Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisors has scooped the top spot in this year’s topfranchise awards which recognises the level of franchisee satisfaction in franchise networks.

Close on the heels of Smartline were Aussie Pooch Mobile in second place, Drummond Golf coming in third and Pandora Jewellery taking the fourth spot.

PASSION RULES

Common amongst the satisfied franchisees was passion for their jobs, even in an uncertain economy. 

Ian Krawitz [pictured below], 10 Thousand Feet and topfranchise.com.au’s head of intelligence, said the survey of more than 1000 franchisees showed a shift in what makes franchisees happy.

Krawitz said a tougher economy is taking its toll on businesses owners and forcing them to re-evaluate what’s important in regards to job satisfaction.

“The prolonged economic uncertainty forces franchisees to work harder and draw on their mental energy levels. There has been a realisation that to have the motivation to get through tougher times it can’t just be about money but franchisees need to be passionate about what they do and be energised by the interactions they have with their staff and customers,” Krawitz said.

“This could be a love of dogs, jewellery, golf or even the thrills of watching someone get their dream home – it doesn’t matter what the passion is, it just has to be there.

“Finances, lifestyle and the support received from franchisors are still critical factors in making the top 10 in the topfranchise awards and having satisfied franchisees but we have seen passion for what franchisees do and the customers they serve increase to over one sixth of what makes franchisees happy,” Krawitz said.

FRANCHISEE PASSION

For Brisbane franchisee Pier Wernigk [pictured below], who has been with Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers for over a decade, the passion burns as strongly today as it did when she first started.

“For most of my customers buying a house is one of the most significant and exciting moments in their life. I never get tired of being part of the excitement and helping them get their home loan,” Wernigk said.

Dog washing franchise Aussie Pooch Mobile took out second place in the 2012 topfranchise awards with more than  50 percent of franchisees originally dog-loving customers.

One of them, Glenwood New South Wales franchisee Wade Rutledge [pictured below], says his passion for dogs has enabled him make money doing something he loves.

“I absolutely love what I do. Being an Aussie Pooch Mobile franchisee is more than just a job, it’s a passion and it also has benefits for my gorgeous dog who gets VIP service. With a focus on having happy repeat customers and a steady income stream I’m washing my way to financial freedom,” Rutledge said.

Golf sports retailers Drummond Golf franchisees revealed they enjoyed the balance between advising customers in store and networking while playing golf with their best customers.

At Pandora Jewellery, franchisees loved customers sharing life stories as they bought charms to match significant moments.

OTHER WINNERS

Other 2012 topfranchise award winners included:

• Wordwide Online Printing (fifth place) with a remarkable turnaround after coming out of administration in 2010.
• Mister Minit (sixth place) showed good comparative growth and a strong team culture to remain in the top 10 for third consecutive year.
• New entrant Embroidme (seventh place) rated highly in franchisee support.
• Snap-on Tools remained in the top 10 (eighth place) with significant improvements to its support and team culture.
• Bucking Bull Roast and Grill’s (ninth place) success is due to a conscious decision to overstaff head office before expanding.
• Kwik Kopy remained in the top 10 for the second consecutive year (tenth place) with support from the head office being one of its standout points of satisfaction for franchisees.

topfranchise.com.au is a free resource initiated by 10 Thousand Feet in 2008 for potential franchisees to review the best performers in key categories.