Member Article

Branching out with franchise business

A Consett based gardening franchise business, established off the back of a redundancy in 2006, continues to blossom in the region with the success of its first franchisee, Ray Oliver.

Briary Garden Services was launched by Peter Brewis after his 25 years working in finance came to an end, inspiring a change of direction and a new venture. Combining his business skills with a love of the outdoors, Peter established the company and developed a franchise model, taking on Ray soon after.

Ray, 41, has been working for Briary Garden Services since 2008 but decided to take his expertise to the next level in November 2011. Ray now runs his franchise in the Stanley area and continues to build the Briary brand by adding to the already established list of loyal customers.

With more than 20 years’ experience and a number of qualifications in the field, including national certificates in horticulture, arboriculture and urban woodland management, Ray has been able to supplement his practical skills with further training in all aspects of business, such as IT, finance, administration and marketing, with the reassurance of an established and trusted brand.

“The learning process has been challenging, but very rewarding.” said Ray. “When I started out I didn’t have a clue about how to run a business so it was all a bit daunting. I’ve received fantastic support and guidance from Peter every step of the way, helping me build the confidence to branch out on my own.

“I’m now managing my own patch in Stanley and am responsible for growing the business and my customer base, not to mention expanding into other areas like my own arboriculture consultancy and work with local councils. It’s the best of both worlds really; I’m now effectively running my own business but with the backing of an established brand and the reassurance of constant support.”

“We are a local company, so providing a top quality service and building good relationships with customers is essential in securing repeat business. All our gardeners are members of the Gardeners Guild and registered with County Durham Registered Traders scheme so customers can be confident that we provide a reputable service.”

Briary operates a skilled team of gardeners throughout the Stanley and Consett area, offering a range of services to customers from grass cutting and weeding through to seasonal pruning, hedge trimming and tree work.

One of those loyal customers is Kath James, now retired, who used to be a teacher at Ray’s old secondary school, St Bede’s in Lanchester. She said: “Ray has been looking after my garden for just over a year and I couldn’t be happier. He has really taken the time to get to know me and my requirements and is always reliable, professional and hard working.”

With plans to build a network of franchisees throughout the North East, Peter hopes Ray will be an example of the many benefits the franchise model brings, especially to those who have been affected by the recession.

He commented: “The Briary franchise takes a lot of the risk out of becoming self employed by providing comprehensive training and a proven business model. It isn’t even necessary to have a gardening background, just a willingness to learn and a drive to offer exceptional customer service. We provide all the necessary training and once established, the potential for growth is almost limitless.”

Anyone interested in an exciting and rewarding new career path should visit www.briary.co.uk for more information and call Peter Brewis on Tel: 0800 651 0053.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Stephen Holland .