Insights: Franchising

Hear from Jennie Horchover, Owner of The HR Dept Harrow and Hillingdon. Jennie joined The HR Dept in 2009 having worked 10 years in HR for a luxury fashion brand, Aquascutum, and 2 years in the House of Commons.

 

Joining The HR Dept

In 2009, I saw an advert in the back of People Management magazine. I’d always fancied the idea of being my own boss, although it ended up happening earlier in my career than I initially anticipated.  After being made redundant, and with children aged 4 and 1, I wanted to spend more time with them.  Starting my own HR Dept franchise seemed a good way to balance work and life, growing my business as the children grew up.

Setting up as an HR consultant without the support of the HR Dept was a scary and lonely prospect.  I liked that I could run my own business in my own way, while also having the support of a Head Office team and other licensees across the country.

Fast forward to now, this November I will be celebrating my 15th business birthday as well as my 50th birthday.

The support

When I first became a licensee, being part of a franchise support system helped me set up my business for success and I could learn from other licensees who were a few steps ahead of me on the journey.  Now, I couldn’t do without the support of the marketing team, whose blog posts, newsletter content and website updates ensure I can focus on looking after my clients.

As a licensee who has decided not to have any employees, the most beneficial resource is receiving holiday cover each year so that I can take a proper break from work without worrying about my clients. Also, when my daughter suddenly died a couple of years ago, the support from the team ensured that I could take some time out of the business knowing that my clients were still being looked after. I also love that I can access document templates and employment law advice that is always up to date and ensures that I have the knowledge and tools to best support my clients.

Day-to-day business operations

I predominantly work on a retained basis with clients, many of whom have been with me for over ten years, so a typical day often involves lovely catch-up phone calls with clients alongside providing them with advice on issues.  I am frequently to be found responding to emails or preparing documents from my home office with my dog, a bernedoodle called Hefin, either at my feet, or in cold weather becoming my hot water bottle snuggled on my lap!

I have always loved the variety of working in HR, as you never know what each day will bring, and this is one of my favourite things about running an HR Dept business as each business I support is so different that I get to advise on such a range of HR topics each day.  I also love being in my local high streets and realising how many of the businesses I work with, or, with over a quarter of my clients being estate agents, spotting their sales boards when I walk around the territory.

One of the most exciting projects I’m working on is being asked to be a mentor and trainer for my local chamber of commerce.  It’s great to be able to use my knowledge and experience of both HR and running a successful business to help others who are just at the beginning of their self-employed journey.

The future

One of the great things about running an HR Dept business is that you have the flexibility to do so however you want.  Over the years I have worked from home and from an office, I have worked solo and had a team, I have focused on phone and email advice, worked in client offices on a regular basis providing more intensive support, and spent time at plenty of networking events.  While I’m happy with how things are at the moment, these are all options for evolving the business in future years and I’m excited to see what the next 15 years or more may bring.  I have already expanded the geographical area I work in once, and am sometimes tempted to do so again, so we shall see!

Advice to potential licensees exploring The HR Dept Franchise

Don’t compare your experiences with others and doubt your own success.  We all have different goals and ambitions for growth.  At the beginning, there were times when I could get swept up in the ambition and success of other businesses and feel like a failure for not having more clients, more money or a bigger team.  However, I had to remember that my original goal was to grow my business slowly as my children grew, so that I could spend quality time at home with them rather than spending hours commuting into London like I used to and I achieved that.  I now love that my business is successful in a small and stable way, allowing me to work far less hours than I used to and find time to explore my other passions, such as studying for an MA in creative writing.