Leading greeting card publisher and franchisor, Card Connection, has announced the retirement of franchisee Eric Knight, who has sold his Worthing and Portsmouth franchise to his daughter and her partner. Eric, 69, who has run the business since 2003, is handing down the legacy of 200 retail customers within the Chichester, Portsmouth and Worthing area.

Eric Knight explains: “My daughter’s partner Ian Scarbro, has worked with me for five years. He started as an assistant and in the past 12 months has practically run the franchise! Ian is a talented musician and studied music at university. However, opportunities in that field are few and far between. He is very able, so I am delighted to be able to offer him this chance. Unlike a new franchisee Ian won’t need to go through the inevitable ‘learning curve’ and will hit the ground running.”

“My daughter Suzanne will manage the paperwork and essential back office tasks while Ian is out on the road visiting retailers and merchandising Card Connection’s range of quality greetings cards and accessories in store. As a couple they will make a great combination.”

Card Connection franchise manager Penny Gelman was instrumental in helping arrange the handover deal. Eric confirms: “Investing in an established and successful business does come at a price. This, and finding the right buyer, means selling an established franchise can take a little time. Penny knew I was keen to retire so helped come up with a plan to spread the cost of the purchase of the business over a number of years which suited both me and Ian and Suzanne. I wish them every success with the franchise and for my part I am looking forward to an extended holiday in France very soon!”

Card Connection is part of UK Greetings, which is a subsidiary of American Greetings Inc., one of the largest greeting card publishers in the world and has limited vacancies for franchisees that are keen to run an expanding business. Since the franchise network in the UK is complete, the available opportunities now consist of acquiring an already-established territory from an existing franchisee. These vary in price according to their level of development, but start at £7k + Stock + Card Connection fee with earnings potential in excess of £50k per annum.