Ali Gencer has made a career out of the transport industry, working for high profile companies like TNT, Toll, UPS, and Australia Post.

So when he was ready to ditch the corporate life to buy a business, he knew exactly what to look for. And he found it in World Options.

“All the stars aligned,” he says. “Everything about the business impressed me.”

The company buys transportation services at large volume discounts and resells them at competitive prices to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs).

“The main selling point is the easy and user-friendly IT platform,” says Ali. “It gives customers plenty of options and I love the simplicity of it. I’ve seen a lot of IT systems and this platform is second to none.”

The World Options online shipping platform connects clients with a wide choice of carriers. They can choose to offer all the options to their own customers or select their preferred service providers.

Franchisees focus on sales and account management

“We have an innovative platform clients can plug into shopping carts or their warehouse management system and control how customers pick and choose their shipping services,” Ali explains.

World Options provides a streamlined end-to-end solution: once an SME client receives an online customer order, the portal sources parcel dimensions, preferred delivery date and method of delivery, and prints labels.

“If you are a salesperson, this business model really is made for you,” says Ali. “As a franchisee your focus is on managing your client accounts and building your business.”

He says achieving goals in business is simple; it comes down to hard work.

“My success comes from waking up early, contacting customers, and being always visible and available to clients.”

Ali’s business initially grew through referrals; he offers $100 referral credits to existing clients who successfully nominate friendly businesses as potential customers.

His social media and online marketing campaigns have also helped drive the business and grow the client base.

For this World Options franchisee success is personal

Ali’s success demonstrates how World Options can deliver for its franchisees. With his first franchise in Melbourne, he selected a Brisbane area for his second business. He reveals a bold expansion strategy that focuses on interstate development.

“I want a couple of franchises in Sydney, one in Perth, maybe a second in Melbourne. The beauty of this business is it gives you flexibility.”

As his business shows, distance is no barrier to building a successful operation. However, Ali says he is ‘old school;’ he believes it is the personal touch that drives success.

“I like face-to-face interaction; this practice has worked for me for more than 20 years. It helps in a hyper-competitive marketplace to have a warm relationship with your customers. I travel every six weeks to meet new and existing clients.”

As the demand for Ali’s services increased he took the business to the next level, renting an office and hiring a customer service representative as the client’s first point of contact.

“That turned out to be an absolute winner!” he says. “Customers enjoyed calling someone directly.”

Now he has five team members across the two franchise territories, including two full time sales representatives. And he is pumped up for more growth.

Booming industry delivers great potential

Analysis firm IBISWorld reported in April 2023 Australia’s e-commerce revenue increased 12.6 per cent in 2022 to reach $52.2 billion; on average, the annual rise over the last five years has been 20.2 per cent.

The industry is growing at lightning speed, Ali says.

“I knew from my previous experience the positive trends in ecommerce. This sector is growing rapidly, and it is going to continue growing.

“At times like these there is a bit of a plateau, with 12 back-to-back interest rate rises, but the spending is still there. We see considerable growth across B2B and B2C markets over the next five years,” says Ali.

Against this background of a booming industry, World Options provides excellent management support, he says.

“I get great support from the franchisor. The team has a collaborative approach and is open to new ideas.”

Flexibility and financial rewards

Looking ahead, Ali sees opportunities for his own team to enjoy the same rewards he has experienced as a franchisee.

“Each of my franchises is an independent business and I am looking in the future at bringing my senior sales into franchise ownership.

“I am a much happier person waking up to work for myself: I can choose who I work with, I can work from home or any destination.

“Success brings excellent financial rewards, and for me it is a bonus to work in an industry that I love.”

Of course, there is one advantage that for Ali trounces all the others.

“Running my own World Options franchise means I can take time out from the business if I need to be there for my young family. That is absolutely priceless,” Ali says.