LIVING THE LIFE

Tim Robins has had an active career as a property manager, police officer and rescue helicopter crewman. Then, in July this year, he found a new calling as a first-time business owner and franchisee with Mizin, the portable room hire business established in 2015 by Mary and Gordon Green to fill a large gap in the affordable accommodation and temporary space sector.

It’s been an interesting journey. After university, Tim worked in property management before joining the police. However, after graduating from Police College, finding a job proved difficult. “Then someone suggested I apply to stations in smaller population areas.”

For the change of lifestyle it offered, Greymouth on the West Coast appealed to Tim and his wife Phaedra. In 2010 the couple relocated there from Brighton, just south of Dunedin City.

Enjoying the great outdoors

“The West Coast is a wonderful place to live, work and bring up children,” enthuses Tim. “The great outdoors is real and easily accessible. We bought a section, built a home and added two more daughters to our family. Dakota, our eldest, is in her first year at university. Second daughter, Indi, attends college and also runs a swim school. A real child of the outdoors, Indi has already competed in two Coast to Coast races. Our youngest, Aalia now loves helping dad with cabin deliveries and set up.”

After some years with the police in Greymouth, Tim joined Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue as a crewman. For the next eight years Tim thrived on the responsibility of winching paramedics down to accident victims in some very precarious locations. Even more challenging was winching up paramedics and injured patients and manoeuvring them safely into the helicopter. But in August last year, Tim came crashing down to earth when funding issues made him redundant. He started to look for a business of his own.

A tailor-made business

“The award-winning Mizin business seemed tailor-made for me,” continues Tim. “My first conversation was with Mary and Gordon’s daughter Whitney. Whitney and her partner Cody McCallum own Mizin Cabin Hire franchise territories in the South Island. Impressed, I moved on to due diligence. I contacted two Mizin franchisees who were frank and honest. 

Next, I put Mizin in front of a recommended accountant/business advisor who was also impressed. Legal advice was also positive.

“In the meantime, after talking with Mary and Gordon I felt that rather than just entering a business transaction, I would become part of a franchise family. How right I was.”
To bolster finances while he got the business established, Tim rejoined Greymouth Police as an authorised officer, a part-time civilian position. However, with a number of cabins already out on long-term hire and several on order to fulfil customer requests, Tim says it’s looking less likely that he’ll need that financial backstop.

Comprehensive investment

“My accountant/business advisor was especially helpful in securing the $300,000 Mizin franchise investment that comprehensively included a starter pack of cabins; a custom-built, remote-controlled trailer that makes site delivery, set up and pick-up easy; admin and accounting training; manuals for proven processes and procedures; and on-going marketing and business support.

“The quality of cabins is superb – manufactured to Mizin South Island specifications with double glazing, insulated walls and floor cavity, thermal carpet and curtains, a power lead and, for the popular Kauri Cabin, a deck.

“My territory on the West Coast is pretty vast, with a growing population to provide plenty of new customers, and Kiwibank readily agreed to funding that would let me proceed.”

Tim says that as Mizin’s latest franchisee, he is delighted to continue his long involvement with communities and connection with people. “Mizin’s WINZ approval status is important to me.

“For a full-time or part-time side hustle with semi-passive recurring income, my advice is to join the Mizin cabin hire franchise. We’ll make you feel like family.” 

See this advertorial on page 47 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 34 Issue 04

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