Ableworld : Ableworld Regional Managers on Training, Support, and Franchisee Success

In this Ableworld UK video, two regional managers — Rob McLand (South) and Lee Hollis (North) — walk prospective franchisees through how Ableworld onboards new operators and supports them across the UK retail network. The opportunity is anchored in the UK's largest mobility retailer, founded 2001, with a three-income-stream model: retail superstore, in-home fitting, and ongoing maintenance. Rob McLand frames the initial training and onboarding as full-scope. New franchisees are walked through stairlift maintenance, record keeping, marketing, business development, product knowledge, tills, and the broader operating systems — "everything for them, to get them up to speed so they can run their own shop." Regional managers are typically on the ground for three to five weeks at store opening, racking the store to UK standard, training staff, and embedding product knowledge before the franchisee takes the lead. Lee Hollis covers the ongoing support layer. The regional team functions as a sounding board — for problems franchisees aren't sure how to handle, business development questions, community engagement, and shared best practice across the network. New franchisees are usually allocated to what Hollis calls a "house of performance" — a high-performing store used as a model for training and reference. Both managers are direct on what makes a successful Ableworld franchisee: patience, a caring disposition, strong people skills, and the temperament to be both a good employer and a good employee. The business pulls operators from varied backgrounds — retail and non-retail, prior business owners and first-time franchise owners — but consistently rewards those who come in with an open mind and a willingness to follow the proven model. The narrative threads back to Ableworld's brand identity: a tried-and-tested franchise system since 2001 that gives operators meaningful latitude inside the agreement, in an industry where franchisees report a strong sense of purpose. As McLand puts it, the role is not pure sales — it is helping local communities and households gain mobility and independence, which both managers cite as the most rewarding part of running an Ableworld store.