Gill Gibbon shares what drew her to join Auditel, around 15 years ago

Gill Gibbon became an Auditel franchisee 15 years ago, after stepping out of corporate business and away from the stress and time demands often associated with the corporate world.

Investing in a franchise followed redundancy. Gill had initially looked at setting up on her own, as well as at other companies. But as the main earner of her household, with two young children, Gill says, “I was in a bit of a panic about needing to generate enough income to keep the family afloat. In the end, understanding the risk factor kicked in, and I decided franchising offered a more structured format for me and my family.”

Gill explored a number of franchises before settling on Auditel, “As I looked at my options, I felt my previous business experience was best suited to Auditel..” Auditel has become the UK’s leading strategic cost management franchise, since it was founded in 1994. Their award-winning business model has been successfully replicated by over 160 franchisees serving more than 3,000 clients in almost every sector of the economy. “Choosing Auditel allowed me to reduce the risk of starting my new journey and enjoy the support of an established Brand as my business developed.”

Growing the business, and looking after her family, was a balancing act which Gill admits she didn’t always get right but it worked for her in ways working for a corporate company never could. “Working for a corporate company meant I had no control over my working day. Auditel gave me back control over my diary – if I had to work at weekends, to be there for my children mid- week, I was in control and had the freedom to do that, while still growing my Auditel business.” For other franchisees the flexibility may be needed for other reasons but this freedom is an essential element of regaining control.

Nationwide, Auditel franchisees enjoy the benefits of a trusted, proven brand whilst being supported by a team of experts in all essential business disciplines. This has certainly worked for Gill, who made the most of joint venturing with other Auditel franchisees. “I started to outsource to make the most of my time. I quickly realised I couldn’t do everything, so I used the Auditel network to partner with colleagues who were most suitable to my projects. This freed me to focus on bigger businesses, bigger projects, and I could choose to work with senior partners, so, it’s produced some great results for the 50:50 partnerships. I have some clients who I still have twelve, fourteen years on. My clients’ satisfaction is evident in the longevity of our working relationships.”

Working with Auditel is about managing your time. It’s also about making the most of your skills and time, rather than being caught up in unessential areas of the business. Gill explains, “I’m in control of the sales pipeline, and managing my clients’ projects, working with my fellow franchisees who are experts in their fields. This allows me to focus on what I really enjoy: Client projects, finding new clients, and growing my business.”

Now her children are at university hasn’t led to Gill slowing down! She remains in control of her time, “I continue to be driven to make a success of my business, and continue to grow with new clients each year.”