“Thanks for doing such a fantastic job of my Z4 wheels. All 4 wheels were in very poor condition before having them refurbished. There was corrosion around the spokes and bolt holes, and to make things worse I didn’t have a locking wheel nut key from the previous owner. My wheels now look like new and I’m very pleased with the finish. Not only do you do you guys do a great job, but the customer service was as good as it gets – I would definitely use you again and recommend you to anyone considering having their wheels done.
Thanks Alex and the other guys (sorry I didn’t catch your names).”

Andrew

“Big thanks to the wheel specialist guys. Great value for money, really knowledgeable and friendly service. Quick turn around too and convenient as I work nearby. Really happy with the end product, my wheels look amazing!! Would def recommend to anyone so much better than buying new ones! Will be using them again.”

Mr W

“Thanks to Alex and the guys for transforming the wheels on my Mercedes CLK AMG Same day turnaround and superb attention to detail, the wheels look like new!! Thanks again guys! “

Mr Sprint

Well I think that says it all – enough said !

Best Performing Franchise 2011

Ginny Murphy MD The Wheel Specialist

Credit has to be given for the commitment shown by franchisees in attending the annual TWS conference, despite the snow and severe weather warnings a full complement of delegates attended the conference held The Forrest Hotel, Solihull on 4th February.
Delegates were given the superb news that record sales were recorded for the group and showed a 24% rise on 2010 plus a further three franchise units were set to join the network in the first few months of 2012 swelling numbers to fourteen with another six targeted for the remainder of the year.
With generic growth in the number of sites operating under the TWS brand 2012 is shaping up to be another record breaking year for everyone involved.
Apart from the sharing of information and plans for the remainder of the year, the agenda included product demonstrations from key suppliers, a technical forum for new wheel finishes, advances in the industry, discussion groups and an Awards Ceremony which completed the conference running order for TWS franchisees.
Various awards were presented to franchisees in categories such as Best New Franchisee, with the rookie of the year awarded to Colin Smith from Edinburgh; Highest Sales awarded to Vernon and Sarah Kerr from Fareham; Highest Product Sales to Donna Thompson from Manchester; Best Sales & Marketing to Steve Philips and Jon King from Cardiff; Best Customer Service to Alan Hemsley Derby, Most Improved Franchisee to Mark Harnden from Nottingham and the overall “Franchisee of the Year 2011”, won by John Grove from Glasgow South, who started in 2009.
Feedback from delegates was exceptional, input and information sharing really apparent and the undertaking to further develop focus groups within the network to ensure the transfer of ideas and successes was one of the main proactive action points from the day.

Why not check out the website http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk to get an instant quote for your alloys or call Alex on 01342300687 for a chat or nip down and have a look for yourself at Unit 2a The Felbridge Business Centre, Imberhorne Lane, East Grinstead RH19 1XP

The Wheel Specialist is getting ready to open its doors at the Felbridge Business Centre next week.

The Wheel Specialist, the largest nationwide wheel refurbishment specialists, are opening the new franchise in East Grinstead on 23rd January 2012.

The franchise was recently purchased by Alex May, a former Wealth Management Advisor previously based in London who underwent an extensive training programme before taking the helm at the new East Grinstead branch.

Alex said: “I’ve always really wanted to run my own business, and without any sensible ideas of my own I looked at a variety of local businesses for sale and national franchise opportunities.

“During this time I took my car to The Wheel Specialist in Fareham to have the wheels refurbished and I was very impressed by the great service and speed of the refurbishment.

“I have a strong interest in cars and a background in marketing, business and financial services, so opening my own branch of The Wheel Specialist seemed like a natural fit for my skills.”

Alex says his aims are to build a business that generates a strong reputation for producing high quality workmanship and for customers to know that their car and wheels are in safe hands.

Ginny Murphy, Managing Director for The Wheel Specialist Network, added: “We are thrilled that Alex has joined the team at The Wheel Specialist.

“We’ve built our franchises on excellent customer service and care, and Alex has exactly the same ethos. We’re looking forward to the store opening and know Alex will do a great job.”

The Wheel Specialist offers a large range of services including total refurbishment of the whole wheel, as well as smart repair, diamond cutting, rim polishing and bespoke customisation of wheels.

The firm also provide a same day service on many finishes, and all branches have secure, fully insured units with state of the-art-showrooms.

Find The Wheel Specialists at Unit 2a Felbridge Business Centre, Imberhorne Lane, East Grinstead, RH19 1XP or visit www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk

The Wheel Specialist- Newport/ Cardiff…

                            Are getting into the festive spirit! ❄

Are you interested in cars or just fancy like doing something different?

Why not make a trip to The Wheel Specialist Cardiff for one of our open days this Saturday! 03/12/11

           Starts from 10am – 3pm

All proceeds are going to St Anne’s Hospice

 There will be a prize draw when one lucky person will win a FREE alloy wheel refurbishment in Cardiff and the surrounding areas!

Other traders that will be present include:

• TI22
•  Gwent VW
• Mac Tools. Van full of goodies.
• Cymraeg Scoobie are having their monthly meet Saturday instead of Sunday, the MX5 MGF, and MG ZT clubs have indicated that some members will be popping along

                            Hope to see you there!

Something which you may not know is that winter tyres are already a legal requirement in most of Northern Europe which emphasises how misunderstood they are here in the UK. 

Over the last couple of years there has been a huge buzz about winter tyres so I thought that I would research this area of interest and deliver you with the facts and destroy the myths shadowing the modern winter tyre.

Winter Tyre Myth 1: “The temperature can get quite low, but it only snows occasionally where I live. My normal tyres are fine.”

Incorrect - Although other ‘non-winter’ tyres can work well in mild winter conditions, the winter variety continue to work at an optimum level below the 7°C. This is the case for all conditions – wet, dry, snow/ice/slush, etc. Thanks to the special rubber compound that a winter tyre is made up of, it does not harden in cold conditions. This means that the tread flexibility remains supple and continues gripping just as well as before.

Winter Tyre Myth 2: “The distance it takes to brake is no different compared to the tyres I already have on my car.”

Incorrect – When compared with the stopping distance of a summer or all-season tyre, the braking distance of a winter tyre (dependent of the on speed of the car and the condition of the road) is up to 10% shorter. To put that into context, that’s around two vehicle lengths. So the use of winter tyres in winter can be the difference between crashing or not.

Winter Tyre Myth 3: “The temperature outside does not affect the level of air pressure in my tyres.”

Incorrect – Ok, this might not be a complete winter tyre myth, but it is something that needs to be addressed. As we all know, having your tyres inflated to the correct pressure is critical to getting the most out of them. For every 5°C that the weather drops a tyre will lose about 1 psi of air pressure.

That makes it very important to keep an eye on the air pressure of your tyres during winter.

Winter Tyre Myth 4: “Winter tyres are far more expensive.”

Incorrect – This is just not true. The cost of a winter tyre is the same if not less than their summer or all-season equivalents.

Winter Tyre Myth 5: “Thanks to modern day cars that have TCS (traction control systems), or ABS (antilock braking systems) winter tyres are no longer needed.”

As you can see from the snippet of research that I found it is quite clear that winter tyres are not just for snow they are in fact for the’ winter’ including slush, rain and colder temperatures. They appear to be essential for keeping you and your passengers extra safe on the road during our winter months. It is also worth noting; always check with your insurance company as some companies consider winter tyres a modification.

Please comment with your thoughts towards this current issue.

 When it comes to growth, franchising can be a great way of expanding your business and your brand – but, in my opinion, you need to have a successful, established and strong business to start with. Alongside the growth of our own business, I’ve seen owners of failing businesses that have tried to use franchising as a way to prop it up. I’ve seen entrepreneurs that believe they have a good concept, but one that’s ultimately untried, and have treated franchising as a way to earn money fast.

 Both circumstances have lead to disaster – not only for the franchisees that buy into these businesses, but ultimately for the original business itself. Franchising your business can only be successful with a time-proven, profitable business: one that has already made and learned from its mistakes, and refined its processes as a result.

 After all, that’s what franchising is all about isn’t it? Building a brand, creating something special, and making it replicable for others to pick up the reins in a different location.

 To get to place at which you can do that takes time and effort. You need to invest in all of the various things that will help your franchise plans grow smoothly. Everything from consulting to spending time documenting your processes and procedures, liaising with suppliers and writing down everything that you have learnt along the way. This is the approach we took, and it has paid dividends time and time again.

 Of course, as you grow, the franchise network and the systems that you have will naturally change and evolve. But a strong starting point is vital.

 To me, franchising always seemed to be the logical way to expand my business. By developing a network of hard working, like-minded business owners that had a vested interest in the success of the business seemed like a simple growth decision. And growth is self-replicating – the majority of franchisees want to grow and work their own franchise – why wouldn’t they?

 But naturally, there are challenges. Franchising ultimately means giving up a part of your brand to a newcomer. No matter how much you trust them or how great their previous successes, you can never be 100 percent certain about whether or not it will work out.

 Unfortunately, you do get some franchisees who will challenge everything, and not in a constructive, network-building way. When we experienced that challenge, it threw us for a little while. It made us question our own model. Were we doing something wrong, or not supporting them in the right way, for instance?

 It wasn’t until we began to meet other franchisors that all became clear. These guys had been franchising for decades and had seen it all. It was tricky to ask them for advice – it felt that I was admitting some kind of failure – but eventually,

for the good of the business, I did.

 It was good to find out that we weren’t alone. One franchisor, who had been in franchising for over 25 years told me that “some will never be content, it’s just the way of things”. He applied the good old “80/20” rule and told us not to worry about it but to continue supporting the guys that wanted to make it work. That lesson has stuck with me to this day, and it has really helped us focus on how to grow.

 So those are my three initial tips for anyone looking at franchising as a route to growth:

1. Make sure that you have a business model that has stood the test of time, is profitable and successful

2. Do your homework, make sure that you’re prepared for what’s ahead

3. And never be afraid to ask questions. Get the right advice from people that really know and have been there before.

 Keep those things in mind and I believe that you’ll find franchising to be a fantastic way of growing your business – and you’ll get to work with some great people along the way.

 Ginny Murphy is owner of The Wheel Specialist. She and her partner Neill Murphy opened the first franchise in 2007, and currently have 14 franchisees across the UK.

http://www.thewheelspecialist-franchise.co.uk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww-6d53ET9Q - The Wheel Specialist Franchise Opportunity | An Interview with Ginny Murphy

As Joegals said in his thread (albeit a different franchise) they were professional from start to finish and I’m absolutely delighted with the result. Whilst I have no ‘before’ photos, each wheel had some issue or other, whether it was kerbing on a couple (my fault), a good few stone chips on a couple (driven off the road a couple of years back by a lorry ) or just general age showing a little bubbling of the finish, I’d decided it was time for a treat for my wheels.

I’d decided to go for the same finish as Joeglas in his thread – “Black Chrome” where they finish the wheel in black before applying a chrome finish over the top from the front of the wheel only and then a clear lacquer layer.

All I can say is “wow”! The finish is far more of a ‘metallic’ finish than OEM, with much more depth and the way it goes back to a dark inside of the rim gives a really superb look.

I also asked them to apply a layer of their wheel wax (worth it) and also went for chrome valve covers. All in price was £400, which I think is amazing value given that I’ve previously paid over £100 each wheel for a simple refurb that didn’t involve taking the tyre off.

Car went in by 0830, when I arrived I had a good long chat about different finishes and found out that the Black Chrome has different grades, depending on how much chrome finish is applied. I went for the maximum as on first glance it looks pretty close to the OEM finish on first glance, but you could go for the slightest touch of chrome which would give a mostly black wheel with a metallic finish.

All done by 1700 with tyres off (they mark them up to put them back as they were, although I got them to swap front to back as I normally do about every 8-10k miles, so saved me the bother), stripped, repaired, resprayed, baked (several times), wax applied, tyres remounted and balanced and then refitted.

I’ve taken a few photos to try to show the way it goes from a chrome front to a black inside – not sure how well I’ve managed this as I’m not an expert photographer, but basically I’m loving the way the wheels have more depth to them.

I asked about a standard discount for A5OC members – they said they would certainly give 10% to anyone on here; this only applies for the Fareham branch.
Anyway, here are some photos of the end result: