The dynamic and potential-packed logistics industry offers fantastic business opportunities; in this busy space World Options sets up franchisees for success.
“Franchisees love that we have been involved in logistics and our experience really sets the scene,” says Malcolm Rees, managing director at World Options Australia.
The online shipping platform has strong, accomplished leadership at the helm.
“Andrew Stewart, Marcello Martino and I know how to run a business, we know logistics, and we know franchising,” Malcolm explains.
Armed with decades of industry expertise to drive the business, World Options’ management team is also on the front line, mentoring franchisees, providing hands-on support, strategic guidance, and real-world knowledge to help them achieve success.
World Options’ leadership experience helps deliver success
Malcolm has an impressive logistics career; he was head of sales for DHL Asia-Pacific and then global head of sales, responsible for about 20,000 employees across 14 countries.
Andrew also brings logistics experience from the major carrier and global brand DHL. He has also led Ilford Imaging in the Asia-Pacific and headed up sales and marketing for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Marcello’s senior IT executive roles in finance and energy provided him with invaluable experience in operations and technology that he now shares with the World Options Australia business.
The trio has developed an opportunity for individuals to harness the potential and power of the dynamic Australian logistics market. Aligning their talents, professionalism and experience enables them to support franchisees with an in-depth understanding of the logistics market, and invaluable sales and operations skills.
“The three of us act as mentors,” Malcolm explains. “We give good advice, we have established a robust structure and operating systems, and we are experienced in creating business growth.”
Their knowledge and proven capabilities in the industry are both reassuring and advantageous for anyone with ambitions to build a strong business serving the Australian market.
“We can’t guarantee success. However, World Options is a business model driven by sales, and our experience gives franchisees a head start. We teach them how to start a sales conversation, and discover the customers needs – listening is a crucial part of selling.
“We teach them how to ask the right questions; our franchisees are guided through their sales process, not left to fend for themselves,” Malcolm explains.
A strong domestic logistics market
Malcolm joined the World Options International business as a director in 2017. He has since developed and implemented strategic growth for the brand across Australia.
The country’s size and distances between cities creates a strong domestic logistics market.
“I was running something like this in Singapore where transport is not expensive; the city state is smaller than Melbourne.
“In Australia the quality of long-haul shipping, particularly from coast to coast, delivers a much better quality of revenue. This enables a franchisee to earn good revenue from a single shipment,” Malcolm says.
He points out the long term prospects of the sector, in an environment where technology is disrupting so many industries.
“Technology can’t replace transportation because you have to have something physically delivered. So it remains a robust market. It may fluctuate with changes to the local and global economy but we continue to see a steady growth rate.”
An expanding sector, in Australia and internationally
In 2025, Mordor Intelligence valued Australia’s courier, express, and parcel market at approximately $18.12 billion. Forecasts predict annual growth of about 5 per cent to take the sector value to $23.17 billion by 2030.
Globally, the industry could grow by $290.12 billion or US$188.1 billion within the next four years, according to Technavio.
World Options’ expertise enables franchisees to optimise these opportunities and achieve success in the domestic and international logistics space.
“We provide the knowledge of the market, and our system, franchisees need to bring the desire to succeed. They need ambition,” Malcolm says.
It’s a message the leadership team reinforces, from franchisee selection through training and in ongoing mentoring.
“We are very upfront: we tell our franchisees, ‘if you don’t do the work, don’t be disappointed,’” he says.
World Options’ training sets franchisees up for success
World Options’ training includes a solid 22 hour program on how to approach cold calling, a key part of business-building.
“We have brought in an expert on cold calling to demonstrate to, and guide, franchisees on best practice,” Malcolm explains.
Once a franchisee has gained the confidence to cold call, achieving the goals is simply a matter of productivity, he adds.
World Options allocates each franchisee a home territory which is non-exclusive but creates a focal point for the new business owner to kickstart their logistics journey.
“It’s crucial to keep in your market and establish a customer base close to you,” Malcolm advises. “The key target market is small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) because they don’t have the buying power to get good deals with carriers.
“A business spending $1000 a month on transportation will struggle to get an account with the big carriers. World Options delivers the experience that bigger customers would have,” Malcolm says.
Within the more than 2.3 million SMEs across Australia, World Options focuses on firms that manufacture, distribute, export, and import.
“We have a list of about 1 million potential customers, and about 80 per cent of these will be shipping product,” Malcolm says.
Backed by World Options‘ systems, leadership experience and support, franchisees can maximise these opportunities.
“As long as franchisees keep working at delivering a good service, they will grow their business,” Malcolm says.