Driving performance with successful results

27th January 2023

Shortly after he’d joined the network in the autumn of 2020, we spoke with our 100th UK franchisee, Matt Strutt of InXpress Gatwick. Despite all the ongoing challenges which had presented during the year, he became one of our fastest growing new franchisees in his first six months.

Matt had had no previous experience in the shipping and logistics industry, but managed to carve out a successful business for himself, with our support. Whilst our franchise package has been designed to give you everything you need to become a global shipping & logistics expert, building your own business always requires a lot of hard work and dedication.

Something Matt soon had to navigate, as he entered his second year, “My first year, was focused on learning about the industry – definitely a challenge in itself!” Matt explained. “I’d started out as a one-man operation, but soon realised how limiting this was, and wouldn’t actually allow me to grow. So, finding and hiring the right people for my back office operations, became my biggest priority. I now have three brilliant employees, and would advise anyone to invest early, in building your team!”

Driving performance
The InXpress franchise model comes with a great deal of built-in flexibility, allowing people with a range of skills to thrive with their own business. In Matt’s case, this meant taking on admin staff so that he could focus on where he felt his energy would be best put to use: in sales and growth. “If I hadn’t hired people, and developed them to feel confident in their roles,” Matt explains, “I’d still be stuck in a very reactive mode, rather than proactively driving performance. So, my focus has been very much on employee development, to deliver the world-class customer service InXpress is known for, which then naturally led to increased growth and revenue.” 

A rollercoaster ride
Despite being quick-off-the-mark in his first six months, Matt hit the growth-wall most entrepreneurs encounter in their early days. Coupled with the challenges of Brexit, changes in how people work etc. for everyone in business, and the cost of living warnings, 2022 was a real rollercoaster ride. For those involved in franchising, whilst these challenges inevitably do hit, support and guidance is never far away.

Like all our franchisees, Matt knew he could lean-on the support of our expert team, and reach out to others in the network. “The InXpress Business Coaches and mentors have been invaluable to me, especially over this last 12-18 months. I’ve also connected with several other franchise owners, like Mark Pell from InXpress Bournemouth and Stuart Vant, from InXpress Cambridge. I spent time with them, in their office and staff, to understand how they operated, and help me get on the right path. Without that support in place, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have.” 

Visible success within two years!
Matt’s achievements have been pretty impressive! At last year’s annual conference in Malaga, Matt and his team won not one, but two, InXpress awards: “Rookie of the Year”, and “Best Retention”. And, by the end of 2022, he was consistently in the top 30 of our highest performing franchisees... just two years after starting!

We can’t guarantee your new business will achieve the same, but if you have the same focus as Matt has, then you can overcome every challenge every new business owner faces. “I remember times when I was out walking the dog in the first six months, wondering: what am I doing? Is this going to work? I remember the tough times and days when I felt as though I had nothing going for me. We all face those moments, but it’s about having the dedication and mindset – and people around you – to overcome them. So, when I won those awards, it’s a reminder we hit some pretty major milestones in the last year, and I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved!”

More to explore
Over the next couple of years, Matt plans to continue to grow his team, so he can continue focus on customer retention by offering his customers the best possible experience, He also plans to broaden his services with new offerings and opportunities to attract new customers, as well as delivering more to his current database. “I’m determined to be in the InXpress top 20, by the end of 2023!”

Could you drive success with our support?
Have you got what it takes to be the next InXpress success story? Contact us today, to find out how we can work together to make it happen.