Talented film and TV animator Richard Dexter decided to make a radical life change last year, leaving his successful career to invest in a ChipsAway franchise. As Richard’s reputation as an animator grew, his work was constantly taking him away from his family and had even begun to affect his health.

“I was tired of working on computers and travelling to London or overseas,” he explains. “Also, I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, so I took the plunge and started to look at different franchise options.”

Richard likes cars and was keen to replace his desk bound job with working outdoors, so leading automotive paintwork repair brand ChipsAway immediately appealed. Having visited the company’s informal Open Day to find out more, he and his wife Emma found themselves impressed with the professionalism of the ChipsAway team and joined the network soon after.

“Our launch weekend went really well,” Richard confirms. “We did estimates for around 60 customers with a total value in excess of £9,000 and booked a further 31 jobs worth over £5,000.”

According to Richard and Emma, their first year has been a huge learning curve, but they are quick to recognise the sterling support they have received from ChipsAway.

“Starting your own business is obviously stressful at first because everything is new,” says Richard. “I really enjoyed working on the cars from the outset and becoming a ChipsAway franchisee has definitely been the right choice for me. My health and quality of life have improved, I’m enjoying my working life for the first time in years and I’m looking forward to building up my business for the future!”

ChipsAway is the UK’s leading automotive paintwork repair specialist, with a nationwide network of around 300 technicians providing high quality on-the-spot repairs to minor paintwork damage at a location convenient to the customer