A warm welcome back to our insightful Day in the Life series.
In this edition, we turn the spotlight on Will Bedford, one of NIC Local’s Business Development Managers (BDMs).
Our BDMs are a key feature of our unique franchisee support system, with their role being central to success across our network.
Will works directly with several NIC Local franchisees across regions stretching from Cumbria to the South Midlands.
Below in his own words, Will discusses his day-to-day responsibilities in supporting, guiding and accelerating the growth of each franchisee’s business in a hands-on, practical way.
Supporting a wide range of franchisees across the country
I work closely with my franchisees, each of whom are at different stages of their business.
I have one franchise new to NIC Local and only a few months into their journey; others are long-established and turning over several million pounds annually. The type of support I provide depends on where the franchise owners are in their journey.
For the newer franchisees, it might be daily operational help to help them learn how things work. For more experienced franchisees, it’s often more about sales and business development, tenders, or helping them scale more efficiently by deploying innovations we’ve seen elsewhere in the network, passing on and sharing best practice.
Delivering in-person support
I contact each of my franchisees either in person or on the phone or Teams at least once a week or more if they require additional help. We will also meet for a quarterly review, or to work together on an upcoming tender or client presentation.
As a result, my day-to-day life always looks different. Some days I’m travelling across the region for meetings; others I’m desk-based, reviewing bids, helping to solve operational challenges, or providing advice.
Every day is different, and that’s what I enjoy.
Proud to provide a level of support you won’t find anywhere else
I believe the support we provide to our franchisees is one of our key USPs. A lot of franchisors provide training and some remote support from their head office, but we go far beyond that.
We don’t just send leads to franchisees and wish them luck. Instead, we work with them directly to win contracts and grow their business.
That hands-on involvement is valuable because it means franchisees are always learning and improving on best practices, and they know we are fully invested in their success.
Working together to win tenders
If a franchisee identifies an opportunity, I’ll help every step of the way.
I usually ask the franchisee to carry out the initial site visit, so they understand the scope and demonstrate to the client their commitment to winning the job. From there, I help gather everything required for the bid.
We handle most of the written side of the tender: policies, accreditations, environmental and social responsibility initiatives, and so forth. This is knowledge built up from years of company experience. Franchisees complete a basic costing sheet, and then I transfer that into a full costed proposal. Once they sign it off, we submit it.
If the bid leads to a presentation stage, I help prepare a tailored slide deck and often attend the pitch in person with the franchisee. That level of collaboration is a big part of our success rate.
Solving unique franchisee challenges
One of the biggest challenges in my role is how varied it is. Each franchisee faces different hurdles depending on their location, experience, and business size. There isn’t always a one-size-fits-all solution for the whole network, but as a business we will almost always have experienced something similar and be able to solve the challenge together.
Sometimes franchisees just need reassurance; others want detailed answers and a clear plan to overcome a challenge.
My job is to figure out exactly what each person needs and adapt accordingly. If I don’t know the answer immediately, I can liaise with the wider support team and get back to the franchisee quickly.
My proudest moments
One of the most rewarding feelings I have in my role is seeing franchisees succeed after a tough period.
One franchisee I took on was in a position where they had one large contract which was doing OK, but they hadn’t seen much growth for a while. They were feeling quite demotivated.
Working together, we secured a series of new local contracts. Now that same franchisee is thriving and their business is three times the size. Seeing them reap the rewards of their hard work is incredibly fulfilling.
Another highlight was helping a different franchisee win two major tenders worth £1.4 million. They’d been struggling with bids before that, but these wins completely changed their outlook. Now the challenge is encouraging them to choose the right opportunities instead of chasing everything!
Tailoring support for resales and new franchisees
Supporting franchisees buying a resale business is different from helping someone starting fresh.
With a resale, the franchisee may inherit a large team and existing contracts from day one, so they need immediate support to keep operations running smoothly.
I had one resale franchisee who jumped straight into running a sizeable business. They needed urgent support, but I also didn’t want to overwhelm them. I always made myself available, offering help when they asked, but also giving them space to get stuck in.
In contrast, new franchisees might not have a contract for the first couple of months, so I spend more time helping with marketing, networking, and building their client base.
My approach is always adapted to the individual needs of each franchisee.
Helping franchisees build for the future
One of my long-term goals with every franchisee is to help them grow a business that can either be sold for a strong return or passed on to family.
Building a profitable, sustainable business with a clear exit strategy is how I view success for franchisees – because when someone does decide to sell their business, it should be viewed as a success story. It shows they’ve built something valuable.
And by bringing in a motivated new owner, the business gets fresh energy and can continue to grow as part of the wider franchise network.
Why a dedicated BDM makes such a difference to our franchisees
What makes the NIC Local franchise opportunity stand out is the level of genuine partnership between franchisees and the support team.
From day one, every BDM is really involved in the details and actions of establishing and growing the business.
If you’re thinking about joining us, you can be confident you won’t be on your own. From your first site visit and contract bid, and all the way through to your exit strategy, there’ll be someone like me helping you every step of the way.
Don’t miss the rest of our A Day in the Life series:
- Franchisees – Gary & Alison Murdock
- Franchisee – Maria Mestre
- Franchisee – Kahla Marsden
- Head of Franchise Recruitment – Phil Harrison
- Administrator – Janet Grimston
- Finance Business Partner – Nick Costello
- General Manager – Jo Lock
Want to be the next success story?
If you’re ready to take control of your future and explore the exciting opportunities within the lucrative commercial cleaning sector, we’d love to hear from you!
Get in touch with our franchise recruitment team today to receive your franchise prospectus and start your journey with NIC Local.
Your success story starts here. Let’s make it happen together!