What’s involved in being a Narellan Pools franchisee? Here are 10 questions and answers that will help you find out.
1. What’s the day job?
You will bring dreams to life! Meeting with potential clients to plan their pool, arranging quotes, and liaising over pool installation including council requirements and any sub-contractors. Your level of operational involvement will depend on how many staff you employ. You will be involved in developing your business strategy, in setting and managing your budget, local marketing activities, paying wages, attending relevant franchisee training and liaising with support staff at the support office and actively involved in operations to make sure your objectives are achieved.
2. What else will I be doing?
As a franchisee you will attend our international conferences and a Narellan Pools Summit held in Australia every third year as well as regional meetings, sales meetings and learning conferences.
You will also learn about our 40 years’ worth of manufacturing excellence and how our cutting-edge processes ensure the highest quality product in the marketplace, giving you the confidence that you are selling a superior product to your clients.
Ultimately you will be giving yourself the opportunity to build your own wealth and build a saleable asset rather than just buying yourself a job. You will also have the ability to build the brand in your local area and community with support, direction and range of tools from our marketing team.
3. Who will support me from head office?
The Narellan support office has one function, to support our franchisees. You will have access to the whole team, including a general manager, national sales manager, national marketing manager, national franchise support manager and client relation manager.
Our training programs are officially mapped to National Qualification standards. What makes us different is the significant time we spend coaching our franchisees in financial management and leadership. We are so committed to your success we guarantee you $1000 a week for the first 20 weeks (only available for new territories).
Once your initial training is completed you receive ongoing training and support which includes business coaches who work with you on a one-to-one basis. An intranet portal includes the operations manual, all tools, templates, forms, resources and online training to succeed in your business. It is also our communication hub where you can share ideas, successes and ask questions. You will also have access to our specialised lead management program, which enables you to track all elements of client relationships and identify how you are tracking on a month-to-month basis.
An Enrichment Programme provides all the tools and resources you need to hire, train and retain top talent in your business. You will also be partnered with a franchise buddy who will assist you with more specific on the job training as you get your business up and running.
4. Can I do this by myself or do I need staff?
Installing a pool cannot be done singlehandedly by one person, so even for smaller operators, you will need sub-contractors to assist you in the day-to-day running of your business. As your business grows you will find yourself requiring a team of staff. All franchisees operate their businesses differently, some hire staff directly, others sub-contract depending on the territory, your business objectives and growth plans.
You do need support from your family who will be able to ensure you retain a work life balance and remind you of the reasons you went into your own business in the first place!
5. What do I need to know before I start trading?
All franchisees need a business licence before trading and a builder’s licence, however pool building experience is not necessary as this is provided during the six week induction program. A three tiered recruitment process ensures all franchisees know what lies ahead of them before signing any agreements.
6. What costs will I have to bear each month?
Overhead costs are reasonably low, with monthly costs including fixed business costs such as wages, rent, utilities and car expenses. Other costs include Costs of Goods (COGS) that come with the installation of each pool.
7. Can you help with marketing my business?
Absolutely. Narellan Pools gives new licensees a business template that helps you structure your business as well as assist with your business and marketing plans. We run a national marketing calendar with a wide variety of campaigns designed to create brand awareness and drive client enquiries, which franchisees then execute in their local territory.
We have a firm commitment to local territory marketing aimed at maximising your visibility and presence within your territory. Franchisees are encouraged to develop ideas for their local area, and can then liaise with our national marketing manager who can review and further develop concepts.
8. How will I get customers?
Our marketing initiatives are focused on driving enquiries for our franchisees. This includes a mix of digital, television advertising, radio and print campaigns.
A call centre collects and distributes all leads to franchisees.
A customised client management tool can track and measure leads. We also place a strong emphasis on sales to assist you with converting a lead into a sale; we have a range of world-class tools to assist in this area.
9. What will happen if I can’t make the turnover I expect?
If the business is not performing we will work with you to understand what some of the barriers may be and then put in place procedures and programs to try and assist you in these areas. We try and make sure that going into the business each franchisee is aware of growth potential as well as any challenges, so we work individually with you to develop any areas we anticipate could restrict growth.
10. What choices do I have over the services and products on offer?
As the world’s leading pool manufacturer, Narellan Pools offers our franchise network exclusive access to a large range of fibreglass pool shapes and sizes to suit any family and any lifestyle – all backed by our impressive 25-year warranty.
We have long standing relationships with suppliers who are the best in their field, which means you and your clients have access to very competitively priced products of the highest quality. We aim to provide you with complementary products, which work to complement our brand values and assist us in becoming the best.
Images: Narellan Pools