After a long and successful career as a Business Development Manager(BDM), Adam thought it was the right time to start his own business.
Here Adam tells us how it has been going since he launched his Really Awesome Coffee van in Belfast.
Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to becoming a Really Awesome Franchisee?
I was a BDM for SPAR in Northern Ireland, overseeing the biggest independent account in the SPAR NI portfolio
Why did you decide to run your own business and why Really Awesome Coffee specifically?
I loved my previous job but felt like I needed a new challenge and I've always wanted to start my own business. I had always thought I would open my own shop but after quite a bit of research and due diligence I decided that Really Awesome Coffee was the right fit for me.
Tell us a bit about your training at Head Office and your business launch.
I was very excited about getting started with Really Awesome Coffee. Once I had my barista training I then became nervous that I wouldn't be able to make the perfect cup of coffee for my customers under pressure. However, after going back for the 2nd week of training I felt much more confident and realised that I was just panicking a little and my barista skills were good and I was just being a little hard on myself.
During my daily run and events I get a lot of great feedback about the coffee, so that has also helped increase my confidence.
How have you found the ongoing training and support?
The ongoing training and support has been fantastic. Definitely couldn't have launched my business without the support of the Franchise Development Manager and HQ.
What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to invest in their first franchise?
Take your time, do your research and go with your gut.