5 minute read
LOCAL SUCCESS, LOVING THE SYSTEM
Franchisee with The Local Guys making close to half a million dollars a year after career change
William Chinta is making close to half a million dollars a year after his change in career from software engineer to businessman with The Local Guys. ‘I’d like to thank the franchise from the bottom of my heart for what I’ve become today,’ he says. ‘It’s been quite beyond my expectations.’
The Local Guys was founded by Jarrad and Stacey Goulding, who have established a successful formula for service providers over the last ten years, from their South Australia base. The couple knows franchising inside out, having previously been franchisees in the hospitality sector themselves.
‘Those experiences taught us a lot,’ says Jarrad. ‘One learning was to understand what a strong franchise does well, and another experience demonstrated what a franchise can do wrong. As a result, when we were building The Local Guys, our motto became ‘Franchise Partner First’. We look on every franchisee – we call them franchise partners –as a member of our family and we are committed to helping them achieve success.’
The Local Guys Test and Tag service was the first of three divisions – Test and Tag, Pest Control and Cleaning –set up by Stacey and Jarrad. ‘It was really an aside to our business at the time,’ Jarrad explains, ‘but it grew with the minimum of effort. And today, of course, testing and tagging is very big business, due to the legislation that requires it. All the franchise partners in our family of businesses have thrived and, on both sides of the Tasman, there continues to be big demand.’
From tech to trucking to testing
Having been a software engineer for 20 years, William moved into the trucking industry for a short time, but decided he really wanted to be in business for himself. ‘Franchising appealed because I knew I needed to learn about business, and I needed some direction.
‘I didn’t want to burn my hands, so I felt a well-established franchise would be the best way to move fast and get the help and support I’d need with sales and marketing.’
William enquired about various franchises in the Adelaide area. ‘It was a bit disappointing,’ he sighs, ‘ because most of them were unable to respond immediately, for whatever reason. That really put me off.
‘But when I contacted Jarrad at The Local Guys, a meeting was arranged straight away. When I spoke to him, I quickly felt comfortable. It was obvious they had considerable experience and were professional in everything they did. That made a big difference for someone who needed to have his hand held during the initial phases of starting a business.’
It was late 2021 when William became the fourth Test and Tag franchisee for The Local Guys in Adelaide. ‘My training was just before Christmas,’ he says,’ and I spent the whole holiday period worrying about how it would go. My wife was very calm about it and said there was nothing to get anxious about.
‘I remember Jarrad saying, ‘Mate, with all our leads, you’re going to do well.’ He just exuded confidence! And he was right; I got two brand new leads on the first day back after Christmas. Within just three months, I was doing very well, and all of this was from leads provided by the company.
‘As time has gone by, I’ve taken on more and more of my own local marketing, and the key to that is to follow the system religiously. I’ve done everything The Local Guys have done in the way they did it and it has paid off.
‘The biggest challenge I faced was finding I had more work than I bargained for,’ William says. ‘If you have lots of work, but there’s only one of you, you can get swamped. I solved the problem in a slightly unusual way; I bought another territory! The cash flow was excellent, and my cousin Nash joined me in the business. Maybe we’ll expand again soon, as the business is certainly there.’
High profit margins, low overheads
‘Being a mobile-based operation, you benefit from high profit margins and low overheads,’ says Jarrad. ‘We love the formula we’ve developed with The Local Guys. All our franchise partners are doing very well.
‘William has pointed out how important it is to follow the system. He’s done that and, within three years, he’s bought another territory. There’s proof in the pudding!’
‘If I were to offer advice,’ says William, ‘it would be that joining The Local Guys is the best step you could make. If you work hard and follow the system, you’ll never have an empty pocket! Don’t be afraid to ask questions – Jarrad and Stacey and their team are always available and have valuable experience behind them. This is simply a great business with great potential!’
‘Why not join us?’ Jarrad asks. ‘We operate on both sides of the Tasman. Our support can get you flying, and we offer a guaranteed income for your first 12 months. That’s the confidence we have in our system. Give us a call – opportunity awaits!’
Advertiser Info
The Local Guys
Contact the Franchise Team
0800 733 858
