How do you choose one franchise opportunity over another? What makes one instantly more appealing than the next?
For most, it comes down to the numbers, and they don’t come much better than those at Bedshed, one of Australia’s leading bedding retailers. With more than 40 years’ experience and over 40 stores across Australia, the numbers speak for themselves.
For others, like Ingrid Alexander, it’s all about minimising risk. Together with her husband and two sons, she owns two Bedshed Franchises in Western Australia, one in Morley and the other in Malaga.
“Owning a franchise takes so much of the risk out of running your own business,” she says. “It’s a small business but with all the extras – a strong brand, national buying power, marketing handled at both a state and national level, and practical support and advice from an experienced management team who know what works,” says Ingrid.
Very much hands-on, Ingrid runs her own show and loves the flexibility of making her own decisions. And being her own boss, she also enjoys being able to choose the hours she works.
There are lots of reasons people go into franchising at Bedshed – independence, financial sustainability and a career change are all up there as some top examples. But for many, the promise of having flexibility and a great work/life balance is the biggest appeal.
Small business owner Katy Gennai thrives on the freedom of running her own Bedshed franchise in Melbourne’s Watergardens. Katy purchased her Bedshed franchise more than ten years ago and hasn’t looked back. “I enjoy the flexibility that comes with running my own show, which means I can juggle work and family without the challenges of answering to someone else or placing an added burden onto others,” Katy says.
Like any small business owner, Katy wanted to run a profitable business. Her research showed Bedshed to be more profitable than its competitors, and the opportunity to secure her long-term financial future was forefront. “I did my homework and it really paid off. Bedshed has given me the freedom to do more of the things I enjoy. I can afford to live the lifestyle I love and I also have greater control over my work schedule.”
Over four decades, Bedshed has refined its franchise model and developed robust processes to build a culture where its staff and franchisees enjoy coming to work every day. The support, experience and training that Bedshed provides its franchisees is just one of the reasons for its ongoing success.
When former food franchisee Al Houston decided to return to franchising after 10 years in real estate, he knew exactly what he was looking for. Top of his list were brand longevity, franchisee tenure and franchisee financial success.
He asked the Bedshed team about long-term franchisees and discovered some business owners who joined in the 1980s were still trading, with some of them owning multiple stores. That impressed him. “My experience had been an average of 3.5 years franchisee tenure,” he says.
Al will open his first Bedshed in Toowoomba, Queensland, in December this year.
One of the great things about a Bedshed franchise is you’re not on your own. You have a whole network of experienced professionals dedicated to helping make sure you succeed.
All Bedshed’s 30-plus franchisees have a unique story to tell of how they achieved success, and how Bedshed is with them every step of the way, helping several of them start their first franchise and go on to turn over millions of dollars each year.
To find out how you could become a part of Bedshed’s exciting and rewarding franchise business, visit bedshedfranchise.com.au or contact National Business Development Manager Greg Prussia on +61 (0) 447 891 158.