After stepping back from a 20+-year career in hospitality, the lure of small business was too great for Kenny Panayiotou, who discovered he just wasn’t ready for semi-retirement in his 40s.

Now he’s in his fifth year as a Megasealed franchisee, and loves the independence and the work-life balance.

However Kenny didn’t leap straight into business ownership; he worked for the bathroom and balcony repair business as an area manager for a year.

This experience gave him an insight into all aspects of the service-oriented business – and he liked what he saw.

“I knew when I started looking for a business for myself that I wanted a lifestyle balance, to work within my own space,” he says.

Megasealed was an ideal opportunity for someone who wanted to avoid the weekend and evening demands of a hospitality small business.

The business model is based on an essential service; fixing a leaking bath, shower or balcony.

“A bathroom is like a car; you have to maintain it, refresh the grout, stop any leaking, so it doesn’t become unavoidably expensive,” Kenny says.

“We try to go in with a cost-effective option, rather than quoting for new bathrooms. But it’s not a band-aid. We diagnose the root of the problem, and give customers a medium to long term solution.

“Sometimes bathrooms have been left too long to do a minimal fix, and extensive repair is required. We always try to do the right thing by the customer,” Kenny says.

Getting started as a Megasealed franchisee

Moving into the home services sector was almost a homecoming.

“My dad was a plumber, my whole family has been in plumbing, and I used to help him when I was young by picking up tools,” Kenny says. 

He undertook the required qualifications to gain the licence to do the work and found the inhouse hands-on training delivered by Megasealed’s founder Jacques Courtin invaluable.

On top of the training, there has been and continues to be support from the franchisor.

“The support is comprehensive; the main focus is on generating leads and brand awareness,” Kenny says.

“I meet someone from head office regularly. It could be someone to talk about marketing, product, financials; we have regular catch-ups.”

The franchise network also meets quarterly, and gathers franchisees from across the country for its annual conference.

Great service and reliability builds the business

Kenny operates across four territories north of Melbourne – Nilumbik, Banyule, Whittlesea and Hume – servicing a mix of metropolitan suburbs and semi-rural communities.

“I’m local to the area so I knew the community. I put a lot of effort into marketing, social media, and building relationships with property managers and real estate firms.

“We’d like to grow the property management client base even more; we try to make their life easier,” Kenny says.

His high-scoring reviews – 4.8 out of five – stand testament to the customer service, reliability and workmanship that has built the business.

“We say to our clients, ‘if you’re happy, let your neighbours know’ Referrals are a great source of business,” he says.

Now his 10-person team includes three other skilled technicians and tilers, sales consultants and an interstate admin team.

“My admin team answers calls, schedules quotes for me and my sales team, do invoicing and payment chasing.”

The brand’s reputation ensures there are always technicians keen to be part of the success story.

“I’ve had a stable team for four years,” Kenny says. “That comes down to looking after and paying your staff well. I’m very flexible and accommodating and they work to a high standard and get great reviews from customers.

“In business you’re in it for each other, you look after your team, they look after you. It really is about getting the right team – whatever your business,” he says.

Kenny has built a business on teamwork and high standards, and it has delivered everything he set out to achieve. And he can see a strong future ahead – on his terms.

“I’ve got a great lifestyle, and I’m happy with where I’m at. I don’t want to expand and have to look after 20 staff. 

“There are always going to be leaking showers and balconies, particularly as houses age, so we are always in demand.

“Megasealed stands out for its ISO9001 accreditation, and has strong brand awareness boosted by vehicle signage and uniforms. This is a great niche to be in.”