Cooperation and proactivity have brought big rewards for three Countrywide Signs franchisees after they teamed up to claim over 60 new clients when a competitor suddenly ceased trading – with one growing his business by more than 30% almost overnight.

Paul Green, Lin Purslow and business partners Tony Williams & Rob Carter combined to great effect after the collapse of a board erection and maintenance company covering the Midlands and Lancashire regions on a Friday.

The trio, who run their Countrywide Signs businesses from bases in Cannock, Rochdale and Merseyside, acted quickly and by Tuesday had sealed a host of new customers for their franchises.

Paul explained: “After we got wind of the situation, between us we made phone calls to various people on the Monday and Tuesday before competitors even knew about it! We got it all tied up quickly.”

“We were up and running within a few days with new accounts. Getting sufficient stock quickly was obviously a bit of a challenge, but within no time we were providing the usual excellent service that Countrywide Signs franchise reviews show that we’re known for. Things were made more complicated by a storm, with the previous boards not up to the standard we operate to, so quite a few had come down. We had a lot of re-erections to do on top of the huge influx of new work.”

Such a sudden boost to business provided structural challenges too, but acting together delivered the right results for customers and franchisees alike.

“Both myself and Lin had to put new vans on the road quickly and effectively to cope with the demand, getting organised as quickly as possible,” continues Paul. “My business grew by about a third, literally overnight! I know it had a big increase for Tony, Rob and Lin too. Between the four of us we worked as a great team, sourcing posts, boards and contacting agents.”

“Head office were great too, really understanding and helping us out with cash flow. They were a huge support.”

The strength of the network’s bond proved crucial to securing the positive outcome.

Paul explained: “At the end of the day, though we’re all independent, if you can collaborate like we have done, the benefits are phenomenal. We’re all interlinked, and so are our reputations as a business. It’s a great network – you get calls from other franchisees saying, ‘I’ve heard you do this or that, can you give me some advice?’ We also get and give recommendations and leads to each other. It’s great for business.”

After taking over a resale franchise when he joined the network in 2014, Paul’s grown his business to nearly eight times the size. And while you might think he’d be taking things a little easier after the huge recent expansion, he’s got other ideas.

“I have some plans in place that I can’t talk about yet,” he says. “But I’m certainly not looking to rest on my laurels!”