Kevin Keeler became an Agency Express franchisee in early 2012. After 27 years of experience in the fire service, including being the Bristol Divisional Commander in charge of six fire stations and 330 people, he made the decision to take a change of direction in his career.
During the National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC in September 2011, Kevin approached the Agency Express team looking for his ideal start-up. After spending time discussing franchise opportunities with the Agency Express team, he seized the opportunity of owning a business.
Kevin’s attraction to becoming an Agency Express franchisee drew from his desire to control his own destiny and build a business within a framework where the rewards would be commensurate with his effort.
He says: “A big factor was the relatively low start-up cost of the franchise. However, the clincher for me was the people when I visited head office in Norwich. I felt a connection; everyone was very friendly and helpful, but also professional. I thought to myself, ‘I could work with these people’.”
After successfully completing a training course at head office he was given support with the launch of his new business. This included a 3-day programme of visits to estate agencies in his local area, enabling him to make first contact with potential customers. Kevin excelled in this area and revelled in meeting people and forging new relationships.
“I am very pleased with my experience to date!” he continued. “The support from Agency Express has been first-class and was one of things that appealed to me about franchising, i.e. you had someone to hold your hand, especially in the early weeks.
“I also bought into the idea that if you follow the system there is no reason why the franchise should not be a success. All of the advice and help I have received from everyone at Agency Express has been invaluable. For example, sometimes you need to bounce ideas off someone, so it’s useful to have that sounding board!”
Successfully nurturing his franchise from a small business, Kevin has built strong relationships with his clients and is delighted with the continuous growth so far.