Snap- on Tools Australia has outclassed more than 600 franchise systems to receive top honours in the 2009 Australian Financial Review’s Smart Investor annual survey.
Snap-on Tools Australia scored an amazing 89% in a rigorous testing process to take out the category of best value franchise system.
Nicholas Hudson, the National Franchise Manager of Snap-on Tools Australia & New Zealand is thrilled with the result.
“We are delighted that the Snap-on Franchise program has been selected again by the Financial Review Smart Investor magazine
survey of franchise opportunities. This is the third consecutive survey that our franchise opportunity has been recognised and particularly satisfying that we have improved our ranking each time.”.
Snap-on Tools is about to celebrate its 22nd year in Australia and its 90th birthday worldwide.
Initially carrying tools by hand to businesses in 1920s Chicago, Snap-on has grown today to nearly 5,000 mobile vans worldwide and a
range of over 19,000 different products.
 

Nicholas explains that Snap-on has greatly progressed over the years, but its concept and link with history remains:
“Calling directly on the customer is how we’ve always sold our products since 1920, but the fundamentals of the business have evolved over nearly 90 years.
“Today our mobile stores are very high tech retail spaces: they all run computers, EFTPOS machines, custom software packages, flat screen plasmas and DVD players - infact everything that is needed to display and demonstrate tools to our customers”
Potential franchisees are not required to already be familiar with tools. Snap-on supply all the training and support, but suitable franchisees must provide the correct character traits.
“You need to be a people person; you need to enjoy the sales and customer service environment; you need to be somebody who’s really enthusiastic, who wants to get ahead, and is excited about being in business for yourself.
After an extensive franchisee selection process, Snap-on training is equally comprehensive. New franchisees initially experience the business first-hand on vans with existing franchisees, visiting their weekly clients.
Training also includes a six day intense course in Dallas, Texas, but says Hudson, franchisees should not expect a holiday: “It’s boot camp with homework and an exam at the end.
They then spend two days in the Corporate Offices in Sydney and spend time in all the different departments.”
A Territory Surveyor identifies the location and details of the potential customers within each territory, so each franchisee starts business knowing where his customers are and what sort of business they are in.
A Sales Development Manager is allocated to each franchisee, helping them become established in their chosen territory, as well as personally assisting them on their customer visits if required.
Another bonus for franchisees is the unique fee structure. Hudson demonstrates, “On an ongoing basis we don’t have fees or royalties based on turnover; we don’t have advertising levies. The only ongoing franchise fee is a monthly management fee which is $400 a month and that’s fixed.”
Well established in QLD, WA and SA, Snap-on is aggressively searching for franchisees to take advantage of NSW and VIC territories.
There are also many opportunities available in New Zealand.
“We have more customers than we can service”, says Hudson, “which is a strange statement to make! We don’t advertise our product because we know we’ve got lots of customers out there who want to buy our
product. We just need franchisees to sell to them.”
For further information visit
www.snaponfranchise.com.au