FAQs
That’s good to hear – we would be concerned if you didn’t have more questions! See below for answers to some of the more frequently asked questions, and don’t forget that you have a great opportunity to discuss your own individual situation with DWV at our open day, which is your day to see if we are a good fit!
£20k for the licence plus VAT (which can be reclaimed). It will be around £300 for uniform and £300 for training. Equipment will cost around £8k and consumables will be around £3.5k. Please be aware that the cost of equipment and consumables may change as we look to improve our service to customers – this could be additional equipment or new products. We can confirm figures at the Open Day.
Van cost per month is not included above as this can vary depending on the value of the deposit or the loan period. There is the opportunity to include the equipment and consumables in the overall loan price as well (all subject to status).
Despite having nationwide coverage, we do have territories available, so please contact us to see what is available near to you.
In short, no. We will ensure you are suitably trained so that you feel confident in carrying out repairs if you are starting as a SMART Operator, and have a sufficient amount of knowledge if you are starting with us as a SMART Manager, to be able to quote confidently for repairs as well as contact and visit potential dealerships. In addition to this going forward, our technical experts are always available on the phone if you have a question.
This is not a problem. This is one of the key benefits to being a DWV franchisee; we have the templates and expertise to guide you. However, the plan needs to be owned by you, and will involve a degree of investigation to ensure that your plan is realistic and based on sound research. We are here to help you to research and refine your plan but it has to be you that owns it. Any objectives we help you with will need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound.
Once you get started as a franchisee, this is when the benefits really kick in. We can put you in touch with likeminded franchisees so you can share experiences and best practices, and our QFP Qualified Franchise Manager and the team at Head Office are always on hand to guide you and help you grow and be more efficient as a franchisee.
No, not at all! All you need is the will and determination to be successful by following proven sales, business and marketing initiatives. Remember you are following tried and trusted processes, that do work even if not immediately!
As an established franchisor, our marketplace and approach to the market is tried and tested, and you will be following where others have also succeeded. Depending on your determination and willingness to grow, expand and penetrate other areas, your turnover can easily grow to £500k, with a regular defined private customer base that you market to on a regular basis. Depending on your business split and pricing you can expect to achieve a Net profit of between 15-20%.
Yes. Again, a key point of being part of a franchise network is the access to up to the minute training, be it on processes, innovation, products, or systems. Each of these can help streamline any business, making it more efficient and profitable. As well as a state-of-the-art training facility and a Training Manager who has over 20 years’ experience in the industry, we work very closely with our approved suppliers to ensure we are always at the forefront of our sector. We also offer refresher training as well as regular reviews if there are any concerns regarding performance, noted by yourself or from the overall network data.
In addition to ongoing technical training for technicians, there is a bespoke growth programme to accelerate you to being a multi-van operator and to being the Manager of a SMART repair business, not a technician in one!
We will assist you initially in getting in front of decision makers within your area, with the intention of having some face-to-face appointments scheduled in your diary within the first month of trading. Going forward, we can also help you with learning how to research potential customers. In addition to this you will get on a regular basic leads from the DWV website, in which you have your own page – these need following up ASAP and converting ongoing. Again, you will have assistance with this, as well as best practice guides on the franchisee portal within the website.
There are many ways to investigate potential sources of work and, again, much of this will be covered in your induction – there are also many tools to assist you on our Franchisee Hub. Social media is a great source of obtaining names and contacts, as well as being known and proactive in your area for excellent service standards. Again, don’t worry, this is covered in your induction and we are only a phone call away if you need us!
That is no problem at all. As the franchisor, DWV is happy for you to speak to any of our franchisees so you can take on board their feedback, be it good or bad, and make an informed decision from there.
As a well-respected franchisor, we would actively encourage you to look at other opportunities in this field, and other areas to ensure it is for you prior to making your decision. No franchisor should ever pressurise a potential franchisee! We take pride in the fact that we award franchises based on the applicant – we do not SELL franchises.
As with any business, even if you are part of a known brand and service, you will always be required to market yourself locally, to get a local reputation for service and quality. Whilst a national brand always gives customers comfort in knowing if there is an issue, they will be helped by local reputation as well. The value of localised sponsorship (which may well be eligible for matched funding) and marketing in researched fields on a local basis cannot be understated. Again, this is what we are here to help you with. You grow, we grow!
Hopefully, some of your questions have been answered here. If your burning question hasn’t been answered, please contact us now.