Mark richardson
Budgens' Newent franchise owner says walking out of a safe job to set up a business is not for the fainthearted, but it offers rewards
At the age of 37, with two children and a partner, working for MBL as a franchise regional sales manager with a corporate salary and career prospects would, to most, be the best option. However, I have always wanted to run my own business - specifically my own store.
After years of looking, an opportunity arose when MBL announced in 2004 its intention to follow its successful Irish model and franchise Budgens&' 140 corporate store estate to independent retailers.
In my naivety I expected to be turning the key to my store within six months, but it took 18 months of interviews and planning. Meanwhile, I had to hold down a full-time position, while coping with the emotional rollercoaster of starting my own business and maintaining a work/life balance.
After looking at several sites, I saw a Budgens corporate store in the Forest of Dean in the historic market town of Newent. Everything fitted my long-term plan to have a destination country shop offering everything a corporate store could, but which was able to support the local community and act as a route to market for local producers .
Late on 7 November 2005, the store was locked and the keys given to me. The following morning as I walked along the high street on the first day as owner, an alarm bell sounded. It was my store alarm, at my store, and that was when I realised what I had taken on.
For the first two weeks I worried on my way to work that the store had burnt down or been burgled. This was a pressure I had never experienced in a corporate setting.
Having worked in Budgens for 12 years, the store retail operation was second nature. I was able to implement the operational strategy quickly and we soon improved availability, consistency and housekeeping. I could then focus on the fresh offer and by introducing more than 150 lines, all supplied through the Budgens regional distribution centre, I was able to move my fresh mix from 37% to 44% of sales.
To create a local, community feeling in store, my strategy has been to bring in small but locally known suppliers. These producers committed to providing personalised sampling over a six-month period and this generated demand and built customer loyalty. For example, an ambient apple juice sells over 250 bottles per week at a premium price - fantastic for a store of our size.
Another approach has been to network within the local community and council and I have been
appointed to the high street regeneration committee. I sponsor the local village bus, the market square steeple, Newent in Bloom and the youth chill-out zone, which is also supported by the Lottery.
All of this has helped the store build a strong relationship with the community. We&'re proud to have won &'Commended Retailer&' certificate, awarded by the Forest of Dean and voted by our customers.
The future for the business will be to bring in more local products and implement service initiatives, with a view to giving our customers further reasons to shop locally.
On a personal level, running my own business means the corporate handcuffs are off. As an independent, I can drive the business more dynamically than any corporate manager by building relationships with suppliers and businesses and by being able to make market decisions immediately.
In food retail, you always move with the times. After 21 years in the business, the past 12 months have been my steepest learning curve. It&'s a huge personal investment, but I&'d not change anything, or go back. I urge anybody with a dream of owning their own business to go after it and make it a reality.
Budgens' Newent franchise owner says walking out of a safe job to set up a business is not for the fainthearted, but it offers rewards
At the age of 37, with two children and a partner, working for MBL as a franchise regional sales manager with a corporate salary and career prospects would, to most, be the best option. However, I have always wanted to run my own business - specifically my own store.
After years of looking, an opportunity arose when MBL announced in 2004 its intention to follow its successful Irish model and franchise Budgens&' 140 corporate store estate to independent retailers.
In my naivety I expected to be turning the key to my store within six months, but it took 18 months of interviews and planning. Meanwhile, I had to hold down a full-time position, while coping with the emotional rollercoaster of starting my own business and maintaining a work/life balance.
After looking at several sites, I saw a Budgens corporate store in the Forest of Dean in the historic market town of Newent. Everything fitted my long-term plan to have a destination country shop offering everything a corporate store could, but which was able to support the local community and act as a route to market for local producers .
Late on 7 November 2005, the store was locked and the keys given to me. The following morning as I walked along the high street on the first day as owner, an alarm bell sounded. It was my store alarm, at my store, and that was when I realised what I had taken on.
For the first two weeks I worried on my way to work that the store had burnt down or been burgled. This was a pressure I had never experienced in a corporate setting.
Having worked in Budgens for 12 years, the store retail operation was second nature. I was able to implement the operational strategy quickly and we soon improved availability, consistency and housekeeping. I could then focus on the fresh offer and by introducing more than 150 lines, all supplied through the Budgens regional distribution centre, I was able to move my fresh mix from 37% to 44% of sales.
To create a local, community feeling in store, my strategy has been to bring in small but locally known suppliers. These producers committed to providing personalised sampling over a six-month period and this generated demand and built customer loyalty. For example, an ambient apple juice sells over 250 bottles per week at a premium price - fantastic for a store of our size.
Another approach has been to network within the local community and council and I have been
appointed to the high street regeneration committee. I sponsor the local village bus, the market square steeple, Newent in Bloom and the youth chill-out zone, which is also supported by the Lottery.
All of this has helped the store build a strong relationship with the community. We&'re proud to have won &'Commended Retailer&' certificate, awarded by the Forest of Dean and voted by our customers.
The future for the business will be to bring in more local products and implement service initiatives, with a view to giving our customers further reasons to shop locally.
On a personal level, running my own business means the corporate handcuffs are off. As an independent, I can drive the business more dynamically than any corporate manager by building relationships with suppliers and businesses and by being able to make market decisions immediately.
In food retail, you always move with the times. After 21 years in the business, the past 12 months have been my steepest learning curve. It&'s a huge personal investment, but I&'d not change anything, or go back. I urge anybody with a dream of owning their own business to go after it and make it a reality.
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