Below, Dusty from Stowmarket reveals why he decided to join the With Thanks team!

Dusty, what is your background?

I spent the majority of my working life in footwear and grocery businesses. I have ots of experience in buying of shoes and grocery at a senior level, also marketing and general management. My strengths were in using analytical techniques of retail data to improve sales and stock control.

What lead you to franchising?

After spending 8 years in retirement in South West France, my wife wanted to return to the UK. I am not interested in DIY or gardening so decided to invest in a franchise to supplement my pension.

Why did you choose With Thanks?

I initially invested in a vending tower franchise in 2010 and this was very successful but a combination of the introduction of the new £1 coin, reducing sales volumes and my desire to recover capital invested lead to me deciding to concentrate on honesty boxes in 2016.

I chose With Thanks as it was very low risk. The entry level cost was low and covered by the initial stock. Also, the product range and packaging was superior to the competitors and on meeting Mark, the Franchise Manager, my worries about the leakage levels were put into perspective.

How was the launch?

The Launch was excellent in that we placed 350 boxes in less than the 10 days allocated. Initial sales were also on target and meant that I was earning money three weeks after starting.

How do you find the back up and support from the franchise team?

The back up and support from the Franchise Team has always been excellent. However, I feel that more emphasis could to be put on supplying franchisees with actual product sales data rather than purchases. New franchisees are faced with a very difficult job in deciding on the very best stock lines to run to achieve optimum sales.

Where are you in terms of box numbers?

Currently I have around 320 boxes. I cull around 40 boxes a month and therefore need to replace them at the same rate. My average sales around £20 per box on a three weekly call cycle and have a policy of achieving at least £6 profit per box. Consequently I have a high turnover of boxes but consider this as an investment which gradually results in a core business of high achieving sites.

What are your plans from here?

My plans are to maintain site numbers but increase sales by developing extra sales of Lite n Low products mainly in existing sites. Access to the Delicious Ideas products should make this feasible.