Farnham-based Lee Walton joined the Auditel Cost Management Franchise in May this year. Prior to this, Lee was the Managing Director and Owner of Probeck Ltd, an Association Management and Events Organising company, for nearly 20 years. Lee planned trade shows, conferences and banquets for up to 1,200 guests, all over Europe and in such places as Shanghai, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Asked why he chose Auditel, Lee said that he had been impressed with the image portrayed by the media, the website and the collateral. “I went to The Franchise Show at Olympia and heard their Managing Director speaking at one of the seminars. I had thought the days of running my own business had come to a natural end and I wanted to do something else in a white collar, business-to-business environment.
“I was influenced by the success of franchising and picked out Auditel as being a ‘stand out’ operation. The examples of savings were impressive. I just wish that while I had been running my company and indeed, in my manufacturing days, I had thought about using a service like Auditel's. We had never tried saving money by outsourcing cost management. I could see an opportunity and I am going to enjoy enlightening others!
“As a Cost Management Consultant, I am able to call on my past experiences to select areas where companies need help to reduce financial waste, introduce efficiencies and therefore, improve their bottom line profits.”
Lee says that the best part of the training was that for every question, there seemed to be an answer. “So we were sent away at the end, with a level of confidence that really makes one happier about going out into the cold world. I can’t wait!!
Matt Sidwell, the Auditel UK and Ireland Network Development Director, points out: “According to Paul Stafford, PR Manager of the British Franchise Association (bfa), ‘owning and running a franchise business is all about transferable skills’. Lee’s previous management experience and that of our other franchisees fit the Auditel business format perfectly. We harness their skills with our exceptional 5-Year Mentoring Programme. This includes the professional and technical know-how of cost management, which enables our franchisees to build a highly scalable business practice.
“If you are considering a career change, why not book a place at one of our free Discovery Seminars. Talk to our Franchise Support Team and ask as many questions as you like. We shall enjoy meeting you!”