Arts graduate, graphic designer and former schoolteacher Steven Morrison is part of a new wave of Kwik Kopy employees-turned-franchisees.

Following Steven’s career trajectory, it’s no surprise that he has landed on his feet with Kwik Kopy.

As an art school student he developed a passion for photography and digital arts. After a spell as a secondary school art teacher, he took a diploma in graphic design.

“I fell in love with the idea of designing for print, creating designs people can interact with on a daily basis,” he says.

His first job in the new field was as a graphic designer at Kwik Kopy Five Dock in Sydney. He then moved into customer service, sales and production, and ended up as centre manager.

“The franchisee, Paul Lindsay, taught me everything I know about printing. He had been in the printing trade and has immense knowledge to share.”

It was while managing the Five Dock centre that Steven considered a future as a franchisee.

“Paul is a fantastic mentor and took me to the annual conference where I got exposure to the Kwik Kopy family, the people involved and the group of owners.

“I resolved there and then I wanted to be a part of this, the community, and prove to myself and them, I can run a successful business,” Steven says.

Franchisee picks up key learnings as Kwik Kopy employee

He decided it would be strategic to see how other franchise owners operated their businesses and spent the next 18 months managing different centres in Sydney.

Eighteen months ago everything aligned, and Steven was able to complete on a long-planned Kwik Kopy centre purchase.

Now the proud Kwik Kopy Canberra franchisee, he is able to put to work all his accrued knowledge.

“I’ve learned first hand through Kwik Kopy how successful businesses operate, and I’ve taken the best ideas to shape my own strategy. Each franchisee has their own strength. I’ve learned about workflow production management from one franchisee, and how to deal with people and nurture relationships from another.”

At another major centre he could see the potential for serious growth. “It was eye-opening to see how you can scale a Kwik Kopy store,” he says.

All that acquired learning has paid off. In his first year Steven and his two staff saw sales revenue rocket – it rose by 195 per cent on the previous year.

“My centre was the fastest growing from pre-Covid levels,” he says.

Steven undertook new owner training and leverages the Kwik Kopy systems such as a bookkeeping software program, which help franchisees achieve their goals, and track their progress.

“I am in regular contact with my dedicated key account manager, and we look at ways we can improve,” he says.

Steven has felt very supported all the way through his transition from employee to franchisee.

“It’s very different being a franchisee, from being a manager. When you are an owner you take more of an investigator role; you have to look at every part of the business.

“That’s why it’s great to have Kwik Kopy behind you. You put a lot of investment into the business, and you want to see that grow.

Kwik Kopy career path leads to franchisee role

“My big moment as a staff member is when I realised there is the opportunity at Kwik Kopy to be much more than an employee. There is a whole community where you can progress and extend your skills.

“Kwik Kopy has been very supportive in enabling me to fulfil my dream to own a business.”

The head of franchising at Kwik Kopy, Peter Fiasco, says, “Kwik Kopy has recognised the potential of many future leaders just like Steve and we in the process of developing the Kwik Kopy Kadet program for staff members keen to become their own boss. This is planned to launch in 2024.

“The Kadet Program will be fantastic. The support was always there but this will give employees a career path through a more formal process. This is a great initiative,” says Steven.

He is keen to maintain his impressive start to business and has a goal to achieve a million dollar revenue. His first milestone is $850,000, which he plans to reach this year.

“My goal is to just keep going. I’m 32 and recently engaged. I want to set myself up for my future family and put some solid ground underneath us.

“When I went through school and college, being creative wasn’t seen as a strong career path. I didn’t ever really know where I wanted to be. Owning a Kwik Kopy business has completely changed my life.”