With his children growing up and his mortgage paid off, the time seemed right to make a fresh start, and his first move was to visit the National Franchise Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC, armed with a shortlist of business opportunities to investigate, including ChipsAway, a leading specialist in small to medium area repair technology to automotive paintwork.
“At the exhibition they delivered a very professional presentation and I was able to chat to ChipsAway franchisees as well as the management team afterwards,” recalls Mr Scholey.
He was struck not only by the flexibility of the franchise itself, but by the clear commitment and enthusiasm everyone had for the business.
“I signed up for one of the company’s Open Days to find out more and the rest, as they say, is history,” he adds.
Franchisees operate from professionally liveried vehicles, customised as fully equipped mobile workshops, enabling them to carry out repairs at their customers’ convenience.
Mr Scholey, who launched his Leeds-based franchise in March this year, said:  “It’s hard work to start with, but you have excellent ongoing support from the ChipsAway team. I was making money right from day one.”
The UK franchising industry offers a diverse range of business opportunities within the automotive sector, from dent repair specialists, mobile mechanics, car and van rental outlets to valet services and tool providers.
The National Franchise Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC on October 3 and 4 is the perfect place to research some of the franchises in this sector, including Car Medic, ChipsAway, Professional Car Cleaning, Auto Sheen, Dent Wizard, HiQ and Snap-on-Tools.
In addition to the many automotive franchises present, there will also be exhibitors representing a wide-selection of industries, as well as informative free seminars and features.
These include the Women in Franchise Zone, a Find Your Franchise Zone, which matches visitors to the most suitable franchise, and the Franchisee Forum, where the audience can put questions to and network with existing franchisees.
The National Franchise Exhibition including the Growing Your Own Business Exhibition & Conference is open from 10am each day, closing at 5pm on Friday October 3 and 4pm on Saturday October 4.
Daily Express readers can gain free fast-track entry to the exhibition by registering at www.franchiseinfo.co.uk using the promotional code: EXED1. For further information call the ticket hotline on 0870 777 1048 or visit www.franchiseinfo.co.uk.