Cumbria
Paul Ray
Paul Ray – Stocktaker Cumbria
Based in Kendal covering Keswick, Windermere and Barrow
I became a Franchisee in September 2017. I was looking to work for myself as a hospitality consultant focusing on profitability and cost control in Food and Beverage operations. A Stocktake UK Franchise allowed me to focus on all these areas while having the initial support to launch and grow my business.
Initially I had the opportunity to purchase a client base with guaranteed turnover to start the business. Over the last 5 years the turnover has quadrupled. Supported by a wide range of hospitality businesses including clubs, pubs and hotels. I enjoy the flexibility of working on site and working at home. The best part is helping clients to be more financially aware and analyse costs and sales opportunities to maximise turnover and profits. The only frustrating part of business is not having all the information on the day to complete audits on the same day.
Prior to purchasing my Franchise, I spent 35 years in the hospitality industry. The last 20 years I have held Group Executive chef positions, and Senior Regional management roles for large hotel groups and timeshare resorts. Project management P&L analysis and development have been key areas of responsibility.
Having run my Franchise as a Stocktaker in Cumbria for nearly 6 years now I am now seeing new business from previous clients that had moved to new opportunities and now require Stock Audit services. The best part is when you get a referral from an existing client. Over time I have developed relationships with other Stocktakers, and we often help each other out when business levels and demands are high.
Outside of stocktaking, I enjoy wildlife photography and spend any spare time in Scotland with my wife Sam, especially winter time. My claim to fame is having a selection of photos from Scotland and Canada published in Nikons Photo magazine. My business is currently operating at its maximum and I am considering growing the business further and potentially employing someone to help or using the existing Franchise network to support new clients.
I wish I had explored the options of running my own business sooner, but better late than never.
Stocktake UK offers a flexible way of working in a diverse number of businesses, supported by the best software and help and support from the Franchise network. The possibilities are endless, you can develop your business to be as busy as you want or if a work life balance is what you need you can tailor your business to deliver that as well.
Stocktaker in Cumbria
