Dream Doors – the UK’s number 1 franchise for
kitchen facelifts
With over 30 branches in total, and
20 showrooms now open, Dream Doors are the UK’s number 1
franchised kitchen door replacement company and are winners of the
British Franchise Association’s Brand Builder of the Year
Award.
Record Sales challenge the credit
crunch
If the press are to have their way,
the UK will slip from credit crunch, through recession, to a full
on depression. In times of doom and gloom it is refreshing to
hear of businesses that are growing and succeeding where others
struggle. In April 2008, Trevor and Anne Conduit of Dream
Doors Nottingham have turned over in excess of £80,000 and
Dream Doors Lincoln shattered the network record with over
£120,000 of sales in one month!
No kitchen industry
experience necessary
Initially trading from home, Helen
& Philip Mahon from Dream Doors Norfolk, have come a long way
in their first year, “Never having done anything like this
before, in terms of running a business, sales or working in the
kitchen industry, we had quite a large learning curve, but it has
been an exciting challenge. I have never felt so excited,
enthusiastic or inspired by work as I have in the last 6
months.” Helen adds, “The training and support has been
fantastic and has really reinforced the fact that we made the right
decision. The initial training was really helpful and there have
been plenty of visits from the Franchise Support Manager to keep us
on the right path. We’ve also had courses on sales, finance
and building regulations, which have been very
useful”
Training &
Support
Training is critical to all Dream Doors
franchisees, both new and experienced, which is why all franchisees
have access to quarterly business coaching courses that encompass
sales, marketing, finance, human resources, CAD planning and other
areas pertinent to the kitchen industry. This is in addition
to the unlimited in-territory support provided by experienced
Regional Managers and Head Office that follows the 2 week induction
training programme. Gary Highton, Dream Doors Lancashire
franchisee comments, “The training was really comprehensive
with a good mix of theory, conceptual, and hands-on, and delivered
by an experienced trainer.”
The kitchen facelift
concept
The Dream Doors concept involves swapping
existing kitchen doors and drawers with made to measure
replacements, transforming a kitchen in as little as one day.
New cabinets, worktops, appliances or sinks can also be
incorporated and it is this total flexibility that makes a Dream
Doors facelift compelling when watching the pennies.
Franchisees do not need any kitchen experience as Dream Doors will
assist in recruiting an installation team and, in a technical
industry, with a sales and retail focus, Dream Doors have a lot of
knowledge to impart.
The showroom
“They’ve been there every step of the
way and time has never been an issue,” says Andy Stewart,
Dream Doors Dorset. “It’s nice to have a regular
input, they’ll turn up to see how it’s going and
it’s all on a personal level.” Having opened
their showroom at the end of 2005, “We found ourselves moving
in a different direction,” says Andy. “It was a lot
busier than we thought and we were picking up more
orders.” Now into their third year in a showroom, Andy
and his wife, Shelley, won second place in the Dream Doors
Franchisee of the Year Award for 2007 with an annual turnover in
excess of £560,000. Shelley adds, “Our figures
show that having a showroom does make a difference and that all our
hard work has certainly paid off!”
Our franchisees
Running a business does present challenges and
Dream Doors are looking for people who are ambitious, driven,
resilient and focused to join them in an arena that is both varied
and rewarding, as Chris Hann of Dream Doors Lincoln endorses, "One
of the most enjoyable aspects of the business is that you are
driven by your customers and not by a boss. This is a dynamic
environment to work in and no two days are ever the
same."
Many Dream Doors franchisees are husband and wife
teams and as Sam and Dave Clemitson of Dream Doors Bournemouth
comment, “Not everyone can work with their partner, but we
are fortunate that we work very well together. We have different
skills so share the workload. Also we are ultimately working
towards a common goal together and are better able to manage our
family life.”
Na
tional advertising
Dream Doors are committed to raising brand
awareness across the country and have invested widely in marketing
their business. From ITV1 and the Women’s Institute to
SAGA and celebrity endorsed DVD’s, Dream Doors are striving
to raise the company profile and attract
a wider customer base for it’s network of
franchisees.
Turnover
A record year in 2007 saw monthly turnover exceed
2006 for every month and some exceptional individual performances
from a number of Dream Doors franchisees. Rachel and Stephen
Vorster from Dream Doors Warrington sold a staggering £92,500
of kitchens and facelifts in September.
Dream Doors Managing Director, Troy Tappenden,
puts this success down to a number of key factors. “I’m
very proud of what we have achieved this year and by spending
heavily on training, business coaching, franchisee support and
national advertising we are re-investing revenue toward future
growth and development of the Dream Doors brand.”
The Package
The franchise fee is £19,825 + vat and
includes a 2 week induction training programme, ongoing field support, quarterly business coaching
courses, marketing launch and materials, sample doors, stationery,
uniforms and a comprehensive operations manual. Working
capital and funds for showroom opening will also be required with
bank finance available dependent on individual circumstances.
