As Colin Davids says, ‘Three big things happened this week - Barack Obama, John Key and us!' On election night 2008, Colin and his wife Serena were named Home Services Franchisees of the Year at the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. The win marked a remarkable double hat-trick for VIP Home Services: they won the Franchise System of the Year award in the category in 2005, 2006 and 2007, while Colin and Serena were the third VIP franchisees in a row to win the Franchisee of the Year title.

As Estelle Logan, who, with her husband John, is national franchisee for VIP says, ‘It shows that franchising at its best is truly a partnership between franchisor and franchisee.' Estelle is currently spreading the franchising message far and wide as chairman of the Franchise Association, which is why VIP didn't enter the Franchise System of the Year category this year. She's delighted that the Davids completed the franchisee treble. ‘We wouldn't have won our titles without great franchisees, and our franchisees couldn't have won their titles without great systems and support. While Colin and Serena are cleaning franchisees, our previous two winners are in lawn and garden care. It shows that excellence is built-in throughout the VIP system.'

The Sky's The Limit

Like many VIP franchisees, Colin and Serena started modestly then expanded. ‘We bought a round in Dannemora with only about 23 clients,' says Colin. ‘Serena handled that on her own, but after about five months we had had to turn down so many approaches it made sense for me to join the party. We have grown the business from there.'

In fact, with VIP the sky's the limit for those looking for opportunity. The company encourages franchisees to grow, with some employing staff or other family members to assist as they grow. Franchisees can take on additional work or additional services as multiple franchise owners, and can even become master franchisees helping establish the company in new areas.

VIP offers new franchisees guaranteed income while they are getting established then supports them in growing their own businesses to the level they want. The company offers two types of franchise: Indoors, which includes home and commercial cleaning, window cleaning and other services, and Outdoors, which covers lawnmowing, gardening and services such as property maintenance. The investment required for each ranges between $13,000 and $17,000 +gst and equipment, depending on the level of income required. ‘We're looking for more franchisees all over the country to deliver excellent service to our ever-growing customer base,' says Estelle.

‘And if you're interested in something bigger, we're looking for new master franchisees to take the VIP name into areas around New Zealand,' she invites. ‘They enjoy a real business-building role: training, supporting and coaching franchisees, building customer numbers and making the most of VIP's triple award-winning systems. You don't need experience but you will need good people management and sales skills, plus a willingness to roll up your sleeves and work in the business yourself at first.'

Keys to Success

Colin Davids believes that the key to success in their case has been their attention to detail and their determination to keep improving. ‘The VIP Home Services system is excellent and the training is first class, so once you are comfortable you can look beyond that for ways to build your business. We want our clients to have service of the highest quality, every time. Integrity and honesty are imperative to us - if our customers are working, sometimes we don't see them for many months so they have to trust that we will look after their home.

‘Some clients work from home so we will always ask them about the last week's clean and check if there is something they are particularly fussy about. And customers actually want more than good service and fair prices,' continues Colin. ‘The vast majority of our referrals now tell us they called us "because we heard you were really nice people." We do our best to maintain that, just as we always try to learn. We still consider ourselves people who don't know much and we still have a hunger to do better.'

Estelle Logan says that it is this focus on relationships and quality work combined with the determination to improve that makes VIP's franchisees so successful. ‘We provide a first-class system with training and support to match to give you the chance to create the business you want. And, after all these years, we only appoint people who have the right attitude to start with.'

Colin and Serena Davids appreciate the opportunity they were granted three years ago to build their own business within the VIP franchise. ‘As a result, every step in the last three years has been a step towards success,' Colin says. ‘To win the Award this year we really had to understand our business, what we do and why, what we are working towards and how we are going to achieve it. That's hugely valuable for any business. As a result, we can see just how much potential VIP still has for us.'

Estelle agrees. ‘All our franchisees have the opportunity to build the business they want - and so can you. Give us a call and find out more.'

This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 17 Issue 4

Contact details for VIP Home Services

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