Creating space, creating profit! Access4Lofts is a franchise business that helps utilise wasted space by providing quick, easy and affordable loft access and storage solutions
Established in 2005 by Tim and Lindsay Brown, Access4Lofts operated in the local Devon area successfully for 8 years before demand for the service nationally led them to launch a pilot franchise in 2013 in Preston. The success of the pilot helped the business grow considerably and in 2018, Access4Lofts franchise was officially launched.
There are now 90 franchises operating across the UK from Glasgow to Cornwall.
Why choose Access4Lofts?
- No previous experience required: we provide full business & practical training to all our franchisees.
- Huge demand: franchisees have several months of bookings.
- Safe hands: we’re proud to be accredited as members of the Quality Franchise Association and by Which? Trusted Trader.
- Great cashflow: customers pay you when you finish the job.
- Dedicated territories: at least 150,000 households per area.
- It works: former employees have invested to become franchisees.
- Bespoke IT System: which automates much of your admin, no more paperwork!
- We understand: because the management team have all been franchisees themselves.
- Committed to support: with full training and ongoing support.
- One big family: join a group of like-minded people who support each other and celebrate together!
The Access4Loft franchise opportunity
Access4Lofts offers two business models – owner operator and management (multi-van) operation.
1. OWNER-OPERATOR
Proven to generate £120K+ sales with 40%+ net profit within the first year.
Franchisees undertake all installation work and solely run the business. Complete one job per day over a four-day week, spend the fifth day on business development. Work around your other life commitments.
To become a successful Access4Lofts owner-operator you need:
- to be great with customers
- some basic DIY competence
- to follow the proven system
- the ambition to grow your business
2. MANAGEMENT BUSINESS
Proven to generate £300K+ sales with 35%+ net profit with two staff.
The franchisee works on developing the business and employs and manages fitters that do the majority of the installation work.
To build a successful Access4Lofts management business you need:
- to be a great communicator
- ideally some management experience
- ambition to grow a multi-van business
- extra finance to invest in your team initially
The investment
To setup and establish your new business the initial investment is £29,950 + VAT, however, if you have £10,000 financing can be secured via many of the high street banks for the balance OR as we are a business approved for the Government backed Start-Up Scheme, you could qualify to borrow up to £25,000, without investing any of your own money; and this figure doubles if the business has two Directors.We will provide you a detailed breakdown of where this money is spent, rest assured it is far better value than starting up on your own as an independent!
How we train and support you
As a franchisee, you will receive completely tailored ongoing support to help you on your path to reaching your goals. If you are practical, we support you on the business side and if you have business experience we train you on the practical side.
The Access4Lofts bespoke admin system is undoubtedly our unique selling point, it takes away the stress of admin and accounts, so you can focus on creating space for your customer and creating profit for you.
It has been built from the ground up and is the result of us working alongside a specialist programmer over several months to create an easy to use single system that streamlines our whole admin process. From taking the initial customer telephone enquiry, through to quotes, order confirmations and invoicing, our system automates the process, leaving you free from worry and stress about when you’re going to find time to type a quote and send it to a customer!
All our franchisees attend a 5 day residential training course held at our dedicated training facility in Devon.
You’ll be guided through health and safety issues and learn how to fit our full range of ladders, hatches and boarding and of course learn how to use the comprehensive set of tools you receive as part of the franchise package.
Regardless of the amount of training you receive, your first few jobs may be daunting, therefore, we follow the training with 2 days operational, on-site support so that we can observe, advise or just give you the moral support as you start your journey. We have an Operations Director who franchisees can call on for support and advice.
As franchisors we are committed to best practice, to doing it right. All of us have been franchisees ourselves; we’ve been where you are right now, so we know what it’s like! We remember the concerns, the steps on the journey to success and the feeling of contentment on achieving our respective goals.
We have spent a lot of time refining this business to make it as simple as possible to succeed if you follow the model.
If you would like to find out more about Access4Lofts please do get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.
Access4Lofts Doncaster celebrates a bumper first year!
When Mark joined us, he was on a mission to get back to being his own boss and create a rewarding new career where he was firmly in the driving seat. We last spoke to him a year ago just after he had finished his training and completed his first paid job.
Like all new partners in the Access4Lofts franchise, Mark left training with a number of pre-qualified leads put together by our marketing team ahead of his launch. With this solid head start, and his determination and commitment, we were all confident that Mark would do well. However, one year on, he has not only fulfilled his potential, but absolutely smashed through all his targets to become one of our most successful franchisees.
So, just how busy is Mark these days?
“I’m absolutely stacked out with jobs! My next availability for work is not for another 2 months at the earliest. I’ve got paid jobs booked every day until then, and I’ve got no time for anything. I am just about managing to squeeze in a couple of visits for quotes every day, but that’s it!”
Like any new business venture, success wasn’t immediate, of course. We gave Mark the best possible start we could, but it does always take a little time to build up a reputation and get word out about a new service. In Mark’s case, however, this proved to only take a few months.
“Things really turned around suddenly just after Christmas. I had work booked about 4 weeks ahead for most of the year so far, which was brilliant, but that began to tail off a bit as the holidays got closer. However, when I got back from my own two week break, it just went bananas and I’ve been working back to back appointments and jobs ever since. “
It is amazing to think now that Mark almost didn’t join us! The middle of 2022 was not a great time for anyone with the cost of living crisis in full swing just a few months after the pandemic ended. Mark was very understandably nervous about leaving his current job and investing a lump sum in a new venture. Even with a proven business model like ours, which has already brought success to dozens of franchisees, we appreciate making the move to a new career is a major leap of faith. However, it sure has paid off big time for Mark!
“I had such an easy job before, with a guaranteed income, so leaving that was scary. That’s one of the biggest reasons I chose to join a franchise. I could have that knowledge base and established reputation behind me from day one. It’s incredible really. This last month (August 2023) has been my best month ever. My turnover this last few weeks has been more than I earnt in an entire year in my last job! Of course, that’s turnover, not profits, but it’s still a major milestone. I showed my wife, and she said “wow!”. It’s nuts – this really is the best thing I have ever done.”
Even for an Access4Lofts franchise, this is a major achievement in just 12 months. Mark has accomplished what most new businesses struggle to do in 3 or 4 years of trading. So, now he’s fulfilled his goal of being self-employed and making great money doing it, where does he go from here? Does Mark have any plans to expand in the future?
“If we’d had this conversation even just a month or two ago, I would have said I was happy as I am, but it’s getting to point where I can’t keep up with the work that’s coming in. It’s brilliant to have the peace of mind of knowing I am booked up for 2 months in advance, but I’m worried I’m losing jobs simply because I can’t get out there quick enough to take them on! My plan is to get an advert out soon and take on another member of staff in their own van.
“One day, I would love to also take on my neighbouring territory! That’s probably still a long way off, but now I know the work is definitely out there, I can start making these kinds of plans for the future.”
Is it time you set your own plans in motion for the future? An Access4Lofts franchise could be just the platform you need to build a rewarding new career. Contact us today for more information.
The training course was very professional and well planned. It was a good mix of classroom and practical and the manuals provided were easy to follow. I was made to feel part of the team from day one and at the end of the training I felt confident that I could do the job. I would say the training and ongoing support are fantastic
Having looked closely at several other franchises I knew immediately the Access4Lofts was head and shoulders above the rest. The whole process from initial phone call to securing my territory was relaxed, informative and there was absolutely no high pressure selling. The decision to invest in Access4Lofts was definitely the right one and I would highly recommend this franchise to others
I would recommend this franchise to anyone. I have been involved in franchising for 10 years operating my own gardening franchise. I was looking for a franchise business that my son could take over and came across Access4Lofts. I could immediately see the potential and was impressed with the support and professionalism of the owners. The training, marketing and support has been exceptional which meant that I hit the ground running.
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