A Day in the Life of a provender® Franchise Owner- Vol. - 3
provender® not only provides you with your very own vending franchise business, it provides you with the opportunity and flexibility to create the lifestyle that suits you.
Affordable upfront fees, great return on investment, easy to run and grow, no staff management, flexible work hours. Own your own mobile vending franchise business.
Meet Andrew Greet... The Golfer!
“I am able to enjoy a game of golf along with spending more time with my family.”
Q. How long have you been a provender® Franchise Owner?
A. 15 months
Q. What appeals to you about this particular vending franchise business?
A. provender® offers me independence with my work as a Franchise Owner which is very different from the corporate work style. I have complete control therefore have a great understanding of all facets of my franchise business. For example its function, the financial involvement, stock and by having direct contact with my clients I understand their needs.
Q. What is it like running a mobile franchise business?
A. No day is the same and there is a variety of tasks for me to carry out. provender® provides a flexible working culture which is great for personal working preferences. I can work from home and monitor my machines remotely. At the same time provender’s® flexibility has taught me how to respond to customer demands.
Q. Was there a lot of work initially?
A. It wasn’t difficult initially as I picked up accounts that were handed over to me. Things were slow until provender® took over. provender® taught me how to maintain current clients and they helped me with new leads. Being the only Franchise Owner in Adelaide I had an advantage since there was no direct competition and all available business was filtered to me.
Q. Has your workload increased or decreased?
A. My workload increased fast as customers became aware of provender’s® high quality service. Being the only Franchise Owner in Adelaide I took full advantage of the opportunity with the assistance of my franchisor (provender®).
Q. Is a vending franchise business difficult to manage?
A. Not if you are organised. I am an organised person and like to plan ahead therefore find that it is very easy to manage my franchise business. When I was working in a corporate environment I found that there were many more distractions and changes that I needed to adapt too. I find it easier to manage my work with provender®.
Q. How do you plan to grow your vending franchise business further?
A. I have started looking into potential clients who are open for business 7 days a week as opposed to only 5. This will increase their need for my business. Mark Collins (Business Developer) from provender® generates new leads for me and helps me secure accounts. provender’s® website also draws in interest and the leads within Adelaide are currently all directed to me. There is ‘word of mouth’ from my current customers; this is why it is so important to keep my clients happy with the service I provide. I plan to cold call potential businesses which is an avenue that I have not tried. On a few occasions clients of mine refer me to their new employers if they move on.
Q. Does being in the franchising business offer you flexibility or is that just a myth?
A. No it isn’t. Being a Franchise Owner gives you a lot of flexibility. I am able to work from home and not travel away from my family. I can plan my day and finish when I need to or would like to.
Q. Where do you find the time to do non-work related activities? Do you get time?
A. Joining provender® has allowed me to spend time more with my family. I spread my workload across the 7 days by choice because I like to pick my kids up from school and take part in activities with them.
Q. Explain how the flexibility offered to you by your franchise business has changed your lifestyle?
A. Prior to becoming a Franchise Owner I travelled interstate a lot for work which kept me away from my family. Now I see my kids and wife daily and am able to spend quality time with them. My job involves a fair bit of exercise which keeps me fit and energised.
Q. What are some things you are able to do with your spare time now that you were not able to do prior to becoming a franchise business owner?
A. I am able to enjoy a game of golf along with spending more time with my family.
Q. What benefits does a home-based franchise offer you?
A. Working from home with provender® has helped me to use my time more efficiently. I am able to plan my day from home and then get straight out to my sites as opposed to going into an office to start planning my day. I work from my vehicle which saves me costs on rental on office space.
Q. Is the process of obtaining your vending machine products difficult or time consuming?
A. No it isn’t. provender® has only a handful of suppliers and they all have a system whereby they deliver the products to my home address. This is a lot easier than having to get out there and source the products ourselves. provender® is a vending franchise business that endeavours to make life for their Franchise Owners as easy as possible by assisting us with things like suppliers and leads.
Q. What is your favourite vending machine and why?
A. Snakky Max – this machine provides a cross section of products like chips, chocolates and cold drinks. I have found that mechanically it is among the top reliable machines.
Q. What made you choose franchising as a career option?
A. I have a business background and achieved a bachelor of business majoring in marketing from university. I wanted to utilise this knowledge by working with major brands. I also wanted the luxury of working from home with flexible hours. It may not seem like it but to do really well with provender® we need to think strategically and plan out how to draw in business. At this stage in my life provender® is the best option for me.
Q. Are you happy with your vending franchise business choice?
A. Yes. I look after every facet of my business and not just a dictated section. Being a Franchise Owner gives me a broad array of tasks to manage. I have complete control of my business and make the relevant decision with provender’s® help and my business knowledge.
Q. How does the vending franchise business differ or compare to your past jobs or career paths?
A. Since I have joined provender® I am more independent and manage my tasks myself. There is no delegating like there was in the corporate world and because it is my own business my motivation and productivity is on a more satisfying level. In the franchise business you avoid getting caught up in any office politics.
Q. Tell us who your favourite customer is and why they are your favourite?
A. Bunning’s Warehouse – they are all very friendly at Bunning’s. I have a great relationship with employees there. They make an effort to talk to me informing me which products are in demand at that site therefore helping increase my business.
Q. Describe your average weekend since you’ve become a franchise owner?
A. Prior to joining provender® I attended conferences on weekends and was away from home and my family. Since becoming a Franchise Owner I spend more time helping out with my kid’s athletics and shopping. I am now able to relax and spend time with my wife.
Q. Do you feel the need to hire employees to help run your vending franchise business?
A. Not at the moment. I am able to handle the business that I have. Once I get enough business in an area I can have someone manage it for me so that I don’t have to travel far from home. This will give me the time to step back and analyse my business.
Q. Is there any advice you would like to give to potential Franchise Owners?
A. Vending franchise is a business seriously worth considering. You need to be an organised person who can plan and manage their time well. This is a business that can provide great results for you if you focus on it. Staying focussed will provide you with good returns. Make sure you keep it simple. provender® assists you with an online tracking system for your machines, make use of all the help they provide you.
Create your own lifestyle like Andrew Greet. Join Australasia’s No. 1 Vending Franchise.