Driver Hire franchise offers secure investment opportunity

Out of 600 businesses, recruitment specialist Driver Hire came out on top for Rod Halling

Rod Halling bought Driver Hire Plymouth in January 2011. No stranger to running his own business, he was diligent in his research when looking for his next venture.

“I’d decided it was time for a change,” recalls Rod. “Having been in the music business for 20 years, owned a backpackers’ hostel in Cornwall, run a specialist furniture shop and made a mark in the online financial services industry, I wanted a proven business I could grow. I wanted to stay in the Plymouth area and started looking at all the opportunities in and around the vicinity. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but wanted something that followed a sound business model and would be a secure investment.”

During his search, Rod looked at over 600 businesses for sale before he decided on Driver Hire.

Driver Hire is a recruitment business, a business to business management franchise with 100 offices nationwide. The company has been running successfully for 30 years, and franchising since 1987. It is the UK’s largest specialist in its field, providing temporary and permanent drivers and other logistics staff to local and national organisations in both the public and private sector.

Franchisees running a Driver Hire franchise provide a 24/7 recruitment service. They help customers to keep their business moving, for example, if a driver is off sick or on holiday. They also save them money by helping them to strategically plan their staffing levels - providing a flexible workforce to meet customer demands. This is especially valuable to customers in the current economic climate.

Benefits
————-

Says Rod: “When I discovered Driver Hire, I initially had no idea it was a franchised business and I actually thought franchising was a bad idea - I worried that working with a franchisor would mean I would not have enough control over my business. Having now been a franchisee for over two years, my original point of view has totally turned on its head.”

One thing that surprised Rod when he was in talks with his bank for funding was how much they bought into the franchise model and the Driver Hire brand. “I made enquiries through the banks about the business,” says Rod. “One thing that stuck out was a bank saying, ‘Yes, Driver Hire, it’s in our top three franchise opportunities - jump at it’. Obviously, that helped to strengthen my own thoughts - I was looking at a secure investment with serious potential.”

Franchising is often viewed as a safer way to run your own business - the support and expertise of your franchisor and the franchise network is a vital lifeline when things become challenging or specialist advice is needed.

Becoming a franchisee hasn’t really changed Rod’s life, as he is accustomed to being his own boss. One thing he has come to highly value is the benefits of belonging to a network. “I religiously attend Driver Hire’s territory meetings,” says Rod. “It’s great because I get to meet up with people who are in and understand my business, but who I’m not competing against.”

Support
———-

Rod’s lack of direct experience in recruitment or logistics has been no barrier to success. The Driver Hire support package includes a two-week intensive training programme; administrative functions such as invoicing and payroll; a bespoke IT system that takes care of bookings, candidate and customer records, and helps to ensure legislative compliance; a national accounts team that delivers centrally won business opportunities; a marketing team providing a steady stream of professional marketing resources; and a dedicated Area Development Manager.

Having started franchising in 1987 and won British Franchise Association ‘Franchisor of the Year’ awards in 2006 and 2012, Driver Hire provides an outstanding route in for anyone looking to run their own business in the recruitment sector.

Future
———

Two years down the line, Rod doesn’t regret picking Driver Hire out of the 600 options he looked through and would definitely do it again. He is looking to further build his business and has invested in a team with the right attitude that “will help the business fly”.

Says Rod: “One of the best things about being a Driver Hire franchisee is interacting with drivers, clients and staff - it’s the people aspect that I really enjoy. Of course, the profits at the end are a positive bonus.”