When ex-teacher and active charity trustee, Lesley Wallace, opened her Dream Doors showroom in Berkshire, she’d never sold anything for a living before. So, what made Lesley ditch her stable career in education to plough some savings into a retail venture, and in a new industry to boot?

“I wanted a different challenge after spending years working with schools and charities,” she says. “And while my job was rewarding in lots of ways, it was also very restrictive.

“I believed in this business from the outset, though. A kitchen transformation is such a fantastic idea that anyone who takes pride in their home would be interested in it. And being part of Dream Doors gave us instant credibility with our customers.”

That career change paid off for Lesley as she finished her first year's trading with sales of more than half-a-million pounds. She added to that the following year, bringing husband Adrian on board as well, before increasing turnover to more than £700,000-a-year.

“Everything has panned out exactly as we were told it would,” she says. “The team at Dream Doors were honest from the start, painting a realistic picture with real figures. I'm really enjoying being a business owner and have absolutely no regrets at all.”

Ex-Royal Mail manager, Mark Holmes, shares the same sentiment as Lesley. Joining Dream Doors three years ago, he and his wife Rachael took a step into the unknown, but it was a decision they say they would make again, without hesitation.

“The rewards in this business are tangible, not just financially but emotionally as well,” says Mark. “It feels great providing a high-quality service to such incredible people – local homeowners like ourselves. This is the perfect role for us and we love the fact that the business is truly ours. We have never felt more at home whilst working and would happily do it all over again, no questions asked!”

As the UK’s largest kitchen facelift retailer, Dream Doors has opened more than 75 locally-owned showrooms nationwide. Providing time and money saving kitchen makeovers, the company has transformed more that 62,000 homes to date. Its franchisees come from all walks of life but, importantly, they don’t need any kitchen industry experience.

Dream Doors regularly meets interested parties at its headquarters in Hampshire. But for those in the north, the company is hosting a regional event in Leeds on Thursday 1^st February. The recruitment team will also be at the National Franchise Exhibition, NEC, Birmingham on 16^th & 17^thFebruary, and at the British & International Franchise Exhibition, Olympia, London on 9^th & 10^th March.