A big shift was happening in our family. My son Chris was looking for his next career move and wanted something that made proper use of his home renovation skills. I was ready to step away from the pace of finance. My passion is full-time foster care, so i needed flexibility without losing the structure of a real business.
For years, we’d talked about going into business together. The hard part was finding the right fit. We wanted something trade-based that could grow, but also something that would work around our family life. Not a pipe dream, just a genuine opportunity with a proven model and the freedom to run it our way.
Family businesses are hardly rare in the UK. A 2023 “state of the nation” report produced by the centre for economics and business research (CEBR) with the family business research foundation (FBRF) highlights how significant family-owned firms are to the private sector. Construction also stands out as an industry where family ownership is common. That mattered to us because it matched Chris’ skillset and gave us confidence that a family-run construction-style business can thrive (source- familybusiness.org).
So, we did what most people say they’ll do but never actually do, we researched properly. Chris and i looked independently at different trade franchises and home improvement franchise options. Some were too restrictive. Others didn’t feel professional. A few looked fine on paper but didn’t offer the level of support we wanted.
Then i found more than loft ladders.
It stood out immediately. Strong brand. Clear offer. A friendly, professional feel. And yes, the mascot helped, Larry is hard to ignore. More importantly, the business model made sense. More than loft ladders had grown fast since 2022 and the franchise support looked solid. At the time, they hadn’t pushed much further south past London, so i felt Portsmouth, West Sussex and Hampshire could be a strong territory.
I called Chris, convinced I’d found our best option. Funny thing was, Chris was about to recommend the exact same franchise to me. That was the moment it clicked. If we’d both landed on the same opportunity independently, it probably wasn’t a fluke.
Next step was a discovery day.
We travelled up to the Nottingham hq and met Liam Hobbs, owner and director, along with his wife Kelly, who leads franchise support. One thing that gave us confidence straight away was Liam’s background, he’d been a franchisee himself and bought the business to grow it. He understood what franchise partners actually need because he’d lived it.
The discovery day was relaxed, but useful. Proper questions, clear answers, and a good feel for how the partnership would work day to day. We even met Larry in person, although at the time he was more “mannequin chic” than full of life. Still, it made us smile, and that matters, because you want to enjoy what you’re building.
Not long after, following an in-depth family chat over a takeaway, we said yes. We became franchise partners for more than loft ladders in Portsmouth.
Getting set up was straightforward. Chris went through the practical training, and i took the lead on admin and finance. We never felt left to figure things out alone. Every question was answered quickly, and we always knew the next step.
Taking our first booking was a big moment. I was excited and Chris was nervous, but once he got going, he took to the first loft transformation like a duck to water. With each job, our confidence grew. And when we received our first five-star review in December 2025, it felt like proof we were building something real.
We then held our official launch event at kind café in Selsey, organised with rev pr. We’d already started helping local customers improve their storage, but it was brilliant to mark the launch properly. This time, Larry turned up full of life and got involved, which brought a lot of energy to the day.
We also attended the annual mtll conference, meeting other franchise partners, sharing ideas, and learning from people already doing the job at a high level. That sense of being part of a network matters more than you’d think.
For us, franchising with more than loft ladders has been a win-win. We’ve got a proven model and support behind us, while still having the flexibility to shape our own path. If you’re looking for a loft ladder franchise or loft boarding franchise and want a business you can grow locally, my advice is simple: go to a discovery day and have a proper chat with Liam and Kelly. You’ll quickly find out if it’s for you.
if it is, take the first rung and start climbing. Just don’t try to pinch Portsmouth, it’s taken.
