BUILDING A NATIONAL NETWORK

With a 20-year background in commercial banking with most of the big names, Aaron Brownlee realised there was a gap in the market he was readily equipped to fill. “I saw a number of companies struggling with their finances during mergers and acquisitions,” he says. “I took the plunge in February 2020, founded Finance Link and have built up a steady business ever since. 

“Effectively, Finance Link gives advice to companies on how to structure their debt, how to minimise their tax liabilities, help them with their business goals and facilitate the relationship with their bank so they can achieve all of those objectives as easily as possible. There are so many companies struggling with cash flow or other problems that need to talk to someone like me. The business soon grew to the point that I needed to find like-minded partners to meet the demand.”

Aaron’s business was ticking along nicely, but he was stretched by the geographical demands. “We were spread too thin, with clients from Kaitaia to Invercargill,” he says. “I’d reached a pain point, and I needed a strategy to expand.

“One option was to employ a dozen people throughout the country and stress my cash flow – not to mention all the compliance and operations people required! Alternatively, I could be led down the franchising path, guided by experts in their field.”

Franchise introduction

Enter Franchise Accountants, business advisors and chartered accountants who specialise in the franchise sector to the tune of seven national franchise awards for Service Provider of the Year. As founder Philip Morrison says, “We are the only company to win so many times, taking pride in this as a measure of our pursuit of excellence in providing good outcomes for our clients.” 

Aaron and Philip had already been working together with several mutual clients. Then one year, Philip invited Aaron to be his guest at the annual New Zealand Franchise Awards. “It was from this evening onwards that I began to see the power and potential of franchising,” Aaron explains. “Gradually, the idea of franchising Finance Link began to emerge, and we started with a feasibility assessment.”

From feasibility to fruition

Over the following months Aaron worked with Franchise Accountants on a plan to create a unique area franchise business model to support the franchisees Finance Link is now bringing on board. 

As Aaron freely admits, “I’m an experienced business person, but my knowledge of franchise systems was limited – I just didn’t realise the amount of work and due diligence that goes into them. I’ve gained a huge amount of understanding as a result of this process, and have enormous respect for Philip and his team, whose clarity and expertise have been second to none. Within six months we have already recruited multiple franchisees and are poised for further national growth.”

Philip fully endorses the new Finance Link franchise business in return. “They provide highly experienced, bespoke finance solutions for all business types, and now that Aaron has been through the whole franchising process so thoroughly himself, he truly understands the needs of the sector, from start-up franchises opportunities right through to franchise resales.”

Specialist advice

“Franchising is a specialist area,” says Philip. “Many good businesses have growth potential, but not every business is ready to franchise. Independent feasibility analysis and financial modelling help business owners to understand the risks, opportunities and likely return on investment before committing significant time and capital.”

“We’re proud to have helped Finance Link scale their business and launch an already thriving franchise system. 

“Whether you’re considering buying a franchise, evaluating a business opportunity, expanding an existing business, or exploring franchising as a growth strategy, Franchise Accountants provides specialist advice backed by experience across more than 250 franchise systems and 1,000 business owners.”  

For more information and advice on buying a franchise get your FREE copy of Franchise New Zealand magazine.