Ever wondered what it's really like to run a first aid franchise?

For Sam and Ross Murray, the husband-and-wife team behind Mini First Aid Dorset, Somerset & North Devon, there’s no such thing as a typical day. From teaching parents, children and workplaces essential first aid skills to running a growing local business and balancing family life, being a Mini First Aid franchise owner is certainly varied!

We caught up with Sam to find out how they became Mini First Aid franchise owners, what running a first aid business together is really like, and why joining a franchise has given their family opportunities they never expected.

Meet Sam and Ross from Mini First Aid Dorset, Somerset & North Devon

How did you become Mini First Aid franchise owners?

We are a husband-and-wife team, Sam and Ross Murray.

Before joining Mini First Aid, my background was primarily in healthcare. I trained as a general nurse before moving into dentistry, where I spent most of my career. I eventually became a Practice Manager and then moved into training, delivering courses and later becoming a Training Development Lead for a national dental company.

Unfortunately, when I had my third child, I was made redundant while on maternity leave. Although it was a difficult time, it also gave me the opportunity to take a step back and focus on something I was genuinely passionate about - first aid training.

Ross is an air engineer in the Royal Navy and continues to serve, so he works around the business when his commitments allow.

I had previously worked as a trainer for a Mini First Aid franchise and, when we moved because of Ross's work, I was looking for opportunities to continue training in our new area.

As it happened, the local Mini First Aid franchise became available just as I had been made redundant. Everything seemed to fall into place, so I asked Ross if he fancied doing it with me. He said yes, and that's how we became Mini First Aid franchise owners!

It's been a really exciting journey, combining my healthcare and training background with Ross's skills and experience, and we're really proud to be building our first aid business together.

Why did you choose a Mini First Aid franchise?

Becoming a franchise owner with Mini First Aid was never really a question for me. I wouldn't have chosen any other company.

I had worked with Mini First Aid as a trainer for around five years before taking the step into franchise ownership, so I already knew the company extremely well. I knew the quality of the training, the support they provided and, most importantly, the people. It genuinely feels like being part of a family.

The reason I first discovered Mini First Aid was actually through a very personal experience. My eldest daughter was about 10 months old when she horrendously choked on a piece of watermelon. We were in a house full of adults and, fortunately, because of my healthcare background, I knew what to do.

But afterwards, I remember looking around the room and thinking, if I hadn't been here, this could have ended very differently.

That experience really brought home to me how important first aid knowledge is, particularly for parents and carers. I wanted to help other families have the knowledge and confidence to respond in an emergency.

Ross was initially much more sceptical about franchising. The word franchise can sometimes have negative connotations, and he wasn't convinced it was necessarily the right route for us.

I said, “Let's just go and have a chat with Mini First Aid and see what you think.”

Once he met the team and understood how the franchise model actually worked, those concerns quickly disappeared. He could see that Mini First Aid wasn't a company that simply sold you a franchise and left you to figure everything out yourself.

The support is ongoing, the training is excellent and there's a strong network of franchise owners who genuinely support one another. It really is a close-knit family of people who want each other to succeed.

Running a first aid business as a husband-and-wife team

What do you enjoy about running the business together?

One of the funny things about our journey is that I actually used to say I would never want to work with Ross, which is quite ironic considering we're now running a business together!

I thought we'd spend all day working together and eventually have nothing left to talk about at home. Thankfully, that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Running our Mini First Aid franchise together has actually been a huge success, and I've really enjoyed tackling the challenges of business ownership with my best friend by my side.

We already have that trust built in. We know each other's strengths, and when one of us asks the other to take something on, we know it's going to get done. We're both working towards exactly the same goal.

We also share very similar values, which is incredibly important. At the same time, we have different strengths, meaning we complement each other really well.

Honestly, I can't imagine running a business without him now. Over the last couple of years, we've both grown enormously as individuals, but we've also grown together as a couple, and I think that's been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.

Do you have different roles within your Mini First Aid franchise?

We definitely have different roles and tend to stick to the areas that play to our individual strengths.

Ross is definitely my numbers man! Although I've become much more confident with the financial side of the business, he still takes the lead on finances, tax and more detailed financial planning.

I'm probably the one with a little more fire in my belly, so when situations require a calmer and more measured approach, Ross is very good at stepping in. He's extremely level-headed and has a real ability to see things objectively.

I tend to look after the day-to-day running of the business, including administration and general operations. I also still do training, although that's evolving as the business grows and our trainers take on more of the course delivery.

We have different responsibilities, but our roles complement each other really well.

What does a typical week as a first aid franchise owner look like?

Is there such a thing as a typical week?

A typical week for us involves a lot of juggling, a little bit of chaos and, inevitably, a lot of hard work!

We have three young children ourselves, so family life keeps us incredibly busy alongside running the business.

During a typical week, we deliver a wide range of first aid training courses. We run Baby and Child First Aid sessions, visit schools to teach children and teachers, deliver workplace training for businesses and run First Aid at Work courses.

Alongside all of that are the usual demands of family life - school runs, childcare, planning and organising everything around the children, while trying to make sure we find some time for each other too!

It's certainly busy, but we've become very good at juggling everything, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Can you give us an example of a particularly varied week?

We recently had one of those weeks that really showed just how varied life can be!

Ross's military role continued throughout the summer holidays, so there were times when I needed to be more present at home with the children. Looking back at my diary, it's amazing how much we managed to fit into one week.

Ross went skydiving for the day - which is one of his hobbies, although I personally think he's completely crazy! We also managed a family day out at Bristol Zoo.

Then there was plenty of first aid training alongside all of that.

I delivered a first aid session for a group of teenagers attending a camping weekend, followed by an open First Aid at Work course.

The following day, Ross delivered an Early Years session, taking Big Ted along with him - always a big hit with the little ones! He then followed that with a session for older children.

At the same time, I was delivering a Baby and Child First Aid course for parents and carers. We even had a couple of teenagers join because they were preparing to start babysitting, which I thought was fantastic.

We also delivered a private Baby and Child First Aid session for an antenatal group who had all since had their babies. It was a lovely opportunity for them to reconnect - this time with their little ones!

So, as you can see, there's no such thing as a typical week when you run a Mini First Aid franchise. It's a mixture of family life, other commitments, business administration and delivering a huge range of first aid courses.

Behind the scenes of running a first aid franchise

What does the business owner side of the role look like?

Our week looks very different now compared with when we first started our Mini First Aid franchise around two years ago.

Initially, Ross and I were doing a huge amount of the course delivery ourselves, alongside managing bookings, enquiries, marketing and all the administration.

Social media is our primary marketing channel, so that alone could easily take at least an hour every day to promote courses and build awareness of the business.

Administration is another constant. There are always emails to answer, bookings to manage and something that needs attention behind the scenes.

As the business has grown, though, the way we spend our time has changed significantly.

We now have a team of Mini First Aid trainers who take on much of the course delivery, giving us more flexibility and allowing us to focus on the overall growth and development of the business.

We also have a dedicated social media manager, which has freed up a significant amount of time.

As a result, we can focus more on networking, administration, operations, business development and growing our franchises.

How flexible is owning a Mini First Aid franchise?

How much flexibility do you genuinely have?

When we first took over, there was a great deal of flexibility. We then went through a significant period of growth, and as a result, that flexibility became more limited.

But that was a conscious decision on our part. You don't have to grow a business in the way we chose to, particularly as aggressively as we have over the last two years.

We're now moving into a much more flexible period. We have a larger team around us, which means we have greater capacity and can respond more effectively to the demands of the business.

Having your own business gives you more control over how you structure your working life, but you also have to make decisions about how you want that business to grow.

How do you balance franchise ownership with family life?

Being a husband-and-wife team adds another layer of complexity when it comes to balancing work and family life, particularly as Ross also has his military commitments.

Some weeks, we have to plan our diaries very carefully to make everything work.

We're also incredibly fortunate to have a huge amount of support from my mum and dad, who help enormously with the girls. That makes a real difference.

One of the realities of running a business together is that there can always be a tendency to stay connected to work, even when you're away. Someone is always on duty!

That said, we're making real progress. On our most recent holiday, we were able to put our trust in our team to take care of things while we were away.

That gave us much greater confidence that the business can continue to operate effectively without us being involved in every detail.

What does flexibility mean to you personally?

For me, it means knowing that our girls will always have either their mum or dad there for the important moments in their lives.

Being your own boss gives me more control over my diary, so I can make time for things like sports days, school plays and other important family moments while still meeting my work commitments.

That flexibility is incredibly valuable to our family and allows us to prioritise what matters most.

Why teaching first aid is so rewarding

What's been your most rewarding customer experience?

Without question, one of the most rewarding experiences came after a Baby and Child First Aid class.

The owner of the venue contacted us after receiving a message from one of her regular parents. Her baby had stopped breathing and, thankfully, she had been able to revive them using the skills she had learned during our Mini First Aid class.

She explained that, without attending the course, she wouldn't have known what to do or where to begin in such a frightening situation.

She specifically wanted to thank us, and particularly Ross, who had delivered the training, for giving her the knowledge, confidence and skills that helped her respond in that emergency.

For us, receiving that message was incredibly powerful. It's a real reminder of why we do what we do and the genuine difference that first aid training can make.

Have you heard from other people who have used their first aid skills?

We've heard from a number of parents who have had to use the skills and knowledge they learned with us in real-life emergencies.

Another memorable example involved a parent whose child developed a rash that looked very similar to meningitis. She took her child straight to A&E and later told us that she wouldn't have recognised the signs or understood how serious they could potentially be had she not attended one of our courses.

More recently, someone who attended one of my workplace courses contacted me after her child was stung by a bee and began developing signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis.

Because of the knowledge and confidence she had gained from the course, she was able to remain calm, recognise the signs and seek appropriate help quickly.

Hearing how our first aid training has helped people respond calmly and confidently in genuine emergencies is incredibly rewarding.

Building a team of Mini First Aid trainers

What's been the biggest challenge of running the franchise?

One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right people to join us and help deliver the work.

Our geographical area is quite large, so we always knew that building a team of trainers would be essential if we wanted to continue serving customers effectively and grow the business.

The challenge has been finding people whose values align with ours, who are genuinely passionate about what they do and who are open to learning and delivering training in the Mini First Aid way.

We've developed a much more rigorous recruitment and interview process over the years and often meet candidates multiple times before making a decision.

Ultimately, we want it to be the right fit for everyone.

The support behind a Mini First Aid franchise

What does being part of the Mini First Aid community mean to you?

It means knowing that there is always somewhere to turn.

If we ever need advice, information or support, we know there is always someone within the network willing to help and share their knowledge and experience.

We can ask questions and have honest conversations without fear of being judged.

That's what makes the Mini First Aid community so special. It's more than simply being part of a franchise network; it's a community built on support, trust and shared values.

Could you see yourself running a Mini First Aid franchise?

We couldn't let Sam and Ross go without asking a few quick-fire questions for anyone considering franchise ownership!

What would you say to someone considering a Mini First Aid franchise but not sure they're ready?

It's much like having children… if you are waiting to feel 100% ready, you might be waiting forever!

What sort of person makes a great Mini First Aid franchise owner?

Someone who cares deeply, communicates brilliantly and isn't afraid to roll up their sleeves.

What would you say to someone looking for more flexibility in their working life?

Being your own boss means having more say in when, where and how you work.

What would you say to someone who wants work with genuine purpose?

Your work could give someone the skills to save a life.

Complete the sentence: “Running our Mini First Aid franchise has given us…”

...the chance to do work that genuinely makes a difference.

Selected franchise areas are currently available across the UK:

• Aberdeenshire
• Tayside
• Scottish Borders
• Cumbria
• Rochdale
• Anglesey
• Aberystwyth
• Pembroke
• Herefordshire, Worcester, Forest of Dean, Chepstow & Abergavenny
• Shropshire
• Swindon
• Slough
• Newham, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham
• Berkshire
• Surrey
• South & East Kent
• Cornwall
• Londonderry
• Isle of Man
• Channel Islands
• Isle of Wight

Start your Mini First Aid journey

From healthcare and dentistry to the Royal Navy, Sam and Ross's story shows that there is no single route into becoming a Mini First Aid franchise owner.

Their days may involve plenty of juggling, a little chaos and a lot of hard work - but they've also created a successful first aid business, built something together and made a genuine difference within their local community.

Could you see yourself running a Mini First Aid franchise?

Whether you're interested in owning a first aid franchise or becoming a Mini First Aid Trainer, we'd love to hear from you.

Find out more about joining Mini First Aid and discover where your next career move could take you.