Mike sums up his first year with Ed’s

Last year, Mike Schofield joined Ed’s to run his own gardening franchise business in Redditch and Stratford-upon-Avon. Mike joined the Ed’s team with twenty-two years of gardening experience working for a charity. This is what Mike has to say about his first year.

“I’ve always loved gardening and when I joined Ed’s I was confident that there wasn’t much you could teach me about cutting a mean lawn edge with a small strimmer! However, I felt that there was a lot I had to learn to develop the necessary skills to running a successful and profitable gardening business. I’d longed to run my own business and build something that was truly mine for quite some time. I wasn’t scared of the risk but I was realistic enough to understand that I would do a lot better with a strong brand behind me. I also felt that I would benefit greatly from the business support and sales and marketing expertise that are part of the package. I was used to having a steady income and by joining Ed’s was doing my level best to make sure that I can sustain that security into the future.”

“Reflecting on the past year, I think I was spot on with my instincts. I feel as if I have developed so much in the area of business skills since I joined Ed’s. I’ve had a lot of support across the board, but especially in the area of financial management which was pretty new to me and I feel that I have accomplished a lot. It has been a steep learning curve but I feel that I have been extremely well supported along the way. What’s more, at Ed’s the support is all very tailored to the individual – Ed himself will take the time to sit with you and explain something you are finding particularly tricky. I really like that about Ed’s.”

“I enjoy the record keeping and have been glad to help trial Ed’s new accounting system. To sum up, I still love gardening but I am also really enjoying the challenge of running my own business whilst being part of a wider supportive team.”

“With regard to the financials, I am very pleased to report (with full confidence!) that my first year’s profit came in very close to the figure we projected in my business plan. I know that’s only one measure of the health of my business, but it really is reflective of how the past year has been, pretty smooth running and no nasty surprises! I have also managed to pay off a good proportion of my set up costs. I think that’s part of the beauty of going the franchise route – you know you are on a well-trodden path and even if it is unclear to you in the early days how you will get there, the experience is there in the background to help you to make it all happen. I’ve now got a healthy profit under my belt for my first year and am looking forward to doing even better in the coming year. ”