For 13 years, Bobby Dhaliwal had been working in mobile phone retail, starting as a salesperson, and eventually progressing to store manager for various companies in stores of all shapes and sizes.

During this time, Bobby realised what his dreams were, so for the next 12 months he began to actively search for business start-up and self-employment opportunities.

“I spent a long time trying to work my way up the employment ladder, but found that hard work was not what helped you achieve the bigger roles and promotions. I found that people were never true to themselves and would spend more time trying to duck and cover then actually make themselves better each day. I didn’t want to spend my life looking back at a career which would be just another employee number. I realised being employed meant the home and car I would want to own were dreams, instead of actual possibilities.”

Bobby began looking into franchising. He appreciated the concept of working with an experienced team of people and being provided with all the tools and knowledge required to get a business up and running.

“I went to a franchise exhibition, however I didn’t find any opportunities that I felt were right for me. So I started searching the internet for more possibilities. After looking at various franchises within different sectors, I decided I wanted to work within the property industry, so I researched different estate agent franchise models.”

It was then Bobby found Redstones and with the help from his personal savings is now a proud franchisee in Coventry.

“The training I received from Redstones was invaluable. The time, effort and energy it would have taken me to understand the industry would have taken me months or even years! All the real hard work was done for me, in that respect, which has put me on the map much quicker than I could have done, if I had done this alone. Although, I’ve had to learn things for myself – time management being one. You really need to manage your time effectively. Nothing happens unless you allocate appropriate time to it.”

Now excited for the future, Bobby is now setting himself goals with real expectations. Growing his business, hiring a team of people to work for him, and of course the ‘dream’ house and car, are all now actual possibilities.

For anyone considering a franchise, Bobby says, “Just go for it. If it feels right it probably is. Set realistic goals and have a strong business plan for at least 1-2 years, expect setbacks but understand everyone gets these.”