We talk to Clinton and Libby O’Rourke, franchisees for Ilford. When Clinton took over the business in November 2005, it wasn’t long before his daughter Libby took the helm and using her finely tuned sales skills, steered a course for business success. Here, Libby talks to us about how, a year later, their combined experiences and skills proved to be a winning combination and why there should always be a goal.

So, how did you hear about the DOR2DOR franchise Libby?

“Clinton bought the franchise before I got involved. He retired after 30 years in the printing profession. By the second year of his retirement he needed a project that would keep him busy and his mind occupied, which had a link to printing but still allowed him to play golf.

What attracted you to DOR2DOR?

“It required a business brain. There was a link to Clinton’s old profession. The outlay was not prohibitive and the business seemed very viable with no foreseen problems with cash flow. We thought it was too good to be true at first, a relatively straight forward concept, with attractive profit margins and numerous ways to sell and market to customers. It had all the makings of a good business.”

How has your employment background helped you both in your business?

“My previous employment has helped on the sales front, before I became my father’s business partner I spent two years working in the cut throat world of recruitment. I had to be target driven and accountable. I have focused on the sales and customer relationships side of the business, whilst Clinton has looked after logistics and the deliverers. It works well. Although I graduated in chemistry at 20 years of age, I wanted a complete change so I went and ran a pub! The valuable experience I have gained from looking after staff as restaurant manager and recruitment consultant has helped me to manage my deliverers. I believe in using the carrot rather than the stick to get the best out of the people who work for me. Every Friday afternoon we go and visit our deliverers, it’s a time for informal chat to give recognition for a job well done or discuss any issues with rounds. This helps to make the people management aspect of the business as least stressful as possible”.

Describe your business past and present …

“When we sent out the ‘post-people wanted’ leaflets we were flooded with applicants, many from older people. We had bought an existing business, though when it changed hands, there were no significant sales to speak of. I sent sales letters and telephoned all the previous clients,started delivering a 100 ‘yes it works’ leaflets a week, (to which we had a 3% response) and posted adverts on three internet sites. Soon we had 3 customers; we were delivering between 5-10k leaflets a week. Word of mouth and advertising in the parish directory brought us further new business, including a chiropractors, tanning salon, gardeners, electrical store, gyms, and the residents association. We now have 8 repeat clients and we are delivering on average 60K leaflets weekly”.

And the future is….?

“The future is looking good. Our next target is to be delivering 100k leaflets a week; you’ve got to have a goal, it keeps you focused. We may also look to expand to adjacent areas and as our business grows we plan to recruit from within and give our deliverers more involvement behind the scenes. This business gives us flexibility, it is relatively stress-free and any problems with clients are small and fixable. It’s a pleasant business to be in with lots of opportunity.”