“It has changed my life for the better”

Hazel Burnett, Domestic Angels franchisee for Bournemouth Central Parks, explains her move from veteran hotelier to franchisee

• Year joined Domestic Angels: 2017 as an Angel/team leader, Feb 2018 started the franchise
• Previous career: Interim gift shop owner, hotelier for 20 years
• Franchise location: Bournemouth central parks, covering, Winton, Charminster, Throop, Muscliffe, Meyrick park, Talbot woods and more
• Biggest benefit: Having the time with my family and managing hours that suit me, whilst having an income.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Domestic Angels franchise business?
I’m a single parent to four children and one grandchild. I love spending time with all of them along with being a volunteer in Girlguiding as a Brownie leader - giving a little back of what I was taught when I was younger, providing the girls with opportunities they might not otherwise have the chance to.

Prior to having my franchise, I was a hotelier for 20 years in Bournemouth. Which, although lots of fun all year round, was very time restricting, living in and running the hotel was a 24/7 job, while raising my children and Girlguiding. A family health scare arose, making us choose to close the hotel. This is when I missed my customer contact and briefly opened a little gift shop until I started as a ‘cover’ Angel with Domestic Angels.

Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose a Domestic Angels franchise?
Choosing to be a franchisee with Domestic Angels was probably a bit different for me.

I already knew the business from the inside, working as a team leader, so when the opportunity arose to manage my own area, I jumped at it. Having head office there to guide me through the processes and help where needed along with all the formats to set up were the main points.

Has becoming a Domestic Angels franchisee changed your life, if so how?

It has changed my life for the better. I can manage the time I work, whilst still having customer contact and grow my business with my Angels. It’s given me more time to focus on myself and what’s important to me.

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise?

Research your chosen area for competitors in the trade. Don’t try to undercut them to get their customers. Use our brand, because we do get the right customers.

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?

Having good management skills and customer service skills, someone who really cares about what they will be doing.

What are your plans for the future?

To keep growing my franchise area and put it at the top of the marketplace for the services we offer. Long, long term, maybe think about hiring a manager to run it for me.