Article by Wendy Laursen, Business Franchise Magazine, October 2007
Kwik Kopy Australia has introduced an incentive scheme to attract franchisees. Coupled with a strong training and support package the company is securing a strong future for the newest members of their growing team.
Kwik Kopy has been operating in Australia for 25 years and globally the company has been franchising for 40 years. They are a rapidly expanding organisation that continues to attract franchisees, many of them younger people and women. Part of their success is due an incentive system that makes a strong financial commitment to the success of new franchisees.
“We are backing our systems with our money,” says franchise sales manager, Graham England. “Our incentive scheme sets sales targets for the first year of operation that we work with our franchisees to achieve. We make a strong contribution to local marketing and business development and back our systems and support with a range of dollar for dollar promotions and cash back guarantees.”
Sue and Steve Trevena have recently joined the Kwik Kopy team under the new scheme. They started looking at franchising when they were finding it hard to make ends meet after moving from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast. Steve commuting back to Sydney to do three 12-hour night shifts a week just wasn’t the lifestyle they wanted. They opened their store in Kawana Waters, Queensland, in February 2007 within a year of attending the Brisbane franchise expo. The systems, reputation, support and buying power of Kwik Kopy all stood out, says Sue.
“We attended the expo and came away only interested in Kwik Kopy.”
Sue’s initial training consisted of an intensive 18 days in Sydney and was followed up on a few months after she had settled into her new store.
“We had an entourage of Kwik Kopy staff to help set up our store. We have access to an IT help desk and an intranet information website. We receive regular visits from our business development consultant and there is always a variety of staff to assist with any questions we may have. We also have the added bonus of being able to pick up the phone and contact other owners throughout the network.”
Peter Clarke, franchisee of the Gosford, NSW, since October 2006 also went to a franchising expo after examining an independent print shop. Peter wanted a Monday to Friday business so he had time to enjoy life with his wife and three daughters. The idea of borrowing money and being financially dependent on an employer to get their new home didn’t appeal.
After the expo he and his wife Jane made enquiries at all the printing franchises but after 12 months of investigating decided that Kwik Kopy’s systematic approach was the best.
“Starting a new business is a challenge; when you look at all the possibilities – how can you be an expert on everything? Kwik Kopy trained us in and provided all the business systems to ensure we were ready to make money from day one.”
For the first four weeks Peter had someone from the support team with him in the store virtually all the time.
Both Peter and Sue are operating under the incentive scheme and are on target to meet their business goals for their first year of operation but Kwik Kopy support does not fade after the first year. For the last three years their franchisees have achieved bottom line percentages over 15 percent. Business development consultants provide on-going support as do a team of experts in operations, sales and marketing and human resources.
Peter believes this backup support is invaluable. “Franchising is a simple concept but in practice it is very hard to find a franchisor with the right people who are motivated to stick to the basic principles and keep with it over many years,” he says.
Kwik Kopy combines industry experience with a culture of responsiveness. The benefits of becoming a Kwik Kopy franchisee include:
- Award winning franchise model
- Regular working hours Monday to Friday
- An exciting business that provides a wide range of print and marketing solutions in a dynamic industry
- A strong brand and on-going marketing initiatives including the re-imaging of all stores to raise the profile of the group
- Digital stores that don’t require the expense of an offset printer so good returns on investment are achieved quicker
- Group buying power and help to set profit margins without the imposition of mandatory pricing systems
- Cash-back incentive scheme for new franchisees
- An 18 day new owners course conducted in Sydney followed by on-site assistance and follow-up training
- One-on-one local support from a dedicated business development consultant
- Specialist support in all aspects of the business, including technical support
- Annual financial benchmark profile that individual centres can compare their progress against to evaluate their performance
- Comprehensive intranet site offering technical advice, marketing and sales tips, and group news – available 24/7
Visit Franchise Opportunities for more information on franchising with Kwik Kopy – start your new business today and become your own boss.
