Andy arrived at our head office in Coventry for his first day’s training on Monday 23rd March, only to have to get back on a train to Renfrewshire as the UK lockdown was announced.

He was able to follow the journeys of the rest of the network through the lockdown period, seeing them adapt to offer services to key-worker sites and running the new home delivery service.

Then, after nearly 4 months of waiting earnestly, he was able to come back down to Coventry to complete his training, with his business launched in Renfrewshire at the end of July.

We caught up with him recently to find out how he found the process and how he’s finding running his new business.

How did you find the onboarding process with Really Awesome Coffee?

The onboarding process was made really simple by the team at head office. They gathered all information from us and put us in contact with all the right people regarding finance applications. The support and direct contact from Kevin and head office took a lot of stress out of what would have been a complex process had we wished to tackle the entire process on our own.

To date our time as a Franchise partner with Really Awesome Coffee has been extremely enjoyable. There obviously are challenges day to day, but they come with any business. The tools given to you by head office enable you to run your business in an extremely efficient and profitable way. Everything from ordering supplies to how to make the drinks is explained and delivered in a way that everyone can understand.

Really Awesome Coffee really takes the complexity out of starting a business and provides a model and support that would enable anyone to be successful. The days can be demanding, but the rewards and satisfaction you get from seeing your business grow is worth everything.

How have you found the ongoing training and support?

From the beginning of our journey, the support from head office has been world class. Every single member of staff is extremely approachable, friendly and will always strive to help whenever you need it. No query is ever too much hassle; no question is a silly question. What also really makes Really Awesome Coffee stand out is that your own Franchise Development Manager (FDM) is available constantly and always checks in to offer advice, guidance and support. At no point do you ever feel like you are on your own or that there is nowhere to turn for help.

Every step of setting up your business is laid out for you, from researching your territory to ordering supplies. After the initial training period and FDM initial visit, the support doesn’t end. The follow up visits are a great support and help ease you into running your own business and developing the understanding required in order to grow and develop your daily round.

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to invest in their first franchise?

Do it. It will be the best decision you’ve ever made. Running your own Really Awesome Coffee mobile coffee van is a highly enjoyable and rewarding way to earn a living. Every aspect of the business has been thoroughly scrutinised by Kevin and his team and literally there is nothing that they have not thought of. From the moment we attended the initial Discovery Day, it was instantly obvious that the levels of professionalism, knowledge and dedication allied to the state of the art coffee van made this an opportunity that we felt was too good to pass up.

To be honest the whole Really Awesome Coffee Franchise model is so impressive; it really does feel as if you can’t fail. Whilst it is a very serious business, the whole operation is conducted in a very relaxed manner and you never feel under any undue pressure. We really can’t speak highly enough about Kevin and the franchise system he has built and we are utterly convinced we have made the best decision of our lives.