Becoming an entrepreneur is no easy feat, especially when venturing into the business world for the first time. Choosing to own a franchise business can provide all of the benefits of being an entrepreneur while allowing access to the vital resources of a big brand.
Country Director of Subway® Australia and New Zealand, Geoff Cockerill, explains why franchising with Subway® is a proven formula for success for many, and has been for 50 years now.
“Franchising gives people the opportunity to own and run their own business with the safety net of an established model, but with high personal reward. It is a business investment that can be life changing and continuously rewarding,” says Mr Cockerill.
You can make it a family affair
Owning a franchise business with family members is a great way to build a successful business. With the time spent working alongside family, internal relationships and collaboration can be a breeze as opposed to going solo at the helm or choosing to enter into a business with a friend or non-related business partner.
Family members who own businesses together are typically united by the same goals and ways of working. There is less pressure when it comes to financial performance and more flexibility on time to gain returns on investment.
Mr Cockerill explains that many of the franchisees at Subway® Australia keep it within the family, and the profitability shows.
“We have franchisees that have been with Subway for decades, and whom within their family, own multiple restaurants that remain a legacy passed through generations. Franchising with family provides a support network for your nearest and dearest, and we find that our family-owned franchises make business decisions that future-proof their restaurants, in order for their future family members to benefit from. It’s a wise way to conduct a business, and needless to say, fun and fulfilling to work alongside your family.”
For Subway® franchisee, Dallas Mulholland, his business has been a family affair. After purchasing his first restaurant, it wasn’t long before his own daughters started contributing.
Now, the business has become multi-generational, with daughters Shannon and Casey working alongside their father as owners and carrying on the business.
“I think the Subway business model has actually been developed on the mum-and-dad-operated-business model as it lends itself to families so well. My daughter Shannon is already discussing plans to pass down her own restaurant to her son,” says Mr Mulholland.
There’s less risk and more reward
When launching a startup, a business needs to be built from the ground up and there are many risks to think about, including economic risk, compliance risk, financial risk, reputational risk – the list goes on.
Franchise ownership generally minimises business risk as working with a large company provides many positives that ensure the success of a franchise business such as brand recognition, marketing, safety protocols and legal requirements. Mr Cockerill explains that these are most of the benefits that franchisees can expect from investing with a known franchise brand.
“Owning a business costs money, takes time and energy and there can be frustration in starting from the ground-up, sometimes it can be years before a profit is close to being returned. By opening a franchise, most of these pitfalls are avoided because a large brand that has been around for decades like Subway, has tried-and-true systems and processes.”
Their success is your success
A franchisee can count on the franchise business providing an established product which would already benefit from widespread brand-name recognition. As a franchisee you are also more likely to reap the benefits of a well-established customer base which would ordinarily takes years to build.
Similarly, when franchising with a larger business, business owners can benefit from the trust lenders have in the franchisor, and the demonstrated results across other locations. Many franchisors, including Subway®, provide regular business performance updates to major lenders to help them understand the direction and opportunities within the brand for franchisees – as well as the potential financial returns. Essentially, a franchise increases the chances of success because you are entering into business with proven products and methods.
“Our goal is to amplify the Subway brand across Australia and bring healthy, nutritious fast-food options into people’s lives for the greater community benefit. So we want to be a worthwhile option for business owners to be able to do that, while securing success for themselves. To achieve this, we ensure our franchise business model is impossible to say no to. You will find most franchise businesses have the same goal.”
Subway® franchise opportunities are currently available. Visit subway-franchise.com to learn more about how to join the Subway® family.