Like many new parents going back into the work world, you dread the commute to and from an office. Also, the thought of being away from your family for too long. This is exactly how Raman Boparai felt. So, whilst they are still young, she has invested in a future she can control. “When the twins were around 10 months, and my oldest was about three, I decided I wanted to gain my Accountancy Qualifications,” Raman explains. “It was an interesting journey balancing raising them with studying! And, because I wanted to put into practice the theory behind what I was learning, I was also working! My husband and I own a property business, which enabled me to learn through practical application.”
As an accountant, Raman has enjoyed a varied career. She worked across some interesting sectors including the charity and the Fine Arts sectors. Once her twins arrived it became almost impossible to maintain. “Working for someone else, I would leave home early to commute for two hours and get home in the dark. I felt I failed at both work and at home as I was always stretched. I missed my kids and wanted to pick them up from school and be there for them” It was at this point she sought out the franchise option and after careful consideration chose dns over the competition as she liked the offering and especially liked the team.
Raman wanted a work life balance but didn't want to work for someone else. It had to be on her terms. Our offering was perfect, and she decided this was the vehicle that got her back into the workplace smoothly and with the financial reward she was looking for.” In 2020 I became serious about finding a franchise who I could run my own practice with. Before choosing the right one, I had two nonnegotiable areas: support and flexibility. dns felt like the only franchise to offer both of those things. They recognised the importance of family – it's not pushed to one side; it's right there at the heart of dns.”
Raman, like every franchisee in the dns network, started her new business with a week of intensive training, designed to give her the confidence to start her new business. “I understood the operational side of running a business and having worked with people and managed teams, I understood how to manage people at various levels. But dns head office trained me in other areas of business management, like sales and finding new clients. Having worked across a variety of sectors, I've successfully combined my experiences with the dns business model and training, to develop a business on my own terms.
“I'm still in my first year, but I'm well on the way to achieving my year one goal of 30 clients, and the desired turn-over. More importantly, I am also embracing the work-life balance I wanted. It's all about having the flexibility to do what needs to be done for both my clients and for my boys. Although we are still learning how to balance my new way of working, my kids understand when mummy needs to make a call in the middle of preparing dinner.
Raman is a shining example of how after kids, you can have it all. It really works for her, and her family and she would recommend the franchise route to anyone who is struggling to go back to the office in the traditional way.