Maintaining your drive and focus in business over the course of a dozen years is never easy, but it’s something Card Connection franchisees Dave and Di Tudor have worked hard on. They took on the Hereford territory back in 2006 and the husband and wife team work seamlessly as a unit. Di spends most of her time back at HQ, or their Shropshire home, to be exact; whilst Dave hits the road to merchandise all their 275 outlets.
“Dave is an early starter,” explains Di, “So I get him organised the day before, then any changes he feels that need to happen to merchandising plans at store level before the next visit are fed back to me throughout the day.” This regular two-way communication is so vital to the success of their business they typically need at least a dozen calls per day. “My friends laugh at how much I am on the phone with my husband!” adds Di.

As with many franchisees, Di knows the product range back to front. “There’s a big contrast between our rural and urban stores,” explains Di. “So understanding the exact mix of the product for each store to get the best sales is crucial. Dave and I are just about to systematically review all of our stores and makes sure we’re not putting out things that are not performing as we would like and trying alternatives, instead. Good business is all about not just doing the same thing all the time, but instead questioning why,” explains Di.
Both are passionate about the product that is at the heart of their business. Di in particular has a keen eye for detail and is in regular contact with Card Connection’s Head Office in Farnham about many aspects of the product range. “Dave and Di have given an enormous amount of feedback over the years and our Creative Department has found their input invaluable,” said Card Connection Creative Director Kelly Courtenay, “We can always rely on them being amongst the most vocal franchisees at our Regional Meetings and Annual Conferences.”
Apart from the product, which Dave and Di clearly have a huge affinity for, there’s one thing that drives the Tudor’s continued commitment as hard working franchisees: “It’s the flexibility we enjoy most about our card Connection Franchise,” Said Di. “It’s simple, really – the harder we work, the more we get out.”