“Since becoming a franchisee following redundancy, I’ve never looked back”

Former retail director Kevin Cook says buying a Business Doctors franchise was the perfect springboard to a new career

When Business Doctor Kevin Cook isn’t helping small and medium-sized enterprise owners develop the full potential of their companies, he’s to be found pushing himself at his local crossfit gym, pursuing his own dream of longlasting physical and mental fitness.

It’s this kind of drive that has seen the former retail director make a difference to the growth journeys of scores of small businesses. As a sounding board, mentor and, most importantly, a hands-on team member, Kevin works with SME owners to help them navigate the optimal route to the next level.

Getting out of a rut

In 2011, with 25 years’ director-level experience in the retail sector, Kevin found himself redundant in the middle of a recession.

Having learned about Business Doctors a few years earlier through an advert in his local Cheshire Chamber of Commerce magazine, he knew the time was right to get out of his corporate rut - and that buying a white collar franchise was the perfect springboard.

Kevin says: “I wasn’t looking for a job when I came across the ad, but something about the friendly, jargon-free attitude of Business Doctors ticked all my boxes, so I kept it on file.

“When I was made redundant, I decided to call Business Doctors franchisors Matt and Rod. Nine years later, I’ve just signed up for my third term and, honestly, I’ve never looked back.

“It’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being a Business Doctors franchisee has allowed me to fulfil a dream of running my own business, drawing on my prior corporate experience and loving the buzz and excitement that comes with helping all kinds of small companies to grow.

“It’s given me freedom and flexibility, an improved work-life balance and a ready-made worldwide network of other friendly and experienced director-level Business Doctors to tap into.”

Expert advice

In his work as a Business Doctor, Kevin helps SMEs to expand through planning and implementing business strategy, supporting them through recruitment, staff and team engagement, performance management, sales development, change management, commercial lease negotiation and premises management.

Some of these skills he brought with him from his own career, others he learned or further developed during his Business Doctors training.

With particular expertise in family-owned operations, Kevin draws upon the insight and knowledge of the international Business Doctors network to work in a number of sectors, including retail, manufacturing, legal, technology, financial, recruitment and haulage.

“The best thing about being a Business Doctor is the huge variety of assignments that come my way,” he says. “I could never become bored and I’m constantly learning and having my eyes opened to new things.

“The collaboration between the franchisees is inspiring and the satisfaction of making a significant difference to my clients’ businesses, and indeed their lives, is immense.”

Busy period

Though the pandemic has seen many Business Doctors take a temporary step back from the physical boardroom and shop floor, it’s been a busy period for the franchisees, who have all become dab hands with Zoom.

“The fallout of COVID-19 has seen small business owners having to rapidly implement change, develop new business models and ways of working, bring in unfamiliar technologies and learn new management strategies,” Kevin says.

“And the Business Doctors, with their years of experience, steady hands and agile, unflappable minds, have been there to help them all the way. It’s what we do.”

At a glance Business Doctors

Established:

2004

Number of franchised outlets:

40 UK. 100 international

Location of units:

throughout UK and Ireland, Malta, South Africa, India, Belgium, Myanmar

Investment range:

£39,500

Minimum required capital:

£10,000

Contact:

Ben Davies. ben@businessdoctors.co.uk. 01744 833778