Ovenu franchise open-wide with opportunities

The Ovenu franchise , the UK-wide oven valeting franchise, is recruiting Australian franchisees following the establishment of a new Western Australian operation.

The household services franchise is offering 12 franchise opportunities to motivated and committed applicants during 2006.

Further opportunities will become available across the country once the initial number of franchisees have become established.

Although around 95 percent of Australia’s service industry is franchise-led, Ovenu will become the country’s first dedicated oven valeting franchise operation.

The UK business is predominantly an oven cleaning and valeting service, but also uses its expertise to clean other items such as barbecues. Since 1994 Ovenu has cleaned over one million items.

The company is a member of the British Franchise Association, the umbrella organisation that covers the UK’s leading franchisors.

This new Australian operation has been made possible following an industry-standard six-month pilot scheme led by Bernard and Janet Bannon. The British-born couple will establish the Ovenu model in Perth and have become ‘master franchisees’ to aid in the recruitment of franchisees.

Bernard and Janet will be accountable to Rik Hellewell, the Thames Valley-based entrepreneur who founded Ovenu in 1994 and set up the franchise in 1999.

The expansion into Australia will be matched by Ovenu’s ongoing growth in the UK. Already with over 100 franchisees and 100,000 customers, the company is committed to maintaining the quality of its service to its franchisees and customers.

“This is a fantastic opportunity in a country where its people are very protective of their leisure time. The service industry thrives on undertaking jobs that householders would prefer other people to do. Ovenu’s professional valeting service is a perfect fit for that category,” said Rik Hellewell, managing director of Ovenu.

“We are looking for Australians who would like to become their own boss with the support of a successful franchise operation.”

According to master franchisee Bernard Bannon, research has shown that there is more demand for the service in Australia than there is in the UK.

“A gap for an oven valeting service appeared in the UK market 11 years ago and now a similar gap has opened up in Australia. Janet and I are looking forward to the challenge of making Ovenu a real force Down Under," he said.