The Business

Structure, role and staffing

This is a franchise for ambitious business-builders. You’ll start out with a small team of technicians while you focus on growth and business development. Watch below to see, in 45 seconds, what your business will become renowned for - and why:

Your role as business owner is to meet and greet customers, build relationships with local dealerships & automotive businesses, ensure your team operate effectively and maintain market-leading standards. You’ll need to work hard within the business in year 1 to understand every aspect from the inside out.

As it matures, the way you run your business can be tailored to your strengths, with a natural split between the operational and office sides of the business allowing you to bring in either a front office or workshop manager. From there, you could open a second centre, look to sell and realise your asset, or consider family or internal succession: your direction is yours to choose.

Additionally, a number of Wheel Specialist franchises are run by couples, who find it perfectly suits working together without being in each other’s pockets 24/7.

However you structure your business, powder coating will be one of your popular services. And when Cars Insider wanted to showcase exactly what powder coating is, they arranged a visit to see Eddie, franchisee of The Wheel Specialist Ribble Valley with his wife Caroline, to talk them through the process:

Market & demand

The Wheel Specialist is proven to thrive in all economic conditions: in tougher times with declining car sales, the level of public enquiries rockets; when the economy is booming, trade custom flourishes.

The latest evidence? In the face of economic uncertainty and the challenging Cost of Living Crisis, more than 50% of our franchise partners have achieved their best-ever monthly results, with the majority experiencing their most successful trading year to date. This includes a significant number of our franchises, which have thrived for over a decade.

The brand’s professional image and approach attract a wide range of customers to your showroom; sexy cars and celebrity owners will soon become standard for you.

The franchise network quoted over £30 million of work in 2022, and we have hundreds of customer enquiries every month that we can’t service because there’s no franchisee nearby.

We hope you can help change that.

Territory & premises

You will be given a large and exclusive ‘territory’ (trading area where no other franchisee operates) which has been professionally mapped out to the right demographics. That ensures there are more than enough privately-owned vehicles and auto trade-related business in that territory to sustain a franchise indefinitely, even when operating at full capacity.

Because we’ve helped dozens of people successfully start their own Wheel Specialist franchise, we know how to help you find the best premises in your territory. We’ll work with you to draw up a shortlist of potential locations that work, and help you choose and negotiate the right one.

Operating from a showroom drives quality (see below), credibility and visibility. It also provides a welcoming atmosphere for all customers, which isn’t always the case in the auto industry.

Standing out from the crowd

The clue is in the name: The Wheel Specialist is the first and only national chain of premises that specialise 100% in the refurbishment and customisation of alloy wheels. You’ll stand above local independents or mobile operators with ease:

• Quality: a full, professional refurbishment service, especially compared to the cosmetic ‘quick-fix’ from a mobile service – but our cost is often similar. What you’ll provide simply can’t be done from a van and won’t be matched by an independent.

• Premises: your customers bring their wheels to you so your earning potential is not limited by how many jobs you can get to (time spent in traffic jams is time not earning!); you work indoors, unaffected by the weather; your business can’t be driven away (literally) overnight.

• Guarantee: all paint and powder finishes are guaranteed for 12 months or 6 months if diamond cut.

• Range: cater for every need with a wide selection of finishes in thousands of colours, with a varied pricing tariff offering value for money through the entire range.