Before she invested in an Xpresso Delight franchise, Yeeman Lui was employed as a registrar and student advisor/counsellor in the private education sector.
Yeeman’s husband, Alan was busy juggling the responsibilities associated with running both a Michel’s Patisserie and Donut King franchise.
“The hours between the two of us were crazy! As shopping centres are open seven days a week Alan had hardly any days off and I felt like a single parent,” Yeeman recalls.
“Not only were the hours long but staffing was often a problem. If you counted the number of hours we worked for the income we were getting it certainly wasn’t worth the stress.”
The pair’s work/life balance was definitely out of whack, and they recognised that something needed to change, particularly for the sake of their young daughter.
“We wanted to witness her achievements and be involved in her school life when she needed us. We did not want to miss out on her growing up as time passes so quickly. We wanted to slow down and have the freedom to enjoy life,” explains Yeeman.
WHY FRANCHISING?
Given Alan’s experience with the system, the pair decided to investigate other franchise business options.
“We didn’t want to waste any time, effort or money trying to set up a business from scratch. Franchises are proven systems that work, and they provide support,” says Yeeman.
The pair came across Xpresso Delight while flicking through a franchise magazine, and found many aspects of the brand appealing.
“We decided on Xpresso Delight because of its semi-passive income nature. It guaranteed a great return on investment and we wanted to work smarter, not harder.
“The franchise model is simple compared to other franchises and it had a relatively low start up cost. The benefits are that we get the flexibility that we require in raising a young family. We have the freedom to choose to work as much or as little as we desire,” adds Yeeman.
GROWING THE BUSINESS
Alan put his existing franchise businesses up for sale and the husband and wife team proceeded to purchase their very own Xpresso Delight franchise in October 2006.
“I started the Highpoint business and was the first female franchisee in Victoria. I didn’t have any experience in running a business so I underwent training with the master agent, and I felt supported all the way,” she says.
The initial training included a two day intensive training workshop, and operations manuals were presented to franchisees.
“The workshop taught us about the products, how to market, run the business on a day-to-day basis and service the coffee machines” Yeeman says.
“The training was invaluable! It gave us the tools and confidence to hit the ground running and gain momentum. The ongoing training and meetings run by the master agent support the running of the business, too.”
Yeeman started with five coffee systems and the business grew rather rapidly from there thanks to a referral from a friend.
“The master agent initially helped me with the first few leads and the ball started to roll. I invited my friends over for coffee and gave them demonstrations, and I spoke with people about Xpresso Delight whenever I could.”
It was her active approach to networking that landed Yeeman a lucrative deal, an approach she and Alan continue to adopt to overcome their key challenge within the business – finding locations for the coffee machines.
“I was lucky enough to be referred to a company that was renovating. They wanted to install an espresso machine in each of their breakout rooms, which were situated on every level of the building. We had to purchase more machines and that is how we grew to 15 systems. Through networking I was at the right place at the right time! The company liked what Xpresso Delight had to offer – a service that is risk and hassle free!”
Alan found a purchaser for his businesses around this time, and proceeded to join Yeeman in the franchise.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Yeeman admits she wasn’t sure how well the pair would work together as they are quite different; however they’ve managed to establish a successful working relationship.
“We split the roles based on our strengths and weaknesses and what we enjoy doing. Alan does the servicing and any maintenance required as he is much more hands on than me, and he’s technologically and mechanically minded. I prefer to deal with people and take care of the marketing, demonstrations and paperwork and attend franchise meetings as required,” she explains.
“We are flexible in that we can take over each other’s roles if needed depending on the family’s commitments. If we have any difficulty with anything the master agent is always there to support and help us when we need.”
Between them, Yeeman and Alan spend approximately three days a week on the business – a far cry from their previous work schedules.
“This consists of servicing the coffee machines where we go in weekly to clean, restock and record/report our weekly sales. This gives us a chance to build and maintain a great rapport with our clients and iron out any problems (if any) they have had during the week. One day a month is spent on paperwork such as invoicing and general marketing,” she explains.
ACHIEVING THE WORK/LIFE BALANCE
In the past Yeeman and Alan struggled to split their work and personal lives; however this is no longer the case.
“Franchising has changed our lives immensely. It has provided us with a business model where we can work from home and the flexibility and income to spend quality time with our family. We have a much more balanced lifestyle now.”
Eight years on, the pair has no plans to exit the business – in fact they are looking to continue to grow the franchise.
“We want to grow and develop the business until our children are a bit more independent. In the meantime we want to provide our clients with the best customer service and great tasting espresso coffee week after week,” Yeeman says.