Steve & Anne Martin

As soon as husband and wife team Steve and Anne Martin scratched the surface of a ChipsAway franchise, they knew it was for them. Within a year they are generating a turnover of £6,000 per week!

Steve and Anne Martin know a thing or two about business. Having been successful property developers for more than 15 years, the couple took the decision to invest in a ChipsAway franchise at the end of last year. They are already achieving an impressive average turnover of £6,000 per week, with their best week to date comfortably exceeding £7,000!

Anne said: "We're amazed by the way the business has taken off, but remain convinced that there's still huge potential for us to expand."

ChipsAway is one of the most successful automotive franchises in the UK with 350 specialists operating nationwide, and a network of master franchisors overseas. Operating from fully equipped mobile workshops and CarCare Centres, ChipsAway specialists provide high quality on-the-spot repairs to minor car bodywork damage, quickly and cost-effectively, restoring paintwork in a matter of hours. The quality, value and convenience of ChipsAway repairs ensure the company remains the leading brand in this lucrative and rapidly growing marketplace.

For Steve and Anne, since they launched their ChipsAway business in December their feet have scarcely touched the ground. Within three months, in line with their original plans, they took on a second technician to help Steve with the painting, enabling them to more than double their turnover.

By the time they had reached their first half year milestone, Steve and Anne's turnover had climbed to more than £72,000 and has continued to accelerate.

"The figures have been incredible and we still can't get used to getting paid every day!" she laughs. "Clearly, the ChipsAway model is a high volume retail business with constant sales, which is quite different from what we were used to in the property sector."

The couple are quick to pay tribute to the 'brilliant' support they have received from the ChipsAway management team, acknowledging that whilst they clearly had a great deal of experience in running a business, the world of franchising and the automotive services sector was very new to them and, in some ways, presented a different set of challenges - as well as rewards.

"The business is going fantastically well and we have big plans to expand - ChipsAway has given us the opportunity to start small, but with an instant income it has provided the perfect platform for us to build a long term, successful business - the sky's the limit for us!"