Dave Kelly has been a ChariSnack franchisee since 2018, working in the area of Glossop. We talk to Dave all about his ChariSnack experience, success, and ambitions!
Can you tell us about yourself and what you were doing before ChariSnack?
I’m 56 years old and had been working as a butcher for a local family firm for over 35 years.
Can you tell us about the ChariSnack franchise?
It’s an honesty box franchise selling sweets and treats to offices, factories, hairdressers, pubs etc. I service the boxes on a regular basis usually monthly but some who are busier are done fortnightly or even weekly.
Why did you choose a franchise, and in particular, ChariSnack?
I wanted a complete change from what I’d been doing but didn’t really know what. I really wanted to become self-employed to be able to create a much more effective work/life balance.
I saw an advert online about franchising and after a little research into the many different ones available it became clear it was a great option for me to look into deeper as it seemed quite clear that most worked using the same template of a proven way to make and build a business with plenty of help and support from people who had been in the industry and understood the challenges that I would face.
I finally settled on my franchise as it seemed to be very good value for money, a relatively small set up fee and would start earning a wage from an early stage of setting up
How did you raise the finance?
We used our savings to set up the business.
What training and support did you receive, initially and ongoing?
We spent 2 days at headquarters in Peterborough. With the help of our area / regional manager Mark we were shown all the different aspects of the job, with plenty of tips and loads of advice. Ongoing support has been amazing, especially since the company was taken over by Delicious Ideas. Mark is always available to offer advice on any issues or just a chat when things aren’t going so well!
Over the last 12 months with all that’s gone on with COVID the company have done an amazing job to enable us to continue trading especially with cash flow issues.
How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee?
We travel around the Oldham / Bury area. It involves going from business to business filling up each of the boxes with tailor made stock, usually doing an average of 20 boxes per day
What has been your biggest success to date?
Definitely the work life balance as this was our top priority but it’s also satisfying to know that we are helping raise money for such a worthy cause.
What challenges have you faced?
The biggest challenge has unquestionably been COVID as it closed many of our customers down for long periods and most other places were short staffed through furlough so as a result our customer base fell by well over half and made it very challenging
Has becoming a ChariSnack franchisee changed your life?
As I said before, the work life balance. Working for ourselves brings different pressures than being employed does but as we’re in it together they are the same problems faced and understood by each other and ultimately reap the benefits together.
It also brings a great feeling knowing that everything you achieve is entirely the results of your own hard work and decisions.
What advice would you give to someone considering a franchise?
You have to make sure your boss (yourself) is a hard taskmaster or else it’s to easy to let things slide.
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?
Someone with a good work ethic and not scared of taking calculated risks.
What are your plans for the future?
The first priority is definitely to rebuild after COVID and try to build back and increase our customer base.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
I wish I’d been able to do it all much sooner in life.