5 minute read
Income & Lifestyle? FIXED!
Glen Strachan: ‘Working for David, I realised just how good this business is’
Repairing not replacing is a low-cost alternative that creates high demand for ShowerFix franchisees
The prospect of being self-employed for the first time can be daunting, but for Andrew Trott, his fears disappeared the moment he returned to his newly-branded ShowerFix van in a local car park.
‘I noticed a guy staring at me,’ recalls Andrew. ‘Then, with a smile, he walked up saying, “I think you’re someone I need.” I’d got my first shower repair job before I’d even collected my business cards! We haven’t looked back since.’
Andrew, a former Housing New Zealand maintenance man and real estate support person, and his pharmacy technician wife Kelly, became ShowerFix franchisees in August 2022. Despite the brand-new business in a brand-new location, ‘I’m already earning more than I did in my years of employment, and we have the work and lifestyle we want,’ Andrew smiles.
‘A friend in a business networking group suggested we look at ShowerFix,’ explains Andrew. ‘We had nothing to lose and everything to gain by going into business for ourselves. Kelly could continue working as a pharmacy technician, and we qualified for a small business government grant. There was full training, great support from the franchise and the other franchisees, and always advice when I needed it.
‘As I’ve found, there’s huge demand and we are already planning to take ShowerFix throughout the Hawkes Bay – probably putting on another van. Being able to provide property owners with repair solutions that can be an eighth the cost of replacement works every time.’
Sell solutions, not time
ShowerFix does what it says on the van – repairs showers for home and commercial property owners. ‘Fixing showers may seem like a niche market, but it’s in fact a very big one,’ says David Howe, who launched the company in 2012 on the foundations of a specialist shower business established 50 years ago. ‘Showers are everywhere: homes, offices, factories, hospitals, gyms, sports clubs ... And because of high usage, showers inevitably develop dripping shower heads, leaky door seals and cracked doors, boxes and trays – regardless of recessions or pandemics. That can lead to expensive damage such as rotting floorboards and sodden plasterboard, so they have to be fixed – no matter what the economy’s doing.
But who’s going to do the fixing? It’s too specialised for a handyman and more of a nuisance job for plumbers and builders. ‘The usual advice is that the shower needs replacing, which could cost several thousand dollars!’ says David. ‘On the other hand, ShowerFix franchisees can repair most issues for perhaps two or three hundred dollars,’ explains David. ‘Our franchisees don’t sell their time – they sell solutions. They make money by saving people money. No two days are the same, and your mind is constantly stretched.’
To make each visit as efficient as possible, ShowerFix vans are loaded with all the gear and parts needed to solve and fix most problems. ‘This van can be part of the investment which is around $32,000 +gst,’ says David. ‘And to encourage our expansion we can offer some flexibility, especially to potential franchisees in cities such as Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, as well as some regional centres.’
The investment includes all training, accounting set-up, launch and promotion, manuals, systems, business mentoring and starting stock. There’s ongoing marketing and support, and considerable buying power with mostly-nationwide suppliers.
Main or secondary income
A ShowerFix franchise can be either your main or secondary income. ‘Our first South Island franchisee, Tony Pantel in Timaru, runs his ShowerFix business alongside his role as a church pastor,’ David says happily. ‘We also like our franchisees to think outside the square – like Glen Strachan, who makes hard-to-find parts on his 3D printer.’
Originally from South Africa, Glen worked in hospitality then as a plumber’s mate in the UK. In 2015, Glen and his wife, son and daughter arrived in New Zealand. After two years at an Auckland restaurant, Glen wanted to get back into plumbing.
‘I worked for a builder for a couple of months, then a friend told me about David and ShowerFix. I met with David who took me on as a contractor, so from 2018 to 2020 I worked for him and his first two Auckland franchisees and realised just how good this business is. In 2021 I took on two territories, the North Shore and West Auckland. ‘David had built a great reputation for ShowerFix among property managers and real estate agents, so with my experience of ShowerFix systems and processes I was able to dive right in. Jobs came so thick and fast I soon employed a contractor myself. Even so, two territories are proving one too many so West Auckland is now on the market as an established, high-earning and personally satisfying business.’
David wants to hear from anyone looking for a tried and tested business model that offers good margins and low overheads. ‘If you have some plumbing or building experience, or are a skilled handyman, this is an opportunity to get into your own business for a very low investment. Contact me now – we have customers waiting!’
Advertiser Info
ShowerFix
Contact David Howe
M 021 544 060
E david@showerfix.co.nz
