{"id":29729,"date":"2026-04-13T15:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/?p=29729"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:12:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:12:12","slug":"from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/","title":{"rendered":"From employee to multi-van owner: How Tom Stafford is successfully scaling the first DA Techs franchise"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #101010;color:#101010\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #101010;color:#101010\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/#why-franchising-appealed\" >Why Franchising Appealed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/#benefitting-from-world-class-training-and-ongoing-support\" >Benefitting From World-Class Training and Ongoing Support<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/#what-the-early-days-looked-like\" >What The Early Days Looked Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/#how-the-business-has-grown\" >How The Business Has Grown<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/#toms-words-of-advice-for-future-franchisees\" >Tom\u2019s Words of Advice For Future Franchisees<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/from-employee-to-multi-van-owner-how-tom-stafford-is-successfully-scaling-the-first-da-techs-franchise\/#take-the-first-step-towards-your-future-as-a-da-techs-business-owner\" >Take The First Step Towards Your Future As A DA Techs Business Owner<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p><strong>Key franchise information:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Franchisee<\/strong>:\u00a0Tom Stafford<\/li>\n<li><strong>Territory<\/strong>:\u00a0Colchester, Ipswich and Cambridge<\/li>\n<li><strong>Launch date<\/strong>:\u00a0Late 2024<\/li>\n<li><strong>Size as of February 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0Three vans and technicians; 30+ clients<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tom Stafford\u2019s journey with DA Techs is a strong example of what can happen when ambition meets the right\u00a0business model.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As the first DA Techs franchisee, he launched his territory covering Colchester, Ipswich and Cambridge in late 2024.<\/p>\n<p>By February 2026, he had already grown the business to three vans and technicians, serving more than 30 clients.<\/p>\n<p>Before becoming a business owner, Tom had built a successful career in the automotive sector.<\/p>\n<p>After university, he worked his way up from an office role to workshop manager at British Car Auctions, before later becoming an Operations Manager for DA Techs co-founders Phil Barnard and Jamie Baxter.<\/p>\n<p>But despite doing well in employment, he wanted more than just a monthly pay cheque.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI was earning good money in my job and I could\u2019ve easily stayed as an employee anywhere that matched my skill set and took home my pay cheque each month,\u201d he explains.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cBut I found myself ending each day thinking I had worked really hard, but didn\u2019t have anything to show for it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-franchising-appealed\"><\/span><strong>Why Franchising Appealed<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For Tom, franchising offered something employment could not: a direct link between effort and reward, and the ability to shape his own future.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cWhat I liked about the potential of franchising is that I knew if I worked really hard, I might get more back out of it. I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I\u2019m not the sort of person to shy away from a challenge. I would be in control of my future and could reap the rewards of my hard graft.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When he learned DA Techs was launching its franchise network, the opportunity immediately stood out.<\/p>\n<p>Having worked closely with the founders and seen the service first-hand, Tom understood the strength of the model, the quality of the technology and the scale of the opportunity.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI saw they were going to start franchising, so I had a conversation with them and explained I was interested. I felt like I\u2019d sort of run other people\u2019s businesses for many years and thought I\u2019d quite like to have a go at doing it for myself.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThe technology and quality of it \u2013 it really is factory-grade machinery inside the van, delivering the same results I\u2019d overseen at the workshop \u2013 meant I knew it wasn\u2019t like other similar franchises.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAnother big factor is that I knew Phil and Jamie well and they are absolutely fantastic guys to work with. The opportunity just really excited me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img data-dominant-color=\"817d7d\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #817d7d;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-29730 aligncenter not-transparent\" title=\"image (4)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-300x199.webp\" alt=\"image (4)\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-768x511.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-632x420.webp 632w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-600x399.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4-696x463.webp 696w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-4.webp 865w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"benefitting-from-world-class-training-and-ongoing-support\"><\/span><strong>Benefitting From World-Class Training and Ongoing Support<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>After joining the network, Tom received\u00a0extensive support\u00a0from the DA Techs team to ensure he launched with confidence.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThey provided all the hands-on training in running the business, managing accounts, explaining the model, and setting the benchmarks for what I needed to be working towards in terms of volume of wheels, pricing, turnover, clients and so forth.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019ve had ongoing support ever since, from the hands-on technical side of things and running the vans, to business support and advice about anything.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019ve never once felt as if I was on my own. You always feel a hand on your shoulder helping to push you in the right direction and build the best business possible.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-the-early-days-looked-like\"><\/span><strong>What The Early Days Looked Like<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Launching in late 2024, Tom\u2019s first priority was building momentum in a completely new territory.<\/p>\n<p>He focused hard on sales, meetings and demonstrations, laying the foundations for recurring business and long-term client relationships. That effort paid off quickly.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cFor the first few months, I hammered away at sales, meeting with potential clients and offering demos. Soon afterwards we started getting bookings and money coming in, which felt really nice.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cNow I know some conversations I have can be worth thousands of pounds, with the lifetime value of that client being really lucrative.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Tom also values the way DA Techs listens to franchisee feedback and continually improves the model.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cAs an example, when I collected my first two vans, there were a few things I had to add to make them function better and I told the guys about this.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThen when it came to collecting my third van, everything I needed was already there and fitted with the van. They had taken the feedback onboard and used it to improve the van not just for me, but for every future franchisee and technician.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThat really illustrated their commitment to constant improvement to benefit everyone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img data-dominant-color=\"424955\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #424955;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-29732 aligncenter not-transparent\" title=\"image (5)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-300x157.webp\" alt=\"image (5)\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-300x157.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-768x401.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-805x420.webp 805w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-150x78.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-600x313.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5-696x363.webp 696w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-5.webp 862w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-the-business-has-grown\"><\/span><strong>How The Business Has Grown<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A little over a year after launch, Tom\u2019s business is already flourishing.<\/p>\n<p>With three vans on the road, technicians in place and more than 30 long-term clients, he is now focused on scaling further and strengthening the management structure around him so the business can keep growing.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cFranchisees are set the target to grow to 10 vans in their territory and we are looking to get halfway there within two years. So my focus now is really on developing the management team to support that growth. I can see first-hand that the potential really is unlimited.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cCompared to having a normal job, it\u2019s doubly hard \u2013 but doubly rewarding. Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are long days. But honestly, the efforts are worth it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cToday for example, I am working from home, I have three vans out on the road, a really capable team in place working with smiles on their faces and I am able to dedicate my time to planning the growth of the business.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img data-dominant-color=\"838477\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #838477;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-29733 aligncenter not-transparent\" title=\"image (6)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-300x200.webp\" alt=\"image (6)\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-629x420.webp 629w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-600x401.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1-696x465.webp 696w, https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-6-1.webp 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"toms-words-of-advice-for-future-franchisees\"><\/span><strong>Tom\u2019s Words of Advice For Future Franchisees<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>\u201cDo your research, because there\u2019s a lot of elements to wheel repair. DA Techs have made it as accessible as it can be, but you have got to be up for a challenge.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYou have got to be up for getting involved, getting stuck in. It\u2019s not easy, but if you\u2019re consistent and if you keep going, eventually the time will come that you will get an opportunity over the line and it starts snowballing from there.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cBut I would say you\u2019re coming into it at a very exciting time, a very big period of growth. DA Techs are very ambitious in a very positive way, with the aim to be the No1 in the UK.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cSo if you\u2019re prepared to put in the work, you will succeed. I\u2019m proving that to myself every day.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"take-the-first-step-towards-your-future-as-a-da-techs-business-owner\"><\/span><strong>Take The First Step Towards Your Future As A DA Techs Business Owner<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Are you ready to stop working for someone else\u2019s gain and start building your own significant asset?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key franchise information: Franchisee:\u00a0Tom Stafford Territory:\u00a0Colchester, Ipswich and Cambridge Launch date:\u00a0Late 2024 Size as of February 2026:\u00a0Three vans and technicians; 30+ clients Tom Stafford\u2019s journey with DA Techs is a strong example of what can happen when ambition meets the right\u00a0business model. As the first DA Techs franchisee, he launched his territory covering Colchester, Ipswich [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":29731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,1624],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-automotive-franchises","category-da-techs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-3-2.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29729"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29734,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29729\/revisions\/29734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franchiselocal.co.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}