Richard Lloyd from Herefordshire was enjoying a successful career. He'd spent a decade in retail banking, followed by various general management roles, before he took up a position with a privately owned UK group specialising in the manufacture, marketing and sales of animal health products.
This role had taken him to Barcelona and then Dublin to set up subsidiary offices, where he'd been for the past ten years. Richard knew he couldn't progress any further in the company, but hadn't decided what the next steps to change his situation would be.
However, while sitting in Birmingham airport waiting for a return flight to Dublin, Richard picked up a copy of What Franchise magazine to pass the time when he saw an advert for Platinum Property Partners.
"It was completely by chance that I came across PPP," said Richard. "I had no firm ideas about what I wanted to do but when I saw the advert, I realised this could be the new challenge and opportunity I was looking for - even though I had not considered starting my own business."
Already a landlord of two single tenancy buy-to-let properties in Herefordshire, Richard had a vested interest in the property market, but wanted to find out how PPP could help him to turn that interest into an opportunity to make a career change. So he attended a Discovery Day in August 2012.
"After attending the Discovery Day I felt PPP was a professional and trustworthy organisation that I would be happy to be part of. The more I learnt about the company, the more I felt it was a unique and attractive proposition," added Richard.
"It offered the opportunity to create a profitable business of my own, using the range of skills I already had but with the chance to learn new skills working in property. I was also reassured by knowing all the help I needed was available through PPP and the extended network around it, including the Power Team and other more experienced Partners. I was certain I wanted to progress the process to the next stage."
Richard went on to join PPP in May 2013 with the initial aim of building a portfolio of five Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in Bristol. However, just two years in he is already sale agreed on his fourth house and starting to see how PPP can help him get involved in other opportunities.
He has already made his first venture investment and is looking at the possibility of joint ventures and other opportunities which will allow his property business to grow beyond his HMO portfolio. In addition, he has agreed to take on the important role of Advocate in Bristol to help prospective Partners understand the model.
"If you embrace and take advantage of the full range of opportunities, PPP is more than a property franchise. Not only will you develop and expand your business in innovative ways, but also enhance and diversify your expertise as an individual. Through the encouragement of personal and business development I am now much more proactive in goal setting and life planning than I ever was as an employee," he added.
Richard concluded: "The biggest benefit of joining PPP has been knowing that no matter what the challenge, help to achieve success is always available - whether that is from head office or through connecting with the superbly giving and supportive Partner network. This is closely followed by the freedom associated with being your own boss!"
