From Luxury Retail to the Workshop Floor: James Duffen’s First Six Months with The Wheel Specialist Croydon
After years working in high-end luxury retail, James Duffen knew it was time for a change. But not just any change—he wanted something more hands-on, something he could build himself, and something that offered long-term potential.
Six months after launching The Wheel Specialist Croydon in January 2025, that change is well and truly underway.
A New Direction
James was drawn to franchising as a way of entering business ownership with guidance and structure. After researching his options, The Wheel Specialist stood out.
“I chose The Wheel Specialist because it’s a great brand and well established in the industry,” he explained. “I was drawn to the franchise route because of the tried and tested business model, and for the support that Head Office could provide along the way.”
The First Six Months
Launching a business is never without its challenges—and for James, the past six months have been a mix of emotions.
“It’s been challenging, exciting, scary, rewarding and daunting,” he said. “We’ve come a long way, but still have a big hill to climb to reach our goals. So there’s continued focus on working hard every day and doing what we can to keep pushing and moving forward.”
Despite the challenges, there have been plenty of standout moments. James said some of the most satisfying jobs have involved helping customers upgrade their pride and joy.
“Some of the highlights have been when people bring us wheels they’ve picked up to upgrade their pride and joy, but they need some love,” he said. “Putting TTRS wheels on a TTS really transformed the car.”
He also recalled the satisfaction of a technically tricky job:
“Getting a really nice colour match on a set of Porsche sport gold wheels felt good too.”
But it’s the customer reactions that really stand out.
“Seeing how happy people are when their kerb damage is gone and the wheels are looking smart again—that’s always a highlight.”
Day-to-Day in the Workshop
Each day at Croydon starts with a plan, James said.
“A typical day would be making a plan in the morning with the team, prioritising the order we want to get wheels into powder coat. Then it’s straight into work.”
When asked what part of the process he enjoys most, James didn’t hesitate.
“I enjoy seeing a fresh set of diamond cut or powder coated wheels coming out of the oven after being lacquered.”
What’s Been Most Rewarding?
For James, the most rewarding moments so far have been the transformations—seeing the journey from damaged to pristine.
“When you see a set of wheels come in looking really poor and going out completely transformed and ready to live on—it’s a great feeling.”
Looking Ahead
With six months under his belt, James is now focused on increasing output and improving workflow.
“The biggest focus area for the next six months will be to push production up to the next step and get the average number of wheels we’re doing up,” he said. “We need to be booking in another couple sets of wheels each day to get to where we want to be.”
Thinking about a change? This could be your next step.
If you're ready to take more control of your future, now’s the time to explore what owning a franchise could look like. Whether you’re coming from retail, public service, or an entirely different industry, our proven model and ongoing support could be the launchpad for your next chapter.
Download our free Info Pack to learn more about the opportunity and what it takes to run your own branch of The Wheel Specialist.