Susie Ralph invested in a Bedshed franchise with her husband six years ago. She ultimately hopes to see the business develop a reputation as Morayfield’s preferred bedroom furniture supplier.

Susie has always had a passion for retail, and she and her husband decided on a franchise model because of the support it offers.

“My husband and I had been thinking about business opportunities for a while, but were always a little hesitant in starting our own business due to a lack of previous business experience.

“In the end we decided that buying a franchise would be the ideal combination of owning and running a business that already had systems in place, a proven track record, a marketing program and the support of an experienced management team,” she says.

Choosing the right brand

Susie explains it made sense to invest in a furniture franchise, given her prior experience.  

“I had already spent some time working in the furniture industry, so exploring furniture franchise opportunities was a natural progression.”

The pair went on to research a number of different furniture franchises, however Bedshed came to their attention as it was looking to expand into Queensland.  

“They were looking for new franchisees that shared a willingness and drive to make the business a success. They had a national advertising and marketing program in place, and their group bulk buying power meant access to all the top suppliers and products.

“Just before committing to the franchise, we were able to meet the management staff and have a tour of various existing sites. It was the enthusiasm and vision of the team that won us over and gave us the confidence that we had made the right decision,” Susie says.

She was surprised by the support offered by the company, as well as its willingness to get franchisees involved in the buying process.

“Franchisees are encouraged to participate in overseas buying trips; these are opportunities to help select products for our marketing campaigns and build relationships with our suppliers.”

Susie was also surprised by how well she and her husband worked together. In fact, they actually enjoy working with another!

“We delegate our roles according to our individual strengths. For example, with my industry experience, I am responsible for ordering product and merchandising it within the store; with his administrative background, he oversees the payroll and ATO issues.

“We outsource tedious, time-consuming tasks that would otherwise distract us from concentrating on running the business, such as bookkeeping duties,” she adds.

Average working day

“A typical working day will involve both working in the business, and working on the business,” Susie says.

She will spend part of her day on the showroom floor talking not only with customers, but staff.

“Continual interaction with the staff is essential to ensure we are all working towards our goals for the business.”

Susie also ensures the showroom floor is in order, and deals with sales representatives and suppliers to discuss products and industry trends.

“A part of the day is usually spent in the office, shared between administrative duties and analysing the performance of the business.

“We always try to spend time each week analysing performance indicators, determining what worked and what didn’t work, and revising our short-term goals and strategies accordingly,” she explains.

Training

Susie says Bedshed offers franchisees and their staff both initial and ongoing training, and training sessions are often facilitated by experienced industry professionals.

“Bedshed provides in-house training for the day-to-day running of our franchise and they have also provided training courses with a number of external experts and consultants.

“An example has been sales training with professional retail sales trainers, for franchisees and their staff, as well as refresher courses in following years,” she explains.

Susie goes on to list a number of other examples, including:

• Budgeting and cash-flow management training led by a financial consultant
• Occupational health and safety training delivered by an OH&S expert
• Trade practices and conduct training facilitated by legal professionals

The benefits of franchising

Susie says franchising has changed her life for the better.

“Franchising has allowed us to enjoy the benefits of being business owners, which we may not have been able to achieve, or achieve as successfully, on our own.

“It has its ups and downs, but running our own business has brought with it a great sense of achievement and pride. We’ve been able to plan for the future and are working towards a lifestyle that we want,” she adds.