Damien Tyler worked in the corporate world for 20 years. Now he’s an award-winning franchisee.

If you’ve considered leaving the daily grind for a new adventure, this franchisee’s story is a must-read.

Damien Tyler worked a corporate job in varied roles including sales, customer service and operations. But after 20 years, he decided to make the change and become his own boss as the Bayswater North franchisee at mobile coffee business Cafe2U.

So why invest in a franchise?

“The biggest draw card is being in the business ‘for yourself but not by yourself’ and that is what appealed to me and my wife, Pam,” says Tyler.

“My wife and I selected the Cafe2U franchise network as their brand was well-known and established in the market.

“All of our dealings with the brand since our first introduction were also nothing but professional, reliable, timely and honest, without any pressure to proceed until we were ready,” he adds.

And now he’s been crowned National Franchisee of the Year 2016 by the brand for the second time since 2014.

But there were challenges.

“In the beginning, we were concerned about the fact that we had no coffee experience and had never made an espresso-based coffee before on a commercial machine,” says Tyler.

However, the support from Cafe2U from the start and regularly helped him overcome this. He even turned his previous experience into assets for his current business.

“I have been fortunate enough that my varied experiences within the corporate world gave me some excellent business tools and disciplines which have assisted and enhanced me in operating my own small business,” he adds.

Tyler says his favourite part of the business is the human interaction with daily customers, suppliers, fellow franchise partners or Cafe2U’s support team.

So if you’re looking to ditch the corporate life to start your own adventure, here are his words of advice:

“Do your research. Ensure the franchise system you have selected offers the best environment and support tools to meet your needs and help you succeed. Look for franchise systems that offer ongoing support, long after the initial sign-up period,” he says.

“Don’t underestimate the value of your previous roles and the structures in which they operate – these can be valuable.

“Lastly, have fun with it! If you are enjoying the whole experience then your customers will sense that and enjoy catching up with you every day. They become regulars and even more so, friends,” Tyler adds.

Like the sound of Cafe2U? Take the next steps to becoming a franchisee.