Newbury & Thatcham Chronicle – 4 May 2004
Andy Banks on being handy
Career change: Andy Foulds of Shaw has taken up handyman franchise.
Former international banker Andy Foulds has swapped the sun soaked paradise of Hawaii for the floor-soaked utility rooms of Newbury.
He 55-year-old from Shaw has left his glamorous lifestyle behind to fix leaking pipes, install washing machines and hang curtain rails.
Andy is the first franchisee of 0800handyman which aims to revolutionise the home maintenance industry by providing a fast and professional service at sensible prices.
He began trading on Monday covering the West Berkshire and North Hampshire area taking in major towns including Newbury, Hungerford, Reading, Basingstoke and Andover.
The company, dubbed ‘Kwik-Fit for Houses’, was launched three years ago and is established in London and Winchester.
Managing director Bruce Greig, 28, expects to double turnover this year from £500,000 to more than £1 million.
Andy worked as an international banker for 30 years rising to the position of vice-president with the American Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu.
He left Hawaii behind to return to the UK and a senior position with a software company but by this time was keen to go in a new direction offering a different kind of challenge.
Andy, who has been in Newbury for 10 years, said: “I was very keen for a lifestyle change and discovering 0800handyman gave me the motivation I needed.
“I wanted to do something different, something that would challenge me and that I felt I could make a really good go of.
“I’ve always enjoyed DIY and have done a lot of it over the years, including extending my own house when I lived in the United States.”
Andy found out about the franchise opportunities with 0800handyman after spotting it on the website businessesforsale.com.
Andy will start out being a handyman himself but plans to recruit up to 10 handymen to join his team over the next two years. He will concentrate on managing the scheme once it is established.
Initially he will be targeting homeowners and businesses, including estate agents, letting agents, landlords and guest houses.
Employees are banned from calling women ‘love’ accepting cups of tea while they are working and told to ensure dustsheets are down before they start.
They charge £30 for the first half hour and £15 for each half hour after that and typically focus on jobs lasting between half an hour and half a day.
“If it will take longer than that it will be cheaper to get someone else in,” he added.
0800handyman is backed by Jim Zockoll, the founder of Dyno-Rod drain cleaning business. To make a booking or to find out more about 0800handyman call 0800 426396 or visit the website at www.0800handyman.co.uk
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