50 | “An Aramex Courier Franchise is a great startup opportunity where you receive a lot of support from regional franchisees and the Franchise Support Office.” Communication the key to success Kelly Deeks Rapid growth for Northland franchise FRANCHISING Aramex New Zealand Cleantastic sales@mammothmedia.co.nz mammothmedia.co.nz 0800 688 288 Your Print & Signage Specialists 06 834 4820 crombielockwood.co.nz Your insurance sorted Proud to help businesses like Aramex keep moving CL944A CL944A CLMB Aramex ad 126.5mm(w) x 60mm(h) V1.indd 2 29/11/21 1:38 PM Aramex New Zealand (formerly Fastway Couriers) began in Hawke’s Bay in 1983 when Bill McGowan saw a need for a locally owned and operated courier company to provide reliable courier services to businesses in the Hawke’s Bay region. With a passion for freight and logistics, and a ‘delight the customer at the door’ mentality, the Fastway Couriers brand was born in New Zealand. Fast-forward 33 years to 2016, when Fastway Couriers was acquired by international freight and logistics powerhouse Aramex. To leverage off the passion, innovation and global opportunities that Aramex presents the brand underwent a complete rebrand in 2019 to make the transition from Fastway Couriers to Aramex New Zealand official. Today Aramex New Zealand continues to operate as one of New Zealand’s oldest and most trusted courier companies with 18 regional tranchisees and over 280 courier franchisees spanning across New Zealand. The support for Courier Franchisees comes through the Regional Franchises who know the courier business inside out, often having been a courier franchisee themselves, or having moved through the network as an employee, before taking on the regional franchise. Stuart and Carol Stipple who were recently runners-up in the Regional Master Franchisee of the Year 2021 Awards came from a different background, but one which helped them get through the baptism by fire that awaited them when they bought the Northland Regional Franchise late in 2019, shortly before Covid hit in early 2020. “With the borders being shut recruitment has been challenging for us like so many other industries,” says Stuart. “An Aramex Courier Franchise is a great start-up opportunity where you receive a lot of support from regional franchisees and the Franchise Support Office. “Each Courier Franchisee has their own exclusive territory that as a franchisee you can grow.” They had already won the Aramex Regional Franchisee of the Year Award at the national conference in recognition of how they managed their business since taking ownership in 2019. It’s been said that in less than one year, the Covid-19 pandemic progressed freight volumes and e-commerce uptake as quickly as it would normally have taken five years to achieve. “This meant a very steep learning curve for all involved and we have had to ensure our systems are in place and are continuously being reviewed so that we can fully benefit from this extraordinary business opportunity.” In a region as diverse and challenging as the one the Spittles oversee – from Whangarei to Kaitaia and many places in between – they have found solutions to daily hurdles and managed to span great distances with practical know-how and a can-do attitude. Stuart had to come up with solutions to the influx of freight and the issues that came along with that by thinking on his feet and very quickly put in new and additional processes to manage freight rotation. This also included acquiring additional storage to store the freight before it could be delivered. A happy team is the key to success, especially when we are seeing such an increase in freight volumes and associated pressures throughout the Aramex Whangarei depot. All Courier Franchisees and staff at the Whangarei depot enjoy greater rewards for the incredible contribution they make. This has boosted morale and the team environment in Whangarei. Commercial cleaning company Cleantastic’s values-based business has led the nationwide franchise to the finals in the Supreme Franchise System of the Year category of the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards 2021. “Cleantastic is about more than just cleaning,” says franchisor Greg Paget. “We are about developing motivated individuals to become successful business owners. We do not employ cleaning staff, instead we provide the opportunity for individuals to have a vested interest in their future, by owning their own business.” With close to 600 franchise systems currently operating in New Zealand, making the finals of one of the top Franchise Awards is a considerable achievement, and one which Cleantastic is very proud of. Greg in particular is extremely proud of the culture developing within the business he has been involved in since 2005 and fully owned since 2019. “Taking over the New Zealand Master Franchise gave us the opportunity to make some changes and build on the great staff and the great systems that were already here,” he says. “The big change we’ve really driven through the business is making it a values-based business, and that is very much around the culture. We used to have a huge staff turnover in the support team, and now we have people coming back to work in the business. It’s all about people, it’s that simple.” This cultural shift in Cleantastic flows from the support team into how it works with the franchisees. Cleantastic franchisees are supported to run a successful business with training, infrastructure, and any other support required to look after their clients and their cleaning needs. “If my franchisees aren’t successful, then I have nothing,” Greg says. “It is our mission to develop successful business owners, and communication is a huge part of that.” Greg says about 98% of Cleantastic franchisees are from the migrant community, so for many, English is not their first language. “One of the reasons I love this business is because we are working with a hugely diverse range of nationalities, cultures, and religious beliefs that all come in to play. “How you work with one franchisee may be different from the next one and that’s all part of the fun.” Communication therefore has to be short, sharp, and succinct to best allow the correct message to get through. Updates to Covid related policies and procedures are a prime example, but Cleantastic franchisees also always have access to a franchisee portal on Cleantastic’s website where they can access the latest information whenever they need to. Greg says when Covid first hit in 2020, Cleantastic already had good emergency procedures but took the opportunity to refine what was already in place. “Certainly, one of the biggest things that come through has been communication with our clients and with our franchisees. “I put a lot of our ongoing success down to that communication to our clients from our
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=