Nine months ago, Roy van Vessum made the life-changing decision to move into the world of franchising, opening his own Lakeland Verandahs outlet in the North of Scotland. So far, that decision is bearing fruit.
Willing to pay an extra fee to join a franchise offering with a wealth of experience, professionalism and great results, he had a good feeling about Lakeland Verandahs from the off, and is pleased that he trusted his intuition.
When queried about how things have panned out since becoming a franchise owner in April 2021, Roy’s immediate response was to give credit to Lakeland for the backing he has received:
“Lakeland offers help with everything and is a really professional setup!
“The back office is brilliant and they provide fantastic finance options. The prices and products are great too and you can always get support and know-how from their dedicated team of good, knowledgeable people.”
One of the top sellers within the Lakeland Verandahs Network, Roy’s franchise has attained an impressive £340K in sales, a figure he attributes to concentrating his efforts on sales and not installation. The recruitment of three installers since opening for business, with a fourth due to start by April 2022, made this possible.
What’s also helped him is having his leads followed up and appointments booked by the team at Lakeland HQ, freeing up valuable time.
“If you like the domestic market and helping homeowners with projects, this is a fantastic opportunity.
“It’s such a brilliant concept and requires 100% attention, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to make a success of it.”
While the demand for decking has inevitably dropped off a little during the winter, Roy doesn’t see this as a bad thing:
“As it’s a very seasonable product, my appointment numbers are not quite the same as they were a few months ago, but this provides me with time to evaluate my business, check it is running well and make any necessary tweaks to it.”
Roy’s territory covers a vast area and he believes there is huge potential for growth over the coming months and years, one reason why he will shortly also recruit a commercial sales specialist.
“I need this business to be a success, and up to this point, I am very content and happy with how things are going.”
Get in touch about becoming the next Director of a Lakeland Verandahs outlet in your preferred region. Once signed up, you will benefit from the same complete business package that has enabled Roy to make such a promising start with his North Scotland franchise.
