Not only was he finding the job of heaving carpets around increasingly challenging, the difficult housing market was also impacting on his work and his income levels.

He said: “I realised that I needed to find a new avenue that would allow me to keep working, generate a good income over the next few years and become a long-term investment to set me up well in retirement, and having looked at various options it seemed to me that Ovenclean, one of the most successful domestic oven cleaning franchises in the UK, offered me the best route to achieving these goals.”

Having launched his franchise just sixteen months ago Mr Foord has already built up a database of around 500 regular customers.

He plans to expand into a second territory by the end of his second year, taking on a second vehicle and an employee, and by the end of year three, aims to move into a third territory.

He added: “There’s certainly a great demand for my services and I feel sure that I can hit my targets for expansion. It’s hard work, but I’m enjoying it and looking forward to the future with renewed confidence.”

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