Why I love my job at Forty Winks

Andrew Stewart of Forty Winks , Newcastle and Central Coast discusses his retail franchise.

How did you get into franchising?

Fifteen years ago I had a small independent bedroom furniture store and I was approached by Forty Winks to join their group as they were looking to expand from a Victorian based company into a national company. I could see by joining a franchise group I could benefit from the group's advertising and buying power.

How do you spend a typical day?

I now have three furniture franchise stores, two in Newcastle and one on the Central Coast of New South Wales, so my days are busy dealing with customers' needs, sales reps, staff, organising sales events and store displays.

What has been the best part of being a Forty Winks Franchisee?

The best part is I am now part of Australia's biggest bedding specialists group, no longer am I a sole independent striving to be heard by the public. Forty Winks is a large advertiser, dominating television in our category. We as a group are offered the best in new furniture and bedding concepts so we can offer the best range available to our customers.

What do you consider your greatest achievement as a franchisee?

It's hard to think of just one great achievement; personally I have watched my business grow from one small store to three large successful stores; I have had the opportunity to travel extensively within Australia and overseas to countries like America, China, Tahiti, Thailand, Malaysia and many European countries. But I guess what has given me the most pleasure is to enjoy the growth of my staff from four to a great group of 25 who are dedicated to building the business.

This article appears courtesy of Franchising Magazine