Colin Simmons lives near Sevenoaks and until September 2010, was a director and owner in an SME, specialising in the supply of drylining and plastering materials to the building industry.

Colin Simmons

Colin: “My background is accountancy based although I was involved in all aspects of running the business. Faced with a redundancy situation, I felt I had the experience to run my own business. I was looking for a sector with a proven track record of delivering success both financially and in terms of the client’s expectations.”

Colin decided to investigate franchising and on looking at a franchise directory website, he discovered the Auditel Cost and Purchase Management Franchise. Colin recalls:” I researched a number of other franchising opportunities in un-related areas. However, I was impressed by the professional image created by the Auditel team. I also liked the concept of cost management. I felt that my experience as a business owner and my accounting background would be of benefit in the variety of cost areas Auditel look into for savings.”

With finance raised from the combination of a bank loan and personal savings, Colin joined the Auditel network in September 2010. He adds:” The initial training on both client acquisition and the technical aspect was quite intensive. However I feel the most impressive resource has been the network of affiliates who have provided both practical help and support.”

Colin’s first client was The Lady Magazine, founded in 1885 by Thomas Gibson Bowles, the maternal grandfather of the Mitford sisters, who wanted to create a “lite” version of Vanity Fair, which he had founded in 1868.Famous for its classified adverts, The Lady remains the first port of call for anyone seeking domestic staff, with vacancies listed for nannies, butlers and governesses. The Prince of Wales and Queen Mother are believed to have used it, and the Duchess of York famously once advertised for a dresser. The Lady is the oldest women’s weekly, and is thought to be the oldest magazine still owned by one family. It continues to operate out of a Victorian building on Bedford Street in Covent Garden, central London.”

Colin says: “I was recommended by their Sales Director to meet their Chief Executive, Ben Budworth, soon after joining Auditel. Following my investigations, I was able to make reductions in three main areas so far. Electricity costs were lowered by 11%, credit card charges by over 17% and, most significantly, stationery and IT consumables by an impressive 20%.”

Ben Budworth was delighted with Colin’s work. “Over the last year Colin has proved to be a valuable resource for us. I was impressed that he didn’t simply switch to the lowest bidder, but found the supplier that best suited out needs. By outsourcing our cost and purchase management, we have not only made savings, but also saved ourselves the time and cost of doing it in-house. Colin is quiet, honest, open, discreet and transparent. I would recommend him to other businesses without hesitation.”

About Auditel

Established in 1994, Auditel is the UK and Ireland’s largest and fastest growing cost and purchase management franchise opportunity with a network of over 200 highly-skilled specialists. Since 2005, the number of franchisees has grown by 175%. Over 90% of their franchisees renew their agreements after 5 and 10 years. Auditel’s franchisees client base grew by 66% between January 2009 and December 2011. The network turnover has grown by 192% since 2007. Their higher earners enjoy an income of over £200k.