Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side

With the average Brit spending 42.5 hours at work each week1, it is a good idea to make sure you’re doing something you enjoy. In fact, research from Oxford University revealed that happy workers are 13% more productive than unhappy workers2. So, if work is part of our daily lives, one of the best ways to live a happier and more productive life is by doing a job you love. However, this is easier said than done with millions of people feeling trapped in jobs they don’t enjoy.

Taking on a franchise can often be a solution to this problem. Not only does franchising offer people a unique opportunity to become their own boss, but it also gives them the benefits of partnering with an established business with a proven track record of success. Greensleeves franchisee Andrew Bullivant is a testament to how franchising can boost your happiness at work.

Previously a retail store manager at Dunelm, Andrew had spent his whole career working in retail, developing skills such as forecasting, budgeting and dealing with staff and customers. However, he was apprehensive about stepping out of his comfort zone to pursue his passion for gardening.

“I wanted to switch careers for around five years before I finally decided to take the leap. I knew I had the skills to try something different. However, I stayed working in retail for so long because it was the easier option, doing what I knew and was comfortable with,” explained Andrew.

“I’d always wanted to be my own boss, so when the opportunity arose for me to take on my local Greensleeves territory, I didn’t want to regret not taking my chance. I’ve always wanted to work outside, and I have a passion for gardening, so Greensleeves ticked all the boxes. Initially, I was nervous about switching careers to become a franchisee with Greensleeves because it was a completely different kind of job. However, the transition was very manageable. I couldn’t be happier with where I am in terms of my career right now.”

It is many people’s ambition to become a business owner. Franchising lets you do exactly that. You can enjoy all the benefits of being your own boss and be part of a larger network of like-minded individuals and industry experts with whom you can solve problems and share ideas and best practices. Having a framework of support behind you gives you a huge advantage over starting a business on your own, alleviating a lot of stress.

“I feel really valued as a franchisee and get great support from Greensleeves’ head office team who are always on hand whenever I need them. The level of support from Greensleeves is something you don’t always get when you’re part of a large company. It’s great to have access to the people who can give you instant support. Greensleeves constantly look to make my day-to-day work life easier. For example, they developed an app to speed up our admin processes and provide additional training top-up sessions whenever we need them. Besides all the great support, I think the best part of being a Greensleeves franchisee is getting to go out on the lawns and see my happy customers after a job well done,” added Andrew.

Neil Grainger and Chris Dibble also swapped their old jobs for the lawn-care franchise. Formerly a precision engineer, Neil decided he no longer wanted to work in a factory and looked for a complete career change. “Back in my younger days, I worked outside. I just wanted to get back to that and do something I enjoyed. Greensleeves offered training to fill the skills gaps I had in lawn-care experience so I could get out there and run my business with confidence. I’m surprised more people don’t look at becoming franchisees to enter the world of business ownership.”

Chris decided to start a Greensleeves lawn-care franchise with his brother Ray in 2014, leaving their previous careers to find something more stimulating. “I sold office supplies and Ray worked in a warehouse. We just wanted to get out and run our own business together. Since becoming franchisees with Greensleeves, we’ve never looked back. We love what we do now and are both focused on the success of our business.”