Winning Attitude

Three Paramount Services franchisees were finalists in this year’s Franchise Awards. What do they have in common?

Not one but three Paramount Services franchisees were finalists at the 2022 Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards – and one was named Business to Business Franchisee of the Year for the second year running.

While there could only be one winner, all three stand out for setting and maintaining extremely high standards across their operations, and for their nurturing of clients and staff, as well as their commitment to the Paramount franchise – which itself has been named New Zealand’s Supreme Franchise System of the Year three times in the past 13 years.

It means Gary and Kirsten Camoin, James Rao and Bernie Campbell are among the best of the best. Who better to ask about the Paramount franchise opportunity?

Recognising teamwork

Gary and Kirsten Camoin were named Westpac Supreme Franchisee of the Year last year, and Business to Business Franchisee of the Year in both 2021 and 2022, proving they haven’t been resting on their laurels. The couple report that the past year has been spent totally focusing on their clients and ensuring that their services are meeting expectations every time. Client numbers are up too, mostly as a result of referrals, so they now have over 20 staff servicing a range of sites including bank branches, shopping malls and Government offices.

After seven years as Paramount franchisees in Christchurch, Gary is pleased to say that many of their existing clients go right back to day one of their business, such is the strength of the relationships they’ve built and the professionalism of their services. ‘But it’s still good to have the support and experience of the franchisor to call upon when needed,’ he says.

Winning the 2021 Supreme Award was an absolute standout for Gary, who does the day-to-day management of their business while Kirsten handles admin and payroll. ‘Being a winner in the Franchise Awards two years in a row is a real honour. There are always so many great franchisees and franchise systems from various industries doing amazing things, and it’s an absolute privilege to rub shoulders with them on the night.

‘I know from my time on the tools that cleaning can often feel like a thankless job, so we recently ran a team meet-up to celebrate our Cleaners Day. Although the different sites and shifts mean most of them were meeting each other for the first time, there were lots of smiles and laughter. It felt so good.

‘This recognition shows our team that their work is noticed. I see how hard our staff work every day: the Awards confirm that they are delivering the best possible service for their clients and help encourage us all.’

The Camoin family: 'An absolute privilege'

Gary and Kirsten have some big plans for 2023. They’ve been working with a business mentor, and plan to grow the business further through coldcalling and referrals from current clients. ‘This has worked really well for us over the years,’ says Gary. ‘The Paramount name is so well-respected that people actually want to talk to you.’

He sees sustainability, automation and an enhanced digital presence as having a major influence on trends in the commercial cleaning space going forward, ‘Which is why it’s important to be part of such a good, forward-looking franchise.

‘Commercial cleaning is a great space to be in and working with a leading franchisor with loads of experience is really beneficial. I suggest that anyone checking out this opportunity for themselves should talk to Paramount franchisees and learn about their experiences.

‘And question yourself, too,’ Gary recommends. ‘What are you passionate about? The Paramount system is tried and tested, and with a bit of hard work it’s certainly delivered for us. Are you willing to put in the time and effort to get your desired results?’

Thrilled to bits

Another finalist, Wellington franchisee Bernie Campbell, says that 2022 had a few surprises up its sleeve – notably the prolonged political protests in the capital which disrupted work, traffic and everyday life. Despite this, her business remained strong as she re-organised her business strategy to make it work better for herself, her staff and her clients.

‘My major initiative was to centralise our core business to clients within a city block of each other, which enabled us to be more pro-active and readily available,’ she says. ‘This worked a treat, reduced travelling time and freed us up to take on more business.’

Bernie was ‘stoked’ to be one of the three Paramount finalists in this year’s Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. She says she entered the awards this year as a challenge, supported by the Paramount family and encouraged by clients through their accolades and commendations.

‘I’m thrilled to bits to be a finalist,’ she says. ‘I see it as recognition for building our businesses into what they are today, for persevering through Covid and maintaining our outstanding services. It’s not only for me but for all my staff as well – this business is a huge team effort, and we’ve all been on our own journeys to get where we are today.’ B

ernie’s own journey is proof that it’s never too late to start in business – as long as you have the right people behind you. Made redundant from her job at the age of 60, in September 2018, she says the encouragement from Paramount’s general manager to become a franchisee was one of the highlights of her life – as was convincing Feona Sheard to be a partner in the franchise with her and husband Peter.

Bernie Campbell: 'It's never too late to start in business'

‘We now have a very successful and profitable business but I don’t think money was ever the primary motivating factor for us,’ she says. ‘We’re just so happy with what we have achieved. We’re continually upgrading our equipment and resources, helping people grow and ensuring our staff and bills are paid on time. Those are the biggest rewards.

‘I thank Paramount Services for all the opportunities, systems, courses, and staff training which have allowed me to grow. I simply took baby steps and learned the business from the bottom up.

‘I reckon Paramount is head and shoulders above the rest. The systems and support are outstanding and the people are so helpful. I encourage anyone to give it a go.’

Immensely proud

James Rao almost had to pinch himself to see if he was just dreaming when he heard his South Auckland Paramount franchise was a finalist. ‘I am immensely proud. I told all my clients, and they gave us so much support – in fact, it was announced on noticeboards across all the schools that our team is responsible for cleaning. How good is Paramount that three franchisees were finalists?’

Although he now lives on a lifestyle block with Sarita and is living the dream, he remains well-grounded. He reminds himself all the time that he started with nothing. He’s also adamant that he won’t be quitting the business any time soon, and with four grown-up children ready to step in where and when needed, he knows the future is secure for his family.

The last year has been a stellar one for James and his wife Sarita, with new retirement village clients and five additional employees coming on board. ‘And next year looks even better,’ he smiles. ‘People are more conscious than ever of the need for good hygiene, so we are looking for more retirement contracts, and with the borders reopening we’re looking to increase staff numbers, too.’

Looking back over his 16-plus years as a franchisee, he’s especially grateful for the impact that the initial school contracts, secured for him by Paramount, had on the growth of his business. ‘Paramount trusted my team to operate to the highest professional standards, and we worked hard to live up to that trust, setting high standards and maintaining a high level of integrity. If I start something, I’ll always finish it,’ he declares.

James and Sarita Rao: 'The future is secure"

James has seen many changes during his time with Paramount, not least of which is the adoption of new technology. Communication has progressed from fax machines to smartphone apps, while constant contact with area managers helps to keep everything running smoothly. ‘It makes it even easier to get support and advice when you need it – and that’s what makes Paramount Services such a good franchise to be with,’ says James.

Time to shine

‘While there could only be one winner at the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards, all three finalists have a lot to be proud of,’ says Murray Hamilton, Paramount’s National Manager.

‘Building a business that can operate at the very highest level takes hard work, determination and a willingness to listen to the advice and feedback from their franchise support team and clients.

‘Our finalists have done that over and over again, and reaped the benefits by building very successful businesses. We are delighted to see all of them shining on the national stage this year. ‘

If you would like to follow in their footsteps, we have both day- and night-cleaning contracts available now in most parts of the country. We arrange the contracts and invoicing, and guarantee turnover, so you can focus on carrying out the work and building a reliable team around you that will work to the highest standards.

‘In return, you’ll be trained and backed by the award-winning Paramount team that has been servicing New Zealand businesses for over 40 years. You can’t get better than that, so give me a call to find out more.’

Advertiser Info

Paramount Services

www.paraserve.com

Contact Murray Hamilton

P 0-9-376 7850 M 027 467 1688

mhamilton@paraserve.com