David Overton’s Optic-Kleer is bringing windscreen repair up to scratch

The road ahead hasn’t always been clear for David Overton. “When I was at school I took no interest in my education and walked away with not a lot to show for it,” he says. But whether he’s speaking at conferences or recruiting franchisees for Optic-Kleer UK, the windscreen-repair franchise, he hasn’t allowed his lack of academic qualifications to prevent him from building a thriving business. “I certainly don’t let it get in my way,” he says. “In actual fact, you could say you work it to an advantage because it encourages you to focus on your strengths.”

This approach has certainly stood Overton in good stead, driving him to work his way up the career ladder. After finishing his GCSEs, he spent several years working for his father’s carpet-fitting business. “My dad decided to go in a completely different direction and bought a pub,” he says. “So, of all things, I ended up selling caravans and caravan awnings for a camping company.” Gradually Overton found his way into some slightly more orthodox roles selling cars for Renault, Hyundai, Toyota and Mercedes before eventually becoming general manager of a Ford dealership. “I had control of virtually the whole garage: sales, stock levels, turnover, staffing issues, all sorts of stuff,” he says. “That’s when it all started getting interesting.”

Despite having the kind of gumption one typically associates with entrepreneurs, Overton admits that during this time he wasn’t that concerned about forging out on his own. “Through my professional years, the only ambition that I had was to get the job above me, to get the bigger salary, the better car, the better office,” he says. “That was the drive.” However, as Overton neared the top of the career ladder, he began to realise that all the hard work he was putting in was ultimately just lining someone else’s pockets. He started to crave the opportunity to build something of his own but there was one minor hitch. “I wasn’t in a financial position where I could go and get myself a Ford dealership,” he says. “The only way I could go and work for myself was to get out there and build something of my own.”

Fortunately Overton had already come across the perfect opportunity that would allow him to build a business empire. Having used Optic-Kleer several times, both personally and whilst working for Ford, he could see how innovative the franchise’s model was. “Traditionally, if you had a chip in your windscreen, you would have to phone whichever major glass company your insurance company recommended to you,” says Overton. “Then when you finally got a date to repair it, you’d have to stay in all day.” By contrast, everything about Optic-Kleer’s service is designed to remove these kinds of pain points for customers. With a van-based presence in the carparks of major supermarkets such as Tesco and Morrisons, the franchise can repair motorists’ chipped windscreens while they do their weekly shop and then handle the claim with the insurers on their behalf. “We’re a friction free, one-stop shop: no appointments, turn up, get the job done and go,” Overton says.

Overton reached out and before long was handing over his franchise fee. However, the closest territory that was available was Cambridge and this took some getting used to. “There were a lot of learning curves to understand about the area that I was working in,” he says. “Entering a new area for the first time, I didn’t know the villages, the towns, the routes where people would be, the busy supermarkets.” Building a business in the area was like moving to a new town but fortunately it didn’t take long for Overton orientate himself and put down some roots. “Eventually you become known locally and create a reputation for yourself.”