Paul Woolfe’s long-term dream of operating his own business became a reality in September last year with the help of handyman franchise Hire a Hubby. 

As the franchise owner of Hire a Hubby Concord, Paul attends to the needs of clients across the Sydney suburbs of not only Concord but Breakfast Point, Cabarita and Mortlake too.

Tell us a little about your work life before becoming a franchisee. I spent 26 years with Kmart managing 13 stores from Taree to Newcastle and across the Sydney metro area, and most recently I managed two Bunnings Warehouse stores in Sydney.

What brought you to invest in a franchise? I’ve had the desire to be my own boss for a long time. When the opportunity arrived to buy the Hire A Hubby Concord business, it was that desire combined with my love for hardware and home improvements that made my decision an easy one.

Why did you choose Hire a Hubby? I have always had a huge interest in home maintenance, home improvements and DIY, so Hire A Hubby was a natural fit.

The services Hire A Hubby offers are professional and give me the opportunity to be ‘on the tools’, fix problems and manage a team – which are all things that I find fulfilling.

When I looked into franchising two years ago, I saw a lot of models with high investment and minimal franchisor support. Hire A Hubby is the complete opposite – they have an awesome support network and are far more affordable. They were also transparent with information right from the start.

What skills did you bring to the business? My handyman skills were developed from a young age around the home. I gained most of my experience as I got older and completed more complex projects for family and friends. I get enormous personal satisfaction out of seeing a job done to a professional standard.

My retail management experience – which included learning about the latest tools and techniques at Bunnings Warehouse – compliments my handyman skills perfectly. Having prompt, helpful and friendly service and the ability to understand and solve problems for customers is core to the Hire A Hubby business.

What has been the biggest challenge as a franchisee in a new field? I am sure I ask more questions about the work than someone who has come from a trade background, but the support from the network accommodates that well.

What’s more important is understanding how to run the business, and I am extremely comfortable with that aspect. Another challenge is quoting, but again that comes with experience. You have to think about the timing, resourcing and materials involved and it takes experience to fine-tune this.

How has the franchisor helped you gain confidence in your business? Apart from the initial training every new franchisee undertakes with the business, I have two field managers in my area who have been awesome in helping me find my feet.

They assist with the above things including quoting on jobs and generating new business. The other ‘Hubbies’ in the field also chip in to help one another.

What will you do with this business and your new-found skills? My short term goals are for the business to become a recognised and trusted brand in the local community, and to develop repeat residential business and profitable relationships with key commercial clients.

By the end of year one I’d like to have a steady work flow sufficient enough to sustain two regular handyman staff working on the tools, a base of regular key tradies for work requiring specific licenses and skills, and myself working part time on the tools but primarily focused on developing the business further.