When Craig Mundy saw an advertisement for a Snap Printing franchise it resonated immediately.
“I knew the brand and I also knew that particular business,” he says. “I’d been a customer some years before so I’d met the owners and even some of the staff. One of the people working for me now has been there for over 18 years.”
Due diligence combined with the history and structure of the business convinced him the investment was a ‘no brainer’. He took over the Wodonga store in July this year.
“Getting back into the community was also important for us,” he says. “One of the strengths of a regional business is the focus on relationships and building rapport. Customers tend to be more interested in service and quality than simply finding the cheapest price.”
Mundy makes a point of delivering jobs in person whenever he can.
“As well as helping to build long-term relationships, it gives me a chance to find out more about our customers’ businesses and see where opportunities lie,” he says.
Impressive training
Mundy and his wife have ideal backgrounds for most sectors. His is in sales and marketing, hers in HR and industrial relations. They also had experience as franchisees, having owned a manufacturing business for 10 years. From there, they spent six years back in the workforce before deciding it was time to invest in another franchise.
“One of the things I like best about owning a business is that you’re responsible for your own outcomes,” Mundy says. “Yes, you have to wear any losses but you can celebrate the wins knowing that the rewards are going into your hip pocket rather than to an employer.”
He also sees many benefits of being part of a franchise system – and Snap in particular.
“I was so impressed with the quality and the depth of the training I received, and also the relationships you can form with other centres,” he says. “The centres I spent time with in the lead up to our purchase and during the induction and training process were very open, very accommodating, and very encouraging.
“There’s a massive opportunity within that because, if your centre can’t do something for any reason, there’s always a partner who can provide help and advice or even do it for you. You’re not on your own.”
This was particularly reassuring for Mundy.
“Starting any business is daunting but it felt particularly so for us as we were taking over a very strong, very profitable and very busy business,” he says. “In some ways, I think this may even be more challenging than a start-up where at least you can manage the pace. For us, it was full on from the moment we opened the door.”
He was also fortunate in having the support of very experienced staff.
“That makes my task of managing the business so much easier because I’ve got the luxury of being able to spend time getting my head around things like operations and the industry itself,” he says.
He considers his staff to be his highest priority.
“I think it’s critically important to be aware of their wellbeing,” he says. “For example, we’re looking to implement programs that given them a chance to support the community, such as offering paid time to work in a volunteer capacity. Effectively, if they’re happy, then I’m happy.”
Looking ahead
For the future, Mundy is focusing first on financial milestones he’d like to achieve – realistic but a challenge to reach. From there, he sees huge opportunities for growth in the region.
“There’s strong and quite varied industry, including public sector, as well as significant tourism,” he says. “We’ve barely scratched the surface when it comes to potential business. But, by the end of our first year, I’ll be very happy if we have continued the success of the previous owner. We were very fortunate to take over such a thriving and well-run business.”