Energy Saving Centre
HOT OPPORTUNITY in energy-saving homes

You don’t have to look very far in the media today to find the words ‘energy’ or ‘saving’, usually along with references to the ever-increasing cost of power. That’s why, when Steve Sutherland and his wife Monique started thinking about double-glazing their home, they became increasingly aware of the emphasis being placed on the subject. ‘We realised that it had to be the next big market,’ Steve says.

‘Few people can have missed the government’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA) promotions and the fact that energy-saving products and services are being heavily pushed from on high. That’s why we were so interested when we came across Energy Saving Centre – we thought it was a business that was very well-positioned, and when we discovered it was a franchise we had to find out more.’

The Energy Saving Centre was first established in Christchurch in 1996 and initially concentrated on the efficient warming of homes through supplying heat pumps and fitting secondary glazing and insulation. In 2009, the business was bought by three men with a combined total of over 40 years’ industry experience and a great deal of passion about its future. ‘The Centre was doing very well and, having fitted energy improvements to 7000 homes in Canterbury alone, it had huge experience,’ says the franchise’s managing director Dave Catley.

‘Government legislation now requires double glazing and a higher standard of insulation to be fitted to all new homes nationwide. In addition, as people have become more conscious of the financial and health benefits of such products, retro-fitting is a rapidly growing area. We realised that Energy Saving Centre had the knowledge and potential to be a market-leading franchise. To test the concept in other parts of the country we opened an outlet in Tauranga, which worked extremely well, and we are delighted that Steve and Monique have come aboard as our first Auckland franchisees.’

It All Checked Out

Steve previously owned his own panel-beating business for 14 years. ‘Having done the same thing for so long I was in need of a change, but switching careers isn’t simple. It wasn’t until I went and talked to my accountant that I really got clear. He felt a good franchise would make it easier: the franchisor will have done all the nitty-gritty, thrashed out the details, and have the experience you need to draw upon when you need support.’

As part of his due diligence, Steve also talked to Win Robinson of the award-winning Franchize Consultants, who had helped develop the franchise system. ‘He had a lot of praise for the way the concept had been tested in other centres and the people behind it, and although he made it clear that there are no guarantees of success in business, I took that as a big positive. I talked to my bank, too, which has a specialist franchise section. They did a huge background check for their sake as well as mine and came back with no negative comments, so I was confident that this was a really exciting prospect I could make work well. Now I’m about to start training and I can’t wait to open the doors of the first Energy Saving Centre in west and north Auckland.’

Surprisingly Affordable, Generous Returns

Energy Saving Centres supply and fit a range of leading energy saving products. They exclusively market and install the Insulglaze® and Kiwiglaze® double glazing brands, which have been specifically designed for the retro-fit market. They also market Pink Batts, New Zealand’s most recognized form of insulation, and Fujitsu Heat Pumps, NZ’s number one selling heat pump for the last three years.

‘Given the size of the market and the timing, we want to appoint franchisees with exclusive territories in all the main centres in the near future,’ Dave Catley explains. ‘As we grow, we cement our position as the energy saving experts and can also get even better deals for franchisees. Having been so successful already, we’re in the happy position of being able to offer the right applicants a substantially reduced up-front franchise fee of under $10,000. Once you are open, the more you sell the more you – and we – earn. It’s a perfect win-win scenario, as franchising should be.

The ‘right’ applicants are likely to have management or sales and marketing experience, plus the ability to lead a team of staff and contractors. ‘Like Steve, you need little or no industry knowledge as we will train you fully, along with your key staff. In addition to having a great range of products and services to offer, franchisees will also benefit from great support.  We have over 60 personnel working at our stores who share their experience, and our management, accounting & IT packages systems been set up to help franchisees be in control of their business at all times.

‘Our figures show that you can generate both a good income and a generous return on investment for the effort you put into the business,’ says Dave. ‘Call us now to see Energy Saving Centre for yourself. This is a perfect opportunity to build a very profitable business in a fast-expanding sector.’ 

This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 20 Issue 4 

Contact details for Energy Saving Centre

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