A franchisor’s perspective by Troy Tappenden, Managing Director, Dream Doors.

As the MD of Dream Doors, the UK’s largest kitchen makeover franchise, I see a lot of applicants to join our network – more than a thousand last year in fact. It’s no big surprise – franchising can be a wonderful life for anyone that’s prepared to put in a little hard work, and in my experience, ex-police are among the best at that. We currently have three ex-police in our network and I wouldn’t hesitate to add to that number – here’s why.

The appeal of being a franchisee
It’s a real crossroads when people leave the police force. Often they are relatively young – in their 40s or 50s – and have plenty of years left in the workplace. So a change of scene is needed and running their own business remains one of the most popular choices. People are attracted by the lifestyle, status, flexibility, money, and the chance to be their own boss, with all the freedom that comes with it.
Being a franchisee provides all of the above, but with an additional support network on top. Franchising gives someone the chance to call the shots, shape their own destiny and keep their own time – it is hugely rewarding. It allows someone to work in a field that they have chosen and have an interest in, and it is far more convenient in maintaining a decent work/life balance, helping with the school run and much more.
It’s important to choose the right franchise opportunity of course. We offer an award-winning 12 week training programme, designed to bring a franchisee up to speed on everything to do with kitchens and kitchen makeovers, as well teaching a range of business disciplines, such as marketing, HR, accounts and sales. Any ex-police should be looking for similar support and guidance from the franchisor.
Franchising can also be a great living. One of the ex-police in our network is Gareth Kavanagh-Dixon, who owns Dream Doors Cambridge with his wife. Gareth’s showroom won our coveted year on year growth prize, in the Dream Doors 2015 awards. The average turnover in our network is more than half a million pounds, so the attraction is clear for all to see.

What qualities do ex-police bring?
All of the ex-police we currently have in our network bring a discipline and a work ethic that fits the franchise model particularly well. Running a franchise can be hard work, and the discipline required to work in the police force is a great attribute to transfer across to franchising.
There are a number of other skills too. I spoke with another of our ex-police, Mark Battin, who owns a Dream Doors showroom in Worcester, and asked him what he thought made ex-police so suited to franchising:
“As a police officer, one of the skills that can be overlooked is dealing with people. Every day in the force, you’d be communicating with a wide range of people, which is a wonderful skill to transfer across to franchising. The ability to communicate effectively and to instil trust is invaluable, and when you throw in the strong organisational skills and ability to knuckle down and work hard, then ex-police have a lot to offer as franchisees.”

Franchising vs setting up on your own
After spending so long in a job, ex-police have a tough decision to make about their next career move. While most will (hopefully) have a decent lump sum to invest in their future, spending that money on setting up your very own business can be fraught with risk.
For anyone launching their own business or startup, it is hard to say with any certainty whether it’s a brilliant idea or a complete dud. More than likely it is somewhere in the middle, but the point is that no-one really knows, so it is a much riskier option.
By contrast, a good franchise is a proven business model. It’s still a question of people getting out what they put in – even with the best franchise a lazy franchisee that isn’t prepared to do the hard yards is never going to be a success. But if any ex-police choose a franchise with a good product, good support and an established model, then it makes it a really smart choice for a new working life outside the force.