The PoolWerx franchise was developed as a franchised business from the outset. Already CEO John O’Brien had been a Franchise Council of Australia Franchisee of the Year, Master Franchisee of the Year and CEO of several successful franchise systems. Rather than starting a business and eventually choosing to franchise it (with associated compromise and disruption), John began with his ideal franchising template and chose a fragmented and vulnerable industry sector to infiltrate. The result is Australasia’s largest mobile pool service network, with franchisees progressing into concept retail hubs, which anchor mobile fleets. The PoolWerx franchise network was, and remains, O’Brien’s end game.
PoolWerx has proved itself an innovator. Its awards tally is impressive both in franchising and the swimming pool and spa aftermarket.
The system is the immediate past Franchise Council of Australia’s ‘Franchisor of the Year’ (open category), a previous
Australian Franchisor of the Year in the mobile category, has fielded back-to-back FCA Franchisees of the Year, has the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Australia’s ‘Best Pool Stores’ awards coast-to-coast and back-to-back ‘Best Technician’ awards. Perhaps the big differentiator is the network’s focus on helping make franchisees’ tills ring ever faster, louder, and longer. These accolades do not come without ‘difference’.
PoolWerx is one of few Australian franchisors accredited as a Registered Training Organisation. Courses – initial, in the field, and ongoing – are intensive and effective.
Equally, franchisees gain access to a buzzing intranet where peers exchange experience and advice daily, and to a centralised technical resource with the greatest bank of experience in the sector. PoolWerx has a high ratio of National Support Office staff to franchisee and provides a layer of Masters whose job is solely to support operations on the ground.
PoolWerx entry is $84,000 + van (fleet discount) + working capital.
PoolWerx has grown from 100 to 200+ franchisees in under two years largely through the attraction of its ‘career path’ in franchising, whereby a single mobile operation can expand into a retail hub with multi-mobile reach within five years. Potential is proven by franchisees that have made the journey far more quickly. Those who excel are offered a fourth tier, controlling multi-territories, multi-hubs and large mobile fleets.
PoolWerx will reach territorial saturation in the not too distant future, at which point the Australian operation’s only avenue of growth is to continue to develop the turnover/profitability of franchisees.
23-May-2006