Unishippers Franchise Sales

Chris Cadigan
A Fresh Start in a Familiar Industry

In November 2008, Chris Cadigan experienced a manager’s worst nightmare: He was told he had to lay off his staff. At the time, he was working at DHL as a sales manager, where he managed an account book totaling close to a quarter of a billion dollars and oversaw a sales team of almost 40 people. But his good fortune changed when DHL decided to focus exclusively on international deliveries – resulting in thousands of company layoffs.

“My worst day ever was when I had to lay off my entire sales team, with the exception of about four people,” Chris recalls. “I didn’t trust corporate America after that.”

Realizing that his own layoff might be just around the corner, Chris decided he wanted to go into business for himself. Since his entire sales career had been spent in shipping, he was determined to find an opportunity within the industry. In January 2009, he started talking to Unishippers, and quickly realized that the business model would work for him. So Chris immediately began looking for the financing he needed to open his franchise – during the worst period of the economic crisis. Convinced that the business was fairly recession proof, he contacted dozens of banks before finding one that would give him a loan. His timing was perfect, and he finalized his franchise purchase on September 12 – a mere three days before DHL let him go. “They told me my job was going away,” he says. “But I was open for business. I’d put my destiny in my own hands.”

Chris knew that he needed to build a local customer base, so he expanded his network by making lots of calls and visiting as many local businesses as possible. Knowing that this is a relationship business, Chris pushed himself to go out and talk to people everyday. With a steady and growing customer base, his perseverance is paying off. In his first six months, Chris already has more than 40 shipping accounts thanks to his experience, dedication and persistence.

Chris also likes the Unishippers model because it allows him the flexibility to make choices about how he balances his work and personal life—flexibility that was not available to him as a sales executive in corporate America.

As someone who has had to work hard for his success, Chris understands the frustrations that small business owners face, but he encourages them to not give up on their dreams. “Just don’t get discouraged. Use that drive and desire to be on your own. Don’t let fear paralyze you from doing what you want to do.”

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