Neil nails it

We are delighted to announce that Neil Collis, our Ed’s Operator in Sevenoaks, has just been announced as a British Franchise Association Franchisee of the Year 2017 Finalist. We know that Neil is a great franchisee but now it’s official!

The BFA have just written an article on Neil. Here’s what they have to say:-

bfa franchisee news release

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN PAVES THE WAY TO SUCCESS WITH AWARD NOMINATION

Local business person, Neil Collis, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Microbusiness Franchisee of the Year category at the British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards 2017.

As the owner of an Ed’s Garden Maintenance franchise in Sevenoaks, Neil provides a range of garden maintenance services including mowing, hedges, turfing and patio cleaning for the local area.

The birth of Neil’s twin sons sparked his decision to return to the UK from Australia. Looking for a flexible career that would allow him and his wife, Lyndsay, to look after their young boys, he approached Ed’s Garden Maintenance with the hope of setting up his own franchise.

Since then, the business has thrived. Neil’s now following in the footsteps of his father – who ran a garden maintenance franchise over in New Zealand – and couldn’t think of a better way to earn a living than owning his own business and working outdoors.

Running for nearly 30 years, the bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards 2017 celebrate franchisees across the nation that show dedication, commitment and a passion for both their brand and the franchising industry.

The category highlights the benefits of becoming a franchisee to achieve a better work-life balance. Neil was shortlisted due to his enterprising nature and determination to succeed – making his franchise stand out from the crowd amongst other small business owners.

Neil commented: “My business has been going from strength to strength in the past year and we have been chalking up a number of milestones and successes. However, when I heard that we’re a bfa Franchisee of the Year finalist, I was stunned. It really made me step back and think just how far we have come. When I joined Ed’s just over three years ago, I would never in my wildest dreams have thought that I would even be considered for such a prestigious award.”

Pip Wilkins, CEO at the bfa said, “With so many inspirational stories from our members’ franchisees, it’s always a tough task to narrow it down to our 15 finalists. These outstanding business owners have so many different reasons for taking control of their business lives, and to hear the diversity in these stories is always so empowering. All of our finalists this year are an excellent example of how the franchisor’s collaborative approach, combined with the go-getting attitude of the franchisee, generates success at both individual and network levels.”

Andrew Brattesani, UK Head of Franchise at HSBC, added, “Judging is a hard task at the best of times, which only becomes harder every year when the difference in best in class is paper thin. Each highlights how focus and drive, when supplemented by the support of a franchisor, results in the growth of a sustainable and profitable business. HSBC is delighted to play a pivotal role in meeting the financial challenges of this dynamic and important market sector.”