"Having faced redundancy twice in three years after a seasoned career as a Sales and Marketing Director, in 2011 Andy decided that he wanted a complete change of direction. He had always wanted to own his own business, so the proven business model of ChipsAway appeared to be the perfect option. 5 years down the line, Andy Cornell has been crowned third time Business Mentor of the Year and Franchisee of the Year 2016 at ChipsAway’s annual conference.“I liked the idea of being able to set up and run my own company but without the risks associated with a ground-up new start. I wanted a business which was flexible, not massively expensive and had the potential for growth.”Having looked at a number of different franchises, ChipsAway appealed to me for a number of reasons. First of all, I had an interest in cars anyway. Secondly, the back-up of a well-known and respected brand really appealed to me – ChipsAway stood out from the others both in terms of reputation and marketing. You have a steady flow of leads and customers from day one.”“From the initial telephone enquiry right through to the contract negotiations ChipsAway were extremely helpful and very forthright about the opportunities and the possible pitfalls with franchising their brand.The open day presentations, meetings and repair demonstrations were very thorough and I could speak to everyone from the Chief Executive to a number of the existing franchisees, the franchise support team and the training department. Overall, the information they supplied at all stages was very detailed, thorough and honest.”Once Andy attended an open day and spoke to existing franchisees, he was sold! He invested in a ChipsAway franchise and began his training shortly after.“The initial product training was superb. I spent 4 weeks learning the repair process and carrying out numerous repairs until I felt confident enough to go it alone, but even then the on-going technical back up which was and still is available was invaluable. It also included a really good sales and marketing module, which provides a really good grounding in how to promote and win work.“The initial course was followed up 3 months later by a further week of more in-depth dent repair techniques which then allowed me to then tackle bigger projects for customers.“There is on-going training available whenever you need it and ChipsAway also offer other complimentary courses like social media marketing, vehicle lease hand back assessment and training in new products and services which again allows you to add new services and revenue streams to your business.”Andy initially was concerned about how quickly he could generate a reasonable income, but his business was profitable straight away.“With ChipsAway there is the potential to start earning from day one.” Andy says. “The business model is so easy. If you are prepared to put the effort in, the earning potential is very good, even as a one man one van operation. If you decide to expand and open a Car Care Centre, you can make a very healthy income and build a business with proven value as when you decide to sell it on.“There is a visible track record of success with ChipsAway, and if you ever have any issues with the business, there are people able and willing to offer specialist advice. There is nothing that can stop you being successful apart from yourself.”“Owning my own business is extremely liberating – no one can make me redundant or have an effect on my life apart from me. Every decision I make is for the good of my business and my family.”"

Andy Cornell – ChipsAway