Matthew Sammons has been a franchisee with NIC for over 10 years.

In his own words, Matthew Sammons outlines a typical day for him and his team.

A day in the life of a franchisee

8:00am

I start my day with several phone calls to various members of my team as well as catching up with my emails. As my business has grown, I’ve been able to employ some great managers who handle a lot of the day to day tasks for me. This includes speaking with my Area Manager, Quality Manager and Office Manager to see what they have scheduled for the day and any challenges they need to make me aware of.

9:00am

I will have a catch-up phone call with my Office Manager. We go through all the scheduling of works to be completed and look at any issues that need addressing. I’ll ensure that all paperwork is up to date and all orders have been placed.

10:00am

As we have recently won a very large contract, I am attending a mobilisation meeting today where I will meet not only with the client but also the machinery supplier to ensure the transition process is as smooth as possible and that everything is in place ready for the contract start date.

12:00pm

I will call into the office and see my Office Manager, Annabel to have a full catch up and to ensure we have all rotas in place for our mobile cleaning teams and address any challenges that may have occurred. As part of the planning process we must ensure all our teams have access to the buildings they are cleaning and have the specifications detailing exactly what is required of them. With 5 mobile teams out on the road, this process is essential. I will also grab a quick coffee and a sandwich whilst I catch up on any emails and phone calls.

1:00pm

I generally use some of my time each day to visit with key clients to ensure that relationships are well maintained and to see if there are any additional services, we can provide to them to deliver the best service possible. Today I have been speaking with the Facilities Manager at the business park where my office is based to have a catch up and to see what opportunities there may be for more work as and when new businesses move into the park. A huge part of my job is relationship building and I am very proud to say that most of the business that I win is through referrals from other satisfied customers.

2:00pm

One of my client’s is the O2 Academy in Newcastle so I am calling in there today as my weekly visit to ensure we have all the details for the forthcoming week’s gigs and requirements. This is quite a unique contract as the requirements change weekly depending on what events they have on so good communication is vital.

3:00pm – 6:00pm

I am very lucky that now my business is well established I can take some time each day to pick up my son from school and spend some quality time with my 2 boys. I am involved in running the kids football team that my son plays for and it’s important to me to have that flexibility there to allow me to do this. Running my own business has allowed me the flexibility to control my working hours and although my phone is always on, I know that I have this time each day to spend with my boys.

6:00pm – 7:00pm

I will spend some time catching up on my emails and dealing with anything that urgently needs my attention then it’s bedtime duties.

What might your day look like?

If you’re interested in learning more about how to start and grow your own business with the flexibility to control your own working hours and find the ideal work/life balance, get in touch with NIC Franchise