Awards Panel ‘Sold’ On Former Salesman’s Fast-Growing Vehicle Repair Franchise

7th February 2023

• SMART vehicle repair specialist, Revive! Portsmouth, has been nominated for Small Business of the Year at the Portsmouth Business Excellence Awards 

• This comes after the firm’s annual revenues surged by an impressive 66 per cent, enabled by a new-found focus on the retail market

• Revive! Portsmouth's team will find out whether they have won the prestigious prize at an awards ceremony on 10 February

After its annual revenues surged by a staggering 63 per cent, a former salesman’s vehicle repair business, Revive! Auto Innovations Portsmouth, has been recognised by a prestigious awarding body.

The firm, which operates out of a UK-wide Revive! franchise network, has been shortlisted in the coveted Small Business of the Year Category by The Portsmouth Business Excellence Awards, which aims to celebrate successful businesses who have shown exceptional growth, innovation and contributions to the community. 

The awards panel were impressed with franchise owner, Steve Thatcher, and his team for implementing their agile business model, which enabled the firm to quickly adapt to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and boost revenues to record highs. 

Steve Thatcher and his team

Before the pandemic, one of the biggest areas of service for the firm was car dealerships, which generated around 85 per cent of work for the team of 7 technicians. However, as the country plunged into lockdown, this market vanished overnight, forcing owner Steve Thatcher to find a solution. The team rethought its strategy by focusing on offering more services to members of the public, on a mobile basis, as people were reluctant to visit bodyshops during the pandemic.

The decision paid dividends, as the franchise turned over an impressive £420,000 in 2021 and built on this by generating revenue of £686,000 in 2022, with October of last year being the best month in the firm's 18 year history.

Franchise owner, Steve Thatcher, commented: “There was tough competition for this award across a range of sectors, so to receive a nomination and to be offered the opportunity to represent the vehicle repair industry at the ceremony is a real honour. The market has changed massively in the last few years, but our adaptability and focus on the retail market has really paid off.

“I’d like to thank my team for their hard work over the last couple of years, as well as the Portsmouth Business Awards for recognising our successes.”

Cathryn Hayes, Franchise Director at Revive!, commented: “Having launched 18 years ago, Steve is one of our longest-serving franchisees, so it’s always rewarding to see Steve and his team be recognised for their efforts. Everybody at Revive! UK would like to wish him all the best at the awards ceremony on 10 February, and congratulate them on another successful year of growth.” 

To learn more about Revive! Franchise opportunities just click below

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