Dipal Patel had zero experience in the finance world when she signed up to buy an Aussie Home Loans franchise.

“I didn’t know anything about mortgage brokers,” she says. “But when I came across the Aussie business, the model made perfect sense.”

She had in fact successfully owned and operated her own Boost Juice franchise for seven years when she made the transition to mortgage broking.

“I love franchising because you’re working within guidelines and a lot of the hard work of setting up a brand and business has been done for you.”

Dipal connected with the home loans firm at a franchising expo when she was searching for a new business opportunity.

Simple business model, low investment level

“I looked at plenty of fast-food options and this was completely different. However, the simplicity of the Aussie business model and the low investment level stood out to me.”

Dipal says the Aussie team had been transparent and honest from the beginning about the growth opportunities, and the hard work entailed in driving success.

“I know the brand is trusted and everyone I spoke to was very open and honest.”

The experience and knowledge in the franchisor team impressed Dipal as she progressed with her franchise purchase.

“I checked out the competitors, and in comparison, Aussie was very prepared with spreadsheets and scenarios. I had a clear vision of what I was getting into and that gave me piece of mind,” she says.

The team’s representation of a brand new business, and how to maximise the growth potential, encouraged her.

Dipal had the choice of operating for six months as a mobile mortgage broker or diving straight into store ownership.

“I was excited to get started and there was a perfect site at Seven Hills which I didn’t want to lose, so I leaped right into the business. I was ready to do it,” she says.

Aussie training key to success

Aussie clearly laid out the training program as part of the early discussions and that gave Dipal confidence she could succeed in the mortgage broking arena.

“It was important to me to have the consistent support of senior mortgage brokers and a hotline to help with customers’ loan applications.”

Aussie’s initial training, an eight week graduate program, sets up new franchisees to engage with customers from their second week in business. This successful learning program accelerates the home loans process and franchisees, on average, lodge eight deals in their first eight weeks.

That’s well above the industry average, and testament to the strength of the training program which can turn sales or customer-service experienced individuals into first class brokers and franchisees.

“I started from scratch, with no finance background but the Aussie training equipped me to run my own business.

“When I started, I had exceptional customer skills and on the back of this, I built the book we have right now. Service is number one,” says Dipal.

Aussie franchisees gain mandatory qualifications as part of their learning process: a Certificate IV in Finance in the initial training, and a diploma course for finance within the first year.

The course is built around mortgage broking, with face-to-face training, accreditations with lenders, and instore support to assist new franchisees with loan assignments.

High-performance rewarded

Dipal excelled at her new business and reached Signature Diamond status within the Aussie business last year.

Aussie’s Signature Diamond brokers and franchisees represent the top 2.5 per cent highest performing brokers in the 1400-strong network.

“I was really excited to be inducted into the Signature Diamond cohort last year,” she says. “It just shows what can be achieved, without any financial experience, with the backing and support of the Aussie team.”

The recognition includes invitations to exclusive events throughout the year and access to further development and growth opportunities to elevate business success.

An upcoming study tour to the US for the Signature Diamond brokers will observe how American aggregators run their businesses.

“We will gain insights into the property market and how it is different, as well as the adventure of exploring another country. We get spoiled a bit!” Dipal says.

Maximising the potential at Aussie

“At any time there are opportunities, it is always a positive to chase business. I’ve been with Aussie five years and expect real growth in the business over the next five years. I’m going to work with my retail business consultant (regional manager) to put in place plans to grow with my team so we can maximise the potential of my franchise.

“I have put in the effort and gained financial security,” she points out.

“All the training and support from Aussie sets franchisees up for success. This business has a distinct advantage – it isn’t location based and Aussie’s technology and systems are second to none. So if you can market your business and nurture relationships, you can get customers in store or help them virtually.”

Dipal has brought a passion for customer service to her business. This, matched with the knowledge gained from in-house training, has put her in the driving seat of her business.

“At Aussie I am earning a great income, and helping people- it is a very rewarding job. We are putting smiles on people’s faces, giving customers good news, so it is very satisfying, it’s a dream job.”