What are the benefits and challenges of franchising? We asked Katie Mills, the Pacific Fair Ella Bache franchisee, to take our Q&A.

What are the benefits of investing in a franchise as opposed to an independent business?

Buying an Ella Bache franchisee was the obvious choice for me as I was already working within the company as a store manager. I was familiar with the stability and support that the Ella Bache franchisors provide, and the feeling of family that comes from being a part of a family owned and operated franchise.

I also felt that, as a first time business owner, that the staff and marketing training that franchisors provide would be really valuable.

How long have you been in the system?

I have been involved with Ella Bache for just over 10 years. The original salon opened in December 2004, and I worked there for five years before I took over on the first of December 2009.

Are you a sole franchisee or in partnership? If in partnership, how do manage the roles within the business?

I am in partnership with my sister. While we both work in the salon I prefer a management type of role and my sister takes care of the accounts.

How did you fund your franchise investment?

Ella Bache requires a certain amount of assets from their investors, so we saved up a fair amount of capital and then we got a loan to fund the rest of our investment.

How long did it take you to achieve a return on investment?

We are still paying off the loan, but only because we have chosen to put a lot of our income back into the business, by investing in new technologies and products that will benefit us into the future. Otherwise, it probably took us about two years to achieve a return on our original investment.

What surprised you about the business?

Honestly, I was surprised at how much work there is involved with running your own business. Before I bought the salon I was managing it full time, so I thought I had a pretty good idea as to what owning it would be like. How wrong I was! While I knew everything about the day to day running of the business, I was unaware of the amount of behind the scenes work that goes in. Luckily, I received great training and have had so much support along the way.

What challenges have you faced in the business?

Initially the biggest challenge was the state the salon was in. It was a profitable business, but there were many procedures and processes in place that were not the most efficient choices for the business. We reassessed everything; staff, marketing, the day-to-day protocols, everything got a fine tune. It was exciting, but was also a huge amount of work.

Our biggest ongoing challenge is finding the right staff for the business. In order to find staff who suit we have developed some of our own processes, like particular interview techniques that help us determine who will fit well into our salon. This is something we are always re-assessing in order to try and make the best decisions for our business and our clients.

What skills are required to be a successful franchisee?

I think you need to be motivated, driven, hardworking and incredibly organised. You need to have your finger on the pulse of everything that’s happening, at all times. Good leadership skills will also come in handy.