have a business that has generated £150,000 of sales in its first ten weeks.
“It's been incredible, but not without its fair share of stress,” says Hayley. “We're so busy right now, busier than we've ever been, and Gary is really positive as every other appointment is leading to a sale! We couldn't have done it without all the help from head office, and from all our neighbouring franchisees. Bryn, our support manager from Dream Doors has been fantastic. He helped us through every step, from our initial training course to opening the showroom, and was even here helping us hoover on the morning of our official launch day!"
She adds: "There's real warmth within Dream Doors, with no competition between franchisees and genuine support from everyone. And we, probably more than others, have really needed that.”
Seamus and Kate Hackett, who opened their showroom in Hailsham, Sussex, on a Friday 13th, have had some good fortune in the last few months. Finding a high-street location, an experienced fitter, and securing the mayor to cut the ribbon has helped them successfully launch their business. But despite the couple being experienced business owners in their own right, including running coffee kiosks on some of London's busiest underground stations, nothing prepared them for the pace at which their business took off once the public learned about their showroom opening.
Says Seamus: “It's gone mad in the last few weeks. As soon as people saw the showroom they've been flocking in, and we've been getting interest in high order value full kitchens, not just facelifts. That's where we're going to need some help though, as we're not full kitchen experts. Well not yet anyway. But that's what's great about a franchise, as you certainly aren't on your own with Dream Doors. The support has been fantastic, exactly what was promised at the beginning. It's a steep learning curve, but I don't regret doing this for an instant.”
Alan Bates, launched his Dream Doors franchise based in the Wealdon area of Kent and East Sussex back in 2006. And now, in the second term of his franchise agreement, he admits he continues to benefit from head office support, with 2010 and 2011 being his best years yet.
"I joined Dream Doors more than six years ago after taking early retirement from the Civil Service. I must have looked at five or six different opportunities at the time, but chose Dream Doors because it suited my management skills, and because I immediately felt comfortable with the people involved. There is a great team with a lot of enthusiasm at Head Office, and the support I receive – even five years down the line – still has a huge impact on my business.
Last year I revisited a head office based sales training course that I hadn't been on for at least two years. We looked at some of the areas that needed improvement, and also at goal setting and my overall Business Plan. On the day after the course I sold three orders worth around ￡15k that I would not have got a week earlier. Last year was my best year so far and we had a seven month spell where we exceeded targets in six of those months. And that period immediately followed the training course.”
Three years ago, mother-of-four Elaine Ryan knew nothing about franchising. Working for ten years supporting children with special educational needs she felt ready for a change, but in what she didn’t know. Then, while having a coffee with her husband John at a franchise exhibition in London, she spotted the Dream Doors stand.
"We found ourselves sitting directly opposite Dream Doors at a Franchise exhibition, and some of their team were demonstrating how quickly and easily an old kitchen could be made to look like a new kitchen - just by changing the doors and worktops. I was impressed by what I saw and said to John: "that's something I wouldn't mind having done in our own home". It was at that point we realised there must be a market for people who would rather have a quick kitchen facelift than have their entire kitchen ripped out. That was the moment we started to think about buying a Dream Doors Franchise.
At first, even though John was happy to get stuck into working full-time in the new business, I was nervous about leaving my existing job and losing a main income. All of my experience in the past had been working with children and although I loved the job it didn't give me the flexibility I wanted. Now, running my own business, I've found ways to merge work and home life more effectively and I get to see more of my own children.
Some people might think that being a Dream Doors franchisee requires a lot of technical knowledge but it doesn't. In reality you don't need any kitchen industry experience at all. Everything I wanted to know was covered in the training provided. I've never fitted a kitchen in my life and would never want to but that didn't matter because our franchise manager, Bryn, helped us recruit a great team of fitters.
For John and myself the bulk of our daily work involves selling. Although it wasn't something I was completely comfortable with at first I've been out on sales visits a lot more recently and have discovered that I'm very good at it. In fact I've been successful with nearly every appointment I've had lately so I'm enjoying it a lot."
) rating (9.7/10 avg) based on 4,185 reviews from all our customer reviews on Checkatrade.
