Stopping behind a vehicle at red traffic lights might be an everyday occurrence but for Deepak Malik and Sanjay Deswal it proved a catalyst to a new life.

The pair were on the search for a robust business franchise to invest in and were drawn to test and tag services. But they had not found a business system they liked.

“Then we saw an Appliance Tagging Services (ATS) car in front of us at the red light,” says Sanjay.

It was a stroke of luck. When they researched ATS online they liked what they saw and arranged a meeting with the franchise recruiter. 

Now, less than two years into their ATS business and Deepak and Sanjay can already boast a Franchisee of the Year nomination.

The brothers-in-law are modest about their achievement, which reflects the hard work and determination the pair displays in the business.

Putting customers first is a priority

Sanjay says “We present well, we have a positive attitude, and we listen to the customers, making their priorities our priorities. That is how we achieved so much in a short space of time.

“We work around our clients. If our clients want us to work at the weekend, we will get the job done. We won’t reject a job.”

Swift success as business owners comes after years working as employees.

It was Sanjay’s idea the pair should work for themselves to build up funds for their retirement. But they did not want to have to wait years to start making money. So that excluded any job that required an apprenticeship or starting a business from scratch.

Buying a franchise was an obvious next step.

The pair bought an existing ATS business in Malvern, Victoria, in November 2021 and started out working together from one car.

Another happy coincidence catapulted them into the next stage of their business.

“We were asked to do test and tag for a Perth client because there are not many technicians in the region. We came here twice, saw the huge opportunity, and decided to move,” says Deepak.

Building on the opportunities

Now firmly established in the Perth marketplace, the pair purchased a second car to extend their capacity.

Initially the pair had to build up a strong reputation for themselves.

“Now we have good reviews on our Google page. We overcame the previous bad experience from the former franchisee to go from a 0 rating to 4.7,” he explains.

Deepak and Sanjay are well rewarded financially for their hard work and see plenty of growth opportunities in the area.

However the move to Perth was not without its challenges.

“We are here, but our families are back in Melbourne,” says Deepak. “We talked everything through with our families and they have backed us in this decision.

“It is hard because I was a hands-on dad; my wife works full time as a teacher, and we have three kids aged from 8 to 21.”

Sanjay too found it difficult moving away from the family after 16 years, even though his son is in his late 20s.

“It is a bit of a rewind – I started my career on my own, away from family,” he reveals. 

Luckily, the business model allows the pair travel back to Melbourne regularly.

“This is repeat business, and we take breaks when it is quiet. So every six weeks we take a fortnight off and go home,” says Deepak.

Solid training program

“We have taken 10 weeks holiday in 10 months, but we’ve still done some of the best business in the network,” he adds.

The solid training program gave them the confidence they needed to plunge into business ownership.

“No-one in the family had owned a business,” says Deepak. “I was nervous because I had been very comfortable in my job. I didn’t have to worry about the pay, it just came every fortnight.”

Sanjay agrees it requires a mind shift to move from an employee attitude to the less certain environment of business ownership. The support of a reliable and trusted franchise goes a long way to ease the nerves though.

“The business system is excellent, because ATS handles the invoicing of clients so we only have to worry about servicing our clients and conducting the testing and tagging.”

The franchisees have help with marketing, and also gain clients directly from ATS. 

Many of the client businesses have connections with mining, and this is a sector that is obliged to maintain high standards of compliance.

“We keep up a steady pace of work, it is working well,” says Sanjay. 

He says there are multiple benefits to the franchise system.

“ATS has a good operating platform, it has national clients, and the team is incredibly supportive. You pay a percentage of course, but you have something solid to build on. When it comes to establishing the business, there are so many more pros than cons.

“We could not have done this on our own. One thing we did not have is time and we are much better off now.

“This is setting us up for a good retirement. We could not have achieved this without ATS.

“I should have done this 10 years ago!”