Making the most of market
opportunities
When marketing expert Howard Woodward
left the corporate world, he found the ideal way to be his own boss with a
franchise from Mail Boxes Etc.
After taking
a degree in international marketing at Greenwich University and spending much
of his career in product and channel marketing, Howard Woodward found that
redundancy forced him to evaluate what he wanted to do for the rest of his working
life. Self-employment seemed attractive,
but he didn’t have any specific ideas, so he decided to visit The Franchise
Show for inspiration.
The concept
of taking on a franchise appealed, because it’s an established business model
and comes complete with start-up support, and Howard was drawn to MBE because,
he explains:
“You’re not relying on one
revenue stream.” Exploring opportunities
to relocate from Oxford to somewhere near the coast, he found an ideal
opportunity in Bournemouth. “An MBE
store had already opened there about 18 months earlier, but it’s a big area and
I knew it could handle more than one store,” he says.
At first,
Howard had no plans to own multiple stores but in time he would develop his
business to the point where expansion was an obvious next step. “I opened in June 2003 in the Lansdowne area,
grew that business for a few years and then in 2010 I took over the other MBE
store that was already established in Bournemouth Triangle,” he says.
Having the
two stores has allowed Howard to leverage the mix of services that MBE offers,
coping with the challenges of the changing marketplace and making the most of
opportunities as they arise.
Developing core services
Howard finds
it rewarding to be an MBE franchisee: “The
best part is being your own boss, and it’s an interesting challenge to try and
make it work.” One of the upsides of the
multiple revenue streams in the MBE business model has helped him prosper on
the high street. In developing the core
services he offers, Howard and his team have been careful to focus on customer
needs, capitalising on any movement in the marketplace. This has worked very well with print: “There is less competition now, which is
good, and we’re still here to take the business that’s there. It’s important to be able to offer what
customers are looking for – including low print runs, cost-effective design
services and fast turnaround.”
When it
comes to adding value to the postal and shipping side of the business, Howard
thinks MBE’s consultative sale approach, offering expertise, face-to-face
service and a choice of providers, has helped him carve a niche that separates
him from the online competition and draws customers who want personal
service. “You do build up a knowledge
bank, which means you usually know what to do – whatever the size and shape of
the package and wherever it’s going. Our
experience means we can often pre-empt problems and advise the customer
accordingly. It’s unlikely they’d get
that online.”
Howard
focuses on print in his Triangle store, which has the fifth largest print
turnover within the MBE network. “Tony,
the store manager, has a print background as well as being very good at
Photoshop, and we also employ two graphic designers. The store has evolved to reflect these
skills,” Howard explains.
The growth
of online bidding in the auction sector has meant an increase in antiques and
fine art shipping. “We serve most of the
auction houses in Dorset, which keeps our Lansdowne store very busy.” The store’s reputation brings in plenty of
direct business, as well as auction houses and buyers who find his services as
part of MBE’s branded Auction Logistics offering.
Another
steady income stream is in mailbox rental.
“We find it’s mostly small businesses who don’t want to use their home
address.” Business customers often need
print and shipping, so Howard ensures the stores are well merchandised inside
to alert customers to the full range of services offered.
Asked for
his advice to budding entrepreneurs, Howard says it’s important not to
underestimate how much hard work is involved in being self-employed. “Make sure you’ve got something that suits
you – do your research. And try to find a
business with multiple revenue streams.”
He
encourages fellow MBE franchisees to make use of the resources offered to them
from the marketing team and the business support from both head office and the
area franchisees. “Everyone is very
helpful and there’s a lot on offer – you can choose the things you’ll get the
best potential from. It’s all there, so
make the most of it.”