Franchising
in association with
Blockbuster
From
franchisee to
franchisor
the success story
of Magic Man
24 | MAKING MONEY | www.makingmoney.co.uk
franchising
From franchisee
to franchisor
THE SUCCESS STORY OF MAGIC MAN GROUP, AS TOLD BY CEO MARK HENDERSON
W
hen Mark Henderson left the Royal
Navy in May 1993, he had one clear
ambition in mind. He wanted to be
his own boss and in control of his own destiny.
It’s an ambition that’s been very successfully
fulfilled. Mark has built Magicman into a multi-million
pound business and the UK’s leading hard surface
repair company, and he is now offering people with
entrepreneurial drive the chance to follow in his
footsteps by buying a Magicman franchise.
He explains how franchising helped him succeed
and why it is now at the heart of Magicman’s future
growth strategy.
WHY FRANCHISING?
I understood from reading some resettlement
literature that the failure rate of a new business was
less likely when a franchise route was chosen. It also
seemed the most effective way of establishing a new
business from scratch - forgive the pun. The fact that
a lot of effort had been made by any franchisor in
establishing and understanding his business model
and ironing out any issues before bringing it to
market was a big plus.
WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING
FOR IN A FRANCHISE?
I was confident of my own interpersonal skills and
work ethic and I thought to choose a franchise that
played to my skill set. I wanted something different,
to have a competitive edge or uniqueness about it.
The key to me was not to be one of many, but be
able to bring a new, exciting and scalable business
to market.
YOU SELECTED ONE OR TWO
FRANCHISES. HOW DID YOU
MAKE THE FINAL DECISION?
I was concerned that adequate training was
available to cover off those necessary skills
that I either needed to improve or lacked. I also
put a lot of store in how I felt about those
franchisors I met; did they ask the right
questions and were they genuinely interested
and concerned in myself and my family? I was
effectively reviewing them, as much as they
were me.
I decided on an American bath resurfacing
franchise, as this was the most innovative I
could find and drew no comparisons in the UK.
I was attracted to this as I could immediately
see the advantage of repair over replacement.
www.makingmoney.co.uk | MAKING MONEY | 25
Refurbishment, as the Americans call it, is always a
cheaper and less disruptive alternative.
DID THE FRANCHISE EXPERIENCE
LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
I found it difficult to wear the many hats required to
run your own business. I was salesman, accountant
and marketing material distributor, as well as being
the only front line worker. I had to understand the
franchisor’s system of working, while additionally
adapting to a civilian way of life. I didn’t receive
the support I had been led to believe I would. I
paid the money and was left to get on without
much support. The franchisor quickly moved on to
recruiting other franchisees.
WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FACTOR
IN SETTING UP ON YOUR OWN?
The opportunity to expand the business into new
areas beyond bath resurfacing, driven by increasing
repair requests outside of the franchise capability,
was too attractive to ignore. Through research and
my previous training in the Royal Navy, I already
knew how to repair other surfaces and together
with Kevin Maxted, our technical director and
coincidentally my first employee, the Magicman
concept was born.
WHAT SERVICES DOES
MAGICMAN PROVIDE?
builders, hotels, insurers, letting agents and property
managers.
Most importantly, a Magicman franchise offers
an opportunity to establish, maintain and grow your
own business that is supported at every level. A fully
comprehensive five-week training course is provided.
The course encompasses health and safety, legal
and other compliance issues, as well as the technical
training required to deliver the repair services.
Fundamentals of business practice - marketing, IT,
accounting, etc - are also included.
Additionally, an initial marketing programme
is developed together with the franchisee and key
personnel from the organisation will conduct visits
to assist and further develop the franchisee. From my
experience as a franchisee and the success achieved
over the last 21 years, I believe I have an in-depth
understanding of what is required to launch a
successful business.
This is why at Magicman, for those franchisees
who need it, we can undertake various back office
functions during the first 12 months to aid the
franchisee’s growth. With our head office handling
calls and scheduling work, as well as monitoring
accountancy functions on their behalf, we relieve
a lot of the stress normally associated with a new
business start-up.
WHAT TYPE OF FRANCHISEE
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Our ideal candidate will have ambition and drive.
He or she must be flexible and willing to learn. It
is particularly important that a candidate has the
right personal attributes, combined with a hands-on
practical ability. We are striving to select only those
we feel are compatible with our corporate ethos and
who are capable of managing, running and most
importantly expanding their business.
IS HELP AVAILABLE WITH
BUSINESS PLANNING?
Yes. Clive is available to help potential franchisees
understand the complexities and requirements of a
well drafted business plan, as it is our goal for every
franchisee to be a success.
IS FINANCING AVAILABLE?
Lloyds Bank has been kind enough to offer financing
on a varying scale to any potential franchisee who
presents them with a viable business plan.
Q. WHAT OF THE FUTURE?
Magicman is now the UK’s premier hard surface
damage repair service. Our technologies allow us to
repair and resurface damage areas and items such
as scratches, chips, dents and cracks on site. We
can repair all types of hard surfaces either internal
or external, saving clients a great deal of time and
money over the alternative of replacement.
Ultimately, Clive and I have designs on international
exposure for the franchise, hence the name
Magicman Global Licensing. We have already
received interest from around the globe, including
Australia, America and the Middle East. The full
potential of this unique business is yet to be realised
and therein lies the key to many franchisees’ success.
HOW HAVE THE LAST 21 YEARS FARED?
HOW DOES A POTENTIAL
FRANCHISEE START THEIR JOURNEY?
We have built a solid reputation for quality and
reliability, while also continuing to be at the
forefront of repair technology and development.
Our expansion from local, to regional, to a national
presence and our growth across new markets,
including insurance, marine, service industries,
education and health, has enabled us to deliver a
turnover of £4 million and an increasing international
order book.
The core Magicman business is no longer able
to service our original domestic customer base at
a level we would like. To resolve this issue and to
further cement the brand, a decision to investigate
franchising was made in January 2014.
HOW DID YOU AND CLIVE SMITH MEET?
I was introduced to Clive by a business acquaintance
in late 2013. His pedigree was impressive, having
worked in the franchise industry for much of
his career, including 15 years at Dyno-Rod,
Dyno-Plumbing and Dyno-Secure. Clive was also
instrumental in exporting the Dyno-Rod franchise to
America. This national and international experience
appealed to me and I was lucky that Clive was
available. A fortuitous meeting, one might say.
WHAT DOES A MAGICMAN
FRANCHISE OFFER?
Owning a Magicman franchise offers the opportunity
to run a specialist, premium service business with
tremendous potential. It is a traditional man-and-van
business, easily run from home, but has the scope
to expand into a multi-van operation. Franchisees
will develop a local customer base with our help in
both the domestic and commercial sectors, such as
With a simple phone call or email to Clive. MM
FOR MORE INFORMATION
■ Call 0845 4680960,
email [email protected]
or visit www.magicmanfranchise.co.uk.
FREE INFO NO: 4954