Nottingham Couple Named One of UK’s Top Franchisees

A husband and wife team from Nottingham have been named National Finalists in the annual British Franchise Associations (bfa) Franchisee of the Year Awards, sponsored by HSBC Bank and Express Newspapers.

Anne and Trevor Conduit are now hoping to scoop the top title and a cheque for £5,000, courtesy of HSBC.

The Winner will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner at the International Convention Centre (ICC), in Birmingham, on 2nd October. Cheques for £3,000 and £2,000 will also be presented to the Silver and Bronze Winners respectively.

In 2006, Anne and Trevor decided they wanted to work together and for themselves. Anne worked for the NHS and Trevor was a Regional Manager with a large engineering group. Both were very successful but wanted to improve their quality of life and spend more time as a family.

Starting a business completely from scratch is a very daunting prospect so the couple decided to outline exactly what they wanted from their new venture. They were determined to work locally, trade with the public and where possible, supply British made products.

After months of searching for the right opportunity, Anne and Trevor came across an advertisement for Dream Doors and they have never looked back.

Dream Doors ticked all the right boxes and in September 2006, they opened the doors of their Nottingham based franchise. Their success has been unprecedented and in the last year their two sons Richard and Christopher have joined the business.

Anne and Trevor are one of nine franchisees who impressed the judging panel, chaired by bfa President, Sir Bernard Ingham, by demonstrating how they ‘manage change’ – the theme of this year’s Awards.

HSBC’s Head of Franchising, Cathryn Hayes, said: 'Anne and Trevor are an excellent example of how the go-getting attitude of the franchisee combined with the franchisor’s collaborative approach, generates success at both individual and network levels.
 
'Our mission is to make HSBC the bank of choice for the British franchise industry and we are delighted to play a pivotal role in meeting the financial challenges of this dynamic and important market sector.' 
                                                                                                           
Brian Smart, Director General of the bfa, added: 'These prestigious Awards are the highlight of National Franchise week and celebrate the UK’s best franchisees.

'This year it was harder than ever choosing nine National Finalists and Anne and Trevor are great examples of how focus and drive, when supplemented by the support of a franchisor, results in the growth of a sustainable and profitable business.'

Express Newspapers’ Franchise and Business Opportunities Advertising Sales Manager, Geraldine Haenow, said: 'Anne and Trevor are fantastic ambassadors for the franchising industry and an inspiration to all those thinking of starting up on their own.

'The whole team at Dream Doors, Nottingham, should be proud of their achievements in being named a National Finalist and we look forward to sharing their success story with our readers.'