Business partners and brothers-in-law Murli Mulchandani and Rikesh Nichani, who both live in Ealing, have been chosen as winners of Mail Boxes Etc.’s “Franchisee of the Year”. They have received the award in recognition of their business acumen and success, as well as the significant contribution they make to the network as a whole.

Business partners and brothers-in-law Murli Mulchandani and Rikesh Nichani, who both live in Ealing, have been chosen as winners of Mail Boxes Etc.’s “Franchisee of the Year”. They have received the award in recognition of their business acumen and success, as well as the significant contribution they make to the network as a whole.

Chosen from Mail Boxes Etc.’s chain of over 135 high street ‘one-stop-shops’ across the UK and Ireland, Murli and Rikesh were delighted to receive the award and said: “It really was unexpected, as we had won the award previously, in 2007. What made it even more special was that we received recognition from others in the network as well: it is very humbling to be nominated by our peers.”

They have been franchisees for 11 years. They spent a year seeking the right business for them and first met Mail Boxes Etc. at a London franchise exhibition. Now with stores in Mayfair, Bloomsbury, The Barbican and Covent Garden, they employ 16 people.

Modest about their success, they pay tribute to their dedicated staff. They believe that choosing the right people has played a big part in the success of the business. “We are selling service and expertise, so our staff must be as knowledgeable as we are about all the services we can provide,” they said.

Before joining Mail Boxes Etc., Murli headed a company that imported and distributed children’s wear and Rikesh worked in the IT industry. They were looking for a business where they could work together and favoured franchising because it is a safer route to self-employment than starting a venture from scratch.

Murli said: “There were many different opportunities but none really appealed until we met Mail Boxes Etc. We particularly liked the combination and variety of the different services as well as the people we met.

“With support and encouragement from our wives and families and plenty of advice and guidance from the franchise, so we decided to go for it. We knew that the services meet a genuine need and ever since we opened our first store we have discovered that the demand is constantly escalating. Our business has continued to grow, year on year,” Murli added.