Franchise awards 2015 - Keeping it in the family

Many franchises are run as family businesses, but the Hall family of Upper Hutt take it to extremes. There are five members of the same family involved in their Columbus Coffee outlets in Kapiti and Porirua, and they clearly work well together ­– the family have just been named Supreme Franchisees of the Year in the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards.

There’s a family feel to the Supreme Franchise System of the Year, too. ­Paramount Services was started in 1979 by Suzanne and Galvin Bartlett. Although today the company is one of New Zealand’s largest commercial cleaning operators and has successfully expanded into Australia, the couple are still involved and include many couples and family teams among their franchisees.

This year marked the 21^st year of the New Zealand Franchise Awards, which were presented at a gala dinner in Auckland before an audience including Craig Foss, Minister for Small Business.

WESTPAC SUPREME FRANCHISEES OF THE YEAR
Winner – The Hall family, Columbus Coffee, Kapiti & Porirua

Over the past 20 years, many couples have won the Franchisee of the Year title but this is the first time it’s gone to an entire family. The famous five are siblings Danielle, Korby and Brooke, with their parents Brendon and Nicole Hall, who opened their first Columbus Coffee outlet at Mitre 10 MEGA in Kapiti in 2011. They followed it up in 2014 with a second in Porirua – again within a Mitre 10 MEGA outlet, thanks to a venture launched between the two New Zealand-owned brands a few years ago.

A proud dad, Brendon told the audience at the Awards night, 'The family has really stepped up to the plate. They've worked hard, they've had great results and they've really deserved it.'

According to the family's young and energetic operations manager, Korby Hall, ‘We started our venture with one clear objective in mind –­ to operate a café that our staff love to work in and create an atmosphere where our customers can relax and enjoy themselves.’

They’ve clearly achieved their aim – the Awards judges commented that their entry reflected a very strong focus on customer satisfaction and monitoring of business performance across a comprehensive range of measures. ‘They really are achieving their goal of delivering a comfortable environment with a warm family or second-home feeling.’

WESTPAC SUPREME FRANCHISE SYSTEM OF THE YEAR
Winner ­– Paramount Services

This is Paramount’s second time on the top step of the podium, having previously won the Supreme title in 2008. The company has gone on growing since then and now has 140 franchisees servicing 1,240 clients including banks, retailers, shopping centres, ports, cinemas, rest homes, student hostels and schools. It launched into Australia in 2012, where it operates under the Paraserve brand.

The company relies on its franchisees to give it the edge in a hugely-competitive market against both home-grown and overseas brands. Despite its size and success, Paramount retains a real family feel in what has become a highly multi-cultural franchise – something which other franchises could learn from as New Zealand’s population changes. It is also an environmental leader in its sector, having introduced paper recycling bins, specialised cleaning agents and electricity-saving schemes for clients.

The judges found that Paramount demonstrated highly-effective work systems coupled with sound leadership. ‘They have a strong focus on exceeding customer expectations and effective performance management is supported by a comprehensive suite of measures. Paramount Services show impressive results across all areas.’

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CATEGORY AWARDS

 

The franchisee and franchisor awards were divided into five sub-categories:

 

• Retail
• Food & Beverage
• Home Services
• Lifestyle Services
• Business Services

 

Four of these were combined into two categories for the main awards:

 

• Retail, Food & Beverage
• Home & Lifestyle Services

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RETAIL

 

Best Franchisee
Winner – Maninder Singh, Mister Minit The Base, Te Rapa

Mister Minit franchisees make a habit of winning the Retail category, having taken the title in 2012, 2013 and 2014. This year proved to be no exception, with one of last year’s finalists, Maninder Singh, stepping up to be named Best Franchisee – Retail for 2015/16. The company’s slogan is ‘Real people fixing problems’ and Maninder lives up to that from his kiosk at The Base in Te Rapa.

‘The franchisee’s use of many proven business methods, coupled with his business savviness, is evident in the results being achieved across all areas of financial, process and people management,’ said the judges. ‘Innovation is embraced and can be seen in the development of business relationships, distribution of vouchers and rewarding feedback. Collaboration with staff is seen as a key to success and involves open and clear communication between team members.’

Highly Commended: Simpareet Singh, Mister Minit Johnsonville and HongHui Liang, Mister Minit Shore City

Best Franchise System
Winner: Mister Minit New Zealand

Mister Minit now has three Best Franchise System awards to its name in the Retail category. The company provides a variety of essential services such as shoe repairs, key cutting, engraving and watch repairs in malls throughout New Zealand. Mister Minit is one of the oldest franchise systems in New Zealand, having been operating here since 1971.

According to the judges, ‘Leadership and planning combine to form a key strength to the Mister Minit franchise system. Performance of the business is driven by two priorities – deliver a great offer and grow people. Customer focus is a common priority for both the franchisor and the franchisee. Mister Minit sees franchisees as enablers to achieving sustainable levels of high customer satisfaction.’

Highly Commended: Bedpost New Zealand

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

 

Best Franchisee
Winner – The Hall family, Columbus Coffee, Kapiti and Porirua

This was the Hall family’s first award of the evening – they would go on to win three, culminating in the coveted Supreme Franchisee of the Year title. It ended an amazing year of success, which started with the family being named joint winners of Columbus Coffee’s own Franchisee of the Year award.

Both the Hall family’s cafes are situated in Mitre 10 MEGA stores some 30kms apart, but their individual approach to each market won the judges’ praise. ‘Serving food, coffee and other beverages prepared on site for stay-in and take-away customers, they have adapted their offerings to their local clientele, including regular customer preferences at each location.’

Speaking at the Awards, Korby Hall commented that Columbus Coffee has an 'awesome relationship' with Mitre 10 MEGA that it's great to have been involved in for the past four years - a sentiment echoed by Columbus managing director Graeme Tait. There are now 26 Columbus outlets within Mitre 10 MEGA stores,

Best Franchise System
Winner – Columbus Coffee

Twice winners of the Supreme Award back in 2009 and 2010, Columbus Coffee returned to the winners’ circle following a period of intense development. Its partnership with Mitre 10 MEGA has seen the franchise almost double in size, with store numbers now approaching the 60-mark, while a concentrated focus upon its food offering has seen it introduce healthy options and ingredients across its menu range. A digitally-based loyalty scheme attracted almost 100,000 members in its first year.

The judges considered this to be an excellent and well-presented entry from Columbus which demonstrated sound leadership across all aspects of franchise operations. ‘Particular strengths for Columbus Coffee are its business planning, performance measurement and strong focus on service excellence.’

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MAIN AWARD – Retail, Food & Beverage

 

 

 

Best Franchisee
Winner ­–The Hall Family, Columbus Coffee - Kapiti and Porirua

 

 

 

Best Franchise System
Mister Minit New Zealand

 

Category sponsored by Franchise Accountants and Franchise Infinity

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HOME SERVICES

 

Best Franchisee
Winner – Cameron and Katie Brooks, V.I.P. Lawns and Gardens, Mangawhai

Cameron and Katie put family first when they gave up their corporate jobs in Auckland and took up a V.I.P. franchise in the small Northland village of Mangawhai. Local residents might be surprised to learn that the man mowing their lawn has an MBA, but it’s enabled them to build a thriving business in the area of their choice – they achieved their two-year goal in their first 12 months. They get to enjoy more time with their two young children, too.

The judges said that the couple had put together a well-written, concise entry. ‘The clarity and awareness about their business, and the factors required for good business performance, are demonstrated throughout the application.’

Best Franchise System
Winner: Green Acres

Green Acres has become a New Zealand institution, but that doesn’t mean it’s taking things easy. In recent years, the company has transformed itself with a bright, slightly quirky new image and the enthusiastic adoption of new technology to make life easier and more efficient for franchisees and customers alike. A new website featuring a Design Your Own Business calculator extends this approach to potential franchisees, too.

The judges commented that Green Acres is a worthy winner of this category: a mature, well-managed franchise system with a clear understanding of its business environment and sound business objectives, supported by a state-of-the-art digital office system.

Accepting the Award, Green Acres CEO Logan Sears paid tribute to Wally Morris who, with his brother Hugh, brought McDonald's to New Zealand and had earlier been inducted into the Franchising Hall of Fame. 'One thing that defines franchising is that McDonald's can deliver the same burger anywhere on the planet at any time,' said Logan. 'I'd like to acknowledge the Morris family for bringing this to New Zealand. Without their example, we wouldn't have the industry we have today.'

Highly Commended: Exceed

Other Finalist: Refresh Renovations

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LIFESTYLE SERVICES

 

Best Franchisee
Winner – Craig and Karen Nuttall, Just Cabins, Selwyn

Just Cabins franchisees have won this category for the last three years: after Waitakere and West Coast, this time it was Canterbury’s turn. Craig, a butcher, and Karen bought their portable cabin rental business in 2012 as a semi-passive investment which would provide better returns than their rental properties, and that’s how it turned out.

According to the judges, ‘Just Cabins Selwyn operates an efficient and effective business model that provides strong results. They have a clear, long term strategy to build their business.’

 

Best Franchise System
Winner – Just Cabins

2015 marks four years in a row for Just Cabins, once again named Best Franchise System in the Lifestyle Services category. Its franchisees rent out portable cabins as extra rooms, offices or on-site accommodation. Having dominated the New Zealand market for many years, the company is now looking at expanding into some massive overseas markets.

‘The franchisor has built a strong and recognisable brand delivering a professional, personal and quality service,’ said the judges. ‘Just Cabins operates an efficient and effective business model which provides consistently strong customer, financial, market and workforce results.’

Highly Commended: Caci

Other Finalist: Mike Pero Real Estate

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MAIN AWARD – Home and Lifestyle Services

 

 

 

Best Franchisee
Winner – Craig and Karen Nuttall, Just Cabins, Selwyn

 

 

 

Best Franchise System
Winner – Just Cabins

 

Category sponsored by Yellow

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BUSINESS SERVICES

 

Best Franchisee
Joint Winners – Bruce & Sara Mildon, Paramount Services, Hawkes Bay, and Atul Patel, Paramount Services, Wellington

The judges couldn’t choose between these two Paramount franchisees, who looked delighted to share this prestigious Award.

Bruce and Sara Mildon provide a wide range of cleaning services to some 29 clients including department stores, offices, schools and child care centres. The business has steadily grown in client numbers as well as site value in the past four years. ‘The principal factor that has determined success has been its small dedicated team who pay close attention to quality and service,’ said the judges.

Atul Patel also provides a wide range of cleaning services, in this case mainly in the Wellington CBD, to some 25 clients. These are primarily commercial offices and department stores including some high-profile national and international organisations. ‘By focusing on delivering consistently high quality work, this business has also grown steadily over the past five years,’ the judges noted. The franchisee team has been growing the business organically around business clusters such as office blocks.

Other Finalist: Fastway Couriers (Auckland)

Best Franchise System
Winner – Paramount Franchise Services

Paramount has won many Awards over the years and would go on to take the title of Westpac Supreme Franchise System of the Year later in the evening.

‘An experienced franchisor that has very clear objectives, Paramount has worked consistently and in a systematic and integrated way to achieve its business objectives and to support its franchisees,’ the judges reported. ‘The Paramount submission demonstrated clear results as evidence of success in their market.’

Category sponsored by Crowe Horwath

 

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OTHER AWARDS

Best Emerging System Award
Winner – Refresh Renovations

Refresh Renovations was launched in 2011 after years of research and development by strategic marketing specialist Traffic, which has worked with some of the biggest brands in the building sector. Their research revealed that home renovation was a massive market worth over $6 billion per annum, but was highly fragmented, with no established national provider.

The business has grown steadily over the past four years and now comprises 35 franchisees in New Zealand and the first one now established in Australia. The judges commented, ‘The applicant has identified clear business objectives and has robust planning processes complemented by formal and informal communication. The judges were impressed by the positive business results achieved to date.’

Category sponsored by MYOB

Master Franchisee of the Year Award
Winner – Viky and Nileshna Narayan, CrestClean South and East Auckland

Commercial cleaning company CrestClean is based in Dunedin and operates nationwide via a network of master franchisees. Originally from Fiji, Viky and Nileshna purchased a CrestClean franchise in 2005 and took up the master franchise in 2008. They now oversee the operations of 75 franchises and 160 personnel providing commercial cleaning services for more than 350 customers in South and East Auckland.

The judges found theirs to be ‘a well-structured business with a well thought-out vision and strategy in place. Their results show that their systems, processes and practices are delivering the sort of value that the business has set out to achieve.’

Other Finalists: Fastway Couriers (Auckland); V.I.P. Home Services Bay of Plenty

Category sponsored by Crombie Lockwood

Service Provider of the Year Award
Winner – Franchise Accountants

Franchise Accountants is the only chartered accountancy practice in New Zealand that exclusively focuses on franchising, and has worked with both franchisors and franchisees of a large number of franchises throughout the country. They are also developers of Franchise Infinity specialist management software. 2015 marks the second time that they have won the Service Provider of the Year title.

They impressed the judges with their business planning process, which ‘ensures engagement of key stakeholders and effective alignment of the business goals and objectives throughout the business. The identification of client requirements, service delivery and engagement are a significant strength. There is clear evidence of an effective business model which is achieving good results against targets and providing valuable support to the franchise sector within New Zealand.’

Highly Commended: MYOB New Zealand

Other Finalist: Franchize Consultants (NZ) Ltd

Category sponsored by: Printing.com

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FIELD MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Introduced for the first time last year, the Field Manager of the Year Awards recognise the work of those individuals who are the first point of contact for franchisees, helping them set goals and develop their businesses, and enforcing standards when required. Entries were divided by category and turnover.

 

Business Services – over $500,000
Winner ­– Sangeetha Shaikh, Paramount Services

Sangeetha is a key member of the Paramount Services business. ‘As a key account and operations manager, she has played a critical part in both the franchisor’s and franchisees’ successes,’ said the judges. ‘She pro-actively networks with both franchisees and customers, which leads to a high level of client satisfaction.’

 

 

 

Home and Lifestyle Services – under $500,000
Winner – Ron Houben, Exceed Franchising

Using his extensive industry and franchise experience, Ron provides an excellent level of technical business and sales and marketing support to all Exceed franchisees across New Zealand. ‘A number of initiatives that Ron has been involved in have reaped some serious financial and organisational benefits,’ the judges noted

Category sponsored by Franchise New Zealand magazine and website

 

 

 

Retail, Food & Beverage – under $500,000
Winner: Kirsty Robertson, New Zealand Post

The judges said that, ‘Kirsty has demonstrated an effective, systematic approach to her fieldwork. Operating in a challenging environment, Kirsty has shown how she is making a difference to the results of the franchisees through her relationship-building skills.’

 

 

 

 

Retail, Food & Beverage – over $500,000
Winner: Stan Van der Ham – Mister Minit New Zealand Limited

Stan has provided a broad range of support and coaching services to Mister Minit franchisees across New Zealand for many years now, and the results are clear in his franchisees’ regular achievements in the Awards. According to the judges, ‘His effective approach to field visits ensures that the franchisees not only become better service providers, but also better business people.’

Category sponsored by ABC Business Sales

All the winners of the Field Manager Awards also received a year's free membership of the Franchise Operations Network programme run by the Franchise Relationships Institute.

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Community Involvement, Franchise System of the Year
Winner – Mike Pero Real Estate

The judges were highly impressed by the commitment to the community of all the applicants in this category, and made two Highly Commended citations in addition to the Award itself.

The winner was Mike Pero Real Estate, whose strong focus on people is reflected in their commitment to community involvement. They are involved in a variety of initiatives, both national and regional, which include support for individuals in their time of need, charitable groups providing valuable services and recreational activities with strong ties to the local communities.

The judges said, ‘The engagement in community involvement is well-deployed and fosters involvement by all franchisees through a regional focus, internal recognition and regular business planning. The impacts of the community involvement are well understood with a clear link between the activity and the benefit it provides.’

Highly Commended:
Fastway Couriers (New Zealand)
OPSM and charity partner, Onesight

Category sponsored by Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre

Media Campaign of the Year Award
Winner ­– Columbus Coffee

The judges commented that, ‘Columbus had identified their core strengths and weaknesses, developed key business pillars and constructed a campaign that built consumer connection across the right platforms. Their level of internal engagement with their franchisees was impressive and the results were favourable across many different measures.’

Highly Commended: OPSM

Other Finalists: Exceed; Mike Pero Real Estate; Refresh Renovation; Bedpost

Category sponsored by ReachMedia

 

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About the Awards

The Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards are promoted by the Franchise Association of New Zealand, and entry is only open to its members. Brad Jacobs, the Association’s chairman and a previous winner himself, said, ‘In entering the Awards, each entrant opens up their business to the scrutiny of the evaluators and judges. Through this process those entrants learn more about their business, its strengths and its weaknesses to enable them to chart the directions for their businesses to follow for ongoing success.

‘Participants in the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards are key contributors to the ever-growing pool of business knowledge and acumen within the wider franchise industry of New Zealand.’

The Awards are recognised as having some of the most rigorous criteria in the world. Entrants go through a comprehensive four-stage process and evaluations by the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation based on the internationally-recognised Malcolm Baldrige criteria, a system that is used by more than 25 countries as a standard for quality awards.

Fiona Gavriel, the Chief Executive of NZBEF, commented, ‘The applications this year were of a very high standard and both the evaluators and judges were impressed with the calibre. Selecting the winners was challenging, as you would expect, and there was a lot of review, thought and discussion that went into the process.

‘Franchise operations have much to offer the New Zealand economy and it is very pleasing to see franchisors recognising the value in offering franchisees rigorous support systems. In the end, everyone gains through a clear vision backed up by well-developed operational processes – and a very real focus on the customer and their needs.’

Steve Atkinson, Head of Specialists, Westpac New Zealand concluded, ‘Westpac has sponsored these prestigious awards for 20 years now and during that time we’ve seen the franchising industry grow from strength-to-strength, developing and enhancing its reputation both locally and abroad.

‘Franchising is a key driver of growth in New Zealand and an important part of our economy. It’s a real tribute to the industry that so many great franchises have entered these awards this year and we would like to congratulate all the winners.’

The Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards 2015/2016 were presented at a gala dinner attended by more than 270 people at the Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland, on 14^th November 2015.

Results from previous years are available here: 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

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