With the average span of time spent in a franchise across the industry being 7.5 years, Chemex International will be celebrating one franchisees journey of a lifetime through three decades from the late Eighties to his contract renewal this month.
Its 1989 and tumultuous world events are unfolding with Britain in the Thatcher era, the Tiananmen Square uprising and the fall of the Berlin Wall. With the world changing a young dairy herdsman reading the Daily Mail also spots a piece on franchising with Chemical Express (Chemex). Charles Williams is looking to control his own future after starting his working life on a farm milking and rearing the young livestock in a 92 strong dairy herd. With farming changing his future is uncertain in the industry where he worked long days on a small income. Being prepared for the hard work of building his own business franchise contracts were signed on the 17th May 1989.
Training was far from the all-inclusive pattern for today’s franchise partners consisting of three days product initiation a short review and then out into the field meeting potential customers. With absolutely no sales experience but a strong work ethic he achieved numerous targets. The first and as he says, the most difficult, was breaking even whilst learning a new business. However, this is quickly overcome building his turnover to the point where employing staff becomes the logical next step. Marrying his partner Donna the two of them quickly grow the operation and this eventually led to employing his brother which gave Charles the security of running a family business which generated the financial returns he needed.
A finalist in the bfa Franchisee of the year in 1997 was fine recognition for his business and as the winner of the Chemex “Dreams come true” competition based on sales growth he realised a childhood dream of a holiday to New Zealand.
Michael Graham Managing Director of Chemex stated Charles is now a well-respected elder statesman in the Chemex network. He is the first of a fistful of franchisees reaching their 20 to 30-year anniversaries Charles epitomises what franchising within a solid system can bring to the lives of determined and enthusiastic franchise partners. Thirty years of self-determination, a lifestyle that has raised a family and an asset he continues to build.
In Charles own words
“I can honestly say that taking the franchise with Chemex has been the best thing I have done in my life”
