NO CLOUDS IN THE COFFEE

According to Aziza Sabra, the best part of being a Michel’s Patissserie franchisee is that she is part of a team.

“As opposed to being a stand-alone small business owner previously, being a Michel’s Patisserie franchisee means that I now run my own business with a huge support network behind me,” Sabra says.

“I enjoy the assistance I get as well as the opportunity to harvest new ideas and learn from others. Aside from that, I really love getting behind the coffee machine and creating a masterpiece. Coffee really is an art form. It takes a while to be good at it and I get better and more creative as time passes. I love adding a new design to the top of a cappuccino and handing it to a customer to enjoy.”

Michel’s coffee franchise assisted with the set-up of Sabra’s franchise and offers ongoing assistance with everything from marketing and printed material to business and sales advice.

“There is a business development manager for each area who comes to see each franchisee once a month to look over the business and offer advice,” she says. “As I am working in the business I find this really helpful and, of course, it is always good to have someone on the outside looking in.

“Prior to Michel’s Patisserie fast food franchise I owned my own farming supplies business. In fact, I am a horticulturist by trade. However, being a stand-alone small business operator was difficult as there was no support and no one to turn to for advice or help with problems. I’ve also found that there is more demand for food than farming supplies, so I’m achieving greater success with this business!

“Having said that, I found that having my own business, prior to my involvement with Michel’s, gave me a very good grounding for small business. Coming into the franchise I was already up to speed with the business side of things, such as stock ordering, customer service and financials. I have certainly learned a lot about marketing since becoming a franchisee and I enjoy seeing the results marketing activity brings to my business.”

Sabra’s most recent marketing strategy was a fundraising initiative started with local schools.

“I offered surrounding schools an opportunity to fund-raise by simply directing sales to my store. Each school received 10 percent of every purchase made by a parent or family member from the school. At the end of the promotional period I tallied up the total amount of sales and then donated to each school accordingly. It was a hugely successful campaign for both parties – I gained increased sales and future business, while the schools earned money,” she says.