Nicholas discussed his reasons for taking a franchise, a typical day, this years’ challenges, his visions and goals alongside advice for prospective franchisees.
We have two franchisees located in the Sheffield area serving the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam Students. Our Sheffield (Broomhill and Crookes) franchisee, Nicholas Lambrou has now been trading from a serviced office in the Sheffield area and has taken some time out of his busy week to answer some of our questions:
What was your reason for choosing a Nicholas Humphreys franchise?
I wanted to work for myself and make a real difference in the market. Nicholas Humphreys made it possible for me to do this. I chose Nicholas Humphreys over other franchisors because of the strong support network for now and into the future.
18 months on from your launch, what is now a typical day and week for you as an NH franchisee?
There is no one “typical day” as each day has its own challenges and successes. That’s the kind of environment I like to work in and having bought into the business, it certainly has delivered to my expectations. My day is a varied diet of new business, lettings, networking, meeting new people, administration, finance & marketing, compliance, making money and the list goes on… It is indeed a moving feast!
What challenges have you faced this year?
These have varied (in a good way) because the business has grown quickly and this creates an environment to start thinking about different ways of doing business, improving upon efficiencies, investing in areas of the business that we have never invested before, staying compliant, closing the gap on tenant fees and start our new journey into house sales and expand upon professional lettings.
What is your vision for your business?
To be the trusted estate agency in Sheffield, most customer focussed and be the agency that delivers results to Landlords and helps tenants find their new homes.
What are your personal goals?
To be the most respected and leading business in Sheffield. I want to continue enjoying the work that I do and jump out of bed every morning without an alarm clock. Job satisfaction is so important to me. I want to earn a great income and support my family but put something back into the community at the same time.
What advice could you give to a potential franchisee looking to take their first franchise?
Persistency, ambition and hunger to succeed is vital with a blend of good business acumen, fair values, high ethical standards, keeping operating costs under control and “getting under the skin” of your market until you become the obvious choice for people to come to rely upon you and the great service you offer. It is a “leap of faith” taking on a franchise but it is a calculated one and there’s plenty of support available. Mistakes have been made by others for which you never have to make yourself. Most of all, you have to enjoy the business you are in and believe that you can make a difference. Passion is key!
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?
A successful franchisee is somebody who embraces change and seeks new and innovative ways of doing business. There is no “silver bullet” that will make a business successful overnight however, the franchisee who identifies 100 brass bullets will far exceed what one silver bullet could ever achieve.
Thanks Nicholas, we will let you get back to your busy week!
