In Demand
aqua-lec plumbs for more at the NEC

Presentations on the hour, every hour on aqua-lec’s stand H20 at the National Franchise Exhibition are designed to give would-be franchisees an overview of the experience, support, training and marketing that underpins this latest franchise from the gas-elec Group.

Launched in April this year, the first batch of aqua-lec plumbers is due out in the market place this autumn - a workforce that is eagerly awaited by their colleagues on the gas-elec side of the business. Because, in a sector that’s becoming pretty crowded, a unique benefit of an aqua-lec franchise is that franchisees do not need to rely on 24/7 emergency work to build their business - they come into a marketplace where work is waiting for them.

“We’ve launched aqua-lec partly to cope with the demand for plumbing skills in our existing network,” says managing director John Davidson. “Being part of the gas-elec group means aqua-lec plumbers can dip straight into an existing market place where major clients spend around £35 million a year on plumbing and heating works.

“However, aqua-lec is separate from gas-elec and, as with all our franchisees, our plumbers are trained to target their local market place as well. But if someone is investing in a business, we don’t believe they should have to rely on emergency call-outs - which are usually at night on a Saturday or Sunday - for their income.”

Referrals are two-way, with gas-elec franchisees providing complementary services to their aqua-lec colleagues, such as a Part P competent electrician registered to work in ‘wet’ environments.

NATIONAL NETWORK
This all-important ‘bread-and-butter’ work is just part of the support provided by gaselec, a successful franchisor that has created a national network and a multimillion pound business in only eight years.

The growing realisation by the gas-elec network that plumbing provides a natural adjunct to their one-stop service led John Davidson to launch aqua-lec. 110 gas-elec franchisees based throughout the UK, doing 100,000 gas and electrical safety inspections every year, means there’s a lot of work waiting out there for their aqualec counterparts.

Other ‘pluses’ are that aqua-lec franchisees are trained to carry out home health checks, energy ratings and inspection reports for the forthcoming Home Information Pack, as well as Legionella testing and Fire Safety Risk Assessments for the business community.

A major strength of the franchise is the group-owned purpose-built award-winning City & Guilds and CITB-approved training centre, adjacent to the head office based in West Drayton near Heathrow Airport. The training is modular and takes up to 12 weeks, depending on franchisees’ individual skills and experience.

Head office PR and marketing teams help new franchisees launch their business locally with maximum effect. Ongoing business services include call handling, centralised invoicing, credit control, bookkeeping and IT support. This support allows franchisees to concentrate on maximising their income - something that even established single-van independent plumbers are finding attractive. There is great potential for the business, which usually begins as a single-van operation, to be developed into a multi-van venture.

The investment for an aqua-lec franchise is £23,350, which includes a franchise fee of £14,000. This allows for use of the brand, intellectual information and property; rights to a prime area of responsibility; a network of national suppliers; the national freephone service; stationery and printing; operations manual; a local PR launch campaign; plus specialised technical and IT equipment, tools and branded workwear.

PROFIT
gas-elec’s experience and knowledge of the market place have produced cash flow forecasts that realistically demonstrate the feasibility of a gross profit when established - ie, in year three - of approximately £80,000. Overheads are minimal, comprising mainly vehicle leasing and insurance costs, and the company prides itself on the fact that there are no ‘hidden extras’ beyond the flat rate management fee paid by franchisees, based on his or her turnover.

Regular Discovery Days give would-be franchisees a chance to meet some of the head office support team and inspect the purpose-built training facilities for themselves. They are the first stage of the recruitment and decision-making process for both aqua-lec and any would-be franchisee. The company goes to enormous lengths to make sure that the business and franchisee ‘gel’ before any investment is made.

“We want people who are in it for the long term, who have realistic expectations and who are prepared to work hard,” says Davidson. “If they come with that attitude and the right basic skills, we know that between us we can build a business that will stand the test of time and that will be profitable for both of us.”