Living The Good Life

For Vikrant Rohit and his parents, buying a Paramount franchise was a turning point in their lives

When Vikrant Rohit emigrated from Fiji to Auckland in 2008 with his father Anil, mother Visha and younger brother Avneel, little did he realise that just two years later he would be co-owner of a Paramount Services commercial cleaning franchise. Why would he? He was only 16 at the time!

But now, at 28 Vikrant can look back on a satisfying and productive decade with the family business and the many lessons he’s learned along the way – including a healthy respect for the Paramount franchise and the support team who helped them succeed.

Looking back, he says, ‘My dad was a teacher back in Fiji and Mum a bank manager, so to give up their jobs, move to New Zealand, and commit their savings to a business was a major step. But friends and family recommended they look at Paramount, and an uncle was already a franchisee, so it was the only opportunity they really considered.’

Although he was at school at the time, Vikrant vividly remembers the day his parents went to Paramount to discuss buying a franchise. ‘My mother was very excited when she came home,’ he says. ‘We could all see it was such a family-oriented business.’

And Vikrant has no regrets that when he left school, he went straight into the family business. ‘I much prefer it to working for someone else, and I get a lot of satisfaction from that. Ten years on, the business is doing well and it’s been a great journey – we have our own house and we are living the good life.’

Manageable workload

‘You might think that a cleaning business would involve really long hours, but that’s not what we’ve experienced,’ says Vikrant. ‘Sure, you have to apply yourself to the business, particularly in the early days, but if you manage your workload and stick to a coordinated and structured plan so you’re not zig-zagging all over town, then it’s easily manageable.’

In recent times, with Visha having largely stepped back from the business, it’s Anil and Vikrant who are hands-on with one staff member. ‘Our clients are various commercial worksites and offices across Greenlane, Penrose, Ellerslie and Grey Lynn, but I generally work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, like any normal job. The difference is, it’s our business,’ Vikrant smiles.

High standards are paramount

After ten years managing their Paramount Services franchise, the Rohits are still impressed by the ongoing level of online training and support delivered to them.

‘I was surprised when we first started,’ admits Vikrant. ‘I thought when you bought a cleaning business, you’d simply pick up a vacuum cleaner and get to work. But professional cleaning is a whole different world, and Paramount give you all the help you could possibly need to start and grow your business. They set a very high standard and teach you how to work quickly and efficiently, manage your time and do it right first time. It’s also important that everyone is kept up-to-date on products, safety and compliance issues, especially these days, so everything is provided for you.’

That includes finding new customers. ‘I would say most of the new work comes from the Paramount support office, but there’s no stopping franchisees sourcing new business for themselves – and I often do,’ laughs Vikrant. Maintaining good customer relationships is also important, and Vikrant is proud to say that some of their clients go back eight or nine years.

Overcoming Covid

The global pandemic has had a direct impact on both Vikrant’s personal and professional life. With New Zealand’s border closed, he was forced to postpone his wedding to his Fijian-based fiancée and has only been able to communicate by phone over the past year. But at least he didn’t have to worry about the family business.

‘Some customer sites did close, but Paramount gave us great support through the pandemic, and we’ve already made up almost all of the ground we lost during the 2020 lockdowns. That’s the advantage of having such a good sales team behind you.’

Future plans

Vikrant is now in the process of taking over responsibility for the business from his parents and, with Paramount’s backing and lessons from the recent past still fresh in his mind, he’s ready to focus on making the business even more successful.

He’s happily sticking with Paramount Services because, as he points out, Paramount has always stuck by his family. ‘They’ve sourced new contracts for us, taught us how to structure our business and how to improve ourselves. I’ve learned so much from them all and now it’s time to reap the benefits.

‘We’ve gone from new immigrants to home and business owners, and have a sound foundation for the future. It’s all thanks to Paramount.’

Rachael Cameron of Paramount says that the franchise has full- and parttime opportunities available throughout New Zealand. ‘With the right attitude and commitment, you can be in business for yourself with the support of one of the best-known names in the industry. Contact me now to find out more.’

Advertiser Info

Contact Rachael Cameron

P 0-9-376 7850 or M 027 290 3157

rcameron@paraserve.com

www.paraserve.com

Vikrant Rohit: ‘It’s all thanks to Paramount’