Roaring success

Michael and Sharon Brough are Auckland Speedway fans. It’s not just for the high-speed thrills or to cheer on their 21-year-old son Nate who races in the iconic speedway; it is a key income stream for their Pack & Send franchise. 

“From a former tyre shop on a busy corner location, in June 2019 we launched Pack & Send Avondale. We based this on the strategy of developing points of difference by finding what’s difficult and then doing it better than anyone else,” explains Michael. 

“Speedway car owners go through an unbelievable rigmarole to get crash-damaged components or blown race engines repaired or rebuilt and returned from Australia or the USA, many costing around $90,000.

“By taking all the documentation, packaging, freight forwarding and follow-up out of their hands, we quickly established Pack & Send Avondale as the speedway’s go-to.” 

Seen by thousands of eyes

Michael and Sharon, in turn, show their appreciation for this support by sponsoring Nate’s TQ and four other race cars. “At Western Springs, and at away tracks, Pack & Send signage is seen by thousands of eyes,” says Sharon.  

Describing himself as the packaging muscle and Sharon as the business brains, Michael reveals that Pack & Send Avondale holds the New Zealand record for the time taken for a new territory Pack & Send franchise partner to achieve $250,000 turnover, then $500,000 turnover. They have reached $600,000+ turnover, with $800,000 turnover their next goal.

“Driving this success has much more to do with delivering customer satisfaction than it has with pricing. We’re definitely the one-stop shop for sending anything, anywhere, at any time,” says Sharon.

As Michael explains, “Fine art and fragile items are another important income stream for us. Inspired by one of our artist clients, we developed packaging where the carton is lined with plush padding and even has a special pocket for authenticity documents. We also use this same packaging for mirrors and even a 25-million-year-old moa skeleton!

“Becoming a Pack & Send franchise partner was motivated by Sharon getting tired of my chasing the sun on Auckland beaches for months after our return to New Zealand, after 20 years working in the corporate world overseas. Our plan was for Sharon, who had completed studies in forensics and private investigation, to work for the police.

“Unfortunately, or fortuitously, that didn’t happen. Having been ‘nagged’ on Facebook by a Pack & Send recruitment ad, Sharon talked me into having a look.

“I knew the Pack & Send Albany franchise partner well enough to ask for a ‘warts and all’ appraisal. There were no warts. It was all positive. He told me all about how Pack & Send provides its franchise partners with the knowledge, systems, contacts and training to handle all those awkward jobs that nobody else can deliver.

‘We passed muster with the NZ franchisor and then spent two very worthwhile weeks training at the head office in Christchurch. This included learning about innovations such as GMx software, which processes consignments, sends business leads to each franchise partner and saves time in costs. Recently, our capabilities for keeping ahead of the game, especially online retailing, were supercharged when Pack & Send became part of MBE Worldwide.”

Support for new franchise partners

Pack & Send has existing and green field opportunities throughout New Zealand. There are options for investing in a Pack & Send Retail Service Centre or a Logistics Service Centre, with space to offer clients warehousing, storage, and distribution solutions. Both opportunities include four weeks of induction training, including one week at our Sydney Team Headquarters (THQ). Ongoing support, training and resources are provided and the investment for a new greenfield site is around $190,000+gst (including working capital).

“This is the first time Michael and I have worked together,” says Sharon. “We’re having lots of fun; we’re loving it! We even see a second Pack & Send in our future. Experience isn’t necessary but enjoying people and delivering first class customer service are. For a couple, two family members, or two friends who get along well, we unreservedly recommend Pack & Send.”

See this advertorial on page 54 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 33 Issue 04 

Contact details for Pack & Send

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