Top Snap Franchisee Loves Being ‘Papa-Razzi’

John Woolley’s life has zoomed ahead since he purchased his Top Snap Property Photography franchise. Former factory owner John, 61, has gone from wielding a spanner to wielding a camera bag and he couldn’t be happier.

“My grandkids used to just call me ‘papa’, but now they call me ‘papa-razzi!’ laughs John.

“Photography used to be just a hobby for me, but now I can’t turn up at a family gathering without my camera - everybody expects me to take all the photos - but I love it,” he said.

John purchased his Top Snap Property Photography franchise in August last year and his territory covers the coastal area of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.

John is no stranger to franchising. He ran a successful property maintenance franchise in Melbourne for more than 10 years before ‘going out on his own’ and purchasing a machinery fabrications factory.

After four years, John had had enough of the 6-7 day a week business which involved ‘no support, lots of hours and plenty of stress” John sold his factory, and he and his wife Rita took off on a much needed break, spending four months travelling around Europe.

Support and back-up
John had already made the decision to buy another franchise because “I really like the support and back-up you get from being part of a franchise system. There was no thought of retirement - I’m not one to sit around twiddling my thumbs or watching TV,” he said.

“Whilst travelling, I was trying to think about what franchise to buy when we got back. I took about 4000 photos whilst overseas - I guess I just love taking photos, and one day Rita said to me, ‘why don’t you see what’s around in photography?”

So when John and Rita returned to Australia, he began investigating franchise systems which involved photography - and Top Snap came up trumps.

“I found Top Snap on the internet. It looked and sounded like a professional photography company, and I was completely convinced. When I saw the quality of work they were supplying their customers, so I knew it would be a franchise I would be happy to buy into, and I have not been disappointed with my decision.”

John’s days are now varied and interesting. He averages about three to four ‘shooting’ days a week, with the rest of his time spent marketing and trying to secure new business with real estate agents, something he enjoys doing.

“Top Snap supplies you with all the marketing tools you need to do it - if you need something drawn up, they’ll provide it for you,” he said.

John says that once he is able to present to the right people the Top Snap system ‘sells itself’. “

I always try and park the truck right out the front of the real estate agents. The truck is a good advertising tool - it shows them what we do, the type of equipment we have, and that we’re serious, that we’re a one stop shop for their property photography needs.”

The edge
John said Top Snap’s systems and equipment give them the edge over their competitors.

“It’s internet directed - all the selling is based towards the internet and you can see the difference in the quality, not just of the photography, but of all the other products, such as virtual furniture. It just makes it easier for the real estate agents to sell properties. Once you do a presentation - everybody comes to like it, because it’s something they need to help them do their jobs better.

“I recently photographed a $2.5 million property in Sorrento - which is easy, but it’s not just the high-end market - you’ve got to make the agents understand that if they’ve got a terrible looking house and terrible quality photos it’s not going to appeal, but if you get some good quality photos, like what we can do with Top Snap, it makes all the difference.”

John said his photography has improved ‘out of sight’ since he completed the Top Snap training.

“The training was excellent in all aspects of property photography, including on the job training, camera and equipment and systems training. The very high experience of the trainers also supplied me with many tips to help get the business started and to run the business in general which was much appreciated.

“I travelled interstate for my two weeks of training, and the trainer, Darrin, picked me up from the airport and he and his wife were so welcoming, they took me under their wing. Darrin certainly directed me in the right direction. Right from the word go, we were out doing shoots and he was showing me every aspect of the job - and as far as I’m concerned, that’s the best training - you learn very quickly,” John said.

Ongoing assistance
John said that after he returned to Melbourne to begin his own operation, the level of support was still high.

“I found that once the training was complete, I was not left to find my own way, if I need help there is always someone I can call who is ready to offer assistance and support, this is especially important to me when my franchise is new and growing,” he said.

Life balance
John’s life balance has also improved dramatically since taking over his Top Snap franchise.

“This franchise has given me a work/life balance that is great. I’m working from home, and going to work is fun and different every day, meeting lots of great people and seeing more of my family is a bonus. My wife works as a full time carer, but sometimes if she has a day off, she comes out on shoots with me - it’s great”.

“Also, watching my business grow quite quickly because of our innovative range of products, which is far superior to what is on offer from the competition, has given me the career change and lifestyle I was looking for. I love it!

With a growing customer base, John is already thinking about taking on another member of staff.

Positive attitude
John’s positive attitude and great people skills are what makes him an ideal Top Snap franchisee, says the company’s managing director, Rob Watkin.

“We look for people with an interest in photography and property in general terms, but the key ingredients are energy, enthusiasm, good people skills and a desire to build and operate their own successful business. We put every new franchisee through a comprehensive two week training program where the particular skills required for property photography are taught in a real, on the job environment. We also have two classroom training days covering sales and marketing skills and the use of Top Snap’s proprietary web based technology,” he said

About Top Snap
Top Snap has been in operation as a property photography specialist for a number of years but the franchise operation started just under two years ago.

“It has been incredibly successful with 23 franchise areas currently in operation and it is growing at a rate of one new franchisee every month,” says Rob.

Rob says the beauty of a Top Snap franchise is that there is no need for a shop or office, so franchisees don’t need to rent or lease expensive premises.

“You can run the administration side of things from a home office set up, but most of the time you will be out in your exclusive franchise area doing photo shoots,” he explained.

Growth and opportunity
“Property is generally the most valuable asset that anyone owns throughout their life, so it is vitally important, when it comes to selling, that it is marketed and represented in its best light,” said Rob.

“This can be achieved by using Top Snap’s professional property photography system and our professional retouching service which sets our photographic images apart from the crowd. The demand for our services by real estate agents, property managers and developers is growing strongly and the Australian property market in general is also experiencing strong growth which is set to continually grow as the effect of population growth continues,” he said.

Franchisee benefits
As well as the initial training Top Snap offer all new franchisees the following:

• Creation of a database of real estate agents in their franchise area, which are managed using a web based image management server, Photo Genie.
• Direct mail launch campaign to the entire database with an exclusive promotional offer.
• Full ongoing access to Photo Genie which franchisees use to send marketing emails to their data base, manage all invoicing and accounts, and host and manage all photographic images for their clients.
• Business cards.
• Personalised price lists.
• A portfolio of their work.
• A large stock of promotional materials.
• Ongoing access to various manuals and presentations for the purpose of training as well as sales and marketing.
• Ongoing access to a dedicated Franchisee Manager who provides regular and ongoing follow up to franchisees, as well as franchisees having ongoing and open contact with the managing director/ franchisor.

“They will also be building a valuable business asset at the same time. It is the ultimate real lifestyle business. We are growing quickly but still have plenty of opportunities in Australia for people looking to create a unique and successful business for themselves with the support of Top Snap, who will be with them all the way.”

“We also have plans to expand overseas and are keen to talk to people regarding master franchises for the USA , UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UAE and other countries.”

Reproduced with kind permission of Business Franchise Australia magazine.