Entrepreneur recovers from broken back to become a successful franchisee

"Dream Doors is a great fit for my skill set and one that’s left me excited and energised by the challenge ahead," Barry Payne

Barry Payne was building a successful property maintenance and construction business when disaster struck in 2012. While working on a customer’s roof, the experienced home improvement professional (pictured) fell several feet through scaffolding and broke his back.

HANDS-ON
Barry explains: “By then I was running our company, but still had a very hands-on approach. My doctors advised me that while I may be able to return to such physically demanding work, it would have a negative impact on my long-term health.

“Fortunately my son was able to take over the company and it continues to trade successfully with him at the helm. I, on the other hand, had to down tools for good.

But Barry refused to let his accident get him down: “I shifted my focus and challenged myself to find another way to remain in a trade I both enjoy and understand.

“And that’s when I discovered that Dream Doors Bristol, a franchise of the UK’s largest kitchen facelift retailer, was up for sale. The showroom hadn’t fulfilled its potential and the previous owner admitted as much. It was the perfect match for me.”

And the location couldn’t have been better.

Barry’s wife Emma, a corporate lawyer, was now working from offices in Bristol, renting a flat in the city during the week and returning to their Worcestershire home at weekends.

GREAT FIT
Purchasing the existing Dream Doors franchise meant the couple could work and live in the same place again.

“We still have our property in Worcestershire, but rent in Bristol,” Barry says.

“We both work hard and still don’t see that much of each other, but we spend more time together than before.”

Barry adds: “Dream Doors is a great fit for my skill set and one that’s left me excited and energised by the challenge ahead.

“We increased turnover by almost 30 per cent last year and I know there’s much more we can achieve in this area.

“2014 is set to be very good for us - we sold more than £75,000 in just the first two months of this year.”