Steve and Kristina Demostheni are just weeks into their brand new Aussie business, and relishing the financial opportunities that lie ahead.

“I’m a finance person, numbers are my thing,” ex-banker Steve says. He spent 18 years with ANZ in a variety of roles, the last four years as head of the Home Loans Direct business. Kristina has held a range of sales manager positions across AMEX, ANZ and Suncorp.

About 18 months ago Steve was ready to farewell the corporate world and take the leap as a business owner and his affinity with home loans made a mortgage broking business a natural choice.

Aussie’s brand recognition made it unquestionably the standout brand in the home loans market, he says. 

“So we enquired about a franchise. We were happy with the culture and customer service proposition, the end-to-end service. It’s not just home loans, it’s the whole home loan journey from property search, buyer’s agents to conveyancing,” Steve explains.

“No other proposition was compelling, and we liked the retail presence. In a world where just about everything is mobile, to give customers another option is a big selling point,” he says.

Aussie’s compelling offer backed by brilliant support

From the start of the buying process to opening the doors to their Frankston Aussie store, Steve and Kristina found the franchisor team’s support invaluable.

“It was a slow process to find the right location, to get it converted from a cafe and get everything approved through council, but Aussie was unbelievable.

“I have a lot of finance experience but I’ve never run a retail shop. Aussie’s property team did everything – the lease negotiation and paperwork, ensuring compliance, the building permit – they managed it all for me,” Steve reveals.

Steve and Kristina opened their Aussie store in mid September, just in time for the spring home selling season.

Well-equipped with robust systems, and comprehensively trained in Aussie processes, the couple had started taking appointments beforehand. 

“I’m under no illusion it will take time, we have no back book, no customer base. We want to be aggressive in letting people know we’re here,” Steve says. 

While Aussie provides some local leads which have proved essential in the first few days of business, Steve and Kristina are keen to embed themselves and their business in the local community.

They plan to sponsor council events, become active participants in the local community, and invest in advertising.

“This is not an impulse purchase that we can sell, so when someone is considering a home loan, we want them to think of us,” he adds. 

Franchisee couple harness Aussie brand strengths to their future

Steve and Kristina are building this business up themselves from scratch and the pair plans to divide and conquer.

“Kristina is unbelievable at sales, she’s good at social media, and I run the business and will have a strategic perspective,” Steve explains.

“We’re working off an assumption we won’t make money for six months. We planned for that, and can cover for that until the business is up and running,” Steve says.

He believes the biggest challenge will be growing the business, embedding in the community cost-effectively and efficiently. 

“I’m not worried about anything other than generating leads, and we’re getting help here from Aussie.”

Steve is confident the brand name and marketing spend will significantly boost their business.

“That’s why we didn’t open Steve’s Home Loans business! We chose Aussie to leverage the brand name, the values, the systems.”

In the few weeks he’s been a franchisee, Steve has seen the reality of a team environment among Aussie franchisees.

“Everyone is so helpful, franchisees have reached out to us,” he says.

So what does success look like? Steve has his eyes on building wealth, achieving a good lifestyle and enjoying the fruits of his labour.

“It’s not just about money; this is a big risk for me. I came off a big salary and I’m starting again. For me job satisfaction is key; with our Aussie business, I can help people through their home loans journey.

“I know whatever I put in is for my business, not a corporate entity. As a franchisee you get the rewards for your hard work,” he says.