Quick Shots ... Franchising News

Trios have new stores available for franchise opportunities at Forest Hill, Moonee Ponds, Victoria Gardens and Bendigo stores. Are you interested in being the next franchisee with Australia’s leading wrap franchise brand? Click here for more information about Trios.

The global expansion of Australian waterless carwash ecowash mobile continues. Master Franchises will launch in Greece and Dubai in February, followed by expansion into Sudan in March and Switzerland in April. Two master franchises in California and Florida are also being discussed for May. Click here for more information about ecowash mobile.

Worldwide Online Printing was named Australia’s fastest-growing design and print franchise group for 2007 – the fourth year in a row. Worldwide’s national network of 83 Centres outperformed all other print franchises – and it comes hot on the heels of news that the owner of Worldwide’s Spring Hill and Rowes Arcade Centres in Queensland was voted 2007 National Franchisee of the Year by the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA). Click here for more information about Worldwide Online Printing

Healthy Inspirations centres are preparing for their February and March program, Shop til you Drop, where all members using the centre have the opportunity to win prizes and one lucky winner will win a $2,500 shopping spree. Why not fill in the Healthy Inspirations 2-minute survey for your chance to win a $300 Coles voucher to spend any way you like. Click here for more information about Healthy Inspirations

Free seminar: What you should know before buying a franchise - Jason Gehrke, Director, Franchise Advisory Centre is conducting a FREE SEMINAR in Brisbane on Tuesday 26th February. This free evening seminar will give you an understanding of: What is a franchise and how to identify one; Advantages and Disadvantages of franchising; How to evaluate a franchise; Franchise regulations and how they affect you; Life as a franchisee (including interviews with real franchisees); and is a must for any potential franchisees and their spouses/partners.

Bookings essential: Phone the Franchise Advisory Centre during business hours on (07) 3716 0400 or email the name, phone number and email address of each person attending by clicking here.

HydroDog in BRW’s Fastest Growing Franchises for 3 Years Running

HydroDog Mobile Dog Grooming is the only Franchise of its type to be featured in the BRW Magazine Fastest Growing Franchise three straight years in a row.

Of the top 30 franchises first listed in the 2006 BRW Fastest Growing Franchise edition, only 7 have remained within the top 30 for the past three surveys.  

HydroDog’s success as one of the fastest growing franchises is directly due to the continued strength of its franchise operation with over 170 franchises Australia-Wide.

Franchisor Martin Rose said: "In a very competitive marketplace HydroDog has been successful in attracting and keeping quality franchisees through the strength of its brand and marketing – but ultimately because we have a successful, passionate and well qualified national team."

The company prides itself on its on-going support to its franchisees as they travel on their business journey.

With continued product development and training, the majority of franchisees have built a healthy business within 6 months of operation.

Demand for dog washing and grooming continues on an upward trend as more people welcome dogs into their homes as pets and see them become important family members.

Click here for more information about HydroDog

Unique initiative offers small retail businesses $3,000 of training and mentoring

Small businesses will be offered $3000 of training and mentoring with a specific focus on financial management under a new initiative spearheaded by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

Small businesses will be offered $3000 of training and mentoring with a specific focus on financial management under a new initiative spearheaded by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA). The new nationally accredited program – called RAPID (Retail Accredited Productivity Improvement Development) – is planned to commence in April 2008 with workshops in Sydney and Melbourne and is the first of its kind in Australia.

What?  RAPID (Retail Accredited Productivity Improvement Development) offers participants four full day workshops & four on site mentoring sessions with an experienced retail business consultant.
Who?  The ARA Retail Institute
Where?  Initially Sydney and Melbourne with the prospect of a national roll out
When?  Commences April 2008 onwards

Retailers interested in more information about the RAPID workshops should call 03 9321 5000

From customer to business owner

What do you get when you combine an IT director with a regional facilities manager for a technology company?

Successful Bakers Delight business owners!

For Carolyn and Steve Tait, franchisees at Bakers Delight St Leonards NSW, a love for Bakers Delight bread helped in their decision to buy a franchise.

“We’d been customers at Bakers Delight for many years and loved the atmosphere in the bakery and the quality of the bread,” explains Carolyn.

“At the time, we were both working nine to five – which was more like seven to seven – and we decided that we could get more fulfilment by becoming small business owners rather than working for someone else.”

Carolyn and Steve knew that franchising would provide them with greater security and less risk than buying an independent business. Franchising offered the support they needed to hit the ground running. After exploring a variety of franchise networks, they just couldn’t go past Bakers Delight.

“Bread is a staple, and we felt secure knowing that there would always be demand for our products. We didn’t want to be exposed to the risks of buying into a passing fad and suffer when the next craze hit the market,” says Steve.

“Bakers Delight had also won the Franchise Council of Australia’s ‘Franchise of the Year Award’ two years’ running and we knew that a franchise network with the history and proven track record that Bakers Delight had, would provide us with the best possible opportunity for success.”

While Carolyn and Steve admit that they are masters of their own destiny, the couple acknowledge they couldn’t have achieved their small business ownership dreams as quickly as they have without the support from head office.

“On the ground, our business consultant from head office, meets with us regularly to provide us with feedback on the operation of our business and how we can work towards our goals,” says Carolyn.

“The marketing support provided by head office is fantastic. We love the campaigns, and more importantly, they really appeal to our customers. This is something we know we wouldn’t be able to do at such a high level by ourselves,” adds Steve.

“We also have access to training for our staff which is invaluable for a small business. If this wasn’t coordinated by head office, we’d have to manage it ourselves which would be more costly and of less relevance to our business.”

Carolyn and Steve’s decision to move into franchise ownership has provided them with the flexibility to really enjoy life.

“We have two young children, aged four and two years old, and it’s important to us to spend quality time with them,” says Carolyn.

“Between the two of us, we roster our shifts so that one of us is always at home with the kids. This is a lifestyle we know we just couldn’t have working in the corporate world,” adds Steve.

After owning and operating their franchise in St Leonards for five years, the Tait’s advice to other franchisees is to love what you do.

“If you’re motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated and desire the flexibility and opportunities that running a small business will provide – then a Bakers Delight franchise is for you,” concludes Carolyn enthusiastically.

Steven and Carolyn Tait

Click here for more information about Bakers Delight

Jim’s Group signals a return to relationship banking with Jim’s Finance Professionals

Jim’s Group, Australia’s largest service franchise of 25 years with 50,000 customers each week, is shaking up the home loans and finance industry with the roll out of Jim’s Finance Professionals.

“Applying Jim’s reputation for trustworthy and reliable service through highly trained Finance Professionals is a natural step towards further penetration into professional services with the brand” stated Brad Volling, CEO and Australian Divisional Franchisor of Jim’s Finance Professionals.

“Lenders have reduced customer relationship management (CRM) to a common footprint. We have identified increasing trends in high value customers moving towards service orientated providers where their individual needs can better accommodated.

Finance is now a commodity product and the banks have become the manufacturers, so the focus in developing our franchise network of Finance Professionals is dedicated to returning a vast choice of tailored solutions, high levels of accountability in the loan process and fostering customer relationships that deliver ‘wow factors’ throughout individual and changing needs. We are largely recruiting from outside the industry by targeting people who share our ideals on customer satisfaction.”

Mr Volling added, “What it means for the customer is a return to relationship banking! When was the last time your finance provider turned up with a kettle and coffees on moving day or bolted on a home manicure to the finance service? This detail is what we are all about. We even hand our clients a mobile phone to call us about their loan progress so they don’t incur such costs themselves!”

Jim’s Finance Professionals engage a panel of over 30 lenders. They do not offer their own product, instead preferring unbiased choice with a comprehensive range of home loans, commercial loans, personal & car loans, leasing and insurance products. They operate in all states with the exclusion of WA. All new franchise owners complete a 3 week Induction Course which includes their Cert IV in Financial Services and specialist training in loan comparison and customer service. They are members of the industry associations and strictly compliant with finance regulations for client protection.

“A recent major lenders survey reported almost 80% of borrowers could not remember their finance providers name 12 months after their loan was settled. This shows the current existence of significantly low levels of ongoing communication with customers. Jim’s Finance Professionals will address this situation and create new definitions on customer service as applied to this industry. It’s exciting and it’s long overdue!”

Click here for more information on Jim’s Finance