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June 2011
Improvement is Booming
PROFESSIONAL FRANCHISES IN THE SPOTLIGHT
NEW FRANCHISEE ASSOCIATION "Opportunity not opportunism" maxiom
What’s in this month’s Magazine?
Regular Features
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Page 2:
Welcome
Page 50:
New Franchise Feature
Page 58:
My Franchise
Page 62:
Franchise Events
Special Features
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Professional Service Franchises Keeping Pace with Demand?
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Why aren’t more franchises bought each year?
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Finding the best employees for your franchise
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New National OHS Standards to effect franchises
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What is driving the growth in Home Improvement Franchises?
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4 Profiles Page 6:
Franchise Focus - Fifo Capital
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Michael Polo Homes
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Building Up Consulting
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Joanne Solis - “How I can help you”.
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Articles Page 8:
Freelance or Franchisee
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National Franchisee Coalition
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Training Franchisee Employees
Page 14:
Outsourcing in Modern Business
Page 24:
Getting the Most out of Casual Staff
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How does Social Media Impact on the Modern Franchise?
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Multi-Unit Franchising
Page 40:
Exporting Your Franchise
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The Modern Franchise with Mark Matthews Welcome to the June Issue of Modern Franchise Magazine. The Franchise Industry has certainly had its’ fair share of media coverage lately and not all for the right reasons. With the fall of the RegGroup, state enquiries into the industry and political pressure to strengthen protection for franchisees, we take a look at some of the challenges facing modern franchising. We also take a look at Professional Service Franchises and the new opportunities for this sector due to the growth in outsourcing by businesses of all sizes. We take a look at what it takes to be successful in a professional services franchise. We also look at the differences and benefits of buying a franchise over freelancing.
The National Franchisee Coalition of Australia has just been established to promote the principals of “Good Faith” and “Fair Conduct” in all franchise dealings. We look at what the National Franchisee Coalition stands for and what it hopes to achieve. Staff Management
We investigate why your employees behaviour and attitude Sales & Marketing can determine your ultimate success and why training is so Marketing is vital to the success of important. any franchise. There are tips and advice on the sales and marketing Getting the most out of part-time skills you will need as a and casual employees can be a franchisee, an article on how to challenge. We also look into some attract, target and retain of the tactics you can use to customers, and a great article on optimise employee performance, the use of social media in modern reliability and loyalty. franchises. In a related article we ask, do you meet employee expectations?
In “franchise focus” we talk to Fifo Capital about their franchise opportunity and their business goals. Building Industry franchises continue to be hot property. We look at Michael Polo Homes, a new entrant into this sector in “New Franchise”. There is also information about some of our recommended providers, upcoming franchise events....and a few ads, which is why you are reading this magazine, of course! We investigate the benefits of multi-unit franchises and what to look out for. And if you hadn’t noticed, on the next page there’s some information about our other B2B online publications. Enjoy the magazine. All feedback is appreciated. Please visit our website: www.maxiom.com.au/modernfran chise/feedback to have your say.
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Modern Franchise Magazine | 3
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FRANCHISES ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND FOR OUTSOURCED SPECIALISTS. Outsourcing non-core and unprofitable business activities has lead to a boom in professional service businesses. Enterprising professionals are taking advantage of this demand to build a successful national business structure by franchising. By Geoff Hodges The Promise
The Franchise
The Franchisee
Enter a new era and start your own professional franchise business, work the hours you want, take vacations when you want, make the kind of money you deserve!
Almost every business service As with other types of franchises imaginable has been franchised. there are many different systems and business methods within the Accounting one sector. Legal Finance Some professional franchises Property Management are single person units, run from Real Estate a small off or home, others are Just like freelancing but with a Recruitment mobile, and larger operations more professional market Human Resources run from offices, specialty perception, a proven business Bookkeeping premises or shop fronts. model and head office support Cost Reduction from the franchisor. Medical One thing is for sure, all Marketing & franchisees coming into one of Sounds great! For many Communications these franchises want to realise professionals wanting to join the Event Management “The Promise”. ‘outsourcing revolution’ buying a Occupational Health & professional services or Safety Many professional franchisees management franchise is an Design come out of corporate ideal way to start. Construction operations, having worked hard, Business Coaching long hours for several years and There is certainly a growing Personal Development wanting an improved work/life demand for outsourced Health & Wellbeing balance. professional services. In fact Education according to IBISWorld, it is Corporate Training Professional franchises do offer predicted to be one of the Insurance greater flexibility, but the dream fastest and highest growth IT of truly realising “The Promise” industries over the next 5 years. is rare. 4 | Modern Franchise Magazine
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The Customer
The Market
Customers seem to love As businesses and individuals professional service franchises. become time poorer, outsourcing tasks to Dealing with a brand you trust is professionals who can deliver very important when engaging great service or advice at a professional advice or services. reasonable price has become vital to business’ success and to Knowing that you will get great individuals’ achieving their service and top notch advice is lifestyle goals. peace of mind to your customers. A well developed As we become more selective in and managed professional how we spend both our business franchise that has a strong brand and personal time as well as our will go a long way to helping you resources, outsourcing to build trust and acceptance in specialists makes perfect your local market for your sense. services. This market sector is predicted Larger or National customers to expand at a rate higher than can access the services of almost all others and with many franchisees in various regions, industries struggling to find eliminating the need to deal with quality professional employees, multiple suppliers and gaining who are increasingly being consistency of service and asked to work harder and advice. A nice win:win scenario. longer, purchasing a franchise might look particularly attractive After all, professional service to many of these professionals. franchises are about providing desired outcomes for Some professional franchises customers. are not restricted by area or other boundaries so can be transferred to wherever you want to be or wherever your customers are.
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The Rewards Reverting to “The Promise”; the rewards are certainly there for the taking, but it is up to how hard you work and the support provided by the franchisor. Some franchises will offer better support than others, so it is important that you do your homework. Delivering on “The Promise” is a challenge that some franchises won’t be up to. Some potential franchisees will also fall into this category. Be honest with yourself, do your investigations and make an informed decision. The rewards can be there and they can be substantial, but the downside is that you will have invested a good amount of time and money and not see the rewards you were expecting.
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franchise focus SME’S CAN NOW ACCESS WORKING CAPITAL TO SUIT THE GROWTH OF THEIR BUSINESS. Fifo Capital is an exiting professional franchise opportunity in a growing, high demand industry. We ask Andrew Allen from Fifo what makes this franchise such an attractive opportunity. 1. What's inspiring about your business idea?
We train them in every other aspect of the business.
Fifo Capital's finance facility operates in a market nichĂŠ. We provide immediate cash flow assistance to SME's which have capital tied up in unpaid invoices.
3. What are the main reasons why someone would take on Other support includes: a Fifo Capital business? Intensive initial training program and ongoing Firstly, it is a B2B business professional development capable of returns exceeding their cost of entry in the first year. Local state office Also, it has very few fixed out assistance for the goings beyond a telephone line. franchise lifetime Secondly, it is a very rewarding Dedicated Credit Risk business in terms of great Manager to assist with all returns and an extremely good transactions life style.
This can be done usually in 24 hours - no one else does it faster. 2. What previous experience do your franchise operators have before taking on a Fifo Capital business? It really varies. They don't necessarily have prior finance experience, however, are mostly financially driven with great people and communication skills.
Finally, we operate in a growth market and our franchisee networks are thriving.
and franchisee working capital is safeguarded by our unique insurance policy.
Tailored software A kick-start marketing program
4. What process and support do your franchisees receive? Fifo Capital prides itself on its systems as well as procedures
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5. How do your franchises fund their transactions? Our franchisees use their own working capital as well as access additional funds from within the franchisee network or via Fifo Capital’s capital fund.
7. How many units of your franchise have you established in Australia? There are only 20 offices nationally, with the majority being located in Queensland, however, to keep up with the strong national demand we're planning for continued expansion throughout the rest of Australia
6. Tell us about some of the successes Fifo Capital has had since starting in Australia 8. How many units of your in 2008? franchise do you plan to We've experienced triple-digit establish in Australia? year-on-year growth since establishing our first franchise We will continue to grow our office in 2008 and this is offices in line with customer expected to continue. demand.
10. What would you say to someone thinking about taking on a Fifo Capital business? If you're looking for a rewarding business in terms and great returns and lifestyle, then talk to us. It's a business that can grow to whatever size you want. “What are you waiting for?”
For information on Fifo Capital and the Fifo franchise opportunity visit:
Phone: 1300 852 556 Fifo Capital was recently recognised as one of SmartCompany.com.au's Top 30 Fastest Growing Franchises. In 2010, one of our franchisee offices was a National Finalist for the Franchise Executive of the Year Australian Franchising Awards.
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9. Do you have any plans for overseas expansion? There are 10 offices in New Zealand already.
Or visit www.fifocapital.com
If demand for our product is as strong overseas as it is in Australia and New Zealand, then why not?
Modern Franchise Magazine |7 maxiom
FREELANCE OR FRANCHISEE IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY! Coming out of the corporate world into your own business has many challenges. One was losing the comfort and security of a high income and all the benefits, including have great a team around you. Learning about freelancing the hard way David Marks compares his life as a freelancer vs a franchisee. As the overworked and undervalued employee of a National chain of food outlets in the UK, I decided at the ripe old age of 30 to chuck it all in and freelance. After all I had built a great reputation and risen from the ranks of floor personell to Assistant General Manager of a group that contained over 1000 units across three different brands. After about a year of slugging it out slowly building my freelance consultancy business, still not making any more money and working just as hard and equally if not longer hours (especially if I added all the extra hours prospecting for new clients, blogging, updating my various social media pages, website and presentations) I had a chance meeting with our former franchise developement manager who had also moved on not long after my departure. 8 | Modern Franchise Magazine
A quiet chat over a coffee proved somewhat of an eye opener for me. Even though I had been a senior manager of a large corporate which included over 300 franchise units, I had never really considered joining a professional services franchise. My friend had purchased a professional franchise and was earning three times what I was, and in only 6 months.
freelance operation to a vibrant and dynamic consulting business. Despite my experience and training prior to starting out on my own, I simply didn’t have the support structure and marketing resources to grow my business as effectively a a freelancer that I did as a franchisee. It was as simple as that.
After a year as a franchisee my consultancy has grown to include 2 employees and turns over more than 4 times what I did prior to joining the franchise. While I still have to put some effort and resources into After getting used to some of the marketing and admin, many of head office controls placed upon these tasks that used to take up my franchise, which I knew from much of my time are now my experience were there for the handled by head office and this benefit of the whole franchise has freed me up to concentrate system, I began to make quick on making money in the progress in building my business...the old adage of business from a struggling working on the business not in it. I decided to investigate the franchise opportunity, along with several others, and ended up joining the same franchise as my friend.
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A Smart B2B Business for the Smart Operator Every now and then a business opportunity comes along that looks almost too good to be true. Fifo Capital is that opportunity. Thanks to a simple formula; proven finance business, reputable and widely accepted in a rapidly growing market, Fifo Capital has delivered triple-digit annual turnover growth since entering the Australian market in 2008. And, our franchisees have experienced success they’d only ever dreamed of. Fifo Capital is a B2B business capable of first year bottom line return exceeding the cost of entry. Not only this, it has few fixed outgoings beyond telephone line charges in the first year of trading. A business that can grow to whatever size you want. If you’re a professionally minded individual looking for a unique and proven business, talk to Fifo Capital today on 1300 852 556 or visit www.fifocapital.com for more information.
www.fifocapital.com maxiom
Modern Franchise Magazine | 9
NEW FRANCHISEE ASSOCIATION IS ABOUT “OPPORTUNITY NOT OPPORTUNISM” By Mark Matthews
Franchisees have joined forces to launch a new franchise association called the National Franchise Coalition of Australia to promote franchisee’s rights, lobby government and industry regulators to address the power imbalance that exists between franchisors and franchisees and promote the principals of “Good Faith” and “Fair Conduct” in all franchise dealings. Ian O’Neill from the National Franchisee Coalition of Australia says “that while there are some really good franchises out there there are many that aren’t so good when it comes to dealings with their franchisees”. “The National Franchisee Coalition of Australia wants to see a vibrant, successful and fair franchise industry and is not designed purely as a combative group of disgruntled former franchisees”, says Ian. The National Franchisee Coalition says in its’ Mission Statement: The National Franchisee Coalition (NFC) is a representative group of Australian Franchisees who have formed a cohesive alliance.
Our Leaders are volunteers who share the same vision for a fair, equitable and sustainable partnership between all Franchise participants.
The franchise industry has had its’ fair share of detractors lately.
From politicians wanting to have their moment in the limelight to the recently reported franchise scam SensaSlim, the industry has been The long term viability and under siege. Despite this, the success of franchising is franchise industry and business reliant on profitable outcomes model has so much to offer and is for all stakeholders. still a fantastic way of doing business. We encourage all past, present and future If the National Franchisee Coalition Franchisees to speak up and is successful in delivering on its’ express their views without mission statement, it could have a fear of reprisal or very positive impact on the recrimination. franchise industry and franchising might well retain the confidence of We will collate this the wider community. information and leverage the collective strength of all who For more information you can join us for the benefit of the contact the National Franchisee entire Franchise community. Coalition of Australia by email: We will lobby for legislative nfc@live.com.au reform to promote the benefits of a transparent Or visit their website: relationship based on the principles of “Good Faith” and www.nationalfranchiseecoalition.com “Fair Conduct” in all Franchise dealings.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS TO PRE-QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR INTERNATIONALLY? No matter what your business we can help you consistently gain more customers and build your business and your brand FAST!
Run with the big dogs...and WIN!!! Consistently Win New Customers Be Seen as THE Experts in Your Industry Strengthen Your Client Relationships Expand Your Database by Thousands or More... Develop Profitable Alliances Look More Professional Build Your Brand Optimise your ROI
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Modern Franchise Magazine | 11
TRAINING FRANCHISE EMPLOYEES - WHY YOUR EMPLOYEES BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDE CAN DETERMINE YOUR ULTIMATE SUCCESS By Elise May
Once you’ve signed the franchise agreement, one of the challenges new franchisees face is hiring and training employees. The success of each franchised unit depends on the quality, performance and behaviour of its employees.
In other words, once you’ve conquered the marketing challenges and have customers coming into your business, the ultimate success of your Training staff to be effective at franchise business is directly customer service, marketing and related to the quality of your creating a positive brand employees' behaviour and experience is a challenge for attitude. And of course your own The challenge is particularly any franchise operator, and the example you set for your relevant in retail concepts, or especially new franchisees with staff. professional & trade services little or no background in human where the quality of staff resources, marketing or Any franchisor truly interested in performance and customer relations. their franchisees' success will communication with customers provide training in how to hire, is vital to the success of the Everything your staff does train, develop and retain franchise. Front-line employees makes an impression on each employees. During your are the face of the brand, customer - creating a positive investigation of the franchise dealing directly with each experience, driving satisfaction and due diligence, franchisee customer every day. And your and loyalty, or driving them to a candidates should fully “brand” is the experience competing brand. As a investigate their potential customers have in their dealings franchisee, it's all about franchisor’s services and with your business. managing the "customer support that they provide in this experience," and training staff in area; franchisee candidates Creating productive employees the ways to deliver it, in every should ask the brand's existing with a positive attitude is a key interaction with customers, every franchisees about the quality of ingredient for success. In fact, transaction, every day. instruction they also received on many experienced franchisees induction into the system and on follow the adage: "Hire for staff training once they attitude, train for skills." commenced operation. Also ask about what problems they
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A good attitude goes a long way in a team-oriented environment; skills can be learned. Attitude is inherent.
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encountered, both expected and unexpected, what they did to resolve them, and how helpful the franchisor was in providing support. With OHS being an important part of any staff management plan, also check what advice and support your franchisor will provide. There are very hefty penalties for failure to comply with OHS Laws, Standards and Regulations. These are going to be much tougher and more strongly enforced with the introduction of the new National Standards in January 2012. Even failure to have basic paperwork up to date will attract large penalties. Your franchisor is the expert in your industry so find out what support they give their franchisees in all aspects of staff management that falls under the human resources umbrella. There is an old saying in staff recruitment - "Hire slowly, fire quickly." Taking the time to screen and interview new employees is crucial. Many small-business owners find themselves under time pressure and need the additional staff “yesterday."
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Balancing the urgency of filling a position with finding high-quality employees is an ongoing challenge. Poor hiring decisions, and insufficient training is certain to have an adverse effect on your business performance. If you hire for attitude, then training for skills is both something the franchisor can assist with, as well as your franchise in its day to day operations. This training will differ from franchise to franchise and between industries, as every business will have unique training needs. This is where it is best to rely on the guidance of your franchisor in how to best train your staff. Franchisors have been through this hundreds or even thousands of times and should have distilled best practices in how to train employees most effectively for their brand. Managing staff can be an art. Franchise operators must not only be adept at judging character, they also must comply with a long list of laws and regulations if they want to stay out of trouble. A minefield of potential legal traps and
penalties can trip up even the best-intentioned employer. If you need help, ask your franchisor, or if you don't know what to ask, say, or do, or what not to, consider contracting with an outsourced specialist who can help you through the minefield without setting off any of the mines. Using an outsourced agency is also a good way to find prevetted employees for your franchise. If you can find an agency that understands your business and your needs, it can lead to excellent results. Make sure you fully explain what you are looking for in an employee so the agency knows what type of person to send you. It costs a little more than doing it yourself, but more often than not, the additional time you spend interviewing, doing paperwork, HR & OHS compliance is better and more profitably spent on your business than on these tasks.
Modern Franchise Magazine | 13
HOW DOES OUTSOURCING FIT INTO MODERN BUSINESS? Outsourcing has been used by business for centuries but has recently become a “buzz word� for gaining efficiency and flexibility. We look at how modern franchises can utilise outsource specialists to increase competitiveness and gain new customers. In recent years business has become globalized, which in turn means that competition has globalized too. Many small businesses that may once have occupied a local niche are now forced to compete with similar businesses all around the world. In some cases, this presents a costing problem; labor can be cheaper, yet equally skilled in countries outside of the Western world. Many Western-based companies find that they are being outbid for projects or undercut on price simply because far greater staffing costs mean that they cannot afford to sell or bid more at a lower rate. In Australia, where we see the higher dollar make imports cheaper there are competitive pressures from all directions, the retail sector finds this particularly challenging.. Outsourcing enables such companies to procure the staff or services they need at a competitive price and, more importantly, as demand requires them rather than hiring them as full-time employees. In being able to call upon a workforce of outsourced specialist or even freelancers, the small
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business is then able to dynamically scale itself to fit the needs of any project or competiveness level. Traditionally, the first consideration for many professional businesses when tendering for a new contract or project is that of resources: does the company have enough resources on hand to tackle the project in the timeframe required? In some cases, the answer would be no, meaning that small business would have to turn down an opportunity and lose out to a competitor. However, if the company has access to a readily available team of outsourced staff or companies, this problem disappears; the business simply uses these outsourced businesses and freelancers to make up the shortfall in resources. The small business is able to take on the additional work, safe in the knowledge they can acquire the resources required to complete the project. Many franchises already do this every day by hiring casual shop front staff. Franchisors do this by oustourcing their operations - by franchising.
There can be no doubt that a small business that is able to utilize outsourcing is more dynamic and able to adapt itself more quickly to the needs of its clients. Let us consider another side of outsourcing: that of cost. Modern commerce is ever more competitive, which means that prices often need to be cut in order to maintain a market share against emerging competitors. If prices need to be cut, this means that logically, overheads need to be cut to maintain a healthy profit margin. Staffing costs are usually the major overhead faced by any small business. Reducing staffing costs is a tried and tested way of increasing net profit and outsourcing is a great way to tackle this problem. Franchising has been proven over many decades to be one of the most effective outsourcing strategies. If handled correctly, the use of oustourcing will provide a far more flexible work force that is able to tackle more complex and demanding projects that require a greater diversity of skills.
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Are you passionate about your job? Is it rewarding? Do you have the flexibility to create balance in your life? Can you see yourself in the same job in 12 months? 2 years? 5 years? Are you making the income you want?
If you no longer bounce out bed in the morning, what are you doing about it? The Real Learning Experience is the only Australian corporate training franchise. Our franchise partners receive: A business ready for you to walk in and start working Comprehensive induction and support Freedom to work where you want, with who you want and when you want An exciting and rewarding new career A business with high margins, low overheads and high income potential You don’t need any formal qualifications. If you’re a professionally minded individual looking for a unique and proven business, then call us today!
The Real Learning Experience
1800 24 11 33 franchising@reallearning.com.au www.reallearning.com.au
We are committed to helping individuals and teams fulfil their potential maxiom
Modern Franchise Magazine | 15
WE CALL IT PART-TIME .......OUR CLIENTS CALL IT PERFECT! Looking to hire an additional staff member, or need to outsource a particular job or project? Having a committed, responsible & educated professional join your workforce part-time, to complete or manage a project, or on flexible work arrangements offers the ideal solution for many organisations looking to employ additional staff but without the added cost or risk of a full-time employee. Casual Careers are the experts in recruiting educated professionals looking for a more flexible work environment or for outsourced projects. Employers Ever wish you had an experienced, intelligent, capable person in your office without spending valuable funds hiring another full-time employee or using an uncommitted temp? Having a committed, inspired and educated professional join your workforce part-time offers the ideal solution for many organisations looking to employ additional staff but without the added cost of a fulltime employee. With more and more companies looking for high calibre staff and more job seekers looking for a better balance between work and lifestyle, Casual Careers offers the perfect solution to meet your needs. We have the highest calibre of professionals - high achievers all who are seeking a more flexible or part-time work environment. We can provide you with a
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professional, experienced, parttime employee that meets your needs . You can even leave the Human Resource issues to us Ÿ We search all our proprietary databases to find just the right person to fit your needs Ÿ We handle all Payroll (inlcuding Payroll Tax, Superannuation & Workcover) Ÿ We bill you weekly only for actual hours worked Ÿ You have to option to employ directly for a fraction of traditional recruitment fees at any time Ÿ Perfect for long-term or short-term staffing needs and special projects
Looking For Work? Ever wish you had a job that met your work/life balance requirements? Looking for something flexible that still fits in with your lifestyle? Casual Careers has the perfect answer whether you are looking for work or looking for a new member to join your team.
Casual Careers Casual Careers Pty Ltd Level 2, 710 Collins Street Docklands Vic 3008 Ph: (03) 9097 1606 Fax: (03) 9097 1607 info@casualcareers.com.au www.casualcareers.com.au
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We call it part-time...
Looking for Staff
Looking for Work
Have a Question
...Our clients call it perfect!
Contact a Consultant
welcome Casual Careers specializes in placing educated professionals into long-term, part-time careers. Having a committed, responsible & educated professional join your workforce part-time offers the ideal solution for many organisations looking to employ additional staff but without the added cost of a full-time employee. With more and more organisations looking for high calibre staff and more job seekers looking for a better balance between work and lifestyle, Casual Careers offers the perfect solution to meet your needs. Casual Careers offers both the employer and job seekers the ideal solution between staffing needs and work/life balance. We even look after the Human Resources issues to help make it even easier for you.
Educated
Professional
Flexible
Experienced
Solutions for Employers
Solutions for Employees
Why we’re Different
Ever w ish you had an experienced, intelligent, capable person in your office w ithout spending valuable funds hiring another full-time employee or using an uncommitted temp?
Ever w ish you had a job that met your w ork/life balance requirements? Looking for something flexible that still fits in w ith your lifestyle ? CasualCareers has the perfect solution.
Whether you are an employer or w hether you are looking for w ork Casual Careers is all about solutions that suit YOU.....thats w hy our clients call it “PERFECT!”
www.casualcareers.com.au maxiom
Modern Franchise Magazine | 17
A MODERN SOLUTION TO WORKING CAPITAL FOR BUSINESS The Interface Financial Group: The Ultimate Professional Franchise Providing Working Capital for Business The Interface Financial Group, like the financial services industry of which it is a part, is a very mature player. In business since 1972, Interface is clearly the market leader in invoice discounting, with hands-on experience and a growing network of offices in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. US magazine, Entrepreneur, an acknowledged leader in franchise information, rates franchises on an annual basis. Interface is consistently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®, in their Top 100 Homebased Franchises, and their America’s Top Global Franchise listing. The Franchise Research Institute, the preeminent organisation that conducts independent surveys of franchise owners, has awarded Interface with its World-Class Franchise® certification for the past five years.
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It is estimated that there may be as many as 5,000+ different franchises in North America alone. Interface is clearly in the top 5%. Leveraging its 39 years of experience, Interface’s main objective is to become a top franchise in Australia. Naturally, there is no such thing as a universal description of an Interface franchisee. There are, however, several significant characteristics that all IFG franchisees have. These are the characteristics that we feel are very important in a franchisee’s make up because they contribute to the long-term success of the franchisee’s business. First, we always look for individuals who have excellent communications skills — both verbal and written. Interface franchisees are charged with the task of communicating with professionals such as bankers and accountants on the one hand, and with small business owners/entrepreneurs on the other hand.
Second, we look for individuals who are decision makers. Franchisees gather information, analyse the information, confer with Head Office, and then make a decision to move forward or not. Our process is designed to be handled quickly, efficiently, and in a professional manner. Thirdly, we seek to work with franchisees that are entrepreneurial in their outlook. We look for people who have a vision for themselves and their Interface business. So if this sounds like you and if you are interested in a homebased franchise with NO STAFF, NO INVENTORY and NO LONG HOURS, then contact The Interface Financial Group today at:
1300 940 908 Or for more information visit: www.interfacefinancial.com.au Email: ifgau@interfacefinancial.com
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The ultimate professional franchise providing working capital for businesses
The Ultimate Professional Franchise The unique Interface Financial Service franchise is now available in all areas of Australia. Interface, established in 1972 and with offices located in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland continues to be a proven leader in providing working-capital solutions for small business. Interface franchisees enjoy: An excellent return on their investment No Staff to manage No premises to rent No inventory to acquire No long or anti-social working hours No extensive business travel No custom designed equipment or signage
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Modern Franchise Magazine | 19
RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH We believe many recruitment solutions are overpriced. Finding you excellent candidates shouldn't cost the earth. Given the high calibre of our talented community, our costs & services provide fantastic value for money. Our Candidates
Your Opportunity
The Cost
Our members are top performers; high-fliers looking for challenging, meaningful and fulfilling careers opportunities.
If your opportunity fits the bill we'll bend over backwards to help you find excellent candidates from within our community.
We believe many recruitment solutions are overpriced. Finding you excellent candidates shouldn't cost the earth.
We're talking the top 2% - high achievers. Thousands of ambitious young professionals with widespread corporate experience & training.
Unlike job listing sites and many traditional recruitment companies we focus on quality over quantity. Listings get a manageable number of exceptional applications.
Given the high calibre of our talented community, our costs & services provide fantastic value for money.
What distinguishes these people is that they don't want to be small cogs in large machines. They want to do work that matters, they want to have a significant impact in their organisations. They want to Do Something Different. They want to make a difference. In fact, they want to BE the difference.
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Our team are experts in their field of specialty, most having over 10 or 15 years experience in that field before becoming a recruitment expert.
For more information please contact us at: Click Here Or email: team@maxiom.com.au
This way we can help you get the best people who can make a difference to your business.
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Do something YOU LOVE
Do something DIFFERENT Connecting selected organisations with an elite community of talented professionals looking to 'Do Something Different'. Exciting Careers Unique Franchise Opportunities Innovative Start-Ups
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A community of motivated corporate professionals who want to ‘do something different’ with their careers. A philosophy based on the belief that there is more to life than doing work that doesn’t matter to you. A platform that connects people for exciting career changes, innovative start-ups & epic adventures. www.dosomethingdifferent.com.au maxiom
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A CREATIVE FRANCHISE WITH A COMMERCIAL EDGE MWA Design is one of the world’s fastest growing graphic design & web development businesses and has a strong commercial culture. Founded in 1995, over the past 16 years MWA has become a leader in great design and the latest web technologies . Designing across most media including the internet and digital media, traditional litho and digital print, advertising, exhibition graphics, packaging, photography, video and magazine publishing.
Each franchisee has access to a pool of talented graphic designers, artists, web designers, web developers and photographers whom are expert in developing creative and tailored design and online solutions for small to medium businesses, national companies and multi-national corporates alike.
For more information about MWA Design and our franchise opportunity visit our website: www.mwadesign.com.au
With a history in the print industry, education, creativity and design MWA offer franchisees a world of experience and an business oportunity limted only by your drive for commercial success.
As a MWA franchisee, you will use your business and sales skills to develop your own client base with the back-up and support of a talented and experienced group of professionals who will assist you in delivering the highest quality solutions to your clients.
MWA offer competitive and well put-together package that is designed to encompass all the basic requirements to create an on-line audience for business, as well as the more traditional print media and promotional materials.
You will also have access to our international clientelle and the benefit of local, national and international marketing campaigns to help you achieve your business goals.
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MWA is a low cost and low overhead business that can be run from your home office, in your own hours to suit your lifestyle, personal and business aspirations.
or email: mark@mwadesign.com.au
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MWA Design
Brand Design | Print Design | Web Design | Web Development
Keeping it clear and simple. MWA Design can help you get your marketing message to your target clients in the most effective way to boost your sales and your profit. We are not just interested in great design and the latest web technologies we’re interested in your business, your customers and your commercial success too. Established in 1995 and with offices located in the UK, Australia & New Zealand, MWA has the experience to provide quality service and outcomes for any business big or small. Our franchisees also enjoy great head office support along with: Low cost of entry No staff to manage Work from home No inventory Work your own hours No extensive business travel No restrictions on business growth
www.mwadesign.com.au
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GETTING THE MOST OUT OF PART-TIME AND CASUAL EMPLOYEES Many franchises need to employ part-time or casual staff. Motivating these staff members can be challenging particularly when few see the job as a long term career. However, there are a few things you can do to keep your top employees happy and motivated. Many franchises rely on part-time and casual employees…and for most of these they are the face of the franchise business. They greet and serve customers and are essentially the cornerstone of your customer service efforts. So it only makes sense that if you've gone to the effort to recruit the right employees that you would want to make sure that you keep those top employees happy and motivated. You might be surprised how poorly some franchise operators actually are when it comes to motivating their casual employees. Every organization has its share of overachievers and underachievers and franchising is no different. But one of the secrets to operating a successful franchise year after year is creating an environment where a core group of employees share
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your vision and buy into what you're doing. Do this and you're on your way to not only getting the most out of your employees, but getting the most out of your franchise business. Money is always one of the first topics of discussion when it comes to motivating employees. But chances are, as a franchise business operator, you've only got so much that you can devote to wages. Pay as well as you can and then look for other ways to "compensate" employees. One good technique is to have every employee complete an employee rewards checklist. Just create a simple checklist that gives each employee the opportunity to rate the kinds of things that motivate them. It might include money, gift
cards/certificates, additional responsibility, more training opportunities, and written or verbal affirmation, among other things. Armed with this knowledge, you can now customize your incentive arsenal to each employee based on what they've told you motivates them most. One good strategy is to look for other local businesses that you might trade products or coupons with. Say you operate a fast food franchise, look for a nearby movie theatre that might be interested in trading food/coupons for movie passes. Now you have something to offer above and beyond your hourly pay constraints. When employees go above and beyond the call of duty, reward them with a couple of movie passes.
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Incentives can help create higher These get-togethers also can expectations and more allow employees to spend time motivated employees. away from the business and have some fun while they're at it. Here's another strategy. Don't skimp on prizes and Chances are your casual contests. employees are going to need time off on occasion. Make time to visit with, and more importantly, listen to your Make it a point to create a employees. Encourage culture where that's possible. feedback. Be open with your You may have a lot of high goals, expectations, and school students who are objectives. involved in sports or other extracurricular activities. If you need help with employee recruitment, training Be prepared for this and be able management, recognition to move work schedules around programs or any human to accommodate these resources issue, the first point of requests. call should always be your franchisor. After all they have Maybe you even have to work a been through all this before and shift yourself. What better way to should have highly developed set an example of sacrifice and systems in place to help dedication for your crew. franchisees with all these issues. Parties and public recognition are other tried and true ways that have been proven to motivate employees. Christmas/holiday/seasonal parties offer a great chance to recognize employees through awards and recognition.
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The key to motivating casual employees is to let them know that you appreciate them and to identify ways to encourage them. Likewise, expect the worst and you'll meet your expectations. Be authentic. Your attitude and enthusiasm will breed a likeminded culture. As a franchisee, it's so very important to be committed to your employees. Demonstrate a willingness to take care of and sacrifice for the very people that can make or break your operation. Expect the very best from your employees and you may just be surprised with what you get.
Alternatively, there are many great agencies that specialise in part-time and casual staff, including all the human resource and employment issues that accompany casual employees.
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TRAINING YOUR STAFF WITH CLARIFY TRAINING Wouldn’t it be great if all your staff had the same passion and vision for your business and you? Clarify Training can help you create a dynamic culture where your staff thrive enabling you to reach your business goals faster. Our organisation has a deep commitment to you and your people and offers a unique service based on the values of Accountability, Respect and High Performance. Our professional services are tailored to be tightly aligned to the commercial aims of your business:
As accomplished practitioners your business to ensure business they can help your people display results are achieved. effective influencing skills, the Ÿ Attract & Recruit the Best ability to inspire and engage others Talent and the capability to lead and Ÿ In line with your Ÿ Provide an Environment for empower change in a organization’s strategy, we Your Talent to Thrive performance driven setting. will formulate, lead and Ÿ Optimise Individual implement a learning Capacity framework that is linked to With extensive experience in Ÿ Build Influencing Skills and helping organizations analyze their business performance, Leadership Capacity needs and design strategic maximise individual Ÿ Ensure Business Results learning and development capability and builds Are Achieved solutions, our highly qualified leadership competence. Ÿ See the Results in Your consultants will work closely with Bottom Line Ÿ Coach business leaders in you to determine your company’s your organization so as to individual requirements. ensure the optimal delivery If you want to optimise your of all tactical people We can design tailored solutions business, give Clarify Training a programs and to ensure call. for individual employees, project business results are teams, departments and entire achieved. companies. We will help you implement a suite We can also help you develop a T R A I N I N G of HR practices and policies to learning culture, while fitting in with reflect contemporary, consistent the overall strategic goals of your Clarify Training Pty Ltd best practice. Level 2, 1 Riverside Drive organization. Melbourne Vic 3000 Our consultants are individuals Ph: (03) 9982 4545 Our programs are strategically who have carved their careers Fax: (03) 9982 4546 within leading, complex business aligned to the commercial aims of info@clarifytraining.com environments. www.clarifytraining.com
CLARIFY
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DON’T LET YOUR COMPETITORS OVERTAKE YOU!
Wouldn’t it be great if all your staff had the same passion and vision for your business and you? Clarify Training can help you create a dynamic culture where your staff thrive enabling you to reach your business goals faster. Attract & Recruit the Best Talent Provide an Environment for Your Talent to Thrive Optimise Individual Capacity Build Influencing Skills and Leadership Capacity Ensure Business Results Are Achieved See the Results in Your Bottom Line
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HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT ON THE MODERN FRANCHISE? These days marketing your franchise has become much easier and less costly thanks to the technology we regularly refer to as “Social Media”. But there are so many options and so much advice, many small businesses simply don’t know where to start. It seems as though every social media network has its own language, tweets, likes, pokes etc.., yet all of them are grouped together as the "future" of marketing. Social media has now become a cornerstone for branding, sales growth, and PR. Though for many franchisees to successfully use social media to drive business into stores, you need to look at the facts. Facebook Facebook has more than 10 million active users in Australia, 50 percent of whom log in to their account on any given day and has over 500 million active users worldwide. More than 61.2 percent of Facebook's audience is over the age of 25. According to Quantcast analytics, 30 percent of the Facebook audience earns between $60,000 and $100,000, and nearly a third earn more than $100,000. And most important, a 2010 survey by Morpace found that 41 percent of Facebook
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users join fan pages to let their network know what products they support. What this means: If you're looking for a way to interact with customers and potential customers of your franchise locations, Facebook is a very good place to start. By the audience demographics, it's clear that the people who hold the purse strings are there, logging in on a daily basis. And they actually want to interact with your brand. Here's another fact: in addition to the word-of-mouth marketing that customers who "like" your brand on Facebook give you, studies have shown that Facebook fans are more likely to buy a brand's products than non-fans. So if it's sales and positive wordof-mouth you're after, the facts speak for themselves.
Twitter Today, there are approximately 2.5 million twitter accounts in Australia and 83.6 million worldwide. Twitter is also on the rise: Unique visitors per month has risen to 190 million per month, up from 180 million only one month ago and the number of Twitter users worldwide grows by 300,000 per day. In Australia only 16 percent of Twitter users are under 16 years old and 23 percent have read tweets in the past year. 14 percent of all twitter accounts followed companies last year – an increase of over 300 percent in only 2 years. What It Means: It's clear that Twitter has a lot of people, many of whom probably are your current or potential customers. 2.5 million plus accounts equates to a lot of people.
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This means it's essential that you do the heavy lifting and start following people who frequent (or could frequent) your franchise locations. Odds are they'll follow you back. And this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Blogs Almost half of all the Internet population, were reading blogs last year. And that number is on the rise. Blogs receive the highest percentage of visits from Facebook and Twitter, compared with other pages of interest (like your website). What this means: Obviously, people like reading blogs. They're personal, sincere, and are updated with all the latest news and information. For franchises, this means you can easily let your customers know about upcoming events and promotions without having to go through the hassle of having to edit a website. With your own blog, you can get the information out about your local franchise to your loyal customers.
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YouTube
YouTube is one of the web's most trafficked sites. It receives a higher percentage of searches than both Yahoo! and NineMSN/Bing. And the average person spends 15 minutes a day on YouTube, 5 to 10 times as long as they spend on a website.
These days we can get our daily news through a multitude of resources from across the web. But LinkedIn Today is the new player in town for the professional community. Plus, it’s a great resource for putting your daily news in the context of your professional social network.
What this means: As LinkedIn describes it, People want to watch and LinkedIn Today allows you interact with brand videos. While to discover what the world’s your footage of the perfect professionals are reading, hamburger or tax return may not sharing AND tweeting. It is a receive as many hits as quickly professional social news source as the latest Justin Beiber clip, that you can utilize to grow your this doesn't mean it's not social & professional influence. working. What makes LinkedIn Today so This type of rich content matures powerful is that the news articles over time. Plus, to drive traffic displayed are those that have and increase exposure to your been shared, liked or brand, you can embed videos commented on the most by into Facebook, post links on LinkedIn members. LinkedIn has Twitter, embed them on your over 100 million members blogs, and more. And the more worldwide and with more than 2 that people see positive things million members in Australia about your franchise brand, the it should not be overlooked. more likely they are to become a customer of your business. LinkedIn Today articles are sorted by industry and news source, based on the industry assigned to profiles of those who have shared them.
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Most importantly, LinkedIn will give a higher preference to more recent articles if they’re being shared quickly by a broad base of members. LinkedIn Today will also show you top industry articles from StumbleUpon and even articles that your directLinkedIn connections have shared.
show you the most relevant articles based on your industry, interests and sources. LinkedIn Today allows you to follow categories of news that you and your connections care about most. Follow your industry, related industries and any and all sources that can help you grow your reputation as an influencer.
There are many ways to build social and professional relationships with your LinkedIn connections. One of the best ways to grow your social influence is to consistently curate and share timely, relevant content with your connections so you stay visible and valuable.
For example, if your industry is financial services and this is your target market it makes sense to follow industries and sources related to this sector so that you can provide a blend of relevant content to your audience.
Remember, with all of the content now available online, people are overloaded with information; but they’re still thirsting for knowledge. Position yourself as someone who is “in the know” within the context of your industry to become an influencer. The first action to take with LinkedIn Today is to customize and organize your news page to
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Later this month LinkedIn is reported to be introducing a professional plug-in to let people apply for jobs on third-party sites with information from their LinkedIn profiles. LinkedIn offers smart franchises an opportunity to connect with a large database of high earning professionals, creating a positive feedback about your business and your brand. The more positive the brand perception,
the more likely people will buy from your franchise or indeed be interested in purchasing a franchise. Integration As you can see, social media has great potential for increasing exposure to your franchise locations and, ultimately, drive business through your doors. However, it typically can't do it on its own. Social media is most successful (maybe "only" successful) when it's part of a larger marketing campaign. Use SEO and PPC to draw potential customers in; continue the conversation with them using social media; give them the facts with your website; and make the sale the moment they walk in the door. By using each medium to build on the next, you're ensuring that your customers keep coming back to your franchise locations time and again. And when you see your bottom line start to rise as a result of your online efforts, that's a fact you can't ignore.
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TAKING THE HASSLES OUT OF OHS MANAGEMENT FOR FRANCHISORS AND FRANCHISEES ALIKE Franchisors will have to make some big changes to OHS Policy and Operations Manuals to meet the complexities of the new National OHS Standards. With only 6 months left until the new National OHS Standards are introduced, Franchise participants will need to ensure that they have “all their ducks in a row” when it comes to OHS Management and record keeping.
compliance and management across their franchise network.
Some significant key changes to note are:
National Organisations to Benefit from new Standards.
The Codes of Practice will be admissible as evidence in court as to what is reasonably practicable behaviour and businesses can only vary their compliance regime where it is equal to or better than that within the code. Businesses will have to be familiar with the Act, regulations and Codes of Practice which now represent thousands of pages of legislation and supporting documentation.
Of course for most franchise systems, a harmonised set of rules will make it much easier for With fines of up to $6,000 for businesses that operate across incomplete documentation or state borders to understand and failing to keep record keeping comply with the Model OHS Act. up to date, and $36,000 for With this consistency in place, it signage breaches, franchisees should also make it much easier will also have greater to train and educate franchisees responsibilities under the new and employees on OHS Standards. requirements in Australia, as they will only need to learn about Franchisor OHS Policy and The good news for all franchise one set of rules. Manuals will need to be updated participants, is at Building Up and franchisees and staff we introduce a simple and The bad news is that the rules trained. effective OH&S solution that are complex, and will require ensures your workplace changes in your OHS policies With employee representatives and Safety Management complies with the new National having the right to intrude on systems, so it’s important to get Standards. Building Up will Head Office’s decision making it right from the start. Businesses develop and assist in process and management of now have a little over 6 months implementing an OH&S system OHS policy, Franchisors will to fully review their OHS safety to best suit your franchise’s need to pay particular attention systems, documentation, needs. Ensuring you’re to ensuring best practice in OHS training and education to be compliance doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. compliant on January 1, 2012. 32 | Modern Franchise Magazine
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New National OHS Laws coming into effect soon WILL require you to make significant changes to your OHS practices, manuals & training. The good news is that you will only need to learn about one set of rules. The bad news is that the rules are complex, and will require changes in your OHS policies and Safety Management systems, so it’s important to get it right from the start. There is now just over 8 months to fully review your OHS safety systems, documentation, training and education to be compliant on January 1, 2012 At Building Up we make it our business to ensure your risks are minimised and your potential maximised. We hold the solutions to your OHS problems, so you can rest assured that your business is able to tick all the boxes.
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ACHIEVING THE BEST RESULTS FROM EVENTS! The tactic of marketing to bring qualified sales leads into your business and reduce the cost of sales has never been more important than it is today. With the growth and reach of the Internet, you can communicate with more potential customers and existing customers than ever before. One thing to remember though, is that the internet can be quite impersonal. So what is the most effective way of peronalising your online marketing? Combining it with events gives you the perfect solution that can be tailored to suit your individual business aims and maximise the return on your marketing dollar. Event Marketing is proven to provide the greatest ROI due to the face-to-face interaction that it yields. Now more than ever, companies are finding that the results produced by event marketing far outweigh the return from other marketing platforms, such as print advertising, tv, radio, public relations and even Internet Marketing. Studies have shown that the conversion rate can tripled as a result of face-to-face events and meetings. The profit from your next event or meeting can be considerably higher, if you know what steps to take. Combining Internet Marketing and Events can provide you with an extraodinary ROI compared to all other forms of marketing. Building stronger and lasting relationships, converting prospects, retaining customers, and investing in people are the key reasons for which companies hold eventsand meetings. Our online marketing, meeting and event management specialists are trained to recognize the specific needs of each client and will work along side you to ensure that your meeting includes all vital elements, NWE Events will focus on creating a customized marketing campaign designed to meet your business aims are achieved and that the maximum results are achieved.
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Events with Impact! A lifestyle business that’s full of life and has plenty of style Our meeting and event planners have one of the most exciting and rewarding lifestyles assisting in creating an unforgettable experience for our clients and their attendees. Product Launches Charitable Causes Meetings Conferences Corporate Events Awards Nights Marketing Events
Join one of the world’s fastest growing industries and have fun at the same time If you’d like to help create a memorable, lasting impression on your client’s attendees and you have a professional outlook and a desire to build your own lifestyle business, then this opportunity could be for you. Our franchisees enjoy a comprehensive induction and ongoing training, low establishment costs, great head office support plus a lifestyle and rewards that most people envy. For more information or to receive a franchise kit visit our website:
www.nweevents.com or email: franchise@nweevents.com NWE EVENTS
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IS MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISING THE SOLUTION TO REKINDLING FRANCHISE GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA? The growth of multi-unit operators in Australia has been lagging behind our international counterparts, but there is no good reason why. By Richard Wozniak An interesting statistic out of the U.S. is that over 50% of all franchises are owned by multi-unit operators. That's impressive, and the percentage controlled by multiunit operators is rising. Latest figures from 2010 show that multiunit operators are growing their franchise holdings by around 24% per year. If this trend continues, within 5 years multi-unit operators will dominate the US franchise industry…if they already don’t.
experience of the franchise operators within the system. Most of the smaller to medium sized brands are less likely to have many multi-unit operators.
stand in the way of growth of multiunit franchising in Australia.
Multi-unit development models became a common form for expansion in the past 20 years for There's some serious operational, many international franchises. business, and political influence in these numbers. Growth of MultiIn a life cycle sense, the data Unit operations has been slower in confirms that this model is still Australia than internationally. solidly in a growth mode. It shows Some franchise consultants also that the potential for Australian have been known to sway franchises to grow their business franchisors away from this growth “internally” is very strong and likely A similar trend can be seen in the model (maybe because they think to be sustainable for many years if UK, where multi-unit operators they will earn less commissions if not decades. also account for over 50% of all there are less franchises to sell to franchise units. new single unit franchisees)? It should be noted that the growth of multi-unit operators is This growth is a consequence of In the US, many multi unit happening, in part, from the exiting many brands focusing their franchise operators hold units in of some single-unit operators. development models on multi-unit multiple franchise systems. This is Transfers are on the rise across development packages over also true in the UK, but to a slightly many industries. Multi-unit single-unit programs. lesser extent. In Australia, many operators increasingly are the franchise agreements prohibit buyers of existing units. It makes Statistically, franchisors start to franchise operators from investing sense, since they are in the best embark on a multi-unit franchise in other franchise systems and position to evaluate the current growth strategy one they have where multi-unit operations exist operations and future potential of been operating their franchise the franchise agreements will an existing unit. systems for around 3 years. usually allow the termination of all franchise unit agreements should All of this suggests a continuing Multi-unit operators seem to be just one of the franchise units be rise in influence of the multi-unit more prevalent in larger, unsuccessful. operator within franchising. It established brands, most likely makes good sense for due to the greater finance options These factors are a deterrent to Franchisors, Franchisees and available to these systems and the multi-unit franchising and can only Financiers alike.
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EXPORTING YOUR FRANCHISE SYSTEM. With conditions in Australia tough for franchise growth, some enterprising local franchises are spending their marketing dollars on growing their business overseas. “This makes good sense” says international export consultant Marjane Beaugeois. With the Australian dollar at an all time high against most foreign currencies local franchises now get more bang for their marketing buck by carefully targeting overseas expansion opportunities. “The conditions for exporting IP such as franchise business methods has never been more favourable to Australian businesses,” Says Marjane “There are a number of things you should consider before embarking on an overseas growth plan.” adds Marjane. What you Must Know About Developing Your Business Internationally
business or even your intellectual property.
While this is true there are many challenges to operating away Choose carefully your target from a familiar environment. markets The decision of entering foreign markets implies a long-haul commitment with financial and operational consequences and is likely to impact the course of your business, for the better we all hope! But taking the opportunity of a larger customer base doesn’t need to be a guess work!
Exporting your franchise system may be a strategic decision or it may simply be a solution for selling more and selling fast a surplus production or seasonal stock or even an opportunistic move, taking advantage of an enquiry for your goods or services in which case, beyond the initial phase, there is still a need for adopting a more Assessing your ability to export diligent approach in selecting your franchise system is a start the markets in which you would and along with good preparation like to do business. is primordial as the success in exporting requires a lasting Selecting similar markets presence in the markets.
The export diagnosis questionnaire is a tool to explore the strengths and weaknesses 1 Assess your potential of your franchise business through a simple checklist and Your business should not necessarily be restricted to your helps evaluate your readiness for developing internationally. domestic market. There are many more customers for your goods and services or franchise
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Download your complimentary self-assessment checklist from www.mariebexportlink.com
You would select these markets for their fairly familiar business environment. They are limited in number and are usually safer but are likely to be mature, stagnating markets in which, you are likely to encounter a similar level of competition. New Zealand is a good example.
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Other markets with the high potential for growth You would consider these markets if your company is specialised in niche technology or your domestic market is too narrow for a fair return on investment or may require fast, seasonal, higher volume sales. In such scenarios, markets with high level of similarities do not always offer the best business opportunities. It makes sense to identify countries that have greater potential for growth. Needless to say that these markets are likely to be riskier and require stronger commitment Know your markets Regardless, of what market you would choose, it is essential that you familiarise yourself with the target country. Business ethics and culture vary hugely from one country to another even within the same region. Visit relevant international fairs, go on a discovery tour of the country joining, why not, business and leisure, find out about supply
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chains and the market players in your industry, identify your competitors, seek advice from government bodies and chambers of commerce and industries and seek assistance from international market specialists.
For all but the larger franchise systems better value might lye in B2B professional solutions of specialised advice and accompaniment.
In fact, being assisted in international negotiations, handling of international sales An inexpensive method is the and franchise contracts, DIY planning for export, using selecting reliable master readily available international franchises, area managers or communication tools such as partners, distributors, sales Internet. That is if you know agents or representatives are where to start and what to do. important to make sure that your brand, image and reputation are Conducting a comprehensive not damaged and to minimise market research by specialised the risk and the cost of doing organisations may be useful to business in a foreign larger businesses with environment. dedicated financial resources. Marjane Beaugeois is the By targeting the country, the right principal of Marie.b.exportlink entry strategy and the adequate experts in international consumer segments you can business development and decide where to allocate the global marketing. resources. However, there is a good chance that you would not Marjane has held international make full use of the statistical sales management positions tools, economic data and within leading multinationals in graphs and illustrations of such Western and Northern Europe comprehensive research. and the Middle East. She has degrees in Science and This type of research is International Business and a expensive and the cost is not Masters in Commercial Project always justified for smaller Management. Marjane is players. based in Melbourne, Australia
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HOW TO ATTRACT, TARGET AND RETAIN CLIENTS. By Kris tin M c N ic ol
With tough conditions for many businesses, particular those in retail, attracting, targeting and retaining customers has never been so important. In addition to the wider cast of your franchisor’s marketing net, every franchisee will need to formulate their own sales and marketing plan to attract, target and retain customers for their particular franchise. Many tradition forms of marketing have begun to lose their lustre. People just aren’t responding. With so much advertising bombarding potential customers many businesses are asking where is the best place to start to get their attention? Well the good news is you really can rapidly grow a loyal following but you may need to rethink the way you market your business. Your Focus Is your focus on: Winning new clients; Retaining existing clients Up-selling existing clients; or Growing your business by acquiring more units in your current or another franchise system
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Whatever your focus, have you noticed that everything is changing? Your industry advances, ideas expand, products are upgraded, new products appear and your customers move on. Just when you think you have everything figured out, it all changes!
retaining or up-selling to existing customers or by acquisition, if you concentrate on providing valuable information and insight in order to help people solve their problems, they are more likely to become and remain customers of your business.
Concentrate of your customers The one thing that remains needs, not your own. Provide them constant is people. Whether it’s with valuable content on your you, your friends, your family, your website, start a blog, offer them peers, your customers, your something free that solves small prospects and your partners. problem and they will more likely Some might jump to the come back to you when they have competition, but at their core they a bigger one. don’t really change. When you provide engaging “howEveryone wants access to to” information and assistance in valuable insight, great people and the form of valuable gifts (without recognition before they want strings attached), it triggers the products or services. If you can “How much more?” question. focus on the true desires of “How much more value will I gain if people, you’re halfway there. I hire this company or buy this product?” is the response many So where’s your focus? Are you will have when they see the great focused on yourself, your products value you provide for free. or services and your company? Or are you looking outward? Work with your franchisor on these tactics. Franchisors have Regardless whether you want to enormous experience and grow by winning new clients, marketing teams dedicated to helping you achieve your business aims.
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ARE YOU A BUILDER LOOKING TO GET OFF THE TOOLS? When you stop and think about it, as a builder you will use many types of coatings during the construction of even the most basic home. Whether its the interior or exterior paints, renders, texture coatings, timber stains, decking oils, waterproofing membranes, sealants, primers, bonding agents, impact coats, concrete sealers, patterned concrete toppings and many more, you will most likely be dealing with multiple suppliers, different trades, different products and all the while diluting your buying power and costing valuable time scheduling and managing all these different companies and trades on site. How would it be if you could deal with one company that took care of all these coating procedures for you with one phone call! PowerCoat are the only company in Australia, that has the expertise and experience to successfully project manage all your coating requirements. We can even take care of wall system installation, full wet area waterproofing and seamless flooring applications regardless of the product or system specified, with very few exceptions. No matter whether you are a builder of homes, units, high-rise developments or industrial and infrastructure, PowerCoat will tailor a coatings solution to suit your business, preferred products and construction schedule. Franchise opportunities now available Australia wide.
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Specialists in construction coatings since 1989 Residential Commercial Industrial Infrastructure www.powercoat.com.au
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SALES & MARKETING SKILLS YOU WILL NEED AS A FRANCHISEE When starting a new franchise operation, there are many things a franchisee needs to organise attend to and manage, and that’s before you even open the doors. While all the pre-opening issues are important, possibly none is more important than having a firm and well prepared sales & marketing plan. By Aiden Williams
It’s About Relationships Put simply, selling and marketing is nothing more than the creation of a new relationship. It involves marketing – to bring in qualified leads to your business and reduce the time and cost of sales; and sales – which is the conversion of those leads into paying customers.
Still, what all businesses, franchised or not, have in common is the need to bring in customers. But not only bring them in, keep them coming in, spending more, and bringing more people with them. Sales and Marketing are learnable skills. To some franchisees it comes naturally, while others break out in a cold sweat, just at the thought.
Franchisees join a franchise Different business types will system because they have a firm require different sales and belief in the product or service, marketing skills. Professional but few have a strong service franchises require a different approach than fast food background in sales and marketing. or retail, for instance. Whether you do business from a shop front, an office, if you’re mobile or work from home all dictate what sales and marketing techniques you will need to use.
Sales and marketing skills are the very skills they need to sell themselves and their services. Sales and marketing skills are the skills they need to keep the business alive.
24/7 & More Marketing is not just advertising and sales is not just closing the deal. It's more like the air you breathe, all-pervasive, present all day and every day - in every transaction, and thanks to the Internet, email and social media it has become a 24-hour activity, working even when your franchise business is closed. This is also where your franchisor’s assistance is invaluable. While Head Office can’t do it all for you, their advice, support and experience will help you in the areas that you are weakest. If you are unsure about anything ask for advice.
Restaurants need to attract customers using a different approach than health care or trades services. 46 | Modern Franchise Magazine
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Defining the Purpose
Multi-Faceted
Successful marketing begins before you open your business.
It is important to understand that effective marketing involves not only advertising, promotions, 1) Be sure you know email marketing, direct mail, and exactly who you're the usual methods of reaching selling to, what it is out to potential customers to you're selling, and what distinguish your business from problems you solve for the competition, but also training your target markets. your employees to market in every transaction, the use of 2) Redefine the word social media and mobile "selling" so that it is marketing strategies, and active comfortable for you and involvement in your community. for your customers.
Technology is continually being Your franchisor will help you with developed that helps you make pre-opening and grand opening contact and stay in contact with more people. or launch promotions and
activities, as well as training in how to continue marketing after the initial euphoria fades. Make sure you utilise all your franchisors’ marketing tools, support and draw on their experience. Your fellow franchisees are another source to draw from. The more you succeed, the better it is for them, as the brand achieves greater market penetration, recognition and trust.
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Nothing to Fear Many new franchisees are also uncomfortable with the notion of selling their concept to others. It's scary enough being the new owner of a business without having to approach prospective customers and sell them on the business too - especially when the business is their own, because then the rejection feels more personal. Though remember, there should be no fear in sales and marketing, because creating a new relationship is something that we already know how to do!
This technology can also assist you in reaching more of the people or businesses that are likely to want to buy your products or services. Before you can begin selling, you will need to develop relationship with your market, build trust and value. The benefit of joining a franchise is that your franchisor has already built a reputation which hopefully means that your target market is already familiar with your business, and percieves its value and trusts your brand.
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NEW BUILDER PARTNER PROGRAM Builder Partner Program We are seeking quality registered builders to build our designer homes in your region. Design & Marketing
By joining Micheal Polo Designer Homes, you can take on the big guys with strong marketing campaigns and access to national buying rates as well as access to a community of like minded local builders and industry professionals.
Micheal Polo Designer Homes offers a sales, marketing, design and estimating service that will ensure enough genuine opportunity to build a good profitable business within your own region.
How does it work?
Intensive initial training program and ongoing professional development
Micheal Polo Designer Homes Your Local Builder gives you an opportunity, at a low cost, to develop your own business, backed by a comprehensive design and marketing structure and professional company culture.
We know and understand what good small builders do best, build good homes.
Local state office assistance for the franchise lifetime
Time is often lost on the small things. Time that could be better spent driving your core business, building homes.
Professional Marketing & Sales
Responding to the building markets need for designer homes at an affordable price, we have developed a unique business structure that enables regional building partners, across Australia access to our unique designer homes and design services, building group buying rates, and our strong marketing and lead generation service. With over 30 current design plans, with new plans coming online regularly, and a strong web presence, you can be sure of strong business growth in your unique region.
National Purchasing Many builders feel that they have agreements and trade to do everything within their own sharing business, often spreading themsleves thinly and working To find out more, simply click the many extra hours, just to get link below and fill in the “become things done. a Micheal Polo Designer Homes Builder enquiry form�. Being part of the Micheal Polo Designer Homes team means having support structures in www.michealpolohomes.com place so that your time is best used doing what you do best and freeing up your time to spend with your family and friends and more time doing the things that you want to be doing. Michael Polo Homes
The opportunity to become part of an innovative market leading home builder has arrived.
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Estimating service
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MICHAEL POLO HOMES
DESIGNER HOMES BUILT ON TIME AND TO BUDGET...EVERY TIME! BECOME A BUILDER PARTNER NOW maxiom
Modern Franchise IntelBuildMagazine Magazine| 49 |3
NEW FRANCHISE A HOME BUILDING FRANCHISE WITH 2 YEARS OF WORK READY & WAITING FOR THE RIGHT FRANCHISEES. Starting a home building franchise from scratch has provided some interesting challenges as Mike James from Micheal Polo Homes explains. 1. What inspired your business idea? MPH is part of a strong and exciting industry. Having constant contact with people from all walks of life, creating thier dream home and realising their personal vision, combined with an environment of working so closely with clients that they become your friends, it is hard not to be inspired.
we needed to find the right strategy to tackle the increased work load that we had created. In the back of our minds however, we felt that franchising was a viable option as the industry we operate in is a very fragmented except for the largest players. The top 100 builders now hold around 40% market share. But there are around 50,000 other buidlers fighting for about 30% of the total market, with owner builders comprising most of the rest.
2. How did you know franchising was right for you The disadvantage of these and what ultimately smaller business structuctures influenced your decision? purchasing power, state of the In addressing our future growth art marketing and innovation is plans we engaged the services restricted, so we decided that we needed to become a top 100 of PwC to consult to our builder ourselves. business. We were open to
The franchising system we have created with the assistance of PwC provides the advantage of buying power, innovation as a group to be at the fore front of market trends, professional marketing campaigns, long established industry experience, all whilst maintaining the personal level of service to our clients as they will be dealing directly with an owner of the business. 3. What previous experience did you have in the business before franchising?
Having come from a long line of builders in the UK and Europe, on both sides of the family, building & design have been in our blood. This extensive industry and technical recomendation for the most In this assessment of the knowledge and our broad applicable path for our company. industry franchising was the right business experience, enables decision for MPH. us to direct the MPH business Having worked with Maxiom’s well into the future. marketing people to grow our business as quickly as we have, 50 | Modern Franchise Magazine
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7. Tell us about some of the expectations that you had. Have they been met? So far everything has been in line with our expectations. These are exciting times. 8. Who is the target market for your franchise?
Michael Polo Homes lives by its’ service promise designer homes “built on time and on budget; everytime� .
4. How long did it take to develop and set up your business? Whilst we have had over 30 years building & business experience, franchsing took us some time to learn and we spent over 2 years setting up the franchise system. Developing our business is constant and always will be, everyday we are developing more and more.
6. What challenges did you face in setting up your franchise?
The biggest challenge in setting up a customised franchise system is the amount of variables to work through. This challenge can be overcome as long as you maintain the intergrity of your company values at every decision point, and make a decision that best provides the oppotunity for both 5. What was the driving force the franchisee and the franchisor to make healthy profits so the behind your decision to business system is sustainable franchise? in the future. Sales growth left us no option Working with PwC was fantastic, other than to expand. Our decision to franchise was based combining our concepts and on wanting to maintain product visions with their franchise industry experience, resulted in quality, engage people with a true passion for their work, have a franchise system that we are 100% comfortable with and strong technical knowledge and personalised service to the believe in. client. All of this can be achieved through the franchise structure. 24 | Modern Franchise Magazine maxiom
We are looking for people to join our team who are passionate about servicing clients, who ideally have a building background or who have been involved in some area of the industry, and who have a keen eye for detail. More important is a can do attitude and someone who enjoys being creative. 9. How many units of your franchise do you plan to establish in Australia? Over the next 3 years we plan to establish 18 franchises and 40 within 5 years. 10. Do you have any plans for overseas expansion? At this stage we have no plans for overseas expansion, though we have already had enquiries. However, at this stage we intend to make sure that our franchise system is succesful in Australia and that we meet all our targets for growth and customer satisfaction before we look at other markets.
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WOULD YOU LIKE A CONSTANT FLOW OF NEW CUSTOMERS? No matter what your business or industry we can help you consistently gain more customers and build your business and your brand - FAST!
Run with the big dogs...and WIN!!! Consistently Win New Customers Be Seen as THE Experts in Your Industry Strengthen Your Client Relationships Expand Your Database by Thousands or More... Develop Profitable Alliances Look More Professional Build Your Brand Optimise your ROI
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HOW TO WIN MORE CUSTOMERS Would you like to promote your business to pre-qualified customers regionally, nationally or internationally? Once upon a time advertising to a marketing tool that many more wide audience was limited to only readers are interested in receiving the largest of companies. and will open every time it hits their inbox. The Internet has changed that forever. The playing field, at least After all they have asked us to as far as the Internet goes, is far send it to them! more level and enables almost any business to promote and market All our magazines are FREE to themselves regionally, nationally or subscribers meaning that more internationally at a very small cost. people are likely to subscribe and more people will see and hear SME’s now have the opportunity to your message. take advantage of Internet Marketing and grow their business All magazines are compatible with in a manner to meet their business iPads & Smartphones and are aims. structured in a way to maximise the readership via mobile media. Maxiom is an Australian leader in the field of online publications and Being an online publication has Internet Marketing. With over many other advantages, enabling 120,000 subscribers to our online you to incorporate links to your publications, and growing daily, the web site, video & audio opportunities for our clients to presentations, including YouTube, exploit permission marketing are PowerPoint presentations, RSS enormous. Feeds, blogs, social media links all of which can be accessed from Sponsoring a magazine relevant to any computer, laptop, iPad or your industry is a terrific way to Smartphone. been seen in the market place. With many more companies Advertisers also get the same targeting email marketing it is functionality, meaning readers can sometime easy for your message immediately click through to your to get lost amongst the plethora of site for more information or to take messages received everyday. up your offer. By publishing an informative and appealing online magazine, businesses now have an online
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other Internet marketing tools all included in the packages available. Every publication has its own dedicated account manager and marketing consultant whose sole function is to assist our clients maximise the effectiveness of their Internet marketing. We earn the bulk of our revenue from selling advertising in the publications which means most companies that partner with Maxiom to deliver their online message, earn a very healthy return on their investment. You can find out more about how Maxiom can help your business grow by contacting one of our consultants:
maxiom Maxiom Group Pty Ltd Level 2, 710 Collins Street Docklands Vic 3008 Tel: (03) 9097 1606 Fax: (03) 9097 1607 Email: info@maxiom.com.au www.maxiom.com.au
It offers instant and constant communication with your target market and is supported with email marketing campaigns and
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HOW TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY. How many times each week do you think to yourself I wish I could get someone else to do that? Well now you can. Outsource Resource is the one place you will find hundreds of outsourced specialists who will take on those jobs you hate or that cost you money by having to do them when you could be making more profit doing something else. Construction offers more opportunities to outsource The building industry has been one of the leaders in outsourcing for many years. For decades builders have outsourced labour to sub-contractors, project management, design, even sales, estimating and contract management, amongst many others. One of the biggest issues facing builders is, who are the best people to outsource my work to? There are plenty of businesses willing to take your dollar, but how many can really provide you with great value for your hard earned cash? When you outsource your bookkeeping or accounting requirements, is your accountant a building industry expert? If not what could you be missing out on? Having a resource to locate the best outsourced specialists is invaluable to your business. You can be sure that the businesses referred by Outsource Resource can do the job; after all, they have been referred and referenced by your peers. Outsource Resource can help you find the best person or business to suit your needs. Our motto of “bringing the best together� is what we are all about. To find out how Outsource Resource can help you find the best people to help your business succeed,
CLICK HERE or call us on 1300 688 768
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WOULD YOU LIKE MORE TIME & INCREASED PROFITS? THERE’S AN OLD SAYING, “IF YOU CAN MAKE MORE MONEY IN AN HOUR THAN IT COSTS YOU TO PAY SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU, YOU ARE LOSING MONEY!” Finding the right people to outsource your needs is important.
“Bringing the Best Together” Outsource Resource is the only place you’ll find hundreds of experienced, proven and reference checked outsourced contractors that are there to help you achieve you business aims. Whatever service or product you need to outsource you’ll find it in our directory of quality organisations who would love to help you. If you’re not sure what to outsource and what to keep in house we can analyse your business to find the best options for you. And we GUARANTEE that our recommendations will benefit your business or we’ll refund the full cost of the consultation! Outsource Resource Level 2, 710 Collins Street, Melbourne Vic 3000 Ph: 1300 688 768 Info@outsourceresource.com.au www.outsourceresource.com.au Melbourne |Sydney | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth | Hobart
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DO YOU MEET EMPLOYEES EXPECTATIONS? In an industry that often has more available positions than skilled candidates, attracting and retaining staff must be a priority. Key Drivers to Recruit & Keep the Best Staff
Managers need to make employees feel valued and engaged and extend support when Companies must consider: what staff members face work and personal challenges. It has been are the key drivers in a working proven that professionals that environment that motivates a potential employee to want to work enjoy interacting with supervisors and peers, not only make the for a company? And what office more enjoyable, they also motivates a current employee to produce better work and show stay and perform to the best of their ability? Candidates, generally greater loyalty. This quickly filters down to staff at all levels including have a high expectation of your relationship with suppliers organisations and what they should offer their employees. With and outsourced specislists. the intense competition between organisations in every industry to It is important to recognise the recruit the best staff, it is important contributions of talented people in your organisation. It is not enough to understand how your just to tell your employees that organisation can measure up to your are appreciating their input. these critical areas. Create an environment that There are 4 critical areas that are encourages employees to develop and experiment with new ideas. If key drivers of job satisfaction: you come up against a problem, 1. Work Environment actively seek employee 2. Career Development involvement in helping to solve 3. Work/Life Balance problems. “This makes employees 4. Cultural Values feel like they are key decision makers in your organisation, and Work Environment engaged employees are generally retained”, explains Tom. All employees desire a positive and supportive workplace. ‘We While offering a fair and find this has consistently been competitive salary is one of the high on their list when evaluating most obvious ways to attract and potential employers” says Tom keep key talent, money isn’t the Larson, head of construction only factor in determining an recruitment at MWR. employees job satisfaction.
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However, it is important to remember that salaries remain competitive, particularly in an industry where salaries have been rising. Additionally, evaluate whether the benefits that you offer are as attractive as those your competitors provide. Employees may prefer a position that offers excellent benefits over one with a higher salary. Offering a flexible package that offer employees a menu of choice is a the preferred option more many companies. Career Development For many people, opportunity to improve their career advancement, the opportunity for continuous learning and development weighs heavily in the decision to accept or remain in a position. As a result of this, you need to provide viable career development and progression opportunities. “Companies must recognise that they have the tremendous ability to influence an employees job satisfaction”, says Tom.
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Employers with a dynamic work environment that offers opportunity for career progression, stimulating projects, salary benefits and organisational vision that aligns with their own have a definitive competitive advantage.
your employees security. As new employees enter the workforce, it is important to make sure that expectations are identified and managed. Work/Life Balance
Cultural Values
Many struggle to find a balance “Australia is now dealing in a Global market, where international between personal and business responsibilities. When businesses trade and worldwide franchise transform their operations to systems are no longer create work/life integration it uncommon.This means that generally reflects positively on the companies are able to provide company. “If you offer these their employees with the opportunity to work on varied and flexible arrangements, make sure challenging projects and should be your policies in this area match the mindful of giving staff the chance nature of demands on your business and of your staff and are to be key players in decisions” not solely based on individual says Tom. needs” says Tom. The emerging workforce of today is developing very different attitudes about the workplace and how it should operate. Organisations must therefore look for new and innovative ways to ensure successful recruitment and retention strategies. In a age where the “job for life” is a concept that many members of the workforce don’t relate to, the development of their skills is a key way you can offer
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Work/Life balance is not simply the amount of time they spend at work versus the amount of time they have to spend with family and friends. “It is about stimulation in all aspects of their life” explains Tom.
When considering Work/Life balance, it may be worth considering the following: Ÿ Ensure employees are aware of business priorities and be encouraged to be clear about their own personal priorities Ÿ Enable mutual recognition and support for employees in their work and personal roles Ÿ Have on offer creative approaches to work that enhance a company’s performance.
Employees are now assessing company approaches to values and issues such as: company vision, industry, community, culture and environment. It is important for candidates to see that companies are focused on improving work practices to ensure sustainability. If employees are aligned with organisational values and are clear on the goals of the organisation is working towards, they are more likely to succeed and stay motivated. Effective recruitment and retention are key to the success of any organisation. Companies must truly understand that recognising the key talent tin their business makes sense. After all, building strong foundations with staff makes it easier to build stronger relationships
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my franchise FOR A YOUNG SPECIALIST PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FRANCHISE - STRONG GROWTH HAS HAD ITS’ SHARE OF “UNIQUE CHALLENGES”. “We learnt a lot in a short time” says Joanne Solis, Managing Director of Building Up, who shares some of her franchise secrets. 1. What inspired your business idea?
I then started advertising in an online magazine called Careers Magazine and after about 3 Building Up grew from an idea I months found I needed to again had while working as the OHS & employ more staff to help with the enquiries and business HR Manager for a leading opportunities coming in every roofing company. After the day. business was sold the new owners made my position After investigating all the options redundant so I had to find and with the help from the something else to do. Having always wanted to start my own franchise manager at my business I decided this was the previous employer, I made the decision to franchise my right time. A message from business. above if you like.
Having worked within a franchise head office for almost 3 years also provided an insight into franchising and the challenges that lay ahead. 4. How long did it take to develop and set up your business? I began the in 2008 and spent 8 months on a fast tracked franchise development from late 2010 until now.
5. What was the driving force 3. What previous experience 2. How did you know behind your decision to did you have in the business franchising was right for you franchise? before franchising? and what ultimately influenced your decision? After we started to advertise in Having carved out a 10 year Careers Magazine, we began to career in the industry it still took win business from larger After spending 2 years national and mulit-national developing the business, I found around 2 years to build the business to the point where I companies, so we made many that I needed to employ more could say it was successful. interstate trips, trips to New qualified staff to help with the Zealand and even Japan. workload. 58 | Modern Franchise Magazine
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Being away also meant I couldn’t spend as much time managing the staff in our office and providing the level of quality service I had worked so hard to gain a reputation for. We had also made the decision to start advertising in another Maxiom online magazine Outsource Resource Magazine along with the email marketing option and we are now getting an average of 100 enquires a month. We simply couldn’t dedicate enough recources to properly deal with the response and provide a high quality of service to our existing clients and the new enquiries. Realising that employees are not always as passionate about the business as I am, I decided that the franchise model was ideal as franchisees would have a vested interest in ensuring that the high quality of service and advice I had gained a reputation for was maintained. After all it is their reputation too.
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6. What challenges did you face in setting up your franchise?
Having a great support team of outsourced advisors and some really brilliant employees has helped us no end. Recruiting the The biggest challenge was not best talent to our head office has knowing where to start. While I easily been the most important had carefully documented all our reason for our success. systems and procedures, 8. Who is the target market prepared “how to” manuals for my employees, as well as having for your franchise? had several years experience in a franchise head office, it is a Professionals, preferably with big jump from that to franchising exposure to OHS, experienced your own business. OHS managers and industry professionals. Australia has had 7. Tell us about some of the different OHS Laws in each state but that is all about to expectations that you had. change. So people with good Have they been met? project management skills are When we started out we honestly also ideal franchise candidates. didn’t know what to expect. We 9. How many units of your prepared detailed budgets, a franchise do you plan to franchise plan and did all the establish in Australia? preparation and planning we could. We have plans to establish 42 Our expectations have been franchises in Australia and 8 in surpassed. We never would New Zealand over the next 5 have expected to become grow years. so quickly. There are new National OHS Laws coming into Head Office will continue to effect soon which has also consult to other locations, though provided us with a boost, one I would never so “no” to which is likely to continue for the franchising internationally at foreseeable future. some point in the future. Modern Franchise Magazine | 59 maxiom
“HOW I CAN HELP YOU” This month we welcome integrated OHS, HR, Recruitment & Training Provider - Building Up Consulting to our franchise specialist network. We take a look at the serious business of OHS which is about to undergo some significant changes with new National Laws coming into effect soon. Building Up Consulting provides businesses with “peace of mind” says Joanne. Knowing that their OHS systems, manuals and training comply with legislation provides business owners with the confidence that their employees can go about their business with minimal risk to themselves, others and their employer. “At Building Up we make it our business to ensure your risks are minimised and your potential maximised. We hold the solutions to your OHS problems, so you can rest assured that your business is able to tick all the boxes” Joanne proudly states. With new National OHS Laws coming into effect from January 1, ensuring you tick all the boxes is important. As a former HR & OHS manager in the building industry, Joanne says that clear communication and training is the key factor in ensuring that employees follow safe work practices.
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The new legislation makes that even more vital to minimising risk to business owners, directors and managers as well as employees.
Outsourcing your OHS to experts like Building Up is the ideal way for SME’s to ensure they do tick all the boxes.
So in the end it’s about managing risk?
For no more than a few hundred dollars a year, you can have an OHS expert review your Safety In the end, says Joanne, a Management Systems and OHS workplace accident can have a Policies & Manuals. “Building Up devastating effect on the employee provide standard policies and involved and their future, family manuals to suit most small and health, so employers have a businesses from as little as lot of responsibility in this area. $99.00 a year, includung updates” When employers don’t take their says Joanne. responsibility seriously enough and an accident happens, then the Complete Safety Management new Laws will see some very Reviews start from a lttle over significant penalties imposed. $700 so there is really no reason why any business shouldn’t make So minimising risk to everyone sure they tick all the boxes. involved is paramount, says Joanne. If you would like some more information about OHS for your The new rules are quite complex, business you can contact Joanne and will require changes in your at jsolis@buildingup.com.au or OHS policies and Safety call (03) 9001 0265 Management systems, so it’s important to get it right from the start. The new rules will also have particular effect on the franchise industry.
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Modern Franchise IntelBuildMagazine Magazine| 61 |3
INTERESTING EVENTS FOR FRANCHISORS THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FRANCHISEE RECRUITMENT VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND THE DECISION OF PEOPLE TO LEAVE THE WORKFORCE AND START THEIR OWN BUSINESS & WHY MANY DON’T CHOOSE FRANCHISES THIS 1 DAY SEMINAR IS DESIGNED TO HELP FRANCHISORS PACKAGE THEIR FRANCHISE OFFERING IN A WAY THAT ATTRACTS MORE SUITABLE CANDIDATES THAT MEET THEIR FRANCHISE CRITERIA. BRISBANE:
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INTERESTING EVENTS FOR FRANCHISEES MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESS THIS 1 DAY EVENT IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR FRANCHISEES TO HELP THEM POWER THEIR BUSINESS GROWTH. SUITABLE FOR ANY INDUSTRY THIS EVENT IS SURE TO RETURN MANY TIMES THE ATTENDANCE FEE...IN FACT WE GUARANTEE IT. IF YOU IMPLEMENT JUST ONE OF THE THINGS YOUR LEARN AND YOU DON’T EARN MORE THAN THE FEE IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS, WE WILL REFUND IT IN FULL...100%. SIMPLE AS THAT! BRISBANE:
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COST: $395.00 PER PERSON DISCOUNTS FOR OUTSOURCE RESOURCE MEMBERS APPLY. JUST ENTER YOUR DISCOUNT CODE ON THE BOOKING FORM INCLUDES LUNCH, AFTER EVENT DRINKS, LIGHT SNACKS & NETWORKING THE EVENT STARTS 9.30AM AND CONCLUDES AT 5.30PM. DRINKS AND NETWORKING START AT 6PM TO AROUND 7.30PM FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE TO BOOK CLICK HERE
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About Modern Franchise Magazine Publisher Maxiom Group Pty Ltd 2/710 Collins Street Docklands Vic 3008 Australia www.maxiom.com.au Editor Tam Hannan Digital Magazine Created By Modern Franchise Magazine Online www.modernfranchisemagazine.com Advertising Enquiries (03) 9097 1606 (within Australia) + 613 9097 1606 (International) modernfranchise@maxiom.com.au Editorial, Media Releases & Article Submission editor@maxiom.com.au
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PRIVACY POLICY: Modern Franchise Magazine is published as a service to subscribers. We adhere to strict Privacy Policy concerning all subscribers on our database and will not disclose your details to any third parties without your prior written permission. If you have any queries about our privacy policy or this magazine, please contact our office on (03) 9707 1606 or email privacy@maxiom.com.au. A full copy of our Privacy Policy is available on our website at www.maxiom.com.au/subscribers/privacypolicy. In the meantime, thank you and we trust you enjoyed this issue of Modern Franchise Magazine!
DISCLAIMER Information published in this online magazine has been compiled with due care and attention, but it does not clam to be exhaustive. Maxiom Group and/or Modern Franchise Magazine cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites reached via a hyperlink from this site. We accept submissions from outside contributors, and whilst great care is taken, the author of the submitted article is responsible for what they write, and Modern Franchise Magazine will not be liable for any loss or inaccurate information or any other omission or error by outside contributors. This online magazine is provided for information only. It is not intended to replace a consultation with a qualified industry professional. Modern Franchise Magazine does not accept responsibility for any loss, damage or injury that arises from the use of this online publication.
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10Franchise | Careers Magazine Modern Magazine | 65
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