MEGA ANNIVERSARY

Fixing leaky showers and balconies has been bread and butter for Megasealed for 25 years.

Thirty-three franchises undertake more than 18,000 jobs each year fixing Aussies’ leaking showers and balconies – and they can boast a 98 per cent satisfaction rate amongst both household and commercial customers.

Franchises operate territories across NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia under the Megasealed banner.

Yet the business has only been franchising for a few years, founder Jacques Courtin tells Inside Franchise Business.

“Franchising is very important. I used to have about 185 people working for me and five call centres. I wanted to slow down. I completed a franchise diploma and decided to franchise five years ago: 80 per cent of the business was sold to employees. They knew the clientele, how to run the business, so for me it was a low-risk option.”

Jacques already had the formula and the business became stronger and bigger with franchise expansion.

Like many successful business ideas, Megasealed came about because Jacques could see a real need for a particular service – and he provided it.

“As a builder, I was looking at how could we repair leaking showers, building and balcony renovations we were demolishing. Much of the work could have been repaired without removing tiles,” Jacques reveals. “Most of the time we were fixing bathrooms only one year old.”

The issue was always the grout, silicone and poor sealants that had been used. So he developed an epoxy product that doesn’t require any downtime so the shower could be used the next day.

“Clients loved it. Property management firms and builders were very happy,” he says.

He started out marketing to his target customer: builders, property management, and building inspectors.

“Marketing is the fuel of the engine today and it has been the most important part of growing the brand,” he says.

The job was quoted over the phone and a technician would deliver the service.

“It worked very well in Sydney, so I decided to go to Melbourne and build that up; I put management in Sydney. Then I developed Queensland, and then Perth.”

As the business footprint has grown, its commitment to product and service innovation has remained steady. There are now comprehensive solutions for tile re-grouting, waterproofing and anti-slip safety.

Jacques points out this is the only business in the industry to be certified as a Quality Endorsed Company by SAI Global.

Looking back on the 25 years, he admits happy clients have been a source of satisfaction.

“I’ve enjoyed seeing smiles on the faces of clients. Some say, ‘You haven’t done anything’ and I say, ‘You’re not supposed to see anything!’”

Of course there have been challenges, not least Covid, when virtual inspections and quoting were introduced for client and staff safety.

Megasealed cancelled franchisee fees during lockdowns and then saw the hard work of all franchisees boost business by 20 per cent once restrictions were lifted.

“This is like a big family. We offer franchisees a unique opportunity to draw on our product knowledge, training resources and extensive sales and marketing support, which in combination with their low-cost investment, has allowed them to build their own dream businesses,” he says.

“But we still need more franchisees around Australia. Right now, the sky’s the limit!” n