Kier and Sam Forsyth have enjoyed a 16-year long working relationship, initially as farmers and now as Mr Rental franchisees.
The husband and wife team invested in Mr Rental Rockingham in 2004, and have three children together.
“We have three daughters – Kenya and Abbey, both 15 – and Poppy who is nine-and-a-half,” Sam said.
“Poppy was born just before we started and attended franchisee training with us as a baby. She has only really known life as part of the Mr Rental network.”
MR RENTAL: APPEALING IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
According to Kier, they were first exposed to the brand through friends.
“After selling our farm, we travelled around Australia for about 20 months, and were introduced to Mr Rental while visiting friends in Queensland who were franchisees,” he said.
Kier and Sam were drawn to Mr Rental for a number of reasons. The fact that their friends were all praise was a defining factor, as was the culture of its network and the prospect of working together again.
CHALLENGES
Despite working together for 16 years, the couple admits separating their role as franchisees from their personal lives is a work in progress.
“It’s important to have some basic ground rules in place as far as trying to keep business and personal life separate, and understanding that it’s a challenging balance, which can always be improved and refined,” Kier said.
“Being in business with your spouse or partner can be the most challenging but also the most rewarding experience, and requires commitment on all fronts,” added Sam.
TEAM WORK IS THE KEY
Kier and Sam have specific roles within the business, and both are confident in one another’s ability.
Kier heads up human resources, deals with franchisor-related matters and handles performance analysis, meanwhile Sam covers the financial side of things and provides operations support.
“I admire Sam’s ability to juggle roles, both in and outside the business and her ability to connect with and influence team members in a positive way,” Kier said.
“I admire Kier’s strong, positive culture and values, team management skills, his ‘big picture’ focus, plus his consistency,” added Sam.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE
The Forsyth’s employ a business manager, permanent team members and local contractors who ensure the franchise operates smoothly in their absence.
This ensures they enjoy time away from work to pursue other interests – Kier likes to fish, take part in Aikido, play golf and indulge in good food, wine and company as well as listen to live music.
Sam is similarly a fan of music, wine and travel, and enjoys swimming, playing hockey and tennis in her spare time.