Graham Smith knows firsthand what it takes to be a successful Aramex Courier Franchisee. In his role as a recruitment specialist at Aramex Brisbane in Queensland, he says all kinds of people enquire about joining the network.
“We’ve heard from doctors, solicitors, pilots, you name it, because they’ve had enough of what they’re doing and they’re ready to be their own boss,” he says. “Our franchisees can earn very good money if they are committed, willing to put in the effort and can see what a good opportunity this is.”
Smith speaks from experience. When he purchased a Brisbane courier run in 1996, his humble goal was to make enough money to upgrade to a bigger, better van.
“My wife and I purchased the franchise for $6,000 – a lot of money to me at the time – and bought a secondhand van,” he says. “We were able to sell half the territory for a profit after 18 months and use the profit to upgrade the van.”
Smith says the best thing was the freedom of being a business owner and not working for a boss. “I really liked being on the road, speaking to customers and meeting new people every day,” he says.
After owning and operating his own courier run for nine years, Smith sold his franchise territory for a profit. He was then handpicked to join the depot team at Aramex Brisbane as a Regional Franchise Manager. Today, as the Franchise Recruitment & Development Manager, he is able to share valuable insights with prospective recruits.
“I tell them it’s not a job, it’s a business,” he says. “You’re a franchise owner. If you want the freedom of being out on the road and you have the ability to promote yourself to customers, then you can make a very handsome living as an Aramex Courier Franchisee.”
As Smith explains, Aramex has decades of franchise knowledge to build on (40 years in New Zealand, 30 in Australia). That means decades of industry experience, in-depth training and ongoing support is available to all new franchisees.
“Some franchises we currently have for sale could earn up to $4,000 a week or more for a motivated Courier Franchisee,” Smith says. “We also have smaller delivery runs available that you can purchase for less.”
Smith offers the example of a Courier Franchisee who joined the company in 1998 and is still with Aramex today. His turnover has tripled since this time.
“He’s a great example of a courier who is really focused on earning maximum income by delivering exceptional customer service,” Smith says.
Another Courier Franchisee decided to join Aramex after working as the head of warehouse dispatch for a company that was one of Aramex’s largest customers. “One day he quit, he’d just had enough of working there,” Smith says.
Less than 12 months after purchasing his own courier franchise, the new recruit is now doing so well that Smith uses him as a model example to others.
“He’s done a great job in less than 12 months,” Smith says. “He told me that when he was in the other job he had to worry about managing a team of 15, now he only has to worry about himself and he loves that.”