Day in the life of a robertson technologies franchisee in the strategically important Home Counties

The early bird catches the worm and veteran IT expert Jim Callaghan is making sure that he is going to get more than most. He is up at 5.15 most mornings to drive forward his new robertson technologies franchise in the crucial South of England market.

The reason for the early starts? To be in at the front of an ongoing series of networking events which, for a new business, are absolutely crucial in building a foundation of current and future contacts.

Liverpool-born Jim, who now lives in Wokingham, Berkshire, attends an average of three or four breakfast events a week and sometimes has weeks with up to six networking meetings. “Sometimes, if I’m lucky,” he said, “I’ll get a lie-in until 6am.”

But as far as he is concerned, it is well worth it. He owns the hugely diverse West Berkshire and North Hampshire territory of the Scottish-based company, which has established a nationwide reputation for quality and service. It is centred on Reading and extends as far as Newbury in the west and Basingstoke and Winchester to the south.

Jim, who has 30 years experience in the IT sector, said: “I have a regular weekly breakfast network with Business Networking International and other with groups such as 4Networking, We-Network and the local Chamber of Commerce.

“At some, there is the opportunity to deliver a 60-second elevator pitch and there is time to listen to other participants’ presentations and liaise with business people from all over the territory.

“In many cases, you are not trying to win business directly from them, but they have valuable contact books and they can pass your name on to people they know. It can be a slow burn process, but it’s worth allocating the time to let people get to know you and your product.”

Jim, who delivers the robertson promise of helping small to medium enterprises with effective computer support delivered in plain English, then heads back to his home office to deal with necessary admin tasks and keep in touch with HQ, to summarise business progress.

Then he has to adapt the day to make sure that he uses his time in the most effective manner possible. He said: “Organising time is a great challenge. I cover a large territory and can have meetings as far apart as Reading and Winchester.

“If I’m going as far as Winchester, which is a 60-mile drive through dense traffic, I’ll try to schedule in a few other meetings or sales calls in the same area to make the best use of the day.”

On rare occasions, Jim can get home to Wokingham for lunch, but more realistically he grabs a sandwich and gets on with the vital business of following up leads and trying to convert them into sales.

Jim, who worked with Computer Associates, the 15,000-employee multi-national, and then Ingres, the database company, relishes the challenge of forging ahead on his own and makes time through the day to manage one-to-one meetings with potential clients.

He builds his own proactive campaigns, targeting businesses in local trading estates, running cost-effective postcard campaigns and homing in on particular sectors such as veterinary practices or dental companies.

The West Berkshire territory’s sectors include services, industry and agriculture, and Reading in particular has a significant historical involvement in the information technology industry. Financial and professional services firms as well as energy and telecoms companies have a substantial presence in the region.

Jim said: “All the ingredients for an outstandingly successful franchise are in place. I have a reasonable pipeline of people who are interested and I am focusing now on turning leads into sales.”

In the evening, Jim returns to his home office to consolidate the day’s activities and put the pieces in place for the opportunities which await him the next day. With, of course, another early start.