What makes you stand out from your competitors?
Our system. The multi-award winning PoolWerx franchise model (in both franchising and pool sectors) has achieved record growth because it is underpinned by sustainable competitive advantage in the following areas.
1. Three Streams of Revenue. PoolWerx franchisees conduct business in the mobile service, retail and commercial sectors, which is unique in a franchise business.
2. Career Path. From mobile service ‘man in a van’, progressing through multi-van, culminating in a sophisticated pool-lifestyle retail hub with multi-mobile reach in five years. We call it the ‘three tiers in 5 years’ plan.
3. Franchisee Support. The PoolWerx National Support Office (NSO) offers award-winning support in all areas of business including marketing, insurance, supply-chain, financial and training. Combine this with our extensive master franchisee network, also ensures all PoolWerx franchisees have local support 24/7. PoolWerx is a registered training organisation (RTO) – we invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in training each year to ensure our franchisees, master franchisees and support staffs are industry leaders.
Has the downturn in the housing market impacted on your business? Why/Why not?
No. The pool and spa maintenance business is a growth sector even WITHOUT new pools, simply because Australian pool owners are fast learning of the dangers of not having a fully trained professional maintain their pool (nasty bugs like Guardia, cryptosporidium, etc).
Australians know they need an electrician to wire a house, a mechanic to fix a car, and they’re now learning that a fully trained professional should service their pools. And the ‘hands free’ convenience of having PoolWerx service your pool has also been a key business driver.
So while the construction of approximately 25,000 new pools every year grows the market sector considerably, there is still significant opportunity within the existing market, which provides insulation from housing market downturns.
What are the start-up costs and on-going fee structure for your franchisees?
Initial start-up cost is $89,950 plus the lease cost of a late model van. This package includes full business set-up with stock, marketing collateral, business stationery and uniforms, laptop and technology package, extensive PoolWerx 3 week ‘pool school’ training program, access to financial, accounting, insurance and marketing counsel, and ongoing support from the PoolWerx National Support Office (NSO).
On-going fees are limited to service (11 per cent) and marketing fees (4 per cent), revenue initially, but reduce to 8 per and 2 per cent respectively in accordance with a simple incentive program based on growth.
What are the top three attributes you are seeking in a prospective franchisee?
1. Ambition. PoolWerx is a multi-award-winning business growing at record speed. Our franchisees have come from all walks of life and from every imaginable career background – the only common thread that all our successful franchisees share is their attitude. We have the system. The opportunity is real. All that is required is franchisees who are committed, and absolutely determined to succeed.
2. Entrepreneurial spirit. Far from ‘buying a job’, our franchisees are business owners, and with a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit they are able to build their own ‘business empires’ within the system.
3. Willingness to learn (and teach). The PoolWerx system is proven, and experience has shown us that franchisees that follow the system perform better than those who try ‘reinventing the wheel’ in some areas. However, like all good systems, we’re constantly refining the model, and that process involves working closely with franchisees.
Read about buying a franchise and running a franchise.
31-Jan-2007