Franchisor Interview - Puncturesafe

In our latest Franchisor Interview, we spoke with Graham, the founder of Puncturesafe, to discuss what makes this franchise opportunity unique and what prospective franchisees can expect from them.

Puncturesafe provides a leading puncture prevention treatment that is outstanding at sealing punctures in both on-road and off-road vehicles. All of their products are made in Britain to the highest standard and supplied to businesses and individuals worldwide.

How is Puncturesafe different from other similar franchises in the UK?

Many franchise opportunities require a lot of financial risk up front, long before they become profitable for the franchisee. We don’t think this model is accessible for most people, and as a British company first and foremost we genuinely care about the success of our UK partners and want them to excel in our home market quickly.

With this in mind we’ve kept costs for our distributors fixed for the last 10 years despite prices on consumer products continuing to rise, meaning they are still able to make large gains, even when the UK economy is lagging and jobs are hard to find.

Our products were developed by chemists (not businessmen), so they’re science-led – focusing on maximum performance and reliability – which will bring customers to your franchise initially, but also back to reorder time and time again with a product they can trust.

What is your biggest achievement at Puncturesafe so far?

Officially getting Puncturesafe products available worldwide on every continent was a major milestone. Other than Antarctica of course, we’re still working on that one…

We have some fantastic global distributors, and I’m proud of the great work they’re doing.

What is the best feedback you have heard about your brand?

We’re grateful to have been in business for over 25 years, which means we’ve really been on a journey with our customers.

One particular plant hire client that we’ve been supplying for almost a decade still continues to call our sealants ‘exceptional’ every time they place their orders… It’s a small comment but it embodies what we’re always aiming for. They know the market well and they trust our product above all else.

Why would you recommend Puncturesafe to people wanting to open a franchise?

We think the low cost to get started, combined with the fact 100% of your investment is provided in stock is quite rare. It’s a great chance to take control of your future, work flexibly, and all the while doing something your customers will really appreciate.

Puncturesafe is special in that you don’t need to be an expert in any particular field to get started, it’s easy to learn and we’ve seen people from all sorts of backgrounds be successful, you just need to drive to start making connections.

What qualities does the ideal franchisee possess?

Simply a positive personality that comes over honestly with potential customers. The product itself doesn’t need a hard sell because it already solves a clear problem, the important thing is more so building rapport with potential clients and explaining the extra benefits properly.

How long does the process of starting a Puncturesafe franchise take?

Once your stock package arrives, you’ll have everything ready to start from Day 1.

We’re a UK manufacturer so delivery is very fast. We can have you onboard within just a few weeks, sometimes even days if you’re really keen to crack on and everything lines up properly.

How much support and training is offered to your franchisees?

We have an excellent day of training that we offer to every new distributor, hosted by one of our long-term UK distributors that knows the product inside out.

Beyond that, we’ve got a UK team at the ready to offer plenty of support, be it technical expertise or just general advice about how to approach a particular type of customer. We give all of our distributors a 1-to-1 contact that they can liaison with to quickly find out whatever they need as their business grows.

In what ways do you help Puncturesafe franchisees achieve a healthy work-life balance?

With a product that can be installed part time or full time you’ve got lots of flexibility to begin with. Most of our distributors will commit to the occasional big day of on-site installations or a trade show, and then use off days for general planning and building up their contacts, which is a good time to recharge.

Some of our distributors have transitioned from office jobs and have found it extremely refreshing to be working with something tangible, getting out in the sun, meeting people and shaking hands.