Auditel is a white collar franchise. It is an ideal opportunity for management and executive level professionals seeking a new career. Auditel was set up in 1994 to help organisations navigate the maze of tariffs and service offerings that had sprung up following the deregulation of the utilities markets. Twenty years on, their consultants now provide strategic cost management services to over 3,400 medium and large-sized organisations across the UK and Ireland in more than 100 areas of business expenditure.
Due to the success of the Auditel Franchise model, some of the franchisees choose to expand their business through taking on employees. ‘The Overhead Management Company’ based in Leeds is a franchise that has taken this route.
David Powell, who heads this team, says: “We work alongside Business Owners, Finance Directors and Company Boards to provide independent advice, unparalleled market knowledge and specialist expertise as an additional management resource. Our cash flow positive contingency fee proposition means that they benefit from this professional service at no risk and for no upfront investment.”
The Overhead Management Company consists of:
David Powell, who qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001. Post qualification, he worked for a FTSE250 Logistics Firm and Global Management Consultancy. David became involved with Auditel in late 2006. He won Newcomer of the Year in his first year and went on to win the Consultant of the Year in 2011.
Lee Freeman, who following graduation, worked in the Insurance Industry for 14 years. He held various executive roles for global firms and, most recently, was Managing Director of Yorkshire Insurance Brokers Ltd. He joined the Overhead Management Company in November 2011 as a consultant. Lee’s roles are in both Business Development and Relationship Management.
Phil Bennett, who after graduating, spent six years working as a Technical Analyst for Fujitsu Siemens. He joined in 2010 and is involved in energy procurement and management, waste management, water, stationery and merchant cards. Phil has taken on the role of Project Manager.
Isobel Burgess worked for six years at Accountants Baker Tilly. In 2011, she left them to join David’s team in Leeds. She assists both David and Lee and is responsible for researching and sourcing new prospects.
This group of specialists has achieved major cost savings since its formation:
Hot Brands Limited distribute branded, end-of-season footwear and clothing, c£16,000 on landlines, energy and mobiles, including a £2,200 refund from E-On.
The Works Recruitment (Recruitment Consultants), c£30,000 on communications and £10,000 on energy. A six year back bill reduced by 48% and two years of energy written off entirely.
BCS Electrics (Electrical Contractor), c40% on communications costs overall (70% on call charges) and a combined 15% on energy bills.
Dews Motor Group, car dealership, £23,000+ on communications and energy.
Minorfern , a leading distributor of replacement parts for cars and vans, 49% on communications plus a further £2,500 in potential savings and over £11,000 (25%), on energy.
Bradford Grammar School, c£75,000.
The Overhead Management Company has received many endorsements for the quality of their work. Carrwood Estate comprises 6 Grade A business centres and incorporates a mixture of serviced and leased offices. Oliver Corrigan, their Manager, says: “To date, savings created by the Company are c£170,000 on gas and electricity, which from a business point of view has allowed us to put this cash to great use elsewhere. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services to any other business who, like me, simply does not have the time or expertise to dedicate themselves fully to managing their needs.”
David also hails their recognition within the industry. “We were shortlisted for The Energy Live News Consultancy Awards 2014 in 3 different categories: SME Most Trusted, Green Energy Champion and the Unsung Hero, for Phil Bennett. We take great pride in what we believe in and what we have achieved. It goes to show that hard work really does pay off.”
David mentions another really impressive past saving. “We discovered that a new client of ours had been paying 900% over their actual consumption level for over six years on a gas supply! A new FD spotted something was wrong and managed to get £80k back. However, he recognised that he needed expert help to check if £80k was correct or not and we managed to obtain a total refund of over £210,000!”
Matt Sidwell, Auditel UK and Ireland’s Network Development Director comments: “Recent research by commercial insurers, RSA, has revealed that half of UK start-ups don’t survive beyond five years. This compares with an over 90% success rate of UK franchisees. For anyone who dreams of owning their own business, considering franchising could be the best bet. We hold regular free Discovery Seminars and would be delighted to meet you to show you more about franchising and the Auditel model.”