SIBLINGS Michele Reavely and Richard Towers set up Fastsigns Peterborough after 25 years working together running two successful fish and chip shops in the city.
That was in December 2005 and their respective spouses, Alan and Linda, joined the fold so that the foursome are co-owners of the business.
Richard said: "We decided we were ready for a new challenge and started to look for something new. We visi
ted Garth Allison at Fastsigns' head office in Chesterfield and we visited some of the other Fastsigns centres."
And why did they choose the franchise?
Alan said they were "impressed with the set-up of the centres, the training you get before starting up, the help they give you setting up and the ongoing support. We also liked the idea of being an independent business, but part of a large international organisation.
"We have the other franchisees to turn to, with all their experience, to discuss any problems or issues we might have and Fastsigns International is always available for help with marketing and technical issues. We attend a UK owners meeting twice a year which is very useful – it's great to meet up with the other owners who are a really nice bunch of people.
There is also an owners convention in the USA that is a good opportunity for meeting lots of other people doing what we do in other countries and market places."
The couples have clear roles and responsibilities which, according to Michele, is what makes it possible for them all to work together.
She added: "The business runs much more smoothly now we do have defined roles, but it was a bit tricky working those roles out in the beginning. Alan is sales manager, Richard is production manager and deals with IT issues. Linda and I are responsible for marketing and customer service, among other administrative tasks."
Linda confirmed that working together had impacted positively on their relationship.
She said: "We have come to respect each other for our different abilities and opinions. We have regular management meetings to iron out any problems and have received a lot of advice from our franchise business consultant.
"On the downside, we don't tend to meet up much out of work as we spend so much time at work together, only meeting for larger family occasions."
The business has gone according to their forecasts and increased year on year to date.
Alan said: "Things are tougher at the moment but we are concentrating on giving good customer service and quality products at fair prices. We have also doubled our marketing efforts this year."
And what advice would you give to other couples thinking of working together? Do you recommend franchising in particular for couples?
Michele said: "I would say that you should define your roles clearly beforehand if you can and choose a franchisor that will support you not just at the start, but the whole way through as you will have a greater chance of success."
There have been highs and lows during their time as franchisees and Linda said: "The start-up was a very exciting time, and the hard bit was realizing that we were on a steep learning curve. On the good side, we feel we have gained so many skills that we didn't possess when we were running an independent businesses.
"For example, we needed to improve our marketing and sales skills as well as adapt to dealing with businesses rather than the general public. We are now consultants and advisors to other businesses, as well as manufacturers and installers of signage."
For more information about Fastsigns Peterborough, call 01733 315 264.
