This month, I want to shine a spotlight on Kev Brown, Optic-Kleer franchise for Lincoln, Gainsborough, Retford and Worksop, as he celebrates his 6 month milestone as a business owner.

Just like anyone else thinking of making the leap into self-employment with a franchise, Kev had plenty of questions and concerns when he started, but we’re happy to say that he is doing incredibly well and hasn’t looked back.

Bouncing back from redundancy

Kev joined Optic-Kleer in August 2025 after being made redundant when the company he worked for went into liquidation. As the lead account manager for a large industrial heating company, he had plenty of experience in sales and customer service, as well as managing his own team. Starting his own windscreen repair business was a big change, but one that made perfect sense.

As Kev told us when we caught up with him recently:

“I already knew about Optic-Kleer, because I had spoken several times to John Speare (Optic-Kleer franchise owner from Bury St. Edmunds, and now also head trainer for new franchisees.) as he’d carried out some repair work on our fleet vehicles. That’s where the seed got planted in my mind, but I wasn’t in the position to make a move then.

“When I was made redundant, the idea of returning to the job market aged 65 was very daunting, and I didn’t think anyone would want to take me on. I had a few options for work, but I thought did I really want to go back to a corporate role? It was time to work smarter, not harder.”

Thanks to his introduction to Optic-Kleer as a customer, and having had a few conversations with John, Kev already knew a lot about the business and the kind of lifestyle it would offer him. However, it was still a big decision he wanted to consider carefully. His previous business experience meant he had astute questions he wanted answering first.

“I was most worried about income. I just couldn’t get my head round how I was going to make a decent living doing this. I recently spoke to a potential franchisee, and I said to him: you’re asking all the same questions I was thinking about before I made my decision, but you need to take that leap of faith with Optic-Kleer.

“It’s a good company, and the new relationship with Auto Windscreens has made a massive difference to the business. This is a national partnership, and you can’t get much bigger than that. It not only brings in more customers, it adds instant credibility to everything we do.

“So, yes, I was worried about earning enough money, and that first day sitting in a car park wondering if anyone would turn up was daunting, but then I had 47 customers in my first week!”

This kind of fantastic start isn't the exception - it's the rule. The partnership with major UK insurers, especially Auto Windscreens, combined with the arrangement with big-name supermarkets for franchisees to set up in their car parks, means every franchisee in 2025 saw a significant rise in the number of booked jobs, as well as an increase in the value of their average job.

Looking ahead with confidence

“I’m very excited for 2026. The last 6 months have been good, but it felt like I was still finding my feet, and now I can really get stuck in to everything this franchise can offer.”

Behind the scenes, Optic-Kleer's technology, systems and support are helping Kev - and others just like him - do exactly that. All franchisees can count on an expert back-office team to help them run their businesses efficiently, and also have access to brand new software which integrates every aspect of the franchise. From booking and invoicing, through to performance tracking and insurance referrals, it allows them to focus on making the most of all these new opportunities.

“The whole system is seamless. I have a lot of tools available to me to make sure the business runs smoothly, and I make sure I make as much use of them as possible!”

I’m sure you have questions, too - and that’s exactly as it should be.

Looking back now, Kev knows he made the right choice, but six months ago he had the same concerns you probably have right now.

Can I really make this work? Will there be enough customers? What if I don't earn enough in those crucial first few weeks?

All completely valid questions you absolutely should be asking.

The difference is that with an Optic-Kleer franchise, you don't have to figure out the answers on your own. The business model is backed by extensive real-world data, and all the key partnerships are in place. The support system is rock solid, and franchisees like Kev are living proof that those early worries don't have to hold you back from building something brilliant.