Rod Thornberry and Joanne Carter invested in an already existing PoolWerx franchise in Bathurst in November 2012. After just six months, they have achieved a number of their goals. 

Rod had previously worked in customer service and sales roles, and while in many cases he held senior management positions, he had always wanted to own his own business.

He says a car accident prompted him to follow his dreams.

“I was involved in a motor vehicle accident in 2008 and after my recovery we decided life was too short.

“We knew it was time to take the plunge into business ownership and wanted to find a business with a strong reputation. It was also important for us to find a business the whole family could get involved in if they chose to,” he explains.

Rod opted to invest in a franchise rather than start up his own business from scratch because the chances of success are often greater.

“Franchising appealed to us because of the benefit of not having to reinvent the wheel. By starting a business with a well-established brand like PoolWerx, existing procedures and infrastructures were available to us, which meant it would be a matter of following the systems and processes properly to be successful.

“We also received a lot of feedback from different business people that suggested franchising was a good way to go about starting a business,” he adds.

Because Rod and Joanne were looking to invest in an already existing PoolWerx franchise they were able to talk directly with the outgoing franchisee.

“He was helpful in giving us an overview of the business and we spent a day in the van with him to get a thorough understanding of the day-to-day duties of the business,” explains Rod.

They also got out in the local community, and researched the company on a broader scale. 

“We spoke to local business people, local pool owners, conducted online research and spoke with our financial advisor.

“We then spoke directly with the National Support Office (NSO) at PoolWerx. They were able to put our mind at ease with honest answers to our questions,” he says.

Rod explains talking with other existing franchisees about their experiences was invaluable.

“One thing that helped dearly was talking to a number of existing PoolWerx franchise partners about their own experiences within the franchise group. This helped to give us the peace of mind that we were actually able to take the next step and join PoolWerx!”

The pair opted for the brand for a number of reasons.

“The PoolWerx brand was continually popping up and standing out to us in our online research, which proved its leadership in the industry.

“When looking further into the franchise we found the professional service and follow up re-assuring,” he says.

Rod explains hard work will lead to a successful franchise business. 

“It’s your own business, so you have to work hard to make it successful and if you do, you’ll reap the rewards.”

Luckily, PoolWerx offers a wealth of support so he and Joanne can achieve their business goals.

“The best part is you have a network of support you can lean on when you need to, and it is only a phone call away.

“You get support in important areas like marketing, human resources and technical support that would not be available to you if you went it alone. This support allows you to focus on the actual running of the business,” Rod says.

He explains it was a challenge taking over the franchise at the beginning of the peak swimming season, but also a great learning experience.

“We had to hit the ground running and experienced an extremely busy year. We spent most of summer working in the business as opposed to ‘on’ it, but it was a steep learning curve early on.

“The beauty of PoolWerx is the business plans focus on longevity and continual business growth.”

According to Rod, potential franchisees should do their research before they invest in a brand.

“I suggest people research each and every document presented to them and talk to as many people in businesses within the industry and abroad. Speak to lending institutions as they too can give fantastic advice.”

While Rod and Joanne have been franchisees for only six months; John says they have already managed to achieve a number of their personal and professional goals.

In particular, Joanne has been able to quit her job and purchase a new car, and their son has recently joined the business.

Rod says the business has also enabled him to enjoy a better work/life balance. Rather than sit in an office, he is out and about all day.

“The best part about owning our own PoolWerx business is we’re doing something active, which makes us feel human again, and doing so with the support of people that want to see us succeed and grow,” he explains.

Rod and Joanne took out a business loan to fund their investment, and they enlisted the assistance of a financial advisor who helped them prepare plans, proposals and checklists.

Looking to the future, Rod and Joanne hope to expand their business.  

“We would certainly invest in the brand again and can’t wait to grow the business in our territory through adding extra service vans,” he explains. 

Image: facebook.com/poolwerx