Jamie McGillivray's Clark Rubber retail franchise success story

After 17 years of watching and helping others make the successful move into franchising, husband and father Jamie McGillivray decided it was time to make a leap of his own and left his corporate role with McDonald's to become a Clark Rubber franchise owner. Now two years on, McGillivray and his wife Yasmin have two outlets in WA and couldn't be happier.

Having worked his way through the ranks at McDonalds to serve at a corporate and franchise level, McGillivray had a head start on many franchisees. His previous role gave him an understanding of how a successful franchise system should work and an idea of what to look for in a franchise.

Despite his experience, McGillivray still embarked on a lengthy research process when selecting the franchise that was right for him He researched several franchises and met with a number of franchisees before settling on investing in a Clark Rubber retail franchise. His advice to other potential franchisees is to also do their homework.

"A lot of people don't realise what a franchise system is all about and whether a particular franchise is right for them before they take the plunge," he says.

Key reasons McGillivray selected a Clark Rubber retail franchise was the company's product range and his past positive experiences with the brand.

Now with his first store flourishing and his second store beginning to follow suit, McGillivray says he has no regrets about his move into franchising. However he does warn that the franchising journey was often fraught with challenges.

"Although you've got the stability of a known brand and franchising network behind you, you're also opening the doors of a new store to a whole new customer base," he says.

"It's a steep learning curve and you only get out what you put in," concludes McGillivray.

Clark Rubber is an iconic Australian retailing brand with more than 75 rubber retail franchises nationwide.