Business Franchise Australia & New Zealand by CGB Publishing

VOL 15 ISSUE 06 sep/oct 2021

building a business with

plenty of heart special feature

home services franchises

what really motivates employees

$4.95 (AUD), $7.95 (NZ) inc. GST.

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www.fcbs.com.au | (03) 9533 0028

WHY WHY OWN OWN AAROLL’D? ROLL’D?

OVER 100 LOCATIONS. OVER OVER100 100LOCATIONS. LOCATIONS. FRESH AND HEALTHY. FRESH FRESHAND ANDHEALTHY. HEALTHY. TRANSPORTABLE. TRANSPORTABLE. TRANSPORTABLE. SCALABLE. SCALABLE. SCALABLE. INNOVATIVE. INNOVATIVE. INNOVATIVE. PROVEN MODEL. PROVEN MODEL. MODEL. NOPROVEN MAJOR COMPETITORS. NONOMAJOR MAJORCOMPETITORS. COMPETITORS.

Get in contact with us via: Get Get in contact in contact with with us us via:via: Franchise Hotline 04 7777 8816 Franchise Franchise Hotline 0404 7777 7777 8816 8816 Or ﬁnd outHotline more online at:

OrOr ﬁnd ﬁnd out out more more online online at:at: rolld.com.au/franchise rolld.com.au/franchise rolld.com.au/franchise

Make RAMS home loans what you do! “If you want to be part of a business that supports your goals while helping your customers achieve theirs, talk to RAMS!” – Julie Lawrence, RAMS Franchisee Principal, Brisbane South, QLD

RAMS is looking for passionate people to help Australians fulﬁl their dream of home ownership. With opportunities to join the RAMS franchise family right across the country, that could be you! We have all the specialist support you’ll need to help customers achieve their home buying dream. So, if you share a passion for home ownership and a dedication to expertise, you should give us a call. Talk to RAMS today. Home loans are what we do.

Why RAMS? • Iconic brand.

• Unique credit model.

• Owned by Westpac (Australia’s oldest company).

• National marketing strategy.

• Proprietary mortgage specialists.

• Growing business.

• Training and development.

RAMS.COM.AU/FRANCHISING

MYOB FCA Excellence In Franchising National Awards 2020

FCA Excellence In Franchising Regional Awards 2020

Winner: Excellence in Franchise Innovation Finalist: Excellence in Marketing Finalist: Single Unit Franchise of the Year, 2 or more staff (Hawkesbury/Blue Mountains)

Winner: NSW/ACT Single Unit Franchise of the Year, 2 or more staff (Hawkesbury/Blue Mountains)

More information: RAMS Financial Group Pty Ltd ABN 30 105 207 538 AR 405465 Australian credit licence 388065. Credit Provider: Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.

21300//0721

b us i n ess f r a n c h i s e m ag a z i n e aust r a l i a a n d n e w z e a l a n d

AUSTR ALIA and NEW ZEAL AND

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 6, sept/oct 2021 president: Colin Bradbury. colin@cgbpublishing.com

Comments

From the publisher & editor

publisher: Vikki Bradbury. vikki@cgbpublishing.com EDITOR: Ingrid Nelson. editor@cgbpublishing.com.au SALES & marketing manager: Jason C. Bradbury. jasonb@cgbpublishing.com PRODUCTION: production@cgbpublishing.com.au ACCOUNTS: accounts@cgbpublishing.com.au

“One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.” – Jeff Bezos Vikki Bradbury

Ingrid Nelson

Welcome to our September/October issue of Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand magazine! On the cover, we are delighted to shine the spotlight on the wonderful work of Home Caring - a company dedicated to providing high-quality personalised home care to seniors and people living with disability. We chat with two franchisees about why they partnered with Australia’s leading home caring network and the rewards that come with making a difference to people’s everyday lives. Turn to page 12 to read their story.

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Jejak Graphics - Michelle Quinn jejak@bigpond.com

In our special feature this issue (37), we turn our focus to home sweet home! With many of our homes now becoming our workspaces, we are spending more time improving our abode to improve its functionality and appeal. So, it’s not surprising that despite the uncertain year that has been for businesses, the home services industry has been one of the most buoyant.

COVER IMAGE: Neelam Rai Director of HomeCaring Craigieburn

Don’t miss our feature story on what opportunities are available in the home services industry and why it might just be the right fit for you as well as informative articles on what the home improvement boom means for franchise business as well as how home improvement franchises are using technology for success.

TO SUBSCRIBE: www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au or www.isubscribe.com.au

As usual we bring you right up to speed on all the latest franchise news with insightful articles from experts in their field. From how to motivate your employees, to how franchises can use local SEO to stand out from their rivals, we have you covered.

CGB PUBLISHING PO BOX 968 MT ELIZA, VICTORIA 3930 TEL: (03) 9787 8077 FAX: (03) 9787 8499 Email: cgb@cgbpublishing.com.au www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au www.businessfranchisemagazine.co.nz

We also share what’s happening in the franchise industry in our What’s New pages, jam packed with all the latest news.

The information and contents in this publication are believed by the publisher to be true, correct and accurate but no independent investigation has been undertaken. Accordingly the publisher does not represent or warrant that the information and contents are true, correct or accurate and recommends that each reader seek appropriate professional advice, guidance and direction before acting or relying on all information contained herein. Opinions expressed in the articles contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publication is sold subject to the terms and conditions that it shall not be copied in whole or part, resold, hired out, without the express permission of the publisher.

Plus, make sure to check out our A-Z franchise listing directory with all the latest franchise opportunities available right now! Until next time, enjoy the read! Vikki Bradbury & Ingrid Nelson Business Franchise magazine

SUPPLIER FORUM

contents

september/october 2021

On the Cover

Cover Story: Building a Business with Plenty of Heart

Expert Advice: What Really Motivates Employees

Special Feature: Home Services Franchises

In Every Issue 8

What’s New!

Announcements from the Industry

A Message from the CEO

Mary Aldred, Franchise Council of Australia

Special Feature Article: Home Sweet Home

Hot Topics: Behind the Headlines

Jason Gehrke, Franchise Advisory Centre

Professional Services Listings

Franchise Listings

Franchise A—Z Directory

Snapshot 16

InXpress: Franchisee Wins Two Prestigious Awards

Battery World: Results Show There’s Never Been a Better Time to Join Battery World

Centre Stage Dancewear: An Exciting Opportunity to Join their Franchise

Focus Feature 22

RAMS: Lockdown Doesn’t Need to Mean Slowdown

Gateway Shopping Centre: A Gateway to Franchise Success

Profiles

Subway: Leads the Way in Healthy Eating

Franchising Expo: Discover a World of Business Ideas

also in this issue: Andrew Barton................................. 77, OBC

Expert Advice

Appliance Tagging......................................77

What Really Motivates Employees

Aramex.......................................................77

Six Tips to Become a Master Communicator

Business Leader Engagement is Key to Securing Inclusive Workplaces

The Path to a Planet Friendly Business

How Franchises Can Use Local SEO to Stand Out From Their Rivals

Why You Should Build a High Performance Team Right Now

Why Visitor Management in Franchises is more Important than Ever

Super Changes for Employers and Support for Small Business

Rebecca Haughton | Founder | BoldHR

BK’s Takeaway...........................................77

Lisa Stephenson | Founder | The Coach Place Global

Dymock’s Tutoring......................................78

Sotir Kondovl | Group Executive, Employment Services | atWork Australia

Ecomist Australia........................................78

Corina Vucic | Director | FC Business Solutions

Fasta Pasta.................................................79

Nick Bendel | Director | Hunter & Scribe

Garie Dooley | Author/Keynote speaker/Coach/Facilitator

Stephen Darracott | Country Manager | Pitney Bowes Japan Australia and New Zealand

Tony Goding | Acting Assistant Commissioner - Small Business | ATO

FC Business Solutions...................IFC, 21, 73 Gecko Sports.............................................79 Infinity Martial Arts......................................79 IP Partnership.............................................73

Home Services Franchising Feature

Just Cuts................................................... 80

On the Cover

Kumon Education...................................... 80

40 Home Sweet Home - Could a Home Services Franchise be the Right Fit for You?

Laser Clinics Australia................................ 80

44 What the Home Improvement Boom Means for Franchise Businesses

LTYB . ....................................................... 80

48 Home Improvement Franchises Using Technology for Success

Magnetite....................................................81

36 What’s New! Announcements from the Industry

Pack & Send...............................................81

38 Special Feature: Home Sweet Home - Could a Home Services Franchise be the Right Fit for You?

PappaRich............................................72, 81

44 Expert Advice: Could a Home Improvement Franchise be a Lifestyle Improvement for You? Robin La Pere | Franchise Consultant | No Ordinary Businesses and Franchises 46 Expert Advice: What the Home Improvement Boom Means for Franchise Businesses John O’Brien | Founder and Australian CEO | Poolwerx 50 Expert Advice: Home Improvement Franchises Using Technology for Success Erin Smith | General Manager | Lifesize Plans 52 Profile: Jim’s Pool Care: Office by the Pool 54 Expert Advice: Is Your Franchise Ready for News Media Attention? Pete Burdon | Founder | Franchise Media Training 56 Snapshot: DeckSeal - Seal Your Future with a DeckSeal Franchise

Roll’d.......................................................1, 81 Ryco 24•7...................................................82 Safety Navigator...................................33, 73 Shop Insurance..........................................73 Snap-On Tools..................................... 17, 82 The Lott............................................... 63, 82 Thermawood..............................................82

what’snew! LIFESTYLE PLANS ANNOUNCES GLOBAL EXPANSION

LOCAL OWNERS BACK ERINA’S FUTURE AS NEW BATTERY WORLD FRANCHISE PARTNER Erina locals Deana and Kent Carr announced they have taken over as new owners of Battery World at 202 The Entrance Road following an extensive evaluation by the couple into the potential of the franchise to create jobs and adequately service the area. The purchase of an existing store during the height of the pandemic was not a deterrent and both said they were excited to become more involved in the local community. Kent has previous franchise experience, having been a part of the Jim’s Group for four years, and is excited to take on a completely different business on the central coast. “I’ve worked in the franchise industry for four years, so I know a thing or two about culture and brand quality. I’ve heard only good things about Battery World and after considerable research and discussions about our options, we love the Battery World approach due to its brand culture and high quality of products and services offered,” he said. Kent said they wanted to get more involved in the community by supporting local sport.

The Lifesize Plans Group have announced plans to expand their franchise business model across the world. Lifesize Plans, the revolutionary company that brings building plans to life, is on a growth trajectory on an international scale. The Australianborn tech start-up recently opened the doors to its brand-new state of the art location in Auburn, Sydney and is expected to launch flagship sites in countries like the United States, UK, Europe, Canada and South Africa. The group has commercialised the world’s first-ever patented full-scale home walkthrough technology, which is revolutionising the design and construction industries, helping architects, interior designers, builders and the real estate industry. James Hickey, CEO of Lifesize Plans explains that, “Lifesize Plans is ready to expand into new markets and we believe that - with the help and vision of our investors and partners - that our quality franchise business offer will attract huge potential and will succeed around the globe.”

“Even through all the uncertainty it’s exciting to see our local stores backed by local owners,” Mr Kennedy said.

The Lifesize Plans franchise opportunity is an exclusive chance for business-minded individuals or teams to join the future of design and experience developing a world-class business model that’s been tried and tested by experts in their field. The group has identified key areas for growth and are looking for the right people to take their first-class walkthrough technology to new heights. Franchise owners will take the guesswork out for thousands of design projects, by providing a collaboration space with exceptional customer service to a growing list of empowered clients around the world.

www.batteryworld.com.au

www.lifesizeplans.com

“Battery World is proud to sponsor Gosford Hockey Club and we’re keen to consider how to get more involved in the community. Battery World’s General Manager Johnny Kennedy said he was proud to see the increased confidence in the Battery World brand and investment in strengthening local community engagement.

8 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

JAX TYRES & AUTO VIDEO VEHICLE CHECKS EXTENDED TO NSW

is now available across NSW and Victoria for customers who want to exercise utmost caution to safeguard their health, live in close proximity to vulnerable members of the community, are under stay-at-home restrictions or otherwise require a convenient initial vehicle check. “It’s certainly been a strange and stressful time in recent memory, so we understand that many of our customers are seeking support and surety on top of the ease and convenience that our core services provide. The JAX Video Vehicle Checks combine the best capabilities of our digital platform and knowledge of our store teams, so all of our customers, regardless of their circumstances, can get the expert help they need,” said CEO and Executive Director of JAX Tyres & Auto Steve Grossrieder.

JAX Tyres & Auto, one of Australia’s most respected tyre retailers and mechanical service providers, has announced that its industry-first program offering remote video vehicle checks is now also available to NSW customers. The rollout extension of the JAX Video Vehicle Checks occurs after successfully

implementing the initiative for Melbourne customers in 2020, to offer peace of mind for those who were concerned about vehicle maintenance during Stage four lockdowns at the time. While JAX Tyres & Auto continues regular operations as a government-legislated essential service, this form of remote customer service

NSW and Victorian-based drivers can book and access JAX Video Vehicle checks via the webchat to SMS functionality on JAX Tyres & Auto’s website. Customers will then be connected with a qualified JAX Tyres & Auto technician who will conduct remote visual inspections and provide one-on-one expert mechanical and tyre advice and information. www.jax.com.au

BANJO’S BAKERY RAISE THE DOUGH WITH OFFICIAL RELAUNCH OF MOBILE APP Flaunting a complete redesign of the user interface to create a simplified and cleaner aesthetic, Banjo’s have created a seamless user experience to take customers from order to check out as simple as A to B. The app has received 35,000 downloads and counting, with tech-savvy young adults between the ages of 25-44 most likely to use the digital ordering service and Brisbane seeing the biggest uptake to date. The first-to-market bakery ordering app first launched in November last year as part of the national franchisor’s strategy to modernise their customer experience and increase contactless purchase and pay options to respond to the ongoing impacts of COVID19. The application is free to download and includes fan-favourite features such as skip the queue ordering, VIP points system, order favourites saved, pay-in-advance, and 50 per

cent off your first order using the app. Banjo’s Bakery Café CEO and Managing Director, Jessica Saxby, said the updated application would continue to ‘wow’ customers and make ordering their favourite products and coffee simpler than ever. “We know Banjo’s Bakery Café customers are regularly on-to-go, so taking on customer feedback since the initial app roll-out has been hugely helpful in building a user experience tailored to everyone from our regulars to a first-time customer,” said Ms Saxby. “Our team hope that the Ordering App can save parents a few minutes on the morning school route, create more valuable time during an office worker’s lunchbreak or make party potluck contributions a little bit easier,” she said. www.banjos.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 9

what’snew! POOLWERX ACHIEVES MOST SUCCESSFUL FINANCIAL YEAR ON RECORD! The strong FY21 results reflect a surge of Australians investing in their own backyards whilst affected by the pandemic, generating a home servicing industry boom. Poolwerx Chief Operating Officer, Nic Brill said the COVID-fuelled growth in home services had seen the brand’s recession-resilient franchise model thrive. “With people spending more time at home than ever before, we saw our client’s priorities shift towards investing in their homes and backyards,” said Mr Brill. “The broader pool industry were the recipients of this home cocooning trend throughout 2020 and into 2021, and it’s great to see our network of small family businesses generate incredible results and come out on top in these uncertain times. In extremely heartening news for Australasia’s largest pool and spa maintenance Poolwerx, the business has announced its most successful financial results of its 29-year history. Despite the testing retail environment, turnover was 10 per cent above forecast for FY21, with Poolwerx’ 124 retail stores

performing particularly well, recording a sales uplift of 12 per cent year on year. Overall, the business saw nine per cent growth year on year with a total of five new retail stores opening across NSW, WA and QLD and a further five independent stores acquired under the Poolwerx brand.

“We have also invested in providing increased support mechanisms for our franchise partners, such as additional training, new product offerings and enhancing our systems and process to help franchise partners throughout the pandemic and these will remain in place moving forward.” www.poolwerx.com.au

LOLLIPOP’S BRAND THRIVING WITH THREE PLAYLANDS SOLD Lollipop’s is swiftly growing their brand across Australia, confirming thrilling new stores sold to passionate and dedicated franchisees in Ellenbrook, Bentley, and Fremantle in Western Australia. The state has proven to be a thriving location for the brand and has not been stirred by the lockdowns experienced by the Eastern Seaboard. One of the key components for a profitable playland is the initial site selection. They complete a full demographic analysis to ensure franchisees have the best chance of success. Lollipop’s Playland and Cafe is an established franchise network across Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, and the business has made a strong name for itself in the indoor recreation industry. Since 1993, they have been getting over 10 million children active through play. The brand implements brightly coloured uniforms, bubbly personalities, a professional environment, to maximise children’s fun and to encourage repeat visits.

10 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

Children’s play centres are part of a rapidly growing industry, where franchisees will be working towards a high level of return that will be rewarded via a successful and profitable business. Territories are currently available for potential franchisees in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, Northern Territory, and South Australia. Enquire today to find out more. www.dcstrategy.com/franchisor/lollipops/

Nurse Next Door launches new initiative Recognising that regional Australia is experiencing a shortage of quality service providers, particularly in the disability sector, Amber says there are a large number of extraordinarily passionate nurses in those areas who would love to have the opportunity to operate their own business and make a difference in their community. “Often financing the initial franchise fee can be a limiting factor. We’re assisting by financing those initial costs, subject to certain criteria. We think it’s a game changer for supporting home care nurses in regional areas.”

Two and a half years ago Amber Biesse and Matt Fitton launched Nurse Next Door in Australia after discovering the Canadian based home care brand while living in Vancouver.

right brand and the right time to bring this

“With a core purpose of Making Lives Better and favourable market conditions in the home care space, we felt like this was absolutely the

clinical qualifications, one new initiative

franchise system to Australia,” says Amber. Whilst many of Nurse Next Door Franchise Partners come to the business with no formal

“The rate of growth has exceeded our expectations and proven that Nurse Next Door’s world class systems, bold branding and clear purpose are attracting high calibre franchisees. We have opened 20 locations throughout Victoria, QLD andNSW over the last 18 months, with Canberra being the most recent location tolaunch.” “Success breeds success, and this is certainly what we are currently experiencing.

Nurse Next Door have just launched is the

We’re excited for the future of both Nurse Next Door and home care in Australia.”

Frontline to Franchisee model.

www.nursenextdoorfranchise.com.au

ZAMBRERO’S 50 MILLION REASONS TO FEEL GOOD Kingdom, Ireland and the United States with more than 215 restaurants. Each has an in-restaurant counter clocking up in real time the number of burritos and bowls sold and, in turn, the number of meals donated. Zambrero partners with Rise Against Hunger globally and additionally Foodbank in Australia to achieve its mission of ending world hunger.

The rapid growth of the highly successful Zambrero QSR franchise has achieved another major goal, hitting the milestone 50 Million Meals donated to helping end world hunger. Every burrito or bowl purchased at Zambrero sees a meal donated to someone in need through its Plate 4 Plate initiative. Plate 4

Plate has been at the heart of Zambrero’s approach since its inception in 2005. Founder Dr Sam Prince opened his first Zambrero restaurant in his hometown of Canberra when he was a 21-year-old medical student wanting to serve good food that did good. His vision is now global with Zambrero now in Australia, New Zealand, the United

“Achieving the 50 Million Meal milestone overnight is largely due to the passion, enthusiasm and commitment of our Franchise partners and our people who have made sure that we reached it despite the multiple challenges presented as a result of COVID restrictions and shut-downs,” said CEO of Zambrero Australia Matthew Kenny. “This reflects the drive, success and growth of our franchise partners in selling 50 million burritos and bowls to help us reach the 50 Million Meals milestone earlier than we anticipated.” www.zambrero.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 11

c ov er sto ry: H o m e Ca r i n g

Building a business with

plenty of heart When Michele Bucoy started her own franchise, it wasn’t just the dream of owning a successful business that motivated her. The mother of three also wanted to make a difference in the community. A Clinical Nurse Consultant with over 24 years’ experience in Melbourne’s cancer wards, Michele has helped countless patients transition back home after being discharged from hospital. The role opened her eyes to the need for care in the home environment, especially when it comes to daily living tasks. “In the hospital environment, you look after patients and make sure they get better, but you don’t see the big picture,” said Michele. “In home care, you get to see how people live. I wanted to be part of helping people settle back into the community.”

Taking the leap: from nurse to business owner After exploring her franchising options, Michele turned to Home Caring: a company dedicated to providing personalised home care to seniors and people living with disability. Home Caring offers franchisees a unique 50/50 partnership model, which reduces their initial investment by 50 per cent and enables them to earn 50 per cent of the profits, along with a generous salary. The company also offers suitable qualified health professionals the option of investing a lower amount to get started – as little as $25,000. Michele started her Home Caring business in February this year, targeting her services at people living in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. To land her first few clients, she set up stalls in

shopping centres, visited community markets and used her nursing connections to promote her services. Today, Michele has 26 clients and provides a high number of service hours each week, including 24/7 care to a person supported by Australia’s National Disability Scheme, the NDIS. Best of all, she loves going to work each day. “The thing I enjoy most is meeting people from different walks of life – people who inspire me because they want to maintain their independence in their own home,” said Michele. “Being a nurse is such a great job and I’ve learnt a lot, but this is also very challenging. Running my own business is very fulfilling and with the amount of hard work I’m putting in, I can now see the results.”

and wife from her local area suffered a serious car accident that left them badly injured during the pandemic lockdown, Neelam was able to help them cope with such a tough situation. “They were so happy with their care. The daughter and son got in touch with me and said how much of a difference it made for them. It just lightened their load. When you get the opportunity to serve somebody, help the family and make a real difference in their daily life, it gives you immense happiness,” explained Neelam. “The thing I love about owning a business in the care industry is giving people the opportunity to stay in their own homes for as long as they want to. They’re surrounded by the things they love and the people they love. It’s a business that’s all about personal care and making connections with people.”

Hands-on support to make dreams a reality Michele and Neelam didn’t achieve business success on their own. Every step of the way, they had help from Home Caring’s team of franchise specialists. According to Franchise Manager Bill Lockett, Home Caring is committed to helping its franchisees achieve success – not only with its 50/50 partnership model, but also through hands-on support.

Turning passion into a pay check

“Our franchise model works because it gives our franchisees everything they need to build and grow their business, from care industry training to marketing assistance, finance management skills and recruitment,” he said.

Another Home Caring franchisee who is using her business to make a difference is Neelam Rai, a mental health advocate living on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Neelam said that her business background, combined with Home Caring’s expertise in the care industry, was the best combination for franchise success.

Although Neelam comes from the world of business, her true calling in life is caring for people in the community. After volunteering with not-for-profits, she decided to turn her passion for helping others into a successful business.

“It was really challenging in the beginning because I had no idea how the care industry operates. Once I learnt from Home Caring how the system worked, within a month and a half, I started to really get the business up and running. It’s been a pretty awesome journey with Home Caring; they’ve given me the best support they could,” she said.

Neelam launched Home Caring Craigieburn in March this year, armed with a robust business plan and a network of high quality support workers. The response was overwhelming: she currently has 60 clients in the pipeline, most of them fully funded by the government’s Home Care Package scheme and the NDIS. Neelam believes each client is truly unique, and caring for them is a “very rewarding experience”. For example, when a husband

12 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

Michele’s journey was quite different. Unlike Neelam, Michele had plenty of health care experience, but had never run her own business before. To give her confidence as a new franchise owner, Home Caring provided her with training and support. “Home Caring head office have been fantastic. I’m always calling for advice, and I’m really grateful for all the help they give us. In my

“In the hospital environment, you look after patients and make sure they get better, but you don’t see the big picture,” said Michele. “In home care, you get to see how people live. I wanted to be part of helping people settle back into the community.”

last financial review, I’ve been encouraged to see my growth in the last six months,” said Michele. Her advice for those thinking of opening their own franchise is to do plenty of research and find a company that matches your own values. “Make sure the company you choose is a credible one,” she adds. “Home Caring is a great business, but they’re also very passionate about looking after people who are in need. I’m glad I chose them, and I wish I had started this journey a long time ago.” www.homecaringfranchise.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 13

f r a n c h i s e c o u n c i l o f aust r a l i a ( F CA )

BUSINESS SEnTIMENT PLUMMETS AS RESTRICTIONS BITE Growing concern about the continuing impact of government lockdowns is undermining business optimism of recovery in the next six months, according to the latest Australian Franchise Business “Pulse Check” survey. The June Quarter 2021 survey included responses from 148 Australian franchise brands covering 23,177 business outlets employing 141,072 Australians. Pessimism about business conditions in the next six months jumped to 22% in the June quarter from 6% in the March quarter and

“Businesses that are part of a franchise network appear to be outperforming many other parts of the smallmedium business sector but they are still dealing with many challenges and are nowhere near their level of revenue pre-COVID.” Mary Aldred | CEO | Franchise Council of Australia

10% in the December quarter. Only 48% of respondents were optimistic (down from 85% in the March quarter) with 30% of respondents neutral about the outlook. Forward sentiment in relation to revenue expectations weakened significantly with 45% of respondents expecting a revenue fall (up significantly from 13% in the March quarter and 11% in the December quarter). The greatest concerns or challenges reported in the June 2021 quarter were the risk of further

government lockdowns (84%), availability of suitable employees (55%), wellness of franchisees and support staff (50%) and supply chain issues due to border closures (44%). However, 54% of networks reported they had revenue increases exceeding 10% in the June quarter (up from 45% and 33% in the previous two quarters) reflecting the relative solid trading performance of many franchises up to the end of June. Stronger trading was reported across the health, sport, recreation, and fitness industries. Respondents from printing and retail food indicated comparatively weaker performance with lockdowns and border closures remaining as significant issues. A total of 419 new units were opened across the brands of 64 respondents, predominantly in the categories of home maintenance, retail food and service industries. A total of 187 franchised units were permanently closed by 27 respondents, predominantly in the retail food, services, fitness and automotive categories. After four successive quarters, the latest lockdowns and renewed uncertainty have shown a strong negative shift in business sentiment. Businesses that are part of a franchise network appear to be outperforming many other parts of the small-medium business sector but they

14 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

“Pessimism about business conditions in the next six months jumped to 22% in the June quarter from 6% in the March quarter and 10% in the December quarter. Only 48% of respondents were optimistic (down from 85% in the March quarter) with 30% of respondents neutral about the outlook.” are still dealing with many challenges and are nowhere near their level of revenue preCOVID. The survey shows that franchise businesses are clearly very concerned about not just lockdowns but also the wellness of their support staff and the challenges facing their franchisees.

Other key findings: • The majority (60%) of franchise systems were planning to or were already actively encouraging staff to get vaccinated. • The majority of respondents (43%) were unlikely or had already decided they would not be providing incentives to their staff or network for vaccination, a further 40% were undecided. • In relation to providing incentives to customers, 73% indicated they were unlikely to or would not and only 3% planned to place restrictions on customers who were not vaccinated. • Queensland remained the strongest performing state for franchises over the past 12 months at 34% of respondents (although lower than the previous quarter - 41%). This was followed by NSW (22%), WA (21%) and VIC was again poorest performer (10%). • Respondents indicated that in the next twelve months they were most likely to expand business in NSW (42%). followed by QLD (23%), VIC (22%0 and WA at (10%). Mary Aldred is the CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia, the peak body for the nation’s $184 billion franchise sector. Mary commenced in the role in April 2018, bringing with her extensive experience across government, industry and the corporate sectors. As CEO, Mary has led the FCA in developing and delivering strategic priorities to strengthen the FCA’s role as an effective peak business organisation and advocate for a complaint, sustainable and profitable franchise sector. Franchise Council of Australia Phone: 03 9508 0888 Email: info@franchise.org.au Web: www.franchise.org.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 15

sna ps h ot: I n X p re s s

InXpress Franchisee

wins two prestigious awards InXpress is delighted to announce the news that Bev Taylor, Franchise Owner of InXpress Bondi won not one, but two Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) Awards – Franchise Woman of the Year (Qld) and Single Unit Franchisee of the Year Less Than 2 Staff (Qld).

“I truly believe that you reap what you sow and that the grass is greenest where you water it! What I mean by this is that hard work has got my franchise to where it is now.”

Bev made the move from the UK to Australia and bought her first franchise in July 2013. Each year since she established her business, Bev’s business success has continuously grown to new heights. “I feel completely blown away, humbled and so thankful to be part of a franchise system where you are recognised with these awards,” says Bev. In 2017, Bev won the same FCA Awards for NSW and then went on to win Single Unit Franchisee of the Year Less Than 2 Staff nationally, and runner up for Franchise Woman of the Year nationally. She moved to Brisbane in 2019. “I truly believe that you reap what you sow and that the grass is greenest where you water it! What I mean by this is that hard work has got my franchise to where it is now,” she says. Bev has always been an excellent contributor to the InXpress network and an extremely driven business owner, which resulted in her winning the InXpress Franchise of the Year Award for 2020. Bev was the recipient of the same award in March 2018, proving that her hard work and commitment to her business has never faulted. So, what is the secret behind her multi-award-winning business model? “I think following the franchise model is the key thing. Doing what they recommend is a tried and tested method. I also do a lot of benchmarking with franchises that are further along than me so I can leverage off them and follow their strategies. Commitment, hard work and being willing to learn is so important too,” says Bev. Furthermore, Bev’s continuous involvement with the FCA’s Women in Franchising as well as holding a position on the Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) means that the entire industry will benefit from her experience and passion for franchising.

16 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

“I think following the franchise model is the key thing. Doing what they recommend is a tried and tested method. I also do a lot of benchmarking with franchises that are further along than me so I can leverage off them and follow their strategies.”

“At InXpress, we work with a lot of couriers and women tend to be in the minority. In fact, women seem to be outnumbered by men in franchising generally so it’s great to be a part of trying to change that for everyone in the future,” she says. Bev strongly believes in personal and professional development and continues to attend courses and seminars throughout the world, with the belief that the ability to learn and develop new skills never stops. “I had a goal of increasing the business dramatically and I am currently in the midst of merging another franchise into my existing one. I also want to focus on my own personal development,” she says. The team at InXpress is over the moon for Bev and feel certain that this won’t be the last time her name will be in lights! www.inxpress.com.au

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Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 17

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WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES EMPLOYEES? “Having made around 10,000 job offers in my previous career I can assure you that the moment someone gets a new job they are motivated. They are delighted, excited, eager to please and ready to get into it.” Rebecca Haughton | Founder | BoldHR

Why are we looking for the magic bean of motivation instead of wondering why our employees lost or didn’t have motivation in the first place? Surely that’s treating the symptom rather than the cause? Mopping up instead of fixing the leaky tap. The first mistake that I think we make is to assume employees need to be motivated. Do you think about being responsible for your life partner’s level of motivation in your relationship? Or do you consider them grown-ups and responsible for their own motivation? Your role, as a leader, is not to instill motivation, but to avoid demotivation. It’s easy to confuse the two and there are three myths that usually drive us to address the symptom instead of the cause. Thinking that you need to instill motivation into your people suggests that they are not responsible for their motivation, or that they don’t already want to be there and aren’t already willing to try their best. That’s classic Management X style thinking - one of the two leadership mindsets that McGregor popularised in his 1960 seminal work, The Human Side of Enterprise - the theory being that your workers need to be pushed by management.

and I always think that phrase shows we are looking at

Having made around 10,000 job offers in my previous career I can assure you that the moment someone gets a new job they are motivated. They are delighted, excited, eager to please and ready to get into it.

employee motivation from the wrong end of the telescope.

Evidence by People Experience experts like Enboarder also shows that workers almost

I often hear clients ask ‘how do we motivate our employees’,

18 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

1. Be curious about your people, not just curious about their work.

“Your role, as a leader, is not to instill motivation, but to avoid demotivation. It’s easy to confuse the two and there are three myths that usually drive us to address the symptom instead of the cause.”

2. Give positive feedback, not just ‘constructive’. 3. Say thank you more often.

And finally, failing to establish a psychologically safe space to operate: 1. Security is table stakes. If jobs or wellbeing are at risk, motivation is off the table. 2. Minimise threats to their status - if people don’t know where they sit in the pecking order, it’s a derailer. You may not be able to provide organisational clarity in the middle of a restructure for example, but you can provide your perspective. 3. Minimise their sense of uncertainty. Your team need you to show them the pathway through the fog of ambiguity. Not knowing where you are going or if your work matters is a huge derailer. 4. Give them more autonomy. Only robots like being told what to do all day. Humans become hopeless if they feel that they have no power to change their situation. Encourage feedback, delegate decisionmaking and empower change. always start a new job highly motivated. They have good intentions and they are willing to try hard. Their evidence also shows that motivation goes downhill from there. Another myth is that we should establish a ‘social contract’; a commonly held belief that there is an implicit and agreed value exchange in employment. Modern philosophy argues that in fact it justifies the subjugation of the weaker party - playing an important role in a traditionally unequal relationship between leader (or employer) and worker that is shifting to a more equal footing in this decade. The best quality relationships are not based on a transaction. Imagine explaining why you value your life partner so much by saying ‘the main reason that we work so well is because I do the bins and you do the laundry’. It would suggest something important is missing. And even more telling is when you have to use the contract to drive behaviours or commitments. By the time that occurs, things are not looking good - you’ve lost connection and you’ve lost trust and you are treating each other transactionally - which is hard for any relationship to come back from.

So let’s leave the social contract where it belongs - in the past. The third myth is that demotivation is a systemic or cultural issue. Well, I have some bad news. It’s not ‘the system’. According to McKinsey it’s 86 per cent you, their leader. Their research stated; “of all the misery in the world, one source lies within an organisation’s sphere of influence: the behavior of its bosses.” Hmm. Oh dear.

‘Bad bosses’ derail motivation through the following mistakes: Failure to delegate interesting work sometimes, through protecting them from overwork we are guilty of keeping them in boringwork. Confucius said “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” and he’s right; teams never complain of overwork when they are doing work they love. Being an authoritative leader - remember the social contract? It’s going out of vogue for how we manage people, as it’s fundamentally a power-play. If it’s a habit for you, try these three simple hacks:

5. Give them time to nurture their relationships with others - the pandemic has proven that isolation is not great for well-being or culture. 6. Make sure that people are treated fairly and if there’s a perception they are not, deal with it quickly. Once people have experienced a black mark against you on this issue, it’s hard to shake it off. And finally, or perhaps first: stop asking yourself how to motivate your employees and ask yourself how to stop demotivating your employees instead. Rebecca Houghton, author of ‘Impact: 10 Ways to Level up your Leadership’ ($29.95), is a Leadership and Talent Expert and founder of BoldHR. Rebecca builds B-Suite leaders with C-Suite impact by working at an organisational, team and individual level. For more information about how Rebecca can help your team visit www.boldhr.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 19

sna ps h ot: B at te r y Wo r l d

Results prove there’s never been a better time to

join Battery World

The strength and resilience of the Battery World franchise model during the ongoing pandemic has again been highlighted with the release of excellent sales growth for the first half of 2021. Battery World’s extensive network recorded significant growth in their camping, 4x4, and marine power categories due to the surge in customers enjoying the great outdoors and supporting local Australian businesses. Battery World’s 24/7 Roadside Battery Assistance, Click and Collect, and Home Delivery services have also experienced exceptional growth as Battery World franchisees strive to get customers back on the road when their vehicles fail to start. The network recorded 10% growth during this period, with the likes of Burleigh (QLD), Noosa (QLD), Bendigo (VIC), Mornington (VIC), and Canning Vale (WA) stores achieving record highs of over 40% growth versus same period last year. The highest performing state was Queensland, recording 13% growth over the period, closely followed by Western Australian, New South Wales, and Victoria. Battery World also continued to increase the number of sites nationwide to 111 with the addition of a new store in Gungahlin (ACT) and existing Franchise Partners expanding their investments into Fawkner (VIC),

Maroochydore (QLD), and Rothwell (QLD). The Maddington (WA) and Ipswich (QLD) stores were relocated to bigger premises, and the network welcomed two new Franchise Partners with a change of ownership for the Erina (NSW) and Tweed Heads (QLD) stores. This year, Battery World expects to witness further growth of the network with a new store in the Hawkesbury (NSW) area currently under construction. General Manager Johnny Kennedy joined Battery World in August 2020 and is proud of what the stores have achieved over the last year considering the volatile environment. “To experience a continuous increase in sales throughout the network coupled with continued investment highlights the confidence investors have in the Battery World brand,” he said. “Our locally-owned Franchise Partners are the lifeblood of many towns and suburbs. This was made even more evident as we continue to work through the challenges presented by COVID-19, with our Franchise Partners coming forward, more than ever, to support communities with top quality Aussie-made products, local expertise, and Aussie-wide warranties. Through all the uncertainty it’s exciting to see our stores backed by local owners and supported by locals.” Mr Kennedy continued, “It’s exciting to see the network strive towards a common goal of delivering fantastic service and expertise to keep their customers’ vehicles on the road and powering their passion for camping, four-wheel driving and general exploration of our roads and waterways. I am immensely

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“A focus on customer service and satisfaction will be key, backed by our extensive knowledge of products and our service offering.” proud to witness the network’s resilience and passion for the brand, especially during this pandemic. “A focus on customer service and satisfaction is key, backed by our extensive knowledge of products and our service offering. My goal is to build on past Battery World successes and to support a collaborative culture and a passion for everything we do.” Mr Kennedy said contributing to the success was the network’s ability to meet the changing needs of customers through expanded services which introduced contactless delivery and free battery testing, coupled with vehicle health checks and 24/7 roadside assistance. “The quality of our customer service and the product expertise we deliver day in and day out will continue to take Battery World to new heights. There’s never been a better time to invest in Battery World.” During the last financial year, Battery World was agile in an ever-changing environment, with the brand focussing its efforts on recruitment with new enquiries received from both interested buyers and existing Franchise Partners considering options to expand. For more information on joining Battery World, visit: www.batteryworld. com.au/franchise-opportunities

HR Support, Employee Guidelines & Job Descriptions

www.fcbs.com.au | (03) 9533 0028 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 21

FOC U S FE AT U R E : R A M S

Lockdown doesn’t need to mean slowdown RAMS also took it a step further and forged ahead with the development and launch of their new brand campaign – Home loans are what we do. “We actually saw this as an opportunity to really create a difference, and as different marketing channels became congested, we realised we needed to invest in a campaign that would have fresh cut through and really own the home loans space,” says Jake.

RAMS Managing Director Jake Bromwich and his team responded to the COVID pandemic by continuing to support their customers, staff and their valued franchise network in the face of lockdowns, sticking to their business growth strategy – including recruiting new franchisees – and adapting to new ways of working. For home loan provider RAMS, which prides itself on human connection and face to face interactions with its customers, the pandemic has provided a new set of challenges. Managing Director, Jake Bromwich, said this led to the business seeking ways to ensure RAMS could continue to connect with Franchisees, the means to maintain and grow their operations while also strengthening its back-end operations like Credit, Risk, Marketing and other associated functions. “We take our role in the community very

seriously. We also strongly believe that by remaining available for our customers, and demonstrating that we are open for business, it represents an important message of stability within the communities in which we operate. So it’s critical to ensure we remain visible and that our Franchisees are set up to continue to attract new business and also assist our customers who require support during COVID,” says Jake. In terms of remaining visible, Jake says RAMS Marketing continued with delivering their National Media Plan. This included leveraging traditional channels like free to air TV and investing more into online video and digital channels with a view to maintaining and building the awareness and consideration of their brand and keeping RAMS top of mind. “Our local area marketing also shifted towards localised, targeted strategies such as Facebook consideration and lead generation activity, LinkedIn content series, Spotify and Radio advertising, as well as up-skilling for Franchise Principals and Home Loan Managers. We also improved digital lead generation, launching “in-App” lead generation in Facebook, so customers can complete the enquiry within the App. The approach means we generate more RAMS leads now than prior to COVID lockdowns, and they are better quality, converting to applications at a higher rate.”

22 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

Jake says while marketing aims to keep RAMS top of mind to attract prospective home buyers, a strong brand needs equally strong propositions that cater to market needs - propositions that are carefully considered, rather than just being a reactive response to a changing environment. For example, while RAMS’ key focus and expertise is with First Home Buyers and Self-Employed, the business identified and acted on an opportunity with re-finances. Even prior to COVID RAMS invested heavily in innovating its construction lending proposition. This is an area that is accelerated in an economic recovery, and the HomeBuilder grants did just that. As a result, the enhanced construction proposition won the Excellence in Franchise Innovation category at the 2020 Excellence in Franchising Awards. But as Jake explains, attracting business with effective marketing and competitive propositions is just the first step. Once customers make that first contact, it’s then a matter of engaging to meet their needs. This is RAMS strength and fuels the service proposition on which the business thrives – the all-important in-person contact RAMS franchisees have with their customers every day. “It’s what makes us unique in this digital world. We use digital to support our vision to make the dream of home ownership possible for more Australians, but it’s not the key channel we prefer to engage with our customers.” “Many prospective customers feel like a small lamb in a big paddock when it comes to

buying a home, and digital channels provide an overload of information, but they struggle to cater to the first home buyer who can often feel out of their depth, especially with complex lending needs like construction. We want our customers to know we are here for them, and we want to attract them to our RAMS Home Loan Centres (RHLC) to have a discussion on how we can help them achieve their home ownership dreams.” As COVID hit, Jake and his leadership team also quickly thought through what would be required to get them through this, and in Jake’s words be ‘future fit’. “We were determined to keep to our strategy because were confident we had the resilience, and the fundamentals of a very strong business to weather the storm. We remained focused on investing across a range of areas to get through it and be stronger on the other side. One of those investment decisions was bringing in external support to build and roll out a new training program to up-skill franchisees and their staff to generate business whilst in lockdown, and importantly hone their skills for when the economic recovery started. So the ‘RAMS way’ virtual support plan and training programs were rolled out with current results indicating this has been a success.” And while COVID has had an impact on RAMS’ preferred in-person approach to helping customers, Jake says RAMS continues to offer personalised service, having rolled out video conferencing and a range of policy changes to adapt to this way of communicating and gathering information, which the business has had a greater focus on since the pandemic began. “This way, our home loan specialists in our RHLCs can conduct customer conversations and identification remotely and securely, whether they are isolated themselves, or if our customers can’t reach them for any reason. It’s the next best thing to being physically together. It enables you to still connect with a local specialist who understands your local market, and provides that reassurance and specialist skills set in helping customers buy or build a home or investment property.” While video conferencing isn’t new technology, Jake says its use across the RAMS Franchise Network opened up many new opportunities to connect with more people, more often and in a more personalised manner. “This has helped our staff connect directly with their teams and connect at a deeper level with our Franchise Network. For example, it enabled credit managers to virtually join franchise team meetings to talk through how they could help them, something that was much harder pre-COVID when it was limited

“We strongly believe that by remaining available for our customers, and demonstrating that we are open for business, it represents an important message of stability within the communities in which we operate.” to infrequent visits. We just hadn’t tested how much we could leverage VC before COVID.” Indeed, not knowing what the external environment will offer from one day to the next, Jake says the business has embraced technology as an enabler, opening up a number of new pathways for RAMS Head Office teams and Franchise network staff to stay connected with each other and engaged. “Last year we held our Franchise Network awards virtually so we could still recognise our top performers in front of their peers. While this usually takes place at our annual national conference, it just wasn’t possible with travel restrictions in place. We still arranged the trophies, had party packs and champagne glasses sent out to each franchise and encouraged everyone to join in while wearing formal attire, with live crosses to some of the franchise offices. The difference to previous years was that we invited everyone to participate, the whole of head office and network, not just our Franchise Principals who are usually the prime audience at conference. The feedback was so positive that we are now looking to incorporate a virtual element in the awards at future conferences.” From regular Monday Huddles with Head Office teams, and Managing Director updates rather than email, through to increasing the volume of training webinars for frontline teams - including sessions on how to cope during COVID - Jake says the business will continue to seek ways to support all members of the RAMS family through what is considered a ‘new normal’. “When circumstances have permitted i.e. eased restrictions, we have pivoted quickly to take advantage of the situation and pull Franchise teams together to engage in a COVID-safe manner. And likewise with tightened restrictions, we have the ways and means to continue doing business. So while we can’t control our external environment, we can control how we respond. I feel it must be working. With the latest July lockdowns across many states, we haven’t missed a beat

with our new sales application volumes continuing to improve compared to last year. Key to this is being there for our current and prospective customers by supporting our RAMS Head Office staff, who in turn support our Franchisees and their teams.” And RAMS wants to support even more Franchisees. That’s right, despite COVID, Jake says RAMS is determined to make RAMS even more accessible for prospective home buyers by committing to its growth strategy, which includes doubling the size of its franchise network over the next five years. “Since the start of the year we’ve welcomed five new franchisees to the RAMS family, with many more nearing day one of officially becoming their own small business owner. We’re well progressed towards achieving our goals, and based on our forward view of new franchise approvals, expect 2021 to be a record year for on-boarding new franchisees. For RAMS, people are our greatest asset, and we’re still recruiting franchisees, and with only a few vacancies left in NSW our focus is on VIC, SA, WA and Brisbane. So we’d love to hear from anyone who wants to be their own boss, has the desire to succeed, is passionate about helping customers and is highly motivated and prepared to work hard to generate the rewards.”

Are you ready to become Greater Together as a RAMS Franchisee? If you’re ready to apply to join the RAMS family, get in touch and we’ll take you through the steps. 1800 616 082 franchising@rams.com.au rams.com.au/franchising/ RAMS Financial Group Pty Limited ABN 30 105 207 538 Australian credit licence 388065. Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 Australian credit licence 233714 is credit provider for RAMS home loans.

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 23

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TIPS to BECOME

A MASTER COMMUNICATOR

Franchisors are very aware that both brand and profit are influenced by the communication skills of their people. Rapport, connection and an ability to influence are sought-after attributes in this complex environment we are all navigating. Having said that, so much of what we communicate these days is delivered at a distance. We send text messages instead of picking up a phone; initiate marketing campaigns directly from databases; and fire off emails rather than scheduling a meeting. Even those Zoom calls that we’ve become so familiar with over the past 17 months or so don’t quite compare with the face-to-face interactions that were once our modus operandi. As a result, one could argue that our ability to communicate and collaborate has deteriorated, ironically, as communication technology has developed. Yet according to the World Economic Forum, so-called ‘soft skills’ – like communication – are especially relevant in the current and future workforce. After all, despite a surge in technology-driven displacement of jobs, we humans still have the advantage over machines when it comes to our ability to manage, advise, make decisions, interact, reason and communicate. Franchisors are telling us that they are mindful of the disruption and innovation that is going to occur over the next 18 months regardless of the industry they are in. They want to ensure that they are setting

24 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

They wait their turn

“Before you open your mouth or put fingers to keypad, consider: what are you trying to communicate? What are you hoping the outcome of this conversation or message will be? What topics do you need to bring up?” Lisa Stephenson | Founder | The Coach Place Global

As the son of a tribal chief, Nelson Mandela learnt many valuable lessons about the attributes of great leaders. One trait he observed in his father was that, at meetings, he was always the last to speak. When leaders are too quick to share their own opinions, they influence (and potentially change) the points that others may have raised, had they been given the chance to contribute. So sit back and take in what others are saying.

They listen

Great communicators get up close and personal with those around them. They demonstrate that they’re engaged by shutting out distractions, asking lots of questions and listening more than they talk. Crucially, they seek first to understand and then to be understood. They also pay attention to nonverbal cues, which research suggests comprise 93 per cent of communication. People do not always tell their truth, but they do always show us what they are thinking and feeling, and what they are about. If we concentrate on ‘seeing’ them rather than just listening to their words, we will understand them far better. up their businesses to be sustainable and resilient. Our advice has been clear. The future success of your franchise will be based on the quality of your human capital. Your strategy should not be based on products, services and marketing alone. Instead, it should be centred on finding the best talent, immersing them in the business, and upskilling your teams now to be master communicators. You will need people who can create impact and be effective. It should be simple: we all talk, listen and question, but is that really communicating? When under pressure particularly, we tend to revert to our default communication style. The truly masterful communicators are great storytellers, negotiators and influencers, but also listeners. Communication is central to their success. They are typically more liked, respected, trusted, connected, successful and valued than their peers. Most people don’t accidentally become skilled communicators; most have to work at it and be clear about their communication strategies. Here’s how they do it.

They clarify their objective

Before you open your mouth or put fingers to keypad, consider: what are you trying to communicate? What are you hoping the outcome of this conversation or message will be? What topics do you need to bring up? Being clear about the purpose of an

interaction will help you convey your intended meaning.

They keep it brief

Whether you’re delivering a presentation or sending an email, aim for quality over quantity. The attention span of humans is now measured at just 8.25 seconds. While not every interaction can be quite so succinct, it always pays to impart your main point first. In his TED Talk, author Simon Sinek recommends using the golden circle model: stating your ‘why’ first – your purpose or your belief – and then your ‘how’ and ‘what’.

They speak their truth

Trust is seen as declining around the world, so it’s more critical than ever to be an authentic communicator. As Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg explains, this is actually pretty simple, given that everything in life is subjective and therefore true to whoever believes it. Instead of a leader walking into a room and saying ‘Here’s the answer’ – not giving anyone the opportunity to say otherwise – she suggests starting from the position ‘Here is what I believe; what do you believe?’. This allows others to communicate their own truth, too.

They manage their signals

Just as it’s important to observe other people’s body language, you need to consider – and control – your own cues, too. For instance, if you want to show confidence, prepare yourself and what you have to say. Stand/sit tall, uncross your arms, speak clearly and concisely, look the person in the eye and manage what your face is doing. Remember you often get back what you give out. If you’re a franchisor who is thinking ambitiously about what is possible over the next five years, take some time to build both your own and your team’s communication skills. Become known for it, reward great communication and foster a culture that values those who listen, share and connect. You won’t regret it. Lisa Stephenson, founder of The Coach Place Global, is a globally recognised highimpact coach, consultant, keynote speaker and author. Become a Coach Place Member to gain instant access to insightful articles, thought-provoking masterclasses, inspiring interviews and more to accelerate your personal growth at: www.thecoachplace.com

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 25

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Business Leader Engagement is Key to Securing Inclusive Workplaces Australian business leaders are most likely to be highearning, full-time workers in senior management positions. Our newest research shows that this mirrors demographics that are less likely to prioritise workplace diversity and highlights a missed opportunity for business leaders.

By not prioritising inclusion, businesses narrow their talent pool and miss the business

26 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

“With many industries rebuilding, the time is right to redress the balance of workforce diversity.”

LGBTQI+. Businesses have the chance to reap the benefits of creating an employment landscape that works for everyone. While diverse workplaces benefit minority groups, businesses also stand to gain with a 2018 study showing that companies which prioritise inclusion achieve an average of 28% higher revenue, 30% higher profit margins and double the net income. Additionally, on average, they see staff retention go up by 90%, which allows them to focus on their business and not ‘revolving door’ recruitment.

“By not prioritising inclusion, businesses narrow their talent pool and miss the business benefits of diverse workforces that include people living with disability, Indigenous Australians and other minority or cultural groups.” Sotir Kondovl | Group Executive, Employment Services | atWork Australia

benefits of diverse workforces that include people living with disability, Indigenous Australians and other minority or cultural groups. The survey also reveals that around a quarter (26%) of all Australians would be comfortable to work at a business that is not inclusive of different people, a figure that rises to 32% in Victoria. This group was most likely to include men (35% compared to 18% of women), senior managers (44% compared to 22% of the general public) and those with a household income over $100,000 (31% compared to 23% of lower income households). With many industries rebuilding, the time is right to redress the balance of workforce diversity. Currently, 66.2% of Australians are employed, however this figure drops to 48% for those living with disability and 46.6% for Indigenous Australians. Additionally, there are 1.5 million jobless families nationwide, which accounts for one in five. 2021 presents a unique opportunity to give everyone a fair go at employment, which starts with educating business leaders on the benefits of diverse teams. For example, industry research shows that employees living with disability generate less turnover and have superior attendance over their peers. atWork Australia’s national survey of 1,696 people asked respondents whether they were

comfortable, uncomfortable or would refuse to work in a business that was not committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Concerningly, about 1 in 5 people within important working population groups were likely to be comfortable with no focus on diversity in the workplace, including: • The self-employed (36%) and office workers (30%) • Over a third (35%) of full-time workers and almost a fifth (19%) part-timers • Nearly one in five (19%) students

Our customer Tom Lowther, General Manager at mineral testing laboratory, Bureau Veritas, which has employed Indigenous people through working with atWork Australia believes diversity is good for business. He is surprised that there are still businesses in Australia that are not geared toward inclusive workplaces, as Bureau Veritas have had nothing but positive experiences working with diverse groups. His feedback to us is that the assistance from atWork Australia in understanding their talent requirements and providing ongoing support for each placement has been invaluable. Bureau Veritas champion diversity at every stage, from their ethics, to their training programs and even first day inductions. By opening the door to employment to everyone, they’ve helped people from a range of backgrounds and groups excel in their jobs and progress in their careers, which in turn helps the business, it’s a win-win.

As a leading supplier of Disability Employment Services, atWork Australia has 300 locations nationwide connecting businesses with people living with disability looking for work. We further help to provide companies with access to the full talent pool, including jobactive, ParentsNext, and Indigenous Employment Services programs in WA. In 2020 atWork Australia placed over 11,000 people looking for work from diverse backgrounds with more than 6,700 businesses, including Australia Post, McDonalds, Sodexo and MSN Enterprises.

Employers like Bureau Veritas and providers of employment services, such as atWork Australia, are working toward a fairer future. While there is a way to go, the data does show that the majority of Australians are uncomfortable with, or would refuse to work at, a company that didn’t support equal access to jobs.

Australia’s talent pool is rich with diverse perspectives, with one in five Australians living with a disability, injury or health condition, 3.3% coming from Indigenous communities and 3.2% identifying as

Sotir Kondov, atWork Australia’s Group Executive, Employment Services, has over 17 years of Employment Services Industry and Senior Leadership experience.

Nationally, the number of people who would refuse to work in a company that didn’t promote diversity (36%) far outweighed those that would be comfortable to do so (26%).

www.atworkaustralia.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 27

pr o file : subway ®

SUBWAY LEADS THE WAY IN HEALTHY EATING 8 years within the industry, it was clear I couldn’t go any further up the chain without a university degree, so doors were shut to me furthering my skills and becoming an entrepreneur myself. I knew I wanted to be a business owner, and Subway was the perfect fit,” explains Mr Castleman. “Lyal and I have been friends since childhood, so it was a great opportunity for us to both navigate the entrepreneurial landscape together. We opened our first location in Maryborough in 2015 and within 18 months we had opened two further restaurants in Ballarat and Wendouree.

Like any brand looking to establish itself, Subway’s launch in Australia was a slow process which began thanks to an entrepreneurial dream of one local franchisee who opened the first restaurant in Perth in 1988. Although the brand faced early consumer scepticism of the calibre of the American sandwich, which was vastly different to traditional Aussie snacks, such as pies and sausage roles, the Subway® sandwich soon attracted a loyal base of supporters due to its ability to meet consumers’ needs for a healthier lifestyle.

yet tasty constant in consumers’ lives, speak volumes for Subway’s success in Australia, today. “Thanks to our very first franchisee’s vision, and the steadfast investment of all current and future franchisees, Subway is one of the most successful QSR brands in Australia,” says Mr Cockerill. “Becoming a Subway franchisee has become such a viable option for business owners, that multi-unit franchising has become almost the norm at Subway. Some of our franchisees count up to 20 stores in their portfolio and with our Next Generation restaurant upgrade rollout, 70 per cent of franchisees are reinvesting by remodelling or opening up a new store. “At Subway, the mantra continues to be ‘build stores, build sales, and build profits’, and any franchisee will concur with this,” adds Mr Cockerill.

This shift in market perception led to healthy and fresh offerings entering the mainstream quick-service industry, with Subway® leading the way, and experiencing explosive growth during the early 2000s.

Two such franchisees who can attest to this mantra are Nathan Castleman and Lyal Marshall who recently were awarded Franchisees of the Year at Subway’s Australia and New Zealand 2021 Virtual Convention.

Australia was the first to hit 1,000 stores outside of North America and it was due to the keen business owners that shared the brand’s vision of success, that today, make up the solid network of franchisees that keeps Subway’s wheels turning.

Both Mr Castleman and Mr Marshall followed the typical journey of a Subway® franchisee, beginning with one restaurant and growing their portfolio into three successful restaurants, which has reaped them not only individual rewards, but benefits for their community and local economies.

Australia Country Director, Geoff Cockerill, says Subway’s franchisees and their investment in the brand’s mission to remain a healthy

“I previously worked in the corporate sector for supermarket brands such as Aldi. After

28 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

“It’s been a fabulous whirlwind for both of us, but the best decision of our lives entering into business with Subway, as the return on investment has been unparallel compared to other avenues we explored,” says Mr Castleman. Mr Marshall agrees with his business partner that Subway’s mission was the leading reason that made the brand an undeniable business option. “We made the choice to align with the Subway brand as we both have young families and we wanted to promote the healthy lifestyle and give our loved ones options. It’s an ethos that Subway has built its foundation on and it’s a message that not only has brought us success, but one that we’re proud to push out into our community,” adds Mr Marshall. Mr Cockerill says that for any franchisee looking for a beginner’s investment option, Subway provides full turnkey operations. “Subway has a successful management structure and entrepreneurial model, providing prospective franchisees with simple entry and a flexible system with extensive training support. “Our franchisees are also encouraged to do 40 hours of practical experience at another store to arm them with tools and knowledge in their own environment prior to any purchase. “Supported by national marketing and public relations endeavours, Subway® will always be a leading brand to partner with in the business franchising industry,” concludes Mr Cockerill. Anyone interested in learning more about a Subway® franchise can find out more at: subway-franchise.com.

Hungry? Great, you’re exactly the sort of person we’re looking for! Hungry to make a difference in the QSR world. Hungry to make customers happy, every single day. Hungry to turn your business into a global success story. Hungry to join a fresher franchise business that treats you as an individual. Hungry to be part of a new generation of Subway fame. Ready to tuck in? subway-franchise.com

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 29

e x pert a dv i c e

THE PATH TO A

PLANET-FRIENDLY BUSINESS Your customers are worried about the impacts of climate change, with many believing that Australia should be a world leader on climate action.

“It’s important to keep in mind that while a sustainability program will probably require some initial financial outlay, there are savings to be made long term by pursuing a more efficient, less wasteful business model.” Corina Vucic | Director | FC Business Solutions

People are making purchasing decisions based on the green credentials of a business and its products. Every business should now be examining how it can contribute to a more sustainable future, or be left in the dust of competitors who have their fingers on the pulse of consumer sentiment. Legislation is pushing some areas of retail into better practices – such as the phasing out of single use plastic bags and major retailers, including Coles and Woolworths, have signed on to the ANZPAC plastics pact, committing to reduce their plastic use by 2025. Where many small businesses would struggle to make significant changes, the franchising sector, because of the scale it can apply, is ideally placed to play a big role in helping thousands of small businesses become more environmentally sustainable, and thereby have a meaningful impact on the future of our planet.

Start with a sustainability policy

• How will you measure this?

It’s important to keep in mind that while a sustainability program will probably require some initial financial outlay, there are savings to be made long term by pursuing a more efficient, less wasteful business model.

It’s important to articulate your goals in this area. Your policy should describe your commitment to reducing your carbon footprint, decreasing waste and increasing sustainability.

• How will you meet current and foreshadowed government environmental impact policies?

While the measures that can be taken vary from industry to industry, there are some common areas that franchisees can address:

Questions to consider are:

• How will you continually improve your sustainability performance?

• How do you plan to reduce your environmental impact?

• How will you manage and communicate your policy?

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Put some deadlines around your goals to provide immediacy, and look to review and update the policy regularly. Make your commitment public. Ensure your franchisees and their teams are onboard with your goals and committed to the actions they need to take to make it work. Publish your policy(s) on your website. Display environmentally friendly signage, telling customers of your commitment to the environment. Some of your customers may require details of your policy to help them meet their own sustainability goals.

Packaging Whether it’s take-away food containers, coffee cups, drink containers, hair products – whatever packaging you use – aim to make 100% of your packaging reusable, recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. Are your products over-packaged? Do they need to be packaged in plastic for example, or can you turn to a more sustainable material? Look for Australian packaging suppliers who are focussing on providing innovative packaging that is environmentally friendly.

“Whether it’s take-away food containers, coffee cups, drink containers, hair products – whatever packaging you use – aim to make 100% of your packaging reusable, recyclable, biodegradable or compostable.”

By sourcing your packaging locally, you are reducing the emissions created by shipping or flying your packaging across the world.

Recycling Set up programs to help franchisees reduce and recycle waste – whether that’s food waste, paper products or plastics, for example. Businesses are constantly turning over mobile phones, computers, visual displays and other electronic equipment. Put in place procedures to ensure that these are given a second life – and not put out on hard waste.

Travel Have a policy that when it’s time to replace business vehicles, you examine the options of purchasing electric or hybrid models. Consider video-conferencing rather than driving or flying to a meeting.

Encourage allowing staff to work from home occasionally (if their job permits), as this will help keep cars (and their emissions) off the road.

Innovation Research what businesses, in your sector, are doing overseas in this space. The 2020 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), while not giving any country a top three ranking (because they judged that no country was doing enough to prevent climate change), ranked Sweden 4th, UK 5th and Denmark 6th (Australia ranked 54th). Look at practices in these countries to see how they are achieving their goals. Investigate whether you can replace some chemical ingredients in your product with natural sustainable ones. Ask the hard questions of your suppliers? Are

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 31

e x pert a dv i c e

Reducing the carbon footprint at every workplace There are so many measures that individual franchisees can do in their workplaces to reduce their carbon footprint. Provide them with suggestions, guidelines and where possible, solutions. Some suggestions are:

“Make your commitment public. Ensure your franchisees and their teams are onboard with your goals and committed to the actions they need to take to make it work.”

• Investigate whether solar panels can be fitted to the business premise. • Buy green energy. • Install energy efficient lighting (eg LED), switch off lighting when not necessary – automatic sensors are great for areas that aren’t used a lot. • Insulate the workplace as much as possible. Window tinting that helps regulate temperature, sealing gaps under doors and in floorboards. • Turn off as much energy consuming equipment as possible, out of hours. • Heating and cooling shouldn’t be set and forget. Override and turn off when it’s a long holiday, during lockdowns etc. Look at the temperature settings, can they be tweaked a little to be more efficient? • When replacing equipment look for five star energy options. • Consider appointing a “Green Team” to investigate, implement and follow up on sustainable measures. • Use reusable coffee mugs, glasses, plates, and cutlery. • Purchase paper towels, paper napkins and tissues that are made from recycled or sustainable materials and are compostable post use. • Provide a tap filter and discourage bottled water. • Provide ethically sourced coffee and tea. The Fair Trade organisation ensures their products prioritise care of natural resources and waste management practices for their farmers. • Consider whether something needs to be printed, whether that’s in-house or professionally. Can online do the trick? • Throw out the laminator (or at least reduce its use).

your ingredients ethically sourced? Are they causing ecological damage? For instance, palm oil plantations in some countries are responsible for forcing orangutans from their homes.

“Ask the hard questions of your suppliers? Are your ingredients ethically sourced? Are they causing ecological damage?”

Be authentic in your approach While consumers are actively seeking out businesses who are working to reduce their environmental footprint, they also have highly attuned antennae for those businesses who aren’t showing an authentic commitment. It’s not enough to say you are doing something: you need to be demonstrating it. With President Joe Biden’s commitment to halting climate change, the rate at which the world acts is going to accelerate. There have been some significant initiatives taken by state governments, local councils and big business. Franchising is big business and because of its unique structure, it has the opportunity to make a difference at a micro level.

32 Business 32 Business Franchise Franchise AustraliaAustralia and Newand Zealand New Zealand

Corina Vucic is the Director of FC Business Solutions. With over 20 years in the franchise industry, and extensive operational and management experience, she works closely with leaders to take their business to the next level. Whatever their goals, Corina coaches, mentors and supports business owners and executives to maximise success and minimise risk for long-term business prosperity and security. To discuss how Corina’s expertise can help take your business to new heights, contact: 03 9533 0028 cv@fcbs.com.au www.fcbs.com.au

WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO L AST... We understand some of the challenges our Franchise/Multi-Site customers are facing. In response we have developed two FREE online tools to assist both those staff in the frontline, and those staff whom have been sent home to work. COVID-19 Declaration A FREE four question checklist for staff to use to declare themselves fit for work if they are in a customer/public facing role. HomeWork A FREE set of three online actions for staff working from home to undertake to ensure they are creating a safe working environment. Both the COVID-19 Declaration and HomeWork are FREE to any Franchise Group or Multi-Site whom think they can benefit from these tools. To find out more call me on 0401 803 302 or send me an email at cbeasley@safetynavigator.co

TO THE 2021

FRANCHISING & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES EXPO’S FOR BUSINESS FRANCHISE READERS!

Don’t pay full price!!! Half Price tickets for Business Franchise magazine readers by entering the code CGB when purchasing tickets online. “Grab your ticket now, it’s really time to stop dreaming and start doing!”

DATES: brisbane: 8-9 October Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

melbourne: 26-27 November Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

For more information go to

www.franchisingexpo.com.au

sydney & Perth: return in 2022 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 33

e x pert a dv i c e

HOW FRANCHISES CAN

USE LOCAL SEO TO STAND OUT FROM THEIR RIVALS

When your customers do a Google search for your type of business, you’d like to appear at the top of the rankings, right?

“Google wants to connect local people with local businesses, so its algorithm includes proximity criteria. That’s why any business that serves a local market should use local SEO.” Nick Bendel | Director | Hunter & Scribe

That’s where ‘local SEO’ comes in. Local SEO is any activity that helps your business improve its Google ranking for local searches (e.g., “Smithville plumber”). Google wants to connect local people with local businesses, so its algorithm includes proximity criteria. That’s why any business that serves a local market should use local SEO. So how can you use local SEO to stand out from your rivals? By doing these 10 things:

Create a Google My Business account

Google My Business is a free service that lets your business set up an official Google listing. When you create your profile, make sure you provide key details about your business, such as your logo, your operating hours, your contact details, a brief overview of your products or services, and some great photos. Once you’ve set up your account, your business will become visible in local search results, in Google’s search panel and on Google Maps. Don’t forget to man whatever phone number and email address you include in your Google My Business listing. If you don’t respond to customer queries in a timely fashion, those customers will move on to a rival business. In other words, you won’t be missing out on business because your local SEO isn’t working but because your customer service is keeping up.

Ensure your website is mobilefriendly

You want to be sure people find you wherever they are when they search, and more than 80 per cent of Australians use their phones for Google Maps. Google’s proximity factor automatically adjusts the search results when people are within your geographic location. So making your website mobile-friendly will improve your local SEO. At the same time, you should make sure your website is user-friendly, because Google ranks websites on user experience. Three ways to do that are to: • Maximise your website’s page-loading speed • Use a simple layout and design • Choose easy-to-read fonts

Encourage positive reviews

Customer reviews will appear on your Google My Business dashboard and help boost your Google ranking. People trust other people’s opinions of you more than they trust what you say about yourself. Good reviews will assure potential customers your business is trustworthy. The best way to get your loyal customers to leave a review is to ask. Respond to the reviews, even the lousy ones. Why? Because it’s the polite thing to do and everyone is

34 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

looking. More than 80 per cent of potential customers read online reviews while they’re assessing a business.

Gear your business for voice search

“Hey Siri, where can I get the best pizza?” is quite different from typing “Pizza near me”, yet both are likely to occur. So make sure your website content contains the keywords that local customers would not only type but also say in a voice search.

Create localised content

This can include blogs about local news, posts highlighting local causes and events that target local customers. As a general rule, the more local content you create, the more prominence Google will give you in local searches.

Include local keywords

Use Google’s keyword planner to create a list of keywords that are relevant to your business and local market. Next, make sure you use your keywords regularly: on your website, in your blogs and in your social media posts. Do it in a natural way, so your content is readable and relevant. Google will then match the keywords in people’s search queries with the keywords in your content.

Get listed in local online business directories

Presumably, you have a website, name, address and phone number. Hopefully, you also have a company description and some great photos of your store, products and daily operations ‒ if not, you can easily create those things. You can then take all that information and upload it to local online business directories like Bing, Yelp, MapQuest, HubSpot and more. Appearing in directories will boost your local SEO and increase your online visibility.

Share location-specific information

Mention local landmarks or tourist attractions when you talk about your local business. For example, a Melbourne business might mention its proximity to the Yarra; a Brisbane business located in South Bank might make reference to The Wheel of Brisbane. Why would you do this? Because those regularly searched places are also keywords, and now those keywords appear in your content.

Encourage backlinks

A ‘backlink’ is a link from another website to your website. Backlinks is one of the criteria Google uses to rank websites: as a general rule, the more backlinks a website receives and the more reputable the source of those backlinks, the more favourably Google looks on that website. So you should try to get other websites to link to yours. This process can take a lot of hard work and dedication, but it can produce impressive results.

to boost its local SEO. Rich Results Test is a Google tool that will scan your website and give you tips about how to make it more Google-friendly.

Why local SEO is so important

One tactic you can use to get backlinks is to publish enticing content (such as blogs, infographics and white papers) on your website and then share the links with other parties in the hope they’ll publish the links on their website. Another tactic is to write guest columns for other websites in return for a backlink.

If your business is targeted at people within a specific region, local SEO will help you stand out in local online searches. That, in turn, should generate more visits to your website and shopfront.

Nick Bendel is the director of Hunter & Scribe, a copywriting / content marketing agency that writes blogs, social media posts, ebooks and other content for franchise businesses.

Download two free local SEO tools

Finally, there are two free tools you can use to improve your local SEO. Local SEO Checklist has a list of 30 steps your business can take

By following the 10 tips above, you’ll improve your chances of outperforming your rivals.

www.hunterandscribe.com

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 35

Resources at your fingertips!

CURRENT TITLES INCLUDE: Business FRANCHISE Australia and New Zealand magazine The Magazine for Franchisees, Bi-monthly publication The Australian and New Zealand Business FRANCHISOR magazine The Magazine for Franchisors, Quarterly publication Australian and New Zealand Business FRANCHISE DIRECTORY Annual publication The FRANCHISE GUIDE Annual publication CGB’s website also provides an additional advertising and information format and complements our publications.

www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au

home services franchising

VOL 15 ISSUE 06 sept/oct 2021

home sweet home

Could a home services franchise be the right fit for you?

home improvement franchises using

Technology for success what the home improvement boom means for franchise businesses

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 37

what’snew! GOLD FOR POOLWERX AT recent AWARDS

DeckSeal welcomes newest franchisees DeckSeal is excited to announce our newest franchisees in Newcastle, Jeff Gorman and Luke Carney. Carpenters by trade, they are looking forward to growing the DeckSeal brand along the east coast of NSW, and surrounding suburbs. Why did they choose DeckSeal? “We chose DeckSeal because it is our background of trade and we found that it hasn’t been explored by other franchises in the area,” says Jeff. “The potential for growth with the right marketing and dedication from myself and Luke is exciting for us! What appealed to us about DeckSeal is the range of services provided and offered, the professionalism of skills and the finished product and customer satisfaction.” Jeff also said, they decided to buy a franchise so they could work for themselves, better work life balance, while having the support of an established brand. Jeff and Luke’s goals for the business is to develop their skills and expertise and to expand the brand in a new area. Keep an eye out for Jeff and Luke on the road in their DeckSeal vehicle and be sure to get in contact for a free no obligation quote.

Poolwerx Business Development Manager Phil Colburn has been recognised as Field Manager of the Year QLD/NT for the second year in a row.

Poolwerx Franchise Partner Robyn Walsh has taken out Franchise Woman of the Year at the Western Australian Franchise Council of Australia’s 2021 Regional Excellence in Franchising Awards, an incredible accomplishment following her recognition as Poolwerx’ Woman of the Year in late 2020. In further exciting news for Poolwerx, Poolwerx Business Development Manager Phil Colburn has been recognised as Field Manager of the Year QLD/NT for the second year in a row. Mrs Walsh joined the Poolwerx network as a franchise partner for Bunbury, WA, in 2013. Robyns work at Poolwerx has seen her recognised as Poolwerx Franchise Women of the Year in 2014 and 2020, while their business has been named Poolwerx’ top WA mobile service for the last three years, following great growth from an initial fleet of two vans to now operating a retail store and five service vans. After a 30-year career in franchising, in support roles and as a franchisee himself, Mr Colburn joined Poolwerx in 2016, where he is responsible for the growth of the Brisbane South and New Zealand regions, encompassing 27 partners, 45 territories and 25 retail stores. Nic Brill, Poolwerx Chief Operating Officer, said that recognition of Poolwerx team members from the Franchise Council of Australia made everybody within the network extremely proud. “We’ve seen Phil and Robyn have a remarkably positive impact across our Australian and New Zealand franchise teams, as well as across the broader pool and franchise industries, and it’s wonderful to see them receive this external recognition as well,” Mr Brill said. To find out more visit www.poolwerx.com.au

38 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

All our DeckSeal teams are busier than ever and look forward to transforming more outdoor areas for their residential and commercial clients. There has never been a better time to buy into the home improvement market and DeckSeal has franchise opportunities available in NSW, QLD, SA, WA and TAS. www.deckseal.com.au

Carpet Court invests in member profitability Australia’s largest retail floor covering specialist, Carpet Court has invested in a self-serve online Finance Portal to help their 162 members maximise their profit. Carpet Court engaged Melbourne based specialists ITeM Group to build a custom portal for members to view critical business

data such as rebates and carpet supplier costs, along with key financial performance data. “The off the shelf software packages just couldn’t do what we needed. Our Finance Portal is the best of both worlds for our members and Head Office,” said Carpet Court’s Chief Financial Officer, Mark Hogan.

The portal has allowed Carpet Court members to download data into their own finance software, giving them full visibility of their cashflow, allowing them to make more strategic business decisions. Bringing this operational and financial data into one place has given Carpet Court Head Office the ability to benchmark member stores and visualise trends using Power BI. Carpet Court can analyse and provide feedback to the store network to help them improve their overall performance. “We can proactively help our members to improve their business. Now that we have all the key data in the one place, we can work with it, see trends and quickly provide feedback to help boost store performance across a range of metrics,” said Mark. “At the end of the day we are focusing on tools which can help our members maintain and grow their profit.” Carpet Court has a growing network of 200 stores in every state and territory. All stores are proudly Australian, as well as locally owned and operated. www.carpetcourt.com.au

MEGASEALED RECOGNISED FOR OUTSTANDING MARKETING CAMPAIGN DURING PANDEMIC Megasealed Australia has been selected as a finalist in the Franchise Council of Australia’s (FCA) Excellence in Franchising Awards for their outstanding marketing campaign in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognising Megasealed’s strong dedication to remain ahead of the curve as an essential service, the announcement of FCA’s Excellence in Franchising Awards Finalists acknowledges the outstanding agility demonstrated by the company over the past 12 months. Despite the seismic impact of COVID-19, Megasealed successfully pivoted its business and marketing strategy to adopt even bolder ways of thinking and acting, agile ways of working and fast decision making to thrive now and into the future. The success of the campaign now backed by a nomination by the FCA. The dynamic campaign saw Megasealed innovate in terms of how they approached their service, engaging in virtual inspections and quoting to ensure the safety of clients and staff during this period. This was followed by a comprehensive overhaul of the company’s communications strategy to build confidence in Megasealed’s COVID safe practices and convey the continued importance of promptly addressing bathroom leaks even during this period.

had a mentality of boldly taking advantage of opportunities within the market. With this campaign we took a strategic, yet calculated risk to alter our service and marketing strategy and it paid off tremendously,” says Jacques Courtin, Managing Director and Founder of Megasealed.

“We have been consistent in our focus on innovation and have always

www.megasealed.com.au

A testament to Megasealed’s commitment to adapt in a challenging business environment is their continued focus on maintaining franchisee and client support during recent COVID-19 outbreaks.

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 39

FE ATUR E : h o m e serv ices FRANCHISES

FE AT U R E A R T I C L E

Could a home services franchise be the right fit for you? The home is one of our most valuable assets, so it’s no surprise that maintaining and improving our biggest investment is always going to be high on our priority list. There is always something that needs improving, fixing or renovating around the house. Furthermore, as a nation, we are busier than ever and with the onset of COVID-19, many of us are now working from home, making it more important than ever to improve and enjoy our surrounds. The home improvement market is enormous. In fact, the booming industry grew by three per cent over the past year to reach a level of just over $45 billion. In terms of per capita usage, almost $200 was spent for every person in Australia. And although Australians have always been passionate about home renovation and improvements, even the do-it-yourself renovators often require the assistance of professional experts. This is resulting in great opportunities for the entrepreneur seeking to invest in their very own home improvement franchise business. With many home improvement franchises currently available, the range is diverse: bathroom re-conditioners; builders; fencing and roofing specialists; pool and spa installations; energy products; garages and carports; security providers; the list is endless.

40 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

So why buy a home services franchise rather than run an independent business? Prospective franchisees benefit from established systems along with easier access to a number of resources in comparison to businesses run by independent operators. Another advantage of being a part of a franchise system within this area of business is that it allows for franchisees to take advantage of the brand equity of the franchisor. This advantage is a major benefit because people are very protective of their homes and tend to seek as many assurances as possible that the work they contract will be done properly by trustworthy individuals. Whether it’s everyday upkeep, or emergency requests, there are a variety of franchises to choose from when it comes to home services. Let’s take a look at just some of the opportunities available.

Kitchen remodelling When it comes to home improvements, the kitchen is always top of the list. These days, many homeowners are opting to renovate existing kitchens with new cupboards, benchtops and appliances rather than replace with a new one, saving them thousands of dollars. A kitchen remodelling or renovation franchise gives franchisees a great market with a consistently high demand.

Bathroom remodelling Bathrooms are one of those areas that get constant wear and tear and start to look dated and run down over the years. That’s why bathroom remodelling franchises provide the perfect solution by helping to remodel bathtub and shower liners, replace bathtubs and shower bases/walls all together and even convert an outdated tub to a shower.

FE ATUR E : h o m e serv ices FRANCHISES New windows dressings Adding new curtains or blinds is one of the easiest ways to give your home a brand-new look at little cost. Decorative and functional window blinds are available through many window dressing franchises, which are becoming extremely popular.

Home additions Consumers looking to expand their homes can choose from a huge range of options, including adding a room onto their homes, converting a garage, converting their space into a loft, or even adding an extra building. You can choose to invest in any of these home addition franchise industries, which are highly lucrative.

Flooring and decking New flooring not only enhances the aesthetics of a house, but also allows homeowners to stay in their house more comfortably. A flooring franchise is a great opportunity to generate a steady income and build a successful business. The timber deck is an iconic part of the Australian outdoor lifestyle and a key feature in Australian backyards, franchises such as DeckSeal specialise in new and existing timber decks, offering an excellent opportunity to join this lucrative market.

Driveway paving There is nothing that drags the look of house down more than a worn or cracked driveway. That’s why driveway paving franchises meet a consumer need and provide a chance to earn a great living.

Landscaping First impressions count. So, when it comes to street appeal, one of the most important aspects of your home is landscaping and lawn care. Whether its people staging their home for sale, or those who

are time poor and depend on landscaping services for monthly maintenance, including gardening, raking, weeding, and more, a landscaping franchise is a great business opportunity, especially for those who love working outdoors. This type of franchise provides residential services, as well as good partnerships with buildings and offices.

Property repair Whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made one, property repair franchises are always in demand. Working with property owners and their insurance companies to make sure that the home is restored back to its original state, property repair franchises are recession-proof, as property damage repair is not a seasonal nor is it something that can be put off for a long period of time.

Cleaning and maintenance Life is becoming busier than ever. Gone are the days when engaging a regular cleaner for your home was considered a luxury, it has now become a necessity. And, with many of us now spending more time in the home, keeping our home clean and fresh is more important than ever. Hence, an increasing number of homeowners are opting to pay for the convenience of outsourced assistance.

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 41

FE ATUR E : h o m e serv ices FRANCHISES

FE AT U R E A R T I C L E

Specialty cleaning There are also specialty services such as deep carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, or air and duct cleaning, for example. These services are not only residential franchise options, but usually come with a long list of industrial customers as well. If you are willing to take on both residential and business clients, it can be a very lucrative business. Some cleaning services are necessary and always in demand such as chimney cleaning and window cleaning, particularly high windows that require particular tools that are not carried by most homeowners. Some franchises have partnerships with retail stores to connect clients after a product is sold that may need cleaning, or even connections with real estate agencies to share clientele.

If you are thinking about utilising your skills to open a home improvement franchise, here are six more reasons why it might just be the right fit for you!

You can secure your financial independence

The COVID-19 lockdown has encouraged many people to take stock and think about their careers, and now more than ever is the time to take control and start working for yourself. Owning your own essential business in an industry like the home service space is a way to establish your future and financial independence

More flexibility

Pool maintenance More and more homeowners are opting to outsource this timeconsuming job, providing a lucrative opportunity for those seeking a franchise opportunity in this specialised industry. Jim’s Pool care is Australia’s largest franchise system that offers you the scope to grow the business to a level that suits you.

House staging With the recent popularity of home renovation TV shows, homeowners are keener than ever to make their homes Instagram worthy. Not only that, but those who are selling their home can add thousands of dollars to the sale price by staging with beautiful furniture and accessories. Those with a flair for interior design or a background in home styling would be perfectly suited to a home staging franchise.

As many home improvement franchises are also mobile businesses, owners enjoy both flexibility and variety in their working days. Generally, more affordable to buy and run, a mobile franchise eliminates expensive rentals and lengthy retail hours. Franchise systems provide you with an infrastructure ready to run your business the minute you finish your training, leaving you free to concentrate on your customers and not burdened with administrative tasks.

You can pursue your passion

Many business owners say the hours they invest in growing their business doesn’t feel like work because they love what they are doing. There are a wide variety of opportunities to suit potential franchisee’s different interests and styles, from gardening and landscaping services, window washing to painting and plastering services.

Homeowners find it easier to call in the professionals

Lack of skills isn’t the only reason homeowners have grown dependent on professional service providers. Home services experts save homeowners time and ensure the job will be done right the first time. As homes age, they require ongoing upkeep. Whether the homeowner is a retiree or a parent busy with children, it’s beneficial to have professional help. That’s why home services franchise business owners continue to be busy.

A viable alternative to starting your own business from scratch

Painting Nothing improves the look of a room faster than a fresh coat of paint. With more Australians home now than ever, now could be the time to invest in a painting franchise. Some of the benefits of this category include a relatively low cost of entry and a large target audience. Whether you’re interested in opening a franchise specialized in inside or outside painting there is sure to be a brand that piques your interest. Explore all the franchise opportunities in the Business Franchise Directory: www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com. au.directory

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The financial resources need to start and grow a business from scratch can be significant. Buying into a franchise provides an opportunity to follow your passion and be independent but with the support and benefits of a big business network. In most cases, franchisors will provide comprehensive operations manuals and training programs for their franchise owners. These procedures and efficiencies are designed to enable franchise owners to spend less time and effort burdened with administrative tasks and more time making money.

Ongoing training and support

Whatever a franchisee’s skillset, the franchisor can plug knowledge gaps with training and/or support in areas such as marketing, lead generation and back-office administration. Moreover, their buying power and fine-tuned business model helps to keep prices low for customers.

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Could a home improvement franchise be a lifestyle improvement for you? If you’re obsessed with The Block, have Bunnings on speed dial and are looking for the perfect franchise opportunity, don’t look past the home improvement industry. Two reasons why it’s worth a look: • Many of us have caught the DIY bug during Covid lockdowns, when we’ve had nothing better to do than look at four walls and become acutely aware of what does and doesn’t work at home. • And with interest rates at an all-time low, travel out of the question and house prices booming, where better to spend your money than on your home? Or on a franchise that will let you to grab a slice of the home improvement pie?

That pie is certainly a fat one One out of three Australians are planning to renovate in 2021, with an average spend of $26,000, according to a survey commissioned by leading Australian bathroomware retailer, The Blue Space.

“To find the home improvement franchise opportunity that works best for you, you will need to ask yourself some tough questions about your expectations, needs and skills and evaluate them against what each opportunity offers.” Robin La Pere | Franchise Consultant No Ordinary Businesses and Franchises

That’s a potential spend of around $200 for every person in Australia, a whopping $52 billion this year, up nearly 16% from the $45 billion estimated by consulting firm DGC Advisory to have been spent in 2020. Having been kept at home for so long by the pandemic, the majority of those surveyed by The Blue Space said they were inspired to improve their spaces so that they and their families could better enjoy them.

Spoiled for choice Whether homeowners wish to add value to their properties with a fresh coat of paint and new carpet, flooring, drapes or blinds, or go a step further with a new kitchen or bathroom, an extra room, a second storey, a garage or an outdoor entertainment area, one thing is for sure: there’s a franchise out there to service their needs.

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So if you’re considering a home improvement franchise, you’re certainly spoiled for choice. But apart from that, why go for home improvement rather than another popular franchise category such as home services or food and beverage?

Create lasting value One of the top reasons given by home improvement franchisees, in my experience, is the satisfaction you get from creating a home environment for your customers that enhances not only their lives but the lasting value of their homes. The key words here are ‘creating’ and ‘lasting’. With home services such as cleaning and repairs, you’re not creating anything new, simply maintaining what’s already there. The satisfaction that home improvement franchisees get from creating lasting value

“One of the top reasons given by home improvement franchisees, in my experience, is the satisfaction you get from creating a home environment for your customers that enhances not only their lives but the lasting value of their homes.”

Upfront cost is just one of the factors in choosing the right franchise. Another is the amount of training and support you will receive from the franchisor, especially if you are new to the industry or to running a business. Franchises such as Pzazz Building will provide you with comprehensive training, business systems, design services and support, and will pass on any customer leads they receive from their national marketing, but expect you to manage and grow your own business. On the other hand, franchise systems like Bathroom Werx will provide you with the marketing, call centre, job scheduling, invoicing and debt collection needed to administer your franchised business so you can concentrate solely on the job of servicing customers and making money. • To find the home improvement franchise opportunity that works best for you, you will need to ask yourself some tough questions about your expectations, needs and skills and evaluate them against what each opportunity offers.

generally means that the hours they invest in growing their business don’t feel like work because they love what they are doing. And every customer offers an opportunity to create something unique.

Other reasons Other reasons for choosing a home improvement franchise include the flexibility and variety in franchisees’ working lives, franchise affordability and the fragmented nature of the home improvement industry. Although home improvement franchisees need to be self-motivated and reliable, they are not generally constrained by retail opening hours or regular contract service times. Because many are able to operate from home or mobile bases, their start-up and operating costs can be lower than many other franchises. And as there are few major players in the home improvement industry, joining a franchise gives franchisees several competitive advantages over stand-alone businesses – including ready-made branding, marketing and operating systems as well as the training and support you need to get your business up and running as smoothly as possible, even if you have little industry or business experience.

Get a leg-up into your own business “Our mission is to give builders a leg-up into their own businesses and take as much of the cost and risk out of starting up as possible,” says Russell Poole, Managing Director of Pzazz Building, which has the distinction of being New Zealand’s first national specialist home renovation franchise. “Because we see our relationship with our builders as a longterm partnership, we keep our initial fees low so they have enough capital available to build healthy, growing businesses. It’s a win-win for both parties.” To get into other home improvement franchises can cost between $10,000 and $1 million+, depending on the type of business. For example, Outside Concepts, a franchise specialising in outdoor home improvement projects such as carports, pergolas, gazebos, verandahs, decking and pool and spa enclosures, charges $57,500 + GST. As with all franchises, you will also need working capital—cash needed to operate the business and live off until the business starts making money. Outside Concepts says this normally takes between 6 and 12 months. Many of their new franchisees continue with their existing employment or take a part-time job to cover living expenses while building the business. This reduces the amount of working capital they will need.

• What am I good at? Will the franchise allow me to use my skills while training and supporting me in things I’m not good at? • What do I like doing? Will I be satisfied with operating this type of business in the long term? • Am I comfortable with following the franchise’s systems or do I prefer doing my own thing? While all franchises require you to follow their systems, many in the home improvement sector require a degree of entrepreneurialism rather than simple compliance. • How much can I afford to pay and what return am I likely to get on my investment? Robin La Pere is a franchise consultant with more than 20 years’ experience as a franchise manager, CEO and owner as well as a consultant, coach and speaker on franchising. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, he works with clients throughout Australasia and internationally. He is a specialist in business model development, strategic planning, process improvement, innovation and franchise recruitment marketing. www.noordinary.co.nz Disclaimer: Robin La Pere is a shareholder and non-executive director of Nuovo Group Ltd, the owner of the Pzazz Building brand.

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Questions to help you choose

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What the home improvement boom means for franchise businesses

CEO and Founder of Poolwerx, John O’Brien, shares why many trends that have surfaced over the last eighteen months will continue, and what it means to businesses. Living in a COVID world for 18 months has changed our attitudes to making travel plans. Not only has it meant no international travel, but it’s also created an environment of apprehension for domestic travel given the new wave of COVID cases around the country, with many people nervous about committing to going anywhere beyond our front door. Now, when we are weighing up either a holiday or a renovation, the latter seems the safer investment. Home improvements have become a key focus for many Australian families, with many choosing to invest in renovations and home comforts. Maybe it’s an extra bedroom or bathroom, an upgraded kitchen

“Home improvements have become a key focus for many Australian families, with many choosing to invest in renovations and home comforts.” John O’Brien | Founder and Australian CEO | Poolwerx

for entertaining, or a pool for family fun. Australians are spending a record billion dollars a month on renovations in an absolute boom partly fuelled by COVID government stimulus and by continued lockdowns nationwide. In fact, the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Australia (SPASA) reported the demand for new pools jumped 30 per cent YOY. The home cocooning trend shows no signs of waning and as a result we’re continuing to see a surge in demand for home services. The broader pool and home improvement industry who were the beneficiaries of this trend throughout 2020 are still reaping the rewards in 2021. From our experience, the Poolwerx brand and what we stand for –

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maintaining healthy pools for families and friends to create lifelong backyard memories – is really resonating with clients in the current climate. COVID has delivered multiple challenges for businesses in many ways. However, as we adapt to a BAU – Business as unusual with a new way of living, greater time working from home and even staycations, the business consumer supply chain is moving and fuelling local spend. National unemployment rate hit its lowest level in a decade at 4.9% last month and, despite the testing retail environment, many companies are reporting EOFY success. These strong FY21 results reflect the trend of Australians investing in their own homes

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“As a business we have received a record number of franchise inquiries from those craving a new start, wanting to be their own boss and to invest in a recession-resistant industry.”

and backyards, generating a home servicing industry boom and proving that this is a recession-resistant industry.

Riding the Wave of New Opportunities The pandemic and inevitable lockdowns have forced many people to examine their careers and it’s estimated 3 million Australians will consider a post-pandemic career change. People have become accustomed to the benefits of working at home - spending more time with the family, greater flexibility around working hours and no commute. For many, returning to the workplace is a daunting prospect, not to mention the job uncertainty now faced in many industries. As a business we have received a record number of franchise inquiries from those craving a new start, wanting to be their own boss and to invest in a recession-resistant industry. We have never seen so many highly qualified franchise partner enquiries in our 29-year history. Mid-tier business professionals are understanding the opportunities that are presented by starting their own franchise journey. Maybe their personal savings have increased, or they have greater equity in their homes and money to spend. A major benefit of joining the Poolwerx network is the different options available to join - such as buying an existing business, converting an existing business or becoming a mobile franchise partner.

On the other side, it seems the pandemic has brought forward the decision for independent pool store owners to sell. For many, without the support of a strong network, the world has just become a bit too uncertain for many small businesses and their nest eggs are now more vulnerable. This is where we can step in and help with succession planning. Today’s average franchise partner ranges from first time business owners, right up to experienced entrepreneurs who manage multiple territories with multi-milliondollar turnovers. We see this latter trend continuing, and expect an increase in the number of experienced business people entering franchising as it provides the ability for an improved work/life balance while still building a successful business with the backing of our established support network. In New Zealand, Garth Parker joined Poolwerx as our first master franchise partner after leaving his job as executive at Nando’s NZ. Garth’s appointment came off the back of Poolwerx’ success through COVID-19, where New Zealand sales jumped 50 per cent.

Supporting Franchise Partners through every Challenge Demand for home improvement, renovation, gardening and pool servicing has increased with many businesses extending their offerings to meet the demand.

From our own experience, our DIY options continue to be in high demand for clients riding the renovation wave. We have been able to quickly extend our offering with new services, including home delivery and test and deliver, to support those affected by Government restrictions. Our extended range of contact-free services are proving popular across all locations and an excellent example of the importance of business agility in the face of adversity. Throughout the last 18 months, we have increased support mechanisms, additional training, new product offerings and enhancing systems and processes to help franchise partners. Our diversified approach and business model, working across retail, servicing and commercial, provides partners with multiple revenue streams which can safeguard their business against troughs within the different sectors. Diversification has been key to success as we recently announced our most successful year in our history turnover 10% over FY21 forecast.

Evolution is Key In a cascade effect, a higher number of partners in the network coupled with our commitment to innovation and entrepreneurial culture has meant a restructure for the Poolwerx Support Team, including our Senior Leadership Team. As a result, we created a number of new roles including Chief Innovation and Technology officers, a Chief People, Performance and Culture Officer, Chief Commercial Officer and are currently looking for a Chief of Franchise Development. Since our inception, a key part of our ongoing growth is to constantly evolve and develop new innovations and initiatives.

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“Demand for home improvement, renovation, gardening and pool servicing has increased with many businesses extending their offerings to meet the demand.”

These new appointments not only mean increased support for our franchise partners but also ensures we stay ahead of our competitors and honour our key values – ‘dare to succeed’ and ‘find the better way’.

Success Begins Outside your Backyard How can an established business stay top of its game after 30 years? At Poolwerx, time and time again we’ve found that life begins on the edge of your comfort zone. Whether you’re a fresh startup, established business or part of a bigger franchise group, maintaining entrepreneurial culture and spirit is essential to continual growth and openness to innovation. We’ve found bold ways to inject new blood and ensure the business has a culture of constant improvement to maintain our spot at the top. We identified two key global macro trends to leverage across the business that are relevant, engaging and deal-breaking for our clients – health, encouraging family connections through creating a safe and healthy backyard; and environment, looking at the long-term sustainability of the pool industry encompassing chemical, water and energy use. We also look to the US – who are experiencing everything six months before we do in Australia and New Zealand – and apply the experience of market challenges before they occur. Those early insights

invariably benefit our network down under and act as an early warning system. Within this global scale, be aware of supply chain shortages – it’s amazing to see this boom in home improvement, but if we cannot deliver, then what’s the point? Poolwerx has an advantage in the sense that we have greater stockholder capabilities than most in the industry, so we can order in bulk and in advance. If that means renting out more space, then so be it, there is too much uncertainty at present with delays in delivery and shortages in both stock and containers – work with your manufacturer and make sure your house is in order.

Contemplating the future As we continue to navigate living a COVID normal life, I believe in order to plan our future it’s imperative to look at the past. We need to lean on our biggest learnings from the pandemic – and how these can be heightened moving forward. Future innovation is a no-brainer for us and we have been improving internal operations first, before looking outward. We are reimagining the way we educate and upskill our teams to improve the client experience, turning data into actionable insights to enable more informed decision making, and finding new ways to create efficiencies that achieve greater profitability for our franchise partners. The pool industry specifically has seen a handful of trends grow in the innovation

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space such as smart everything, anywhere operations and hyper automation. I am the first to admit the industry needs to catch up with innovation to meet the growing needs of the business, and that includes a number of elements such as reporting, compliance andtech, along with apprenticeships and female focused recruitment. We are looking at all these components with a close lens and weaving into our ongoing plan for the future. Home has become a place to live, learn and play, serving more than just a practical role. It’s a workplace, a classroom, a home restaurant to replace the special meals they once had dining out. We have an opportunity to continue from strength to strength – and we can all ride this wave. Poolwerx is the world’s largest global franchise pool service brand. Founded by Australian CEO and entrepreneur John O’Brien in 1992, Poolwerx has grown to nearly 600 service vehicles and 160 stores in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Poolwerx has multiple revenue streams, repeat clients, limited competition, is secure in the growing home services sector and is a technology leader. Poolwerx also champions the importance of teaching life saving water skills through its annual community initiatives, Responsible Pool Person and Learn2Swim Week, in partnership with Kids Alive.\

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PLENTY OF HEART When Michele Bucoy started her own franchise, it wasn’t just the dream of owning a successful business that motivated her. The mother of three also wanted to make a difference in the community. A Clinical Nurse Consultant with over 24 years’ experience in Melbourne’s cancer wards, Michele has helped countless patients transition back home after being discharged from hospital. The role opened her eyes to the need for care in the home environment, especially when it comes to daily living tasks. “In the hospital environment, you look after patients and make sure they get better, but you don’t see the big picture,” said Michele. “In home care, you get to see how people live. I wanted to be part of helping people settle back into the community.”

Turning passion into a pay check

Another Home Caring franchisee who is using her business to make a difference is Neelam Rai, a mental health advocate living on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Neelam said that her business background, combined with Home Caring’s expertise in the care industry, was the best combination for franchise success.

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home improvement franchises Using Technology for success “Our fascination with our homes, which for many are now also their workspaces, means the walls we live in are becoming more challenged to deliver more in function, flow and flexibility.” Erin Smith | General Manager | Lifesize Plans

Australians are known to be the most hands on renovators in the world, obsessed with our homes, kitchens and outdoor spaces. This shows in the Home Improvement and Do-It-Yourself sector, with the growth unstoppable despite the COVID-19 crisis crippling many other industries. The government incentives have rendered this industry one of the most buoyant in a difficult economy. Lockdown! and look what happened, everyone went to Bunnings for their supplies for their renovations they have put off, but now have the time (and in some cases need) to do. Our fascination with our homes, which for many are now also their workspaces, means the walls we live in are becoming more challenged to deliver more in function, flow and flexibility. The Construction sector in Australia is said to be worth $360 billion and the Home Improvement sector is said to worth more than $31billion, so our TV and subscription channels are flooded with exciting examples of shows like The Block, and globally Angel and Dick Strawbridge’s Escape to the Chateau: DIY series in France, and Joanna and Chip Gaines from Fixer Upper in the USA, who share their DIY trials and adventures of having a go at making their dream home. These shows make it all look easy as they swing their sledgehammers on ‘Demo day’, and get their excavators and scissor lifts out, and then place some cushions on the couch to finish it all off. You don’t always see the full story as this is TV. I don’t recall ever seeing them apply for council or construction permits? These scenes make renovations look simplistic from our couch. But beware! As an enthusiast, a poor renovation could cost you more than you imagined when you set out. Especially if poor waterproofing and drainage decisions are made.

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Let’s look at the ones most relevant to success when owning a home improvement business.

Customers - Who are they? There are lots of customers, just look at review sites like The RenoClub on Facebook where there are hundreds of questions people ask daily who need help, but they aren’t going to pay for it. For your success, customers need to have a relevant budget for their dream project. Define them and have a persona so all in your business know what a good customer looks like. What is their budget? Scoping your customers’ budget is a sensitive question and needs to be handled tactfully. Determine whether they want an ‘estimate’ or an ‘actual quote’ to sign a contract. An estimate will be quick based on a per sqm finish rate will help ascertain if your customer has any reality on build cost. Each week I see customers who do not understand why a single level acreage home costs more than a double storey home even though it is the same size. Your customer stream? If you are buying a home improvement franchise having help with your customer leads and management of them is critical. What technology platforms and skilled marketing tools is the franchisor supplying to you? Marketing is not just a website it is the ability to attract, interest and convert customers ideally online.

Use Technology for Design The use of Technology continues to grow in renovations. This allows both your team and the customer to be visually on the same page and makes quoting easier as well. Technology for ‘Design Management’ is freely available with design platforms like Lucid chart and Sketch-up to name a few where you can draw out and design a renovation plan. These platforms are little time to learn and provide a very professional and low cost approach to designing the layout. The benefit is you can talk all you like, draw it and it becomes a visual collaborative tool and you and your customer being on the same page. As many people want their own custom design, whether it be a new build or home improvement, businesses such as Lifesize plans in Sydney and WA are rapidly growing. This is becoming the new way to deliver a professional customer and design experience where you can walk the plan to actual 1:1 scale and identify and iron out potential

issues between the parties leading to a smoother build experience. Customers lack skill, experience and confidence in trying to understand scale and space. This is a learnt skill and today customers want functional multi-purposed spaces as well as open spaces yet they don’t understand what that looks like and how it flows together. Taking the proposed plan to an actual scale will quickly sort that out and help your customer realise exactly what they are getting in their new design layout.

Your current skills? If you study shows like The Block or successful renovation teams, many of the winners are already builders, trades or even undiscovered designers, so they have a skill set and some experience understanding where they are qualified to deliver on these projects, and fit in the process order, and benefit by using their free labour to make money. If you are considering a franchise then a background in one of these will definitely be a strong benefit, and best you school up and complete a base level course, as major mistakes will be at your business cost.

Technology for your supply chain Making a decision on how much you allow your customers to supply will be critical to the speed and profit of your home business. Allowing customers to roam all over the world and have products supplied that may not be fit for Australian standards should be a hard no. With so many businesses opening in this space you can share their sites with customers, order online and build a great supply chain with your partners.

“The use of technology continues to grow in renovations. This allows both your team and the customer to be visually on the same page and makes quoting easier as well. ”

Look for the up-and-coming entrepreneurs, for example some of my favourites are The Blue Space, Tile Cloud and ABI Tap Ware, who have been deliberate in their strategies to use their platforms as their virtual showroom online for the bathroom space. We have yet to see kitchens evolve to this degree past the flat pack philosophy. The key to success if you are considering a Home Improvement Franchise is customer engagement, understanding their wants, their budget and delivering the outcome, and underpinning all of this is using technology to get the plans and your ideas across. The Home Improvement sector is a trend I don’t see slowing anytime soon, and there is significant satisfaction to be gained helping others live better in their dream home or dream spaces. Erin has been a passionate and avid new home builder and renovator for 30 years. Her diverse experience includes new builds, extensions, complete demolition and interior restoration, factory-built homes off the grid, custom luxury concept homes and volume home new builds. Her holistic and commercial lens ensures the right fixtures and fittings are right for the home. Her professional qualifications in Management and Change ensures she is utilising emerging trends in the advice she gives. www.www.lifesizeplans.com

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If you are an enthusiast and considering buying or establishing a Home Improvement franchise there are a few key factors that will be pertinent to your success as an operator.

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pr o file : J im’s P ool Care

OFFICE BY THE POOL

Jim’s Pool Care continues to grow year on year and now has 118 franchise owners. The success has been built off the back of meeting growing customer demand for home services and a business model that is built around the franchisees’ goals and lifestyle. It is exciting as Jim’s Pool Care continues to grow. We now have Mobile Pool Shops in all major cities around Australia and the recent growth being driven from people wanting to take control of their work/life balance and many wanting to work closer to home. Jim’s Franchise owners can sell ongoing services, retail items, chemicals, and charge for their time. All these income streams ensure that owning a Jim’s Pool Care Mobile Shop gives you flexibility and multiple ways to make money from a growing industry.

Services include pool cleaning, regular maintenance, pool heating, pool inspections, lighting, pool blankets, and robotic cleaners.

Why does Jim’s Pool Care continue to grow? As a key division of the Jim’s Group, Jim’s Pool Care began around 15 years ago in Western Australia. Owner and General Manager Brett Blair has seen the franchise chain grow from around 30 to 118 franchisees and 13 Regional Franchisors over his 11 years in the role. Mr Blair believes a key success factor has been franchise satisfaction, by offering a system that is easy to follow and allows owners to build a business to suit their lifestyle and goals. “The Jim’s Pool Care concept is a true mobile pool shop that not only provides pool maintenance but sells a full and complete range of pool equipment and chemicals,” says Brett. “Our team are mobile pool shops on wheels. This means our franchisees can charge for their time and earn great margins on lucrative chemical and pool equipment

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products. So, you can work smarter and not harder by building long term relationships with customers. “Reflecting on the last 11 years and this amazing growth of Jim’s Pool Care, I am very proud of the team and the individuals who invested in our business and invested in themselves. Their reward is they are in a business that has no limits on their growth, they have full flexibility over how hard they work, their lifestyle choices and they are in fact their own boss. It is not easy for any new business to start up and it takes hard work each time, but my team are always here and committed to be there for their journey.”

Jim’s Group – A Huge Network that Works As part of the Jim’s Group – there are currently over 4000+ Jim’s franchisees making it one of Australia’s recognised brands. Jim’s Pool Care is big on ongoing support. After a thorough initial training program, to support our franchisees and encourage continual professional development, we ensure we have regular meetings and supplier training sessions

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“Our team are mobile pool shops on wheels. This means our franchisees can charge for their time and earn great margins on lucrative chemical and pool equipment products. So, you can work smarter and not harder by building long term relationships with customers.”

throughout the year. Many of these sessions are put on by suppliers that educate the Jim’s team on the latest equipment, technology, and water management processes. This ensures we can help customers and deliver the best service.

a great concept and the potential franchisee is free to choose any working franchisee, as Jim’s Group fully believe in being transparent all the way through the process. They are also encouraged to ask as many questions as they want.

This strong support network is reinforced with an annual franchise convention, where franchisees fly in from all around Australia. The conventions are usually three to four days where they get to hear from other franchisees, industry experts and sales and motivation coaches, which provides a great opportunity to learn and network with other franchisees.

After they have been out on the road and experienced for themselves how the business works and if keen to move forward, the next step is to start formalising the application. Part of this process is selecting a territory to build the business. Usually, the location is close or near to home to help reduce travel times and to help maximise chargeable hours for the franchisee. It also means that they can pop home if needed or help with family commitments if they arise.

What does it cost? Jim’s Pool Care franchises are now for sale in selected locations across Australia. The price for a new site starts at $69,000 and includes a complete start-up package. From time to time there may be some established re-sale opportunities which can be discussed upon enquiry. You will also need to purchase or lease a suitable vehicle. Jim’s have a flat monthly franchise fee and is committed to new franchisees and their success by offering a Pay for Work Guarantee of $1500 (incl. GST) per week. Conditions apply.

What does it take? The recruitment and application process starts with an initial meeting, usually over a coffee and is a discovery phase for both parties. Potential franchisees are then offered a day on the road with a franchisee. This is

How can you grow? “We have franchisees from all walks of life including trades, banking, engineering, administrative and existing industry professionals. Our franchisees don’t need to have existing industry skills as Jim’s Pool Care provides comprehensive training; they just need to be willing to try new things, follow the systems we have developed and provide great customer service,” Brett says. This in-house training starts with three days at the Jim’s Group Training Centre in Melbourne. All franchisees, from around the country, fly to Melbourne to meet Jim Penman and to learn more about the Jim’s system and how to become successful in business. The franchisees then go back to their respective cities and states where they

complete an on-the-road and face-to-face pool school training program which lasts approximately 15 days with their local Franchisor and trainer. Working with the best brands in the pool industry, including Astral, Zodiac, Maytronics, Daisy and Sunbather, the support that the franchisees receive from the brands regarding ongoing training and product support is impressive. “Ongoing training is provided by using a local regional franchisor model. This is perfect for a new business owner. We have someone on the ground in every region who provides the ongoing training and support. Once trained, every month, as a minimum, the regional franchisor will contact the franchisee to provide technical and business support. There are between six to eight local regional meetings a year, which allows all the franchisees in that region to get together and share ideas and attend a range of supplier training. This provides our franchisees with a strong support network,” says Brett. A Jim’s Pool Care franchise is a mobile retail business with huge opportunities. This system provides you with the opportunity to work outside, to work your own hours, to be your own boss and to build your business without limit. If you too would like to take control of your future, contact Jim’s Pool Care now on: 131 546 info@jimspoolcare.com.au www.jimspoolcare.com.au

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Is your franchise ready for news media attention

if Covid-19 or another negative issue comes your way? Covid-19 is the latest issue where both franchisees and franchisors can be thrust into the national media spotlight without warning. Are you ready for that? If not, the reputation hit can severely damage the bottom lines of everyone across your franchise system.

What’s the answer? There are two things that every franchise needs in place as an insurance policy against this happening. This is not just relevant to Covid-19, but a myriad of other issues that can negatively affect a franchise. In the Home Improvement Industry, this could be anything from an allegation of a

“I have heard some franchise leaders say that the media can just wait when a serious issue hits, but that doesn’t work in this age of 24/7 news and social media.” Pete Burdon | Founder | Franchise Media Training

worker doing something inappropriate while working alone in a private residence to a serious accident that brings into question the quality of workmanship. The damage of such issues can be multiplied in the Franchise sector because there are ample examples of entire networks suffering financial damage because of one allegation made against one franchisee.

The answer is twofold. Firstly, a Crisis Communication Plan that outlines exactly what to do if this does eventuate, and secondly, head office needs two spokespeople who know how to talk to media. Not just those who are good communicators, but those who understand how a media interview is quite unlike any other conversation and how to master it. Putting all this in place doesn’t have to take long but is absolutely vital. Warren Buffett summed this up best by the following quote: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” I have heard some franchise leaders say that the media can just wait when a serious issue hits, but that doesn’t work in this age of 24/7 news and social media. If the franchise doesn’t communicate quickly and effectively with its own community and the media, it will be made out to be a villain rather than a victim because it appears the leadership either don’t care or don’t know what is going on. They pay a heavy price for this on social and traditional media where others start to speculate about what is happening and detractors are only too willing to share their views through their own channels and by talking to reporters.

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FE ATUR E : h o m e serv ices FRANCHISES

What should the Crisis Communication Plan have in it? The first thing the plan needs is pre-prepared holding statements on possible scenarios. These are short media releases that say very little, but let your community and media know that you are aware of the situation and are doing all that you can to resolve it, or support those affected. That lets your community know you are in control and means you will feature in early news stories about the issue. The alternative is a line in news stories saying, “The franchise refused to comment.” That is never a good look and suggests that you are hiding something. Those stories then make their way into social media where people comment on them. Secondly, there are various roles that need to be filled. Someone has to lead the communication response, and this is unlikely to be the Franchisor or CEO because he/ she will be too busy with other tasks. If you have a communications team, the leader of that would hold this position, otherwise someone else from head office. This person oversees the entire communication response. For example, one of those jobs will be getting the relevant holding statement to every franchisee so they can give it to media who arrive on the scene. This person will also make sure that everyone understands the staff guidelines, which would include a strict rule that no-one actually talks to media, but just hands them the statement with the spokesperson’s details at the bottom. The spokesperson position is usually held by the Franchisor or CEO. It’s best to use only one per issue if possible, but sometimes two are needed. More on media interview skills coming shortly. The Online Manager is another vital role. This involves monitoring social media, and not just the franchise sites. There will be times when misinformation must be corrected and messages shared with your community. The plan also needs contact information for multiple people, different channels to communicate with them, while a number of places need to be organised to accommodate different groups when a negative issue strikes. For example, where to put reporters when they arrive at either head office or a franchise location. While there is more to a Franchise Crisis Communication Plan than can be explained in this article, it’s not difficult to prepare and doesn’t have to take long. However, it does need to be done because there’s nothing more stressful than dealing with an issue like this without a plan of action. It’s too late

“The other thing the franchise needs are trained media spokespeople. That’s because there will be times when someone needs to front up to media.”

to plan once something happens and the days are gone when you can just call in a PR company. That takes too long and the horse will have bolted.

Media Interview Skills The other thing the franchise needs are trained media spokespeople. That’s because there will be times when someone needs to front up to media. Often a statement will work at the outset, but later media will demand to talk. It’s usually best to agree to this because it gives you the power to control the story, rather than leave that to others who may not be sympathetic or communicate misinformation. With most media interviews, reporters only use snippets of your conversation. That’s why you need a clear message and the skills to return to it regularly. You also need to know how to package your message in media friendly ways. By doing this, you have far more control over what they focus on in their stories than you may believe. Often stories are negative because the spokesperson didn’t give any interesting information that could be packaged properly to create a good story. By being ready with a plan and media trained spokespeople, you can mitigate any damage and sometimes even turn it to your

advantage. For example, if there is a victim and your message is focused on empathy and explaining what you will do to correct the situation, your reputation can grow. That’s because people care more about how you respond to a situation than the fact it happened in the first place. But by failing to have a plan, you won’t be able to respond before people make up their mind whether you are the victim or villain. Then you spend all your time trying to change their minds, which is a lot harder than communicating with them while they are still forming their opinion. Also, untrained media spokespeople can fall into many invisible traps, while most look for any possible excuse to avoid talking to the media for fear of humiliation. Don’t let this be your franchise. Look at this preparation like a fire drill, or an insurance policy against your reputation. Pete Burdon is the founder and head trainer at Franchise Media Training. He is a former daily newspaper reporter and government press secretary. Check out his free Online Masterclass: “The Franchise Leader’s Survival Guide to Dealing with the New Media when the Stakes are High,” at www.FranchiseMediaTraining.com

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FE ATUR E : h o m e serv ices FRANCHISES

sna ps h ot: D eckS eal

seal your future with a DeckSeal Franchise Now is the time to buy into the home improvement market, so get 2021 back on track with a DeckSeal Franchise. Low startup cost, mobile business, and a proven established model – it’s the perfect opportunity. Join the largest deck and timber restoration and preservation specialists in Australia. We undertake a wide range of projects including decking, cladding, screens, fences, seats, handrails, posts, outdoor furniture, planter boxes and garden edges and service Residential and Commercial properties. With common benefits including instant brand recognition in an established market, set supplier contracts and a support network of your franchisor and fellow franchisees, buying into an already established business model is a tempting proposition for many! A timber deck is an iconic part of the Australian outdoor lifestyle and a key feature in countless homes across the country. Not only does a timber outdoor area extend existing living space, it adds value to a property – more so when maintained to its full potential. With a continual flow of enquiries, repeat business and an overwhelming demand for our services, we just cannot keep up. DeckSeal currently has territories available in NSW, QLD, WA, SA, and TAS. The restoration and preservation of timber structures and decks is a niche business, placed within a significant growth market. Now more than ever, people are entertaining at home and utilizing their outdoor spaces. Our franchisees love what they do. The satisfaction they get out of their work and business is endless, from seeing the deck at the beginning of the project to the final result is amazing! DeckSeal offers everyday people the perfect opportunity to capitalize on their existing skills or quickly build a new set without the burden of learning a new trade. Our Franchisees are invoicing between $10k-$15k per month (sole operator) and $15k-$30k+ per month (with 1 or 2 staff). These figures can vary depending on location, work ethic, staff, hours per week, etc. If you’re a motivated, honest and organised person who wants to own a business that enables you to have more flexibility in your life, have control over your income, and bring a smile to your client’s face – then we want to talk to you! For more information or to register you interest, please call 1800 332 525 or email admin@deckseal.com.au

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WHAT’S ON OFFER: • Your own Exclusive, large territory • Hands on Training, onsite with DeckSeal Master Franchise (4weeks) • Training in Quoting and Sales • Training in Software - Xero, Ascora, Op Central and G-Suite • Uniform • DeckSeal Supplier Pricing • Marketing Material and Stationery • Operation and Technical Manuals • Sales and Brand Marketing and Advertising

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fo c us feature : G AT E WAY S H O PPI N G C EN T R E

Gateway to success Located just a 20-minute drive from Darwin’s CBD and suburbs, Gateway Shopping Centre is an exciting shopping and entertainment precinct attracting more three million customer visits each year.

Home to major stores, indoor and outdoor dining options, cinemas, entertainment precinct and plenty of undercover parking it’s no surprise the centre is a compelling destination to set up a franchise business. We chat with the owners of two franchise stores in the centre to discover why they became part of the Gateway success story.

Interview with Jye Thorbjornsen - Australian Sports Nutrition Franchisee How long have you been working with Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN)? What were you doing prior to franchising? I’ve been working with ASN since November 2020. Prior to that, I was franchising with Snap Fitness (still am since March 2018). Before franchising, I was working in the family business or for myself in various industries. What is the ASN brand all about? What makes you unique/different? ASN is a brand about quality and great customer service. Within ASN there’s an exclusive brand called ‘Evolve’ and Simon Rees [Owner & Founder of ASN], develops and produces that brand himself in Australia. Simon really prides himself on good products, good quality service, stores that are inviting and create a really good atmosphere. That’s why I chose ASN.

Why is Gateway the perfect fit for your store? The reason why we chose Gateway and why we like it here is the location; the centre is right on each arterial road. Every major road intersects here, you can get here from anywhere and it’s visible from everywhere. We get loads of marketing support which helps us enormously. What is it like doing business in Darwin? If you can build relationships and do the right thing by your customers, landlord, contractors, you’ll do well as everyone looks after each other here in this small community. Have you celebrated any particular achievements in the past 12 months? What’s in store for the future? I celebrate my achievements once a month, including hitting all-time highs at the gyms, plus new gym openings. In the future, I’d like

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to secure another five shops as I’d like to build a big retail group here; focussing on health, fitness and beauty. What do love about your franchise? What are your favourite things about franchising? What I like about franchising is that you don’t have to figure out a lot of the small stuff that costs money when you make mistakes. You get more support and you’re connected to something that is proven to work. What are 3 of your top tips for those looking to buy a franchise? 1. Do your due diligence. Research and go out and experience the franchise as a customer. 2. If you can’t see yourself doing it for very long or for any reason besides money, it’s not for you. 3. Get ready for the long haul. Business is a long-term commitment.

stop press

Interview with Nguyet Vu and Thi Dang - Soul Origin Franchisee How long have you been working with Soul Origin? What were you doing prior to franchising? Soul Origin is our first franchise. We opened the first Soul Origin franchise in Casuarina three years ago, then opened at Gateway and Galleria to follow. Before franchising, we opened our own businesses, including two nail salons and a takeaway shop. What is the Soul Origin brand all about? What makes you unique/different? The quality, the displays… it just looks amazing. When we first saw the concept in Sydney, we said to each other, ‘wow’. Why is Gateway the perfect fit for your store? It’s the largest sub-regional and one of the busiest shopping centres in Darwin. Soul Origin also wanted to prioritise opening in food courts… it’s fast, it’s convenient. You’re also guaranteed foot traffic at Gateway. There’s a lot of potential and opportunities here. What is it like doing business in Darwin? It just made sense to do business here in Darwin. We live here, we grew up here. We have family support, friends and we know a lot of people in town. People have been supporting us throughout all of our businesses, within a small community, it really helps.

Have you celebrated any particular achievements in the past 12 months? What’s in store for the future? Achievements include opening more new stores at Gateway. Our future plans are to push catering across the three Soul Origin stores and invest more in marketing to get the Soul Origin brand out there. What do love about your franchise? What are your favourite things about franchising?

OPENING SOON AT GATEWAY

It’s a lot easier. With our previous businesses we have started them from scratch ourselves. With franchising, they do everything. For example, they build the kiosk, and you don’t really have to worry or think about anything else. We’ve been so happy with Soul Origin because of their support. What are 3 of your top tips for those looking to buy a franchise? 1. Do your research. We visited Sydney two or three times and visited multiple sites. 2. Truly believe in the products you will be selling. 3. Be prepared to work hard. In a franchise, you’ve got to spend at least six months to a year in the store to understand your business and your customers. To learn more about franchising opportunities at Gateway Shopping Centre visit www.gatewaynt.com.au/franchisee

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WHY YOU SHOULD BUILD A HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM RIGHT NOW Over the past 12 months, there has been a plethora of discussions about the future of work, and what it will look like post-pandemic.

“Now, more than ever, teams need to be connected and engaged. They need to be brainstorming, collaborating, conversing, sharing, challenging, helping and enjoying. When was the last time your team came up with the next big idea?” Garie Dooley | Author/Keynote speaker/Coach/Facilitator

At the core of these discussions is the notion of productivity, where the premise for supporting a more flexible working arrangement hangs on the idea that ‘I am more productive at home without office distractions’. This begs the question: are we running the risk of valuing individual productivity over team productivity? Many leaders have expressed concerns that their teams are feeling tired and isolated and that they are beginning to lose their sense of belonging. In fact, some have suggested that anxiety has risen to such a level that their teams are simply ‘going through the motions’.

The Fallout People thrive in team environments where they are surrounded by family, colleagues and sports teams, or friendship and community groups; they especially thrive in high performance teams. But organisations aren’t using these times to build their team environment. They have put this on hold. They aren’t intentionally utilising familiar technology platforms that still enable us to connect in a real sense. Yes, physical proximity is desirable, but there is no logic

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in (hopelessly) waiting for the next in-house team building day. In their efforts to maximise individual productivity, organisations are missing the opportunity to recognise and build on the need to connect their people back to their teams at levels far deeper than the ‘transaction’—like a team meeting to discuss work in progress. Now, more than ever, teams need to be connected and engaged. They need to be brainstorming, collaborating, conversing,

“People thrive in team environments where they are surrounded by family, colleagues and sports teams, or friendship and community groups.”

“A team conversation is the best time to discuss your team’s purpose. Ignite a discussion that offers your team’s purpose more impetus. Discuss what needs to be implemented, improved or investigated.”

sharing, challenging, helping and enjoying. When was the last time your team came up with the next big idea?

• What are they enjoying about their changing lives?

Building connection for a High Performance Environment

• What are they finding challenging?

An organisation’s values are reflected in its choices. Choosing collective performance means not missing the opportunity to build a productive team environment. Although catching up to talk about a particular project or having ‘Zoom’ drinks on Friday afternoon may well be of value, it does not constitute a genuine commitment to building a high performance environment. The cornerstone of high performance environments is trust: what is your organisation doing now to build on this foundation? Waiting until the team is together in one room is a high risk approach. Begin creating more meaningful conversations by seeking to understand where your team members are emotionally. • What is concerning them at a personal level right now? • What scares them right now? • How is their family coping with the current environment?

• What is causing them frustration? • What does success look like for them and for their team right now?

The Value in Real Conversations How often do your leaders discuss their team’s purpose? How can leaders ensure they deliver on this during times when disconnection is being offered up as an excuse? A team conversation is the best time to discuss your team’s purpose. Ignite a discussion that offers your team’s purpose more impetus. Discuss what needs to be implemented, improved or investigated. Take the time to discuss your team’s core values and align them with its current environment. A team conversation should cover what its values look like now that working-from-home arrangements are in play. Keep in mind, however, that values are not nouns. Being humble is not a value; the value is in the behaviours that define what this looks like in the team and now is the time to realign those behaviours. Are your leaders missing opportunities

to have the real conversations? Are they placing sufficient emphasis on discussing and planning ‘collective productivity’? The shift in what an organisation values will put teams in the strongest position to accelerate performance beyond what is happening now. The teams that will emerge the strongest are working on this today, and have been for the past 12 months. If you are not doing this now, you will get left behind. Garie Dooley, author of Phenomenal Teams, is a keynote speaker, author, coach, and facilitator who has supported teams globally and within Australia, from corporate boardrooms through to elite sport teams, including AFL Premiership winners, Super Rugby Champions, Sheffield Shield winners, netball grand finalists, and Rugby State of Origin winners. He’s obsessed with stretching and growing ‘the brave’, the ‘mavericks in the making’, and ‘the game changers’ to create Phenomenal Teams and Legendary Leaders. To find out more visit www.gariedooley.com/phenomenal-teams

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sna ps h ot: C e ntre S t a g e D a n c ewe a r

Meet

Centre Stage Dancewear Franchisor

Kassandra Stewart

Centre Stage Dancewear (CSD) has been a recognised name in the dance world for more than 20 years and now they are offering an exciting opportunity to franchise their unique pop-up dance shops across Australia!

Business Franchise Magazine caught up with franchisor Kassandra Stewart to discover some of the perks of owning a pop-up franchise store and what it takes to become part of the CSD family.

Kassandra, tell us about yourself and how the Centre Stage Dancewear franchise began? As a hairdresser of 28 years, I had always worked for myself but I needed a new challenge and a new career, so when the opportunity to buy Centre Stage Dancewear came about, it was perfect for me and allowed me to work around the needs of my family. While I was learning the ropes in the shop, I started visiting different dance schools in my local area and offered them a pop-up shop at their dance studio. I organised a date and time and they would let the parents know. A lot of the studios would rebook three or four times a year, so it was very successful. I knew that there was a good business opportunity there and so I decided to engage a company who helped with the process of starting a franchise and that is how we started.

Why is there a demand for your service in the dance community?

What training do you offer your franchisees?

I know how time poor parents are and with all the activities kids do these days adding going to a dance shop is just another job. They have to drop their children at the dance studio anyway, so a pop-up store solves the problem. A lot of regional areas don’t have a dancewear shop or they might have a small one with a limited range, so by bringing the pop-up store to them it solves the problem of them having to come all the way to us. We have no competition terms of pop-up dance shops.

We do a week-long training session at CSDHQ. We teach you how to fit dance shoes, what they are made of and the dance genres they are used for. We are available 24/7 and I personally attend the first couple of pop-ups with the franchisee so they can find their feet. I try to do as much as I can to make it a seamless process for the studio and the franchisee.

To open a bricks and mortar dance shop and stock it would cost more than $400,000. A Centre Stage pop-up store is just $34,990 and $20,000 of that is stock.

What type of person would ‘fit’ your franchise profile? You definitely need to be self-motivated. You don’t necessarily have to have a business brain but if you want a business where all the hard work is done for you, this is the perfect opportunity. It enables you to work part time around your family with the financial freedom of a full-time job. We are quite selective who we take on board, you have to be a team player, friendly and fun. It’s an added bonus if you are member of a dance community and you love immersing yourself in that culture.

How has your business model changed over the past 12 months and what does the next 12 months look like for Centre Stage Dancewear? I think the pandemic changed the way we do things and the way we look at work. When you have your own business, you are your own boss and so you have that job security. You can utilise that down time to reassess and operate your business to suit you. Yes, the sales are going to take a dip at times, but I think most importantly the dance world is going to come back stronger than ever. It’s actually the perfect time to get in to one of our franchises because by the time you are trained and ready to go we will be heading into that peak time in the dance world. After a year with no concerts everyone is busting to get back out there. For all initial enquires contact Kassandra today at: kassandra@centrestagedancewear.com.au www.centrestagedancewear.com.au/

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CRT

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Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 63 CRTV-17964_The-Lott_B2B-Prospect-Pack_Full-page-Ad.indd 1

4/20/21 10:22 AM

e x pert a dv i c e

WHY VISITOR MANAGEMENT IN FRANCHISES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

The past 18 months have been challenging for people and businesses across Australia and New Zealand, and globally, as everyone adapts to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. However, as the world continues to settle into a pandemic-changed life, organisations must continue to adopt processes that facilitate business continuity despite the constantly evolving market landscape. This is particularly true for franchisees as ongoing lockdowns, changing restrictions, and social distancing guidelines continue to create significant challenges for franchise businesses to overcome, particularly in terms of the number of visitors permitted in different establishments. COVID-19 has heightened the need for a simple yet secure way of managing visitors and contractors in franchise businesses, especially when these visitors and contractors are over and above their regular customer foot traffic. Tracking these visitors is critical for franchise businesses to comply with government pandemic regulations, and visitor and contractor management will continue to be high on the agenda into the future. It’s essential that franchisees invest in modern technology solutions, including digital visitor management systems, that let them more efficiently track visitors to their sites without increasing costs exponentially. Digital visitor management systems let franchisees elevate

“While the pandemic continues, it remains essential for all business owners to ensure the health and safety of their staff and visitors and help reduce the potential spread of coronavirus.” Stephen Darracott | Country Manager Pitney Bowes Japan Australia and New Zealand

safety and compliance across their sites while simultaneously reducing their overheads and administrative costs.

functionality, to help ensure the ongoing safety and security of workers and visitors to businesses.

New Zealand’s changing alert levels in response to COVID-19 significantly affected traffic to franchise businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, creating challenges for franchisees in terms of monitoring the fluctuating number of visitors and workers onsite. Similarly, Australian businesses were required to use state-based COVID-tracking apps, in addition to the country’s COVIDSafe app, to support the government’s contact tracing efforts, helping to register all visitors to local businesses and franchises.

While digital visitor management systems can provide a rapid overview of who is onsite at any given time, which is essential for COVID-19 contact tracing, they can also be leveraged into the future to help improve the ongoing security of franchise businesses. The latest digital management systems capture and record relevant information on visitors, storing it in a secure database in real time. This guarantees that businesses have access to the most up-to-date information possible about people on-site at any given time. Additionally, it’s also possible for some digital systems to incorporate information on safety and security procedures to help protect on-site visitors.

While it’s essential that franchise businesses continue to support the government’s efforts with these tools and remain compliant with regulations, investing in digital visitor management systems gives franchisees an added layer of support in keeping their visitors and staff safe on-site. Modern visitor management systems also incorporate additional features, such as QR code

For service franchises like hotels, for example, using digital visitor management systems during the check-in process can help ensure all guests undertake safety and security inductions when they arrive. This helps to better ensure guest safety and security in the event of an emergency by guaranteeing all guests are given this information upon checkin.

Keeping franchises safe and secure

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“Some of the latest digital visitor management systems use infrared temperature scanning features to check visitors’ temperatures. These systems can notify staff on-site if they detect a person with an elevated temperature so effective measures can be taken.”

into the health and safety of a business and its staff, visitors, and contractors. Depending on the franchise’s business, digitising visitor management processes lets franchisees keep their administrative costs low by removing the need for dedicated staff to spend time monitoring visitors or checking temperatures.

“Modern visitor management systems also incorporate additional features, such as QR code functionality, to help ensure the ongoing safety and security of workers and visitors to businesses.”

Growing healthier franchises While the pandemic continues, it remains essential for all business owners to ensure the health and safety of their staff and visitors and help reduce the potential spread of coronavirus. Some of the latest digital visitor management systems use infrared temperature scanning features to check visitors’ temperatures. These systems can notify staff on-site if they detect a person with an elevated temperature so effective measures can be taken. By monitoring the health and safety of on-site visitors, and keeping a close eye on potentially infectious people, franchisees can help to minimise the spread of contagions throughout

their business. This won’t only benefit businesses during the pandemic, either. As the southern hemisphere heads into its 2021 flu season, and in the case of future health events, franchisees will be able to leverage this feature to better protect the health of their workers and visitors. By investing in these solutions, franchisees can deploy tools into their businesses now that will better protect them in the future.

Keeping health and safety high, but costs low Incorporating digital visitor management systems into franchises is more than an upfront expense; it’s a long-term investment

Additionally, franchisees can set up digital visitor management systems close to office or reception staff to ensure that all visitors sign in on entry using the system without needing to dedicate time to manually signing them in. This can also be helpful and more cost-effective for service franchises in terms of reducing the need for additional staff to work outside of standard hours. With digital solutions, franchise businesses may be able to expedite sign-in procedures without needing specialist staff members to manage these processes. While the pandemic has highlighted the need for visitor management systems to support contact tracing efforts especially, it has also helped franchisees to identify the other benefits that digital solutions can afford their businesses. By using digital visitor management systems, franchisees can keep their costs low without sacrificing the health, safety, or security of their staff, visitors, or businesses. This is especially beneficial in terms of adapting to changing business environments—such as the pandemic-affected business landscape—or for the uncertain future that businesses currently face. Making the effort to invest in these solutions now is essential for franchise businesses looking to secure business continuity in the future, by helping to streamline visitor management procedures without increasing their costs. Stephen Darracott is responsible for leading the mailing and shipping technology solutions businesses in the region. As country manager, he has the added responsibility of overseeing the leadership program for the region supporting employee engagement and culture, diversity and inclusion. Stephen is a seasoned technology executive, with more than 25 years’ experience in leadership roles in Asia Pacific and Europe. www.pitneybowes.com

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e x pert a dv i c e

Super changes for employers and support for small business salary and wage payments made to employees on or after 1 July 2021, even if some or all the payment relates to work performed before this date. The next SG quarterly due date is 28 October 2021. For more information, visit ato.gov.au/PayingSuper

Requesting stapled super fund details from 1 November 2021 From 1 November 2021, you may have an extra step to take to comply with choice of fund rules for employees who start on or after that date. If a new employee doesn’t choose a super fund, you may need to request details of a ‘stapled super fund’ from us. A stapled super fund is an existing account which is linked, or ‘stapled’, to an individual so that it follows them as they change jobs. This aims to reduce account fees by stopping new super accounts being opened every time an employee starts a new job. More info is available at ato.gov.au/StapledSuperFund

Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 Each time you pay your employees through Single Touch Payroll (STP) enabled software, you send their tax and super information to us, including:

While your tax and super obligations may be the last thing on your mind as you continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19, we want to highlight some recent changes to the Super guarantee as well as upcoming changes to Single Touch payroll.

These changes may impact the way your business reports and pays your tax and super, so it’s important to understand them. We’ve also included information about additional help and support resources if you need it. If you’re unsure what these changes mean for your business, or have other tax and super questions, we encourage you to seek advice from your trusted tax professional, check our website for more information, or contact us. We’re here to help.

Super guarantee (SG) changes On 1 July 2021, the SG rate increased from 9.5% to 10%. This means you’ll need to calculate SG contributions at 10% on all

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• salaries and wages • pay as you go (PAYG) withholding • super liability information. From 1 January 2022, the data collected through STP is changing. This is known as the STP expansion or STP Phase 2. The additional information you need to report should already be captured in your payroll software. STP Phase 2 will reduce the reporting burden for employers who need to report information about their employees to multiple government agencies. It also supports the administration of the social security system. For example: • you will no longer need to send Tax File

• the types of payments that need to be reported • your tax and super obligations

What if my software provider is not ready? Different payroll solutions will be ready at different times. If your software provider needs more time to update their product, they can apply for a deferral on your behalf so you’ll be covered. Your software provider will tell you what you need to do and when. To find out more, visit ato.gov.au/STP2

Help and support for small business - Get your whole-ofgovernment information in the one place A good starting point is business.gov.au. which is a whole-of-government website for the Australian business community, with information on a wide range of topics. You’ll be able to find links to government financial assistance and support for your business, grants and support in your state or territory, and more.

“If a new employee doesn’t choose a super fund, you may need to request details of a ‘stapled super fund’ from us. A stapled super fund is an existing account which is linked, or ‘stapled’, to an individual so that it follows them as they change jobs. ” Tony Goding | Acting Assistant Commissioner - Small Business | ATO

Number declarations to us – you’ll only need to keep them with your employee records • you may no longer need to provide separation certificates to your employees when they leave • if your solution offers the functionality and you choose to report Child Support deduction and garnishee amounts through your STP report, this will reduce the need for additional reporting to the Child Support Registrar.

Key changes The key changes and what they might mean for you include: • Amounts paid to employees - instead of reporting a single ‘gross’ amount, you’ll separately report components such as overtime, paid leave, bonuses and commissions. • Employment conditions - you’ll provide some additional information, such as whether your employee is full time, part time or casual, and the reason they stop working with you if they leave.

• Income types - you’ll include information such as whether payments are regular salary and wages or made to closely held payees (such as family members of a family business) or working holiday makers. This will mean we can identify relevant concessions and specific tax consequences. • Country codes - you’ll need to tell us where employees such as working holiday makers are from, and where any of your employees who are Australian residents working overseas are working. • Lump sums - by reporting Lump sum E payments through STP, you generally won’t have to provide lump sum E letters. • Child support garnishees and Child support deductions - you may be able to voluntarily report child support information in your STP report, which will reduce the need to give separate remittance advices to the Child support registrar.

Many things aren’t changing including: • how you lodge your STP report • when STP reports are due

You can also subscribe to our Small Business Newsroom at ato.gov.au/sbnews to stay up to date on tax and super changes and other information to help you run your small business. Most importantly, remember to ask for help if you need it. We have a wide range of resources for small business at ato.gov.au/SBsupport including our tax time toolkit. We are also here to support you in difficult times. Depending on your circumstances, we may be able to offer additional help. Find out more at ato.gov.au/support. Live chat – use this service to ask about GST, ABN, myGovID, BAS, account enquiries and to update details. Live chat is available from 3.00pm–8.00pm (AEDT) Monday to Friday and 10.00am–2.00pm (AEDT) on Saturday (except public holidays). You can also speak with your trusted advisor or registered tax professional for advice. Tony Goding is an acting Assistant Commissioner in the Small Business area of the ATO. His role involves engaging and supporting small businesses so that it’s easier for them to meet their tax, super and registration obligations. He is also focused on advancing the ATO’s digital services and helping small businesses manage their cash flow.

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 67

PR O FI L E : franchising expo

Discover a world of business ideas at the Franchising Expo Diary Dates: Brisbane: 8-9 October 2021, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Melbourne: 26-27 November 2021, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

sydney & Perth: Return in 2022

Starting you own business is a big step, that’s why visiting the Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo is a must. At the expo you can meet the main players, see up and coming business ideas, find all the legal and financial information you need and hear from the experts at the free seminars. By choosing a franchise you’ll have all the support, systems and training you need to be successful and profitable. This popular Expo gives you a chance to learn more about

Reader offer: register for HALF PRICE at: www.franchisingexpo.com.au by using promo code: CGB

working for yourself and how franchising can make it happen. Exhibition Manager Fiona Stacey Says it’s a matter of finding the right people to help you on your journey – be they franchisors, lawyers, consultants, accountants or other advisors. “All those people are available at the Expo, and more than willing to answer all your questions,” she says. “Entering a franchise agreement is serious business, and it is crucial to do your research. The Franchising Expo is a great place to start, or dive deeper into a concept you’re considering.” At the Brisbane Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo, running Friday 8Saturday 9 October 2021, you can find plenty of business ideas to suit your lifestyle, interest and budget. You will meet face-to-face with the people behind big brands such as Aussie, Chatime, Chicken Treat, Cosmetic Skin Therapies, Donut King, Dymocks, Kwik Kopy, Poolwerx, Quest Apartment Hotels, Roll’d, Soul Origin, Tax Store, The Graffiti Eaters and Xpresso Mobile Café. Organisers have announced that the Melbourne Expo will now be running at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26-27 November 2021. Fiona Stacey, Exhibition Manager says these new dates will

68 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

allow the show to run at full strength. She says “there is huge interest out there for people to work for themselves. By moving the show we can give everyone the chance to come along and learn how easy it is to get started”. She adds “we were unable to run any shows last year but are now overwhelmed by interest from exhibitors and visitors. These dates will enable us to run a busy and safe show for everyone”. Furthermore, to meeting exhibitors, visitors can attend a range of free seminars and panel sessions on the show floor that will educate, inform and motivate. New this year is the Start Your Own Business Workshop which rungs on Saturday morning from 9am, delivering advice on business ownership, how to get started and what you need to know to take the leap. Whatever your reason for becoming your own boss, the best possible start you can give yourself is knowledge. The Expo is the perfect place to begin your business journey or finalise your decision-making process. For more information go to www.franchisingexpo.com.au. If you are interested in exhibiting, contact Fiona Stacey on 03 9999 5464 or email fiona@specialisedevents.com.au

New Year New World New Opportunities

• Free advice from the experts • Meet the people behind the brands • Free seminars daily SAVE $10 Get your half price ticket online using code CGB at franchisingexpo.com.au

Sydney: 26-27 March 2021 | Brisbane: 8-9 October 2021 Melbourne: 26-27 November 2021 | Perth: returns in 2022

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ENDORSED BY

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 69

h ot to pi c s

Behind the

headlines Beauty chain acquires rival in $52m deal Listed cosmetic injections and skincare group Silk Laser Clinics has announced its acquisition of Australian Skin Clinics and the Cosmetic Clinic in New Zealand, according to a media report. The acquisition, worth $52 million, will increase Silk Laser’s outlets from 61 to 117, of which 14 are located in New Zealand. The company estimates there will be up to $500,000 in synergy savings and limited cross-over in locations. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will not conduct a public review into the

acquisition, reportedly indicating it has no concerns over reduced competition in the industry.

Real estate portal acquires mortgage chain Listed online real estate advertising company, REA Group, has acquired franchised mortgage broker Mortgage Choice in a deal worth $244 million, according to a media report. Mortgage Choice now joins REA-owned franchised broking business Smartline, effectively making REA Australia’s fourth largest mortgage broker with a 6.5 per cent

70 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

market share after the acquisition. In addition, REA has invested $15 million for a 34 per cent share in mortgage processing software company, Simpology. The software is designed to expedite the processing of mortgage applications which, due to an influx of loan applications, has been taking lenders up to eight weeks to approve.

Australian Domino’s operator enters 10th foreign market Australia’s largest pizza chain Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE) has entered a 10th international market through its $79 million acquisition of Domino’s Taiwan, according to a company statement.

Domino’s Taiwan, operated by PizzaVest Company Limited, currently operates 157 corporate and franchised restaurants and, given Taiwan’s population of more than 23.5 million people, expands DPE’s Asian market by more than 18 per cent to 150 million people. DPE has increased its future store count outlook in Asia to 1,900 stores by 2032 as a result of the acquisition. Meanwhile, DPE has also opened its 800th store in Japan less than 12 months after opening its 700th store there.

Court rejects disgraced franchisor’s appeal The full Federal Court has dismissed an appeal by mobile service franchisor Geowash Pty Ltd against a previous court finding that they knowingly breached Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and the Franchising Code of Conduct, according to an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission statement. A three-year investigation into Geowash began in 2016, the same year it was placed into voluntary administration. In 2019 it was found guilty of offences including acting unconscionably and making false and misleading representations, among other things, and went into liquidation in April. The company was fined $4.2 million in January 2020, including $1.045 million against its former hand car wash and detailing company director Sanam Ali, and $656,000 against national franchise manager Charles Cameron. Ali and Cameron were also disqualified from managing corporations in Australia for five and four years respectively. All penalties and disqualifications remain unchanged.

Fuel retailer on track to complete brand conversion Listed fuel retailer Ampol, formerly known as Caltex Australia, is on target to complete the brand conversion of its entire network before the end of 2022, according to a media report. To date 300 petrol stations have been rebadged in 2021, out of a total of 1,900 sites in the company’s nationwide fuel network. The re-brand which brings the

80-year-old Ampol badge back to Australian service stations was initiated in 2020 after international fuel giant Chevron terminated a licensing agreement for the use of the Caltex brand. The company views its future strategic direction as an energy distributor as it adds electric charging stations and potentially hydrogen for a new generation of gas-powered vehicles to its outlets, as well as expanding its grocery offer.

Major chain settles franchisee class action Convenience 7-Eleven has confirmed that a non-binding in principle agreement to settle a franchisee class action has been reached, subject to the approval of the Federal Court and subject to an agreement of the terms of a settlement deed, according to a media report. The process began in 2017 when a group of current and former franchisees alleged contract breaches, misleading and deceptive conduct, and unconscionable conduct by the company. Additional allegations were also made that the ANZ bank had provided loans that were unsustainable.

Jason Gehrke | Director Franchise Advisory Centre

above the listing price of USD$16, resulting in a market valuation of USD$1.46 billion (AUD$2 billion), according to a media report. F45’s Australian chief executive and cofounder’s 25.4% stake is worth an estimated USD$357 million following the listing, however, the brand’s original two founders sold their equity well before the listing, and missed the sharemarket windfall. F45 operates 1,555 studios in 63 countries around the world and was previously scheduled to list US NASDAQ exchange in late 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

Class actions brew over business interruption claims

Pharmacy owner rejects takeover offer

Global insurers Lloyds and QBE are facing class action lawsuits in the Federal Court, with up to 25,000 Australian businesses potentially eligible to compensation for rejected claims and missed opportunities, according to a media report.

Wholesale pharmaceutical distributor and Priceline Pharmacy franchisor, Australian Pharmaceuticals Industries (API), has rejected a takeover offer of $687 billion from multibrand conglomerate Wesfarmers, according to a media report.

Insurers have argued that business interruption policies were never intended to cover pandemics, rather than losses associated with extreme weather events such as fires or flood. However, an error in policy wording indicates otherwise with clauses excluding pandemics referred to an outdated parliamentary act.

API described Wesfarmer’s unsolicited, conditional, and non-binding bid of $1.38 per share as “not compelling” and opportunistic given that the offer was made on the same day that API announced a full-year earnings downgrade driven by COVID-related trading restrictions. Regardless of API’s decision, Wesfarmers has already secured a significant shareholding in the business through a deal with Washington H Soul Pattinson which currently owns 19.3% of API. Brands operating under Wesfarmer’s umbrella include Bunnings and Officeworks..

Fitness chain completes listing with $2b valuation Australian-based fitness chain F45 has listed on the New York Stock Exchange closing its first day with shares closing USD20cents

www.franchiseadvice.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 71

Turn Your Passion for Food into Your Own Restaurant

CALLING ALL ASPIRING FOODIE ENTREPRENEURS IN AUSTRALIA. 30+ PappaRich stores around Australia

Authentic Malaysian menu of foodie favourites

Largest Malaysian franchised business in Australia since 2012

Established global Malaysian cuisine brand

Dedicated support system

Support with leasing, design & operations

Full comprehensive training for all franchisees

Research & Development Centre in Melbourne

Networking with other franchise partners

Opening & National marketing campaigns

Want to know more?

To become part of the PappaRich family, contact us at franchise@papparich.net.au

T he ﬁ ne s t t a s te of Ma lays i a . papparich.net.au

PappaRichAus

pr o f ess i o n a l s er v i c es l i st i n gs

PO Box 5039, Brandon Park , VIC, 3150 P 03 9533 0028 Contact Corina Vucic E hello@fcbs.com.au https://www.fcbs.com.au/

Plug-ins for the gaps in your franchise offering There are often gaps in a franchising offering – whether that’s because the franchise has just started; the franchise is deliberately being kept small and manageable; or because a decision has been made to keep the overheads of the Corporate Office team low. Whatever the reason, those shortcomings in the offering can be critical to not only the success but the legal compliance of your franchise. That’s where FC Business Solutions can help. We can provide you with as much (or as little) support as you need. We cover all areas of franchising from strategic business advice and modelling to audits, manuals and policies to ensure you are compliant. We can do all your marketing: – from graphic design to website design and overhaul social media lead generation and full advertising campaigns. HR Help Desk, Operational Manuals Marketing and Recruitment is our passion. Contact us to see how we can help build your business.

Level 27 Governor Macquarie Tower, 9 Farrer Place, Sydney, NSW 2000 P 1300 858 818 Contact Jessica Gadiel E systems@safetynavigator.com.au www.safetynavigator.com.au

Safety Navigator is a cloud-based health and safety platform used by over 10,000 Australian and New Zealand businesses. Our focus is on making health and safety compliance easy for business to allow them to reduce the risk of a workplace incident occurring. We specialize in servicing the Franchise industry.

Level 6, 64 Marine Parade (PO Box 10857) Southport Qld 4215 P 07 5591 2522 F 07 5591 2511 Contact Sam Rees E sr@ippartnership.com.au www.ippartnership.com.au A specialist Franchising and Intellectual Property legal firm, providing advice for Franchisors from conception to recruitment and ongoing management. The firm takes great pride in its long term relationships with Franchisors and providing clients with expert, tailored and cost-effective advice. Expert advice and assistance is also provided to Franchisees buying & selling businesses as well as in relation to disputes.

Suite 13, 317 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading VIC 3131 P 1300 123 300 Contact Fred Nadde E fred@steadfasteastern.com.au fred@steadfasteastern.com.au

Shopinsurance has been looking after the needs of franchisees and franchisors for over 15 years. We offer via our website automated business insurance solutions backed by “one on one” personal advice, to ensure all our customers receive a personal level of care. We look after the needs of franchisees such as Just cuts, Hairhouse Warehouse, Gloria Jeans, AFL stores, Michel’s patisserie, Subway and Schnitz. All it takes is one phone call or email and we take the worry out of what insurance coverage you need, how much it costs and best way to structure your insurance for one shop or for a franchisor insurance facility for all. Give our Director a call on 1300 123 300 Australia wide.

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 73

f r a n c h i s e l i st i n gs

FRANCHISE

NATURE OF BUSINESS

OUTLETS

ASSOC MEMBER

INITIAL FEE

MIN INVEST

LAUNDRY SERVICES

100+

20%-30% Deposit

$100,000 financed over 5 years

ELECTRICAL TEST AND TAG

FCA

$35,000

$57,000 + GST + Vehicle

FREIGHT & LOGISTICS/ COURIER

29 (AUS) 18 (NZ)

Available upon application

Dependant on territory

BATTERY RETAILER

111

FCA / ARA

Initial Fee $55,000 (Excl GST)

$250,000 (Excl GST) Incl the initial franchise fee

FOOD TAKE-AWAY

Retail Dancewear

No Ongoing Franchise Fees

$34,990

DECK AND TIMBER RESTORATION

TUTORING

$40,000

HYGIENE PRODUCTS & SERVICES

33 in AUS, 18 in NZ

FCA

None

$10,000 - $300,000

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FAMILY FOOD FRANCHISE

FCA

$50,000 + GST

$500,000 $700,000

SCHOOL KIDS’ SPORTS & FITNESS PROGRAMS

$25,000+GST

$10,000+GST in two installments as we offer a $15,000+GST finance

HEALTH/AGED & DISABILITY CARE

FCA

$50,000-$100,000 (in partnership with the franchisor)

SPORT/HEALTH & FITNESS

IFA

INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FREIGHT CONSULTANTS

FCA,IFA

$64,950

MOBILE POOL SHOP & POOL SERVICE

100+

FCA

$69,000

$69,000 + Vehicle

HAIRDRESSING

210+ across Australia, NZ & UK

FCA

$18,000$35,000

$80,000-$240,000

AFTER SCHOOL TUITON

322

FCA

$1000

$4,000-$30,000

LASER, INJECTABLES, SKIN TREATMENTS, BODY

165

FCA

$60,000+GST

$290,000+GST

ANDREW BARTON 67 Colebard Street, Acacia Ridge, Qld 4110 Phone: 1800 304 030 Email: mls@andrewbarton.com.au Website: www.andrewbarton.com.au

APPLIANCE TAGGING SERVICES 80 Patterson Road, Bentleigh VIC 3204 Ph: 1300 287 669 Fax: 03 9557 4854 Email: franchising@ats.com.au Website: www.appliancetaggingservices.com.au

ARAMEX (Formerly Fastway Couriers) Level 9, 491 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: 1300 3278 929 (AUS) 0508 692 726 (NZ) Email: fso@fastway.com.au (AUS) recruitment@fastway.co.nz (NZ) Website: www.aramex.com.au www.aramex.co.nz

BATTERY WORLD Level 3, 203 Wharf Street, Spring Hill QLD 4000 Ph: 1300 793 209 Email: franchise@batteryworld.com.au Website: www.batteryworld.com.au/Franchise-Opportunities

BK’S TAKEAWAY

95 Princes Highway, Trafalgar VIC 3824 Ph: 0408 129 035 Email: grant@bkstakeaway.com.au Website: www.bkstakeaway.com.au

CENTRE STAGE DANCEWEAR

Shop 1, 35-43 Monaro Street, Seven Hills, New South Wales 2147 Phone: 02 9624 3335 Email: Kassandra@centrestagedancewear.com.au Web: www.centrestagedancewear.com.au/

DECKSEAL PO Box 4093, Burwood East VIC 3151 Ph: 1800 332 525 Email: admin@deckseal.com.au Website: www.deckseal.com.au

FCA & AIG $65,000 + GST (Australian Industry $33,000 + GST (incl Franchise Fee) Group) + vehicle

DYMOCKS TUTORING Level 3, 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW Ph: 02 8774 2626 Email: franchising@dymocks.education Website: www.franchising.dymockstutoring.edu.au

ECOMIST 25 Hargraves Place Wetherill Park NSW 2164 Ph: 1800 243 500 Email: info@ecomist.com.au Website: www.ecomist.com.au

FASTA PASTA PTY LTD Level 1, 137 The Parade, Norwood SA 5067 Ph: 08 8304 8600 Email: franchise@fastapasta.com.au Website: www.fastapasta.com.au

GECKO SPORTS 1/11 Levanto Street, Mentone VIC 3194 Ph: 1300 432 565 Email: franchise@geckosports.com.au Website: geckosports.com.au/join-us

HOME CARING 4/327 Woodpark Road, Smithfield, NSW, 2164 Phone: 1300 658 311 Email: info@homecaringfranchise.com.au Website: www.homecaringfranchise.com.au

INFINITY MARTIAL ARTS 12/10 Capital Place, Birtinya, QLD 4575 Ph: 0481 781 196 Email: info@infinitymartialarts.com.au Website: www.infinitymartialarts.com.au

INXPRESS 3/14 Burke Crescent, North Lakes, QLD 4509 Ph: 1300 097 857/0434 111 985 Email: Sales.au@inxpress.com Website: inxpress.com.au

JIM’S POOL CARE 48 Edinburgh Road, Mooroolbark VIC 3138 Ph: 131 546 Email: info@jimspoolcare.com.au Website: www.jimspoolcare.com.au

JUST CUTS Level 1, 4-6 Kingsway, Cronulla NSW 2230 Ph: (AUS) 1800 334 498 (NZ) 0800 100 114 Email: bdm@justcuts.com Website: www.justcuts.com

KUMON EDUCATION PO Box 5363, West Chatswood, NSW 1515 Ph: 02 9467 2200 Email: info-@kumon.com.au Website: kumoninstructors.com.au/Franchise

LASER CLINICS AUSTRALIA Unit 21, 39 Herbert Street, St Leonards, NSW 2065 Ph: 0400 303 272 Email: Franchising@laserclinics.com.au Website: www.laserclinics.com.au/franchise-opportunities

74 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

FRANCHISE

NATURE OF BUSINESS

OUTLETS

ASSOC MEMBER

INITIAL FEE

MIN INVEST

FITNESS

FCA

$29,700 (payment plans available)

$120,000

$20,000$50,000

$20,000

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY (LTYB) Level 1, 19-21 Centreway, East Keilor VIC 3033 Ph: 0409 438 286 Email: ben@listentoyourbody.com.au Website: https://ownaltyb.com/

MAGNETITE WINDOWS 36 garema Circuit, Kingsgrove NSW 2208 Phone: 02 9565 4070 Fax: 02 9565 4080 Email: info@magnetite.com.au Website: www.magnetite.com.au

WINDOW INSULATION

6 franchises AWA, HIA, WFAANZ & 12 dealers

PACK & SEND Unit 3C Mfive Business Park, 1 Moorebank Ave, Moorebank, NSW 2170 Phone: 0447 711 353 Email: luke.martin@packsend.com.au Website: www.packsend.com.au

PAPPARICH 120 Turner Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria Ph: 03 9645 4667 Email:business@papparich.net.au. Website: www.papparich.net.au

LEADING PARCEL & FREIGHT RESELLER

106

$75,000 ex GST

From $100k

HOSPITALITY AND RETAIL

Included in the Investment

$500,000

FINANCE

Yes

$35,000 + GST

$200,000

FOOD – RESTAURANTS AND DINING

$50,000

$400,000 plus

HYDRAULIC SERVICE AND MOBILE CONNECTOR SPECIALISTS

$15,000

Various Options

MOBILE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FRANCHISE

175+

FCA / FANZ

Start-up cost from $50,000

FOOD - QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT (QSR)

1354* (AU) 263* (NZ), 41,526* in 108 countries *as of 5 Sept 2019

AUD15,000 + GST (Australia), USD12,500 + GST (New Zealand)

Site dependent

LOTTERIES

Approx. 4000

Varies dependent State/Territory

RETRO-FIT DOUBLE GLAZING

10 AUS, 42 NZ

AWA

$40,000

Varies depending if vehicle needed

RAMS Level 12/321 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: 1800 616 082 Email: franchising@rams.com.au Website: www.RAMS.com.au/franchising/

ROLL’D Head Office: Waterman Business Centre, Level 2, UL40/1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone, VIC 3148 Ph: 03 8564 8186 Email: franchise@rolld.com.au Website: rolld.com.au

RYCO 24•7 99 Calarco Drive, Derrimut VIC 3026 Ph: 1300 111 247 Email: sales@RYCO247.com Website: www.RYCO247.com

SNAP-ON TOOLS PO Box 6077, Seven Hills NSW 2148 Ph: Aus: 1800 762 766 NZ: 0800 762 766 Email: sota.franchise@snapon.com Website: www.snapontools.com.au

SUBWAY SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD Level 1, 42 Amelia Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Ph: 1800 630 355 Email: australia_development@subway.com Website: www.subway.com.au

THE LOTT 87 Ipswich Road, Wooloongabba QLD 4012 VIC, TAS & NT – Tatts, Tatts NT – 07 3877 1095 NSW & ACT – NSW Lotteries – 07 3877 1118 QLD – Golden Casket – 07 3877 1117 SA – SA Lotteries – 07 3877 1096 Email: franchiseenquiries@thelott.com Website: www.thelott.com/franchisee

THERMAWOOD RETRO-FIT DOUBLE GLAZING PO Box 1007, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Ph: 04 555 55 330 Email: info@thermawood.com.au Website: www.thermawood.com.au

A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business

For more information call 03 9787 8077 (or +61 3 9787 8077 from outside of Australia) and speak to one of our Sales Executives or go to: www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 75

GLOBAL

EXPANSION

G L O B A L E X PA N S I O N

Our GLOBAL CONNECTIONS are trusted operators in their markets and will enable a smooth entry into NEW TERRITORIES.

We can help to put your franchise

system in an operational position to attract successful franchisees.

We are members of the IFA and other respected organisations. The transition process can be

daunting, but we know the trusted

business and legal players who can take you through the first minefield. Constant changes within the codes of conduct can create a massive challenge to franchise systems

wanting to move outside of their established markets.

With direct experience of the North American, UK and Australian/ New Zealand Franchise markets we have been in the business

of selling franchise systems direct to franchisees for over 35 years.

76 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

For an initial discussion, please contact

globalpublishers@icloud.com

F RANCHISE a—z d i r ecto ry

Andrew Barton

additional profits become even more attractive.

Andrew Barton Laundry Systems was established over 60 years ago to service the Queensland laundry market. The business was built around sole distributors of the world-famous Speed Queen brand of commercial laundry products.

The Laundry industry is going through its very own digital revolution, and Andrew Barton is officially launching its unique Managed Laundromat Service (MLS). The Managed Laundromat Service has been designed to take advantage of the latest digital technology, including their own cashless payment system and remote security monitoring, which has opened up the laundromat market to investors who want a truly hands-off approach.

Andrew Barton laundromats are an excellent long term investment primarily because the Speed Queen machines last for so long. An investor can expect day after day of reliable running for 15 years or more without the need for significant reinvestment, so once the initial set up costs have been recouped the

APPLIANCE TAGGING SERVICES Looking for a franchise with on-going repeat business, large territories and access to an existing client base to get you started? With over 12 years’ experience, ATS are Australiawide specialists in Electrical Testing and Tagging in accordance with AS/NZS 3760:2010. Providing expert technical, admin, business and sales support, access to our National client base and comprehensive on and off-site training, ATS are committed to helping its franchisees grow profitable and successful businesses.

Aramex Aramex has been operating internationally for almost 40 years. In New Zealand and Australia, we began as Fastway Couriers over 35 years ago, joining the Aramex family in 2016. The Aramex network across New Zealand and Australia now includes 40 regional franchises and over 1200 franchise partners. We offer our franchise partners an award-

Battery World Australia Battery World Australia is a battery retailing franchise business that has steadily grown over the past 20+ years to have over 110 stores across Australia. Now the leading battery retailing specialist and a trusted Australian brand, Battery World has expanded to be the largest and most comprehensive Australian battery retail franchise. Battery World offers franchise partners a chance to power the passions of many Australians across the

BK’s Takeaway BK’s Takeaway is a retail food outlet specialising in hot and tasty ready-to-go food and also offering a variety of dine-in options. BK’s Takeaway is all about traditional Australian fare – from hamburgers, potato cakes, and fish and chips, to sandwiches, coffee, and lots more. BK’s Burgers were also voted one of Victoria’s top 5 burgers. The BK’s Takeaway franchising system is based on over 20 years experience in the food and beverage

Please contact us at mls@andrewbarton.com.au or call us on 1800 304 030

No prior electrical experience is required, just a passion for safety and a commitment to growing your business. With low entry fees, minimal franchisee administration, and average returns between $1,000 and $3,000 per week an ATS franchise may be just the opportunity for you. ATS were named FCA Emerging Franchisor of the Year 2011 and the FCA National Franchisee of the Year 2013 (less than 2 staff). For further information please contact Chris Longley, National Sales Manager on 1300 287 669, email franchising@ats.com.au or visit www.appliancetaggingservices.com.au

winning system, world-class technology, training and support to help them to run their own rewarding business in their local communities. For more information contact: AUS: 1300 327 892 fso@aramex.com.au www.aramex.com.au NZ: 0508 692 726 recruitment@aramex.co.nz www.aramex.co.nz

nation. By providing quality product and services, franchise partners have an opportunity to build a business under the banner of one of Australia’s leading and trusted brands. So, what are you waiting for? With opportunities still available for discussion, be the next to have a conversation about how you can join this award-winning brand. To find out more, please contact Battery World Australia on 1300 793 209 or visit: www. batteryworld.com.au/franchise-opportunities

industry. This means we have the right systems and processes in place to enable franchisees to build highly profitable businesses. Becoming a franchisee with BK’s gives you the advantage of learning from our industry experience team to help you get started in your new venture. Not only will you receive on-going support from us, but you’ll also be part of a growing family of franchisees sharing similar goals and objectives. Contact: Grant Garraway 0408 129 035 Email: grant@bkstakeaway.com.au Web: www.bkstakeaway.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 77

F RANCHISE a—z d i r ecto ry

CENTRE STAGE DANCEWEAR Centre Stage Dancewear is now offering a unique & exciting opportunity to Franchise our Pop Up Shops all across Australia. There are a lot of reasons to invest in a Centre Stage Dancewear Franchise starting with a guaranteed turnover of $70,000 for the first 12 months*, low overheads leading to increased profit margins and no excess stock to hold.

DeckSeal DeckSeal help homeowners and commercial clients around Australia, transform their outdoor living spaces by restoring old timber and preserving new timber. Low start up cost, mobile business and a proven established model – it’s the perfect opportunity to seal your future with a DeckSeal Franchise. The restoration and preservation of timber structures and decks is a niche business, placed within a significant growth market. Now more than ever, people will be entertaining at home and utilizing their outdoor areas. A timber deck is an iconic part of the Australian outdoor lifestyle and a key feature in countless homes across the country. Our franchisees love what they do. The satisfaction they get out of their work and business is endless, from seeing the deck at the beginning of the project to the final result is amazing! We undertake a wide range of projects including decking, cladding, screens, fences, seats, handrails, posts, outdoor furniture, planter boxes and garden edges and with a continual flow of enquiries, repeat

business franchise australia and new zealand AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

A-Z Listings are a great way to promote your business, giving you a presence within our publication and also the Business Franchise website.

One of the many perks of owning a CSD Franchise is the flexible working hours and the opportunity to build your own CSD family with your studio owners. Do you think you would have what it takes to be a part of our CSD family? For all initial enquires contact Kassandra today. kassandra@centrestagedancewear.com.au www.centrestagedancewear.com.au/

business and an overwhelming demand for our services, a DeckSeal franchise should not be missed. DeckSeal offers everyday people the perfect opportunity to capitalise on their existing skills or quickly build a new set without the burden of learning a new trade. Full training and ongoing support are provided with operational manuals. DeckSeal currently has territories available in NSW, QLD, WA, SA and TAS. Our current franchisees are from all different employment backgrounds and possessed varied business capabilities, but all reap the rewards of owning a DeckSeal franchise. If you’re a motivated, honest and organised person who wants to own a business that enables you to have more flexibility in your life, have control over your income, and bring a smile to your client’s face – then we want to talk to you. Now is the time to buy into the home improvement market, so get 2021 back on track and contact us today – email admin@deckseal.com.au or call Danielle on 1800 332 525.

For more information call 03 9787 8077 (or +61 3 9787 8077 from outside of Australia) and speak to one of our Sales Executives or go to www.businessfranchiseaustralia.com.au or www.businessfranchisenz.co.nz

Dymocks Tutoring

and more available to more students across the country.

Dymocks Tutoring is tutoring business owned and operated by one of Australia’s oldest franchises, Dymocks. We’ve made the logical leap from books to education. Operating two outlets since 2018 and a large online tutoring business, Dymocks Tutoring is now ready to start expanding our local learning hubs!

If you want to get involved in your own Dymocks Tutoring franchise, we’re looking for people with a passion for education. You don’t need to be a qualified teacher, or educator. We supply all your notes and materials and help you hire qualified tutors, you just need to have a drive to help your local community learn better and a drive to run your own business.

We’re looking for franchisees who are excited to help students maximise their marks and see tangible change in their grades. At Dymocks Tutoring we believe in accessibility so we’re about making tutoring affordable

For for information: 02 8774 2626 franchising@dymocks.education www.franchising.dymockstutoring.edu.au

ECOMIST AUSTRALIA

Our ultimate aim is to enhance the environments of our customers through our high quality products and excellent after-sales service.

Established in 1994, Ecomist Australia is a leading provider of premium quality hygiene products and services, specialising in Odour Control and Insect Control. Our core product is an innovative programmable aerosol dispensing system that won an award for the Best New Product from The Aerosol Association of Australia and New Zealand. Our aerosol products are manufactured in New Zealand and we offer a natural insect killer and over 30 fragrance options with French perfume.

78 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

Over the last 23 years we have developed a secure and proven franchising business model. Each Ecomist franchise has its own exclusive territory based on post codes and purchase price is generally 2x the net income of the existing business. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Gary Vandoros on 1800 243 500, email info@ecomist.com.au or visit www.ecomist.com.au

FASTA PASTA With our authentic Italian background and a 35 year success story, Fasta Pasta is now Australia’s largest, independently owned group of ‘fresh pasta’ Italian restaurants. An innovative ever-evolving menu, with healthy options and a commitment to outstanding service, have all contributed to Fasta Pasta being voted Roy Morgan’s ‘Quick Service Restaurant of the Year’ in 2018. Loved for our affordable, fresh, family meals in relaxed, fully licensed surroundings, this is a

great opportunity to be part of our award winning national organisation. Extensive initial training and ongoing support is provided. New franchisees undergo 12 weeks of training in one of our company restaurants covering areas such as, front of house, kitchen (all areas), necessary bookwork, PPS, and Management skills. For more information on joining a successful franchise call 08 8304 8600 email franchise@fastapasta.com.au, or visit our website www.fastapasta.com.au

GeckoSports

Reasons to invest in a GeckoSports Franchise...

Own a GeckoSports Franchise today!

• Low level investment • Low overheads • Multiple channels of revenue • Excellent margins & profitability • Non-seasonal -> operate all year round • Weekly and monthly cashflow • Accredited Government funded programs • Website referral system • Supportive operating system & environment • Sports & Fitness fun programs • Diversity -> no day is the same • FUN + ACTIVE + REWARDING!

*KIDS SPORTS & FUN FITNESS* Do you find the traditional 9-5 job stuck indoors all day unappealing... you’re not alone! A GeckoSports franchise instantly gives you the work/life balance you’ve only ever dreamed of. Become your own boss where you have the autonomy to work within your local community engage with kids, families, schools, sports clubs, councils and more delivering fun active kids sports and fitness programs! Imagine being able to follow your life’s passion and desire to keep kids active while improving their health and wellbeing!

Home Caring Pty Ltd Proudly Australian owned, Home Caring provides professional and compassionate personalised care services in the home and community and is seeking community minded franchisees who can build a solid financial future combining their local networks and the national marketing of the Home Caring and Dementia Caring brands. We are seeking high achievers, preferably with a health background, who want to make a difference in the community by providing excellent quality of care to clients.

INFINITY MARTIAL ARTS Infinity Martial Arts was established in 2005 on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. We began as a single club focusing predominantly on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with only a handful of members under the guidance of our head coach and black belt Neil Owen. Over the years, many of those initial members became black belts themselves and helped to grow our business into what it is today. With 13 academies now in QLD and two other affiliate clubs in NSW & QLD we are one of the largest franchised martial arts academy names throughout Australia, leading the way in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Our programs focus on a self-defence style of martial arts and combat sport, which

INXPRESS InXpress is one of the world’s largest logistics franchisors. Our innovative proprietary shipping platform allows small to medium businesses to easily book and track their domestic and international shipments online, whist receiving local support from their freight consultant (franchisee). Our global buying power means that our franchisees can offer their customers great rates from a choice of world-class carriers such as DHL, TNT, Startrack and UPS. With 400+ franchises globally, operating in 14 countries, InXpress continues to grow its Australian footprint.

For more information contact our Franchise Director Kim O’Donnell at 0417 159 807 or 1300 432 565 Email: franchise@geckosports.com.au

The active franchisee partner manages the daily operation of the branch, sourcing new clients, ensuring existing clients’ needs are being met, recruiting and training care workers and managing a team of people. A comprehensive training program, ongoing operational support and a full suite of cloud-based business management tools assist with the growth and success of your home care business. Contact Bill Lockett for more information on: info@homecaringfranchise.com.au 1300 658 311

is predominantly based on grappling and submission holds. Our curriculum focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, controlling one’s opponent, gaining a dominant position and using a number of techniques to either force or defend a submission. With classes ranging from expert to beginner and suitable for both adults and children starting as young as 2 years old, our academies are warm & friendly environments. We have a strong focus on creating a fun culture where our members become part of the family. For more information contact: Simone Todd on 0481 781 196 info@infinitymartialarts.com.au www.infinitymartialarts.com.au

A global leader with a proven franchise business model developed over 20 years, InXpress Australia is looking for motivated individuals, with a passion for business and sales, to join our thriving franchise network of freight consultants, with low investment and minimal risk. You’ll benefit from comprehensive training and ongoing coaching, an automated user-friendly system and established carrier partnerships, all fully supported by our experienced operations, coaching and service support teams. Phone: 1300 097 857 Email: sales.au@inxpress.com Website: www.inxpress.com.au

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 79

F RANCHISE a—z d i r ecto ry

JIM’S POOL CARE MOBILE POOL SHOPS Join our team and Australia’s largest franchise system to build a business that suits your goals and lifestyle. Owning a Jim’s mobile pool shop means you can earn money from multiple streams. You charge for your time and charge for the lucrative pool items such as chemicals, pool equipment and pool accessories. This means your income is not limited by how many hours you can work and gives you

scope to grow the business to a level that suits you. Another great bonus is our FLAT franchise fee. Yes, our fee is a flat franchise fee system so you can work hard and earn as much as you like and pay the same at fee with all training and ongoing support included. If you are ready for a change then you need to put us on your list. We have selected opportunities around Australia so give us a call and come for a ride along. For more information ph: 131546 or visit www.jimspoolcare.com.au

JUST CUTS™

income stream in each salon.

Just Cuts has over 30 years’ experience across Australia and New Zealand. Now the largest hairdresser in the Southern Hemisphere.

A recent study conducted by the Franchise Relationships Institute, franchisee satisfaction with the Just Cuts™ System was rated higher than any other franchise group in the benchmark.

Embracing business management and training Technology allows owners to remain on the pulse of the business remotely, and hence over 55% of Just Cuts owners are multi salon operators. The dedicated Academy Team provide Operations and Marketing support and the Justice Product range is providing our owners with secondary

Kumon Education In 1954, Toru Kumon, a high school maths teacher in Japan, found that his year two son had done poorly in a mathematics test. Slow, imprecise calculation skill was the reason.

Style your work and life your way with Just Cuts. Contact: Zenardia Anderberg 0488 600 036 or 1800 334 498 Email: bdm@justcuts.com Website: justcuts.com/franchising LinkedIn: Just Cuts™ Franchising

The most advanced students are extended and the least advanced supported. Each student makes progress at their own pace, not bound by age and school grade. Kumon franchisees have the opportunity to build an exciting and worthwhile business that contributes to their local communities. Kumon is searching for potential franchisees with a strong desire to work with children and high regard for education. Proficiency in both mathematics and English, and an undergraduate degree is required. Business acumen, including strong communication and customer service skills will also help to run a successful business.

This concerned Toru Kumon as a parent, and as a mathematics teacher. He had taught many high school students who struggled with mathematics for the same reason. So, he began to hand write worksheets so his son could practice calculations by himself for half an hour every day. Day after day, he carefully matched the content to his son’s improving ability. Soon, his son progressed beyond school grade level. By the end of primary six he could solve calculus equations. Encouraged by his son’s progress, in 1958, Toru Kumon released his worksheet-based, home-study method.

Become part of our global movement and provide the Kumon Mathematics and English programmes to children within your local community.

And today, more than 3.72 million students, in over 57 countries, study Kumon worksheets every day. There are more than 42,000 students studying with Kumon in Australia, each progressing according to ability.

For more information please contact Yukie Ako at: info-au@kumon.com.au https://www.kumoninstructors.com.au/Franchise

Laser Clinics Australia

This expertise shapes all that we do in our clinics, with nothing going to our clients that hasn’t been quality controlled first and also influences the highest standard of training for our Franchisee’s, Therapists, Doctors and registered Nurses.

Laser Clinics is the largest retail cosmetic clinic company globally, now with over 165 clinics across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Our successful 50/50 partnership has also won several franchising awards for this growth and innovation. With this unmatched scale comes unmatched experience. No two of our clients are the same. Therefore, the entire Laser Clinics business is built around understanding our clients not just as a group of people, but as unique individuals. This understanding finds its way into all that we do, from staff training, new products, customer service and more. Laser Clinics has a Medical Advisory Board made up of leading Dermatologists and a Medical Director who are at the forefront of innovation, new technology, as well as safety and ethical standards.

Ltyb In fitness, one size doesn’t fit all. LTYB sessions are individually programmed to drive 90%+ retention rates across our 15 Strong Franchise network. LTYB have proven progressive systems, high level franchisee support and strong member retention and Franchisee Profitability. With only 90 members to breakeven, many studios have a member base of 200+ and growing. LTYB look for motivated people who have a passion to make a difference to member’s lives. To be successful in the fitness industry, you need to walk the talk and continue to grow as a business leader and fitness leader.

80 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

We also have a Nurse Council, to ensure that all Nursing Standards, codes and guidelines are adhered to. Across all products categories we only use the highest quality supplier’s and the most advanced machines, with a dedicated team looking at new technology and product development to deliver the best results for our clients. All our clinics use medical grade Candela lasers and were currently introducing CoolSculpting across the network, the worldwide leader in fat reduction. www.laserclinics.com.au/franchise-opportunities

We offer our franchise partners an exclusive territory, full marketing support including assets and plans, IT and Software support, Online Operations Manual access and training, Studio business coach, Franchisee Induction program, supplier discounts, professional development opportunities and everything required to successfully run your studio. We are currently recruiting Franchise partners Australia wide. For further enquiries, feel free to contact our founder Ben Fletcher on 0409 438 286 email ben@listentoyourbody.com.au or search https://ownaltyb.com/

MAGNETITE WINDOWS Do you have a trade license or are you hands-on? Do you want to become your own boss? Your WINDOW of opportunity is now. As noise and energy efficiency are prominent issues plaguing home owners, now is the perfect time to become part of an expert team who solve these issues every day. Magnetite specialises in double glazing existing windows, as the core offering in a product range that includes seals, tint and other complementary window treatments. Our

pack and send PACK & SEND is equipped with the technology, systems and resources to handle the movement of parcels, freight and packages for clients located anywhere worldwide. We service the Freight, Logistics and eCommerce Fulfilment Markets.

PAPPARICH The PappaRich story began with a simple idea: to create a modern version of the traditional coffee shops in Malaysia. We strive to provide our customers a taste of Malaysian culture and cuisine, whether through a plate of Nasi Lemak or a crunchy, buttery Roti Canai, all with a cup of Teh Tarik.

solutions provide all the benefits of double glazing without the hassle of replacement windows. At Magnetite, we aim to exceed our customer’s expectation of comfort. We believe this starts with the first contact and continues through an assessment, installation and after sales service. Join the team that has: • 18+ years technical and practical experience • #1 place in a niche market, with a unique product range • Comprehensive, hands-on training, with ongoing business and technical support • Average franchisee tenure now over 15 years. To learn more, visit www.magnetite.com.au

With our ‘No Limits’ business model we can send & receive anything, anywhere. We save customers Time, Trouble & Money. Phone: 0447 711 353 Email: luke.martin@packsend.com.au Website: www.packsend.com.au

Satay to the unforgettable Char Koay Teow, our food reflects the balance and harmony of the different cultures in Malaysia that have combined to give us the distinctive, unique taste of Malaysian cuisine. With over 30 stores in Australia with the intention to grow further, PappaRich aims to deliver quality Malaysian food to all our customers, and to be a brand that is genuinely Malaysian.

Our delicately crafted dishes never fail to deliver bursts of flavour and colour because we use only an authentic mix of herbs, spices and fresh produce, cooked according to traditional recipes. From the fiery sambal of the Nasi Lemak to the silky smooth Curry Laksa, from the savoury

For franchise enquiries contact Mitesh Krishna at: 03 9645 4667 business@papparich.net.au https://www.papparich.net.au

RAMS

• Designate territory

RAMS is a recognised, iconic brand – we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of Australians buy their own home.

• Owned by Westpac, Australia’s oldest company

RAMS is unique.

• Build your own successful and motivated team

Residential mortgages is all we do, which makes us experts at helping customers into their new home.

• Support your local community

• Build yourself a business for yourself but not by yourself

• Ongoing training and development

• Enjoy the comraderie of a large RAMS family For franchise enquiries please email

• Strong upfront and trail commission

franchising@rams.com.au or

• Powerful online and TV presence

call 1800 616 082.

ROLL’D

Why us

Roll’d offers Vietnamese street food, with a modern Australian twist. With over 90 locations and plans for an international location this year, we aim to enrich lives by bringing memorable family food to the world. Food is everything in our family. It’s what we laugh over, cry over, fight over and have done since we were kids. Everything worth sharing has always been done over the dinner table, and through Roll’d it’s now our mission to share the things that matter through great food and even better memories. We’re not shy in saying we have big dreams. We have led the way in bringing Vietnamese food to the masses, making it a popular dining option in Australia, with flavours that are as vibrant as the bustling streets of Saigon.

Roll’d is one of few genuine family businesses and our proven system, know-how, goodwill and reputation will allow you to create your own success, whilst upholding the brand. Franchising allows you to be in business for yourself, not by yourself. Last year we served over over 6 million hungry customers! Our established network means that you will always have the support of our team and our strengths make us a truly unique franchise. We have the buying power to create a more efficient supply chain. Our network also creates positive competitive environments that encourage our leaders to excel and succeed. For franchising enquiries email franchise@rolld.com.au or call 03 8564 8186 www.rolld.com.au

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Ryco 24•7 If you are looking for a business opportunity that offers incredible job satisfaction and the potential for high rewards, a RYCO 24•7 Franchise business is the right fit for you. RYCO 24•7 franchisees can start with one van, with the ability to expand to offer multiple service vans.

Snap-On Tools Snap-on Tools Australia & New Zealand is a mobile franchise operation putting high quality tools and equipment in the hands of mechanics, engineers, and other professional tool users across the country. Snap-on Tools is a subsidary of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global innovator, manufacturer of tools, diagnostics and equipment solutions for professional technicians, with an

Subway Systems Australia Pty Ltd Subway® offers a fresh alternative to traditional fast food.

As a RYCO 24•7 Franchise Operator, you can also grow your business into a full RYCO Service Centre which offers over-thecounter service as an added level of support for your fleet of vans. For more information contact: 1300 111 247 sales@RYCO247.com Website: www.RYCO247.com

established network of franchise operations across the globe. After 35 years in the Australian market, Snap-on continues to perform, providing robust financial results for its network of over 175 franchisees. Extensive training and ongoing support is provided - no previous mechanical experience required. Snap-on offers an exclusive finance package to assist new franchisees. www.snapontools.com.au

With more than 1,350 locations across the country, Subway® is Australia’s largest restaurant chain*, serves nutritious and delicious subs, salads and wraps along with its iconic cookie range.

Guests can choose from 37 million combinations of premium-quality meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables, and cookies & bread baked daily.

For franchise inquiries, please contact Michelle Milne at 1800 630 355 or australia_development@subway.com.

The lott

newsagencies, hotels and clubs (SA) and more! Incorporating The Lott in your outlet could be more attainable thank you think. If you would like to find out more information, contact us on the details below! Phone: VIC, TAS & NT – Tatts, Tatts NT – 07 3877 1095 NSW & ACT – NSWL Lotteries – 07 3877 1118 QLD – Golden Casket – 07 3877 1117 SA – SA Lotteries – 07 3877 1096 Email: franchiseenquiries@thelott.com Thelott.com/franchisee

Join us at The Lott – the home of Australia’s official lotteries! The Lott offers Australia’s official lottery games which Australians trust and love! We are one of Australia’s largest franchise networks with almost 4,000 franchisees operation across all of Australia, except WA. Our franchise system compliments a range of businesses including convenience stores, convenience supermarkets, convenience fuel outlets, pharmacies, tobacconists,

*based on number of restaurants.

Thermawood

Become part of the success story with:

Thermawood Retro-Fit Double Glazing System is designed to retro-fit double glazing into existing wooden windows. Proven systems and processes with the Thermawood Patented drainage system.

• Full Training and ongoing support • Strong industry Growth • Full Advertising & Marketing • Patented product new to the Australian Building industry. We are looking for passionate self-motivated people to join the Thermawood team.

Retro-Fitting fitting double glazing into existing wooden windows allows the home owner to retain the character of their windows, be more energy efficient, reduce energy costs and reduce noise.

Please contact Thermawood Retro-Fit Double Glazing for more information.

Along with installing double glazing Thermawood installers also fit draft/sound seals to all types of windows including double hung windows, casement windows and doors.

Info@thermawood.com.au www.thermawood.com.au 0455 555 330

82 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand

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WHAT DOES YOUR WORKING WEEK LOOK LIKE?

The hardest part of owning a MANAGED LAUNDROMAT SERVICE BY ANDREW BARTON is deciding how you will spend your “work” day. If you are looking for a truly passive income with an excellent return on investment, get in touch today!

CALL 1 800 30 40 30 EMAIL mls@andrewbarton.com.au VISIT www.andrewbarton.com.au

Business Franchise Australia & New Zealand

Articles inside

what’snew!

Professional Services Listings

Hot Topics: Behind the Headlines

Why Visitor Management in Franchises is more Important than Ever

Super Changes for Employers and Support for Small Business

Franchise Listings

Centre Stage Dancewear: An Exciting Opportunity to Join their Franchise

Why You Should Build a High Performance Team Right Now

Gateway Shopping Centre: A Gateway to Franchise Success

Snapshot: DeckSeal - Seal Your Future with a DeckSeal Franchise

Profile: Jim’s Pool Care: Office by the Pool

Home Improvement Franchises Using Technology for Success

Expert Advice: Home Improvement Franchises Using Technology for Success

Expert Advice: What the Home Improvement Boom Means for Franchise Businesses

The Path to a Planet Friendly Business

Special Feature: Home Sweet Home - Could a Home Services Franchise be the Right Fit for You?

Subway: Leads the Way in Healthy Eating

RAMS: Lockdown Doesn’t Need to Mean Slowdown

Six Tips to Become a Master Communicator

Battery World: Results Show There’s Never Been a Better Time to Join Battery World

Cover Story: Building a Business with Plenty of Heart

InXpress: Franchisee Wins Two Prestigious Awards

Business Leader Engagement is Key to Securing Inclusive Workplaces

A Message from the CEO