Accidents do happen, and when they happen at work the consequences can be serious for both the business owner and the victim. Today, Health & Safety legislation is such that every business is obliged to have a first aid kit on site and in each company vehicle. Furthermore, all the kits must be both up-to-date and appropriate to the risks of the particular site. ‘That means you can’t solve your first aid needs by simply buying a basic kit from a retail outlet,’ explains Shelley Meredith of Complete First Aid Supplies. ’One size doesn’t fit all; you need different contents and different equipment depending on whether a site is industrial, retail or clerical. It will vary according to the numbers of employees and the number of floors in the workplace, too.

‘But even if you have the right contents, inevitably the first aid kit gets forgotten about until an incident,’ Shelley points out. ‘All too often, nobody is responsible for the kit and when it has to be used it can be empty or contain expired products. Complete First Aid Supplies provides the solution for all these issues. Not only do we assess and provide the appropriate kits for each site; we also contract to maintain them so that emergency products are always up-to-date. All our kits are OSH-compliant with excellent quality products to provide businesses with peace of mind.

‘More than once people have said, “Thank God that we had the first aid kit on hand and it was up-to-date.’

Planned so franchisees succeed

Complete First Aid Supplies is a market leader in the fast-growing health & safety sector. The company was founded ten years ago by Shelley, who had many years of experience in the sector. Now it has up to six vans on the road servicing existing contracts in Auckland alone and demand is so high that the company is to franchise throughout the country.

As you would expect with a company that is so safety-conscious, it didn’t leap into franchising. Shelley explains, ‘We wanted to do things properly so we worked with highly-respected specialists Franchize Consultants to analyse our business and to carry out a feasibility study and implementation plan. Complete First Aid Supplies has developed support systems and point of sale computer software as well as detailed operations manuals. The system has been finely tuned so that franchisees will be able to achieve the same success in their own territory.’

Franchisees benefit from three main income streams: the initial sale of first aid kits to a new client, the contract visit and the replacement stock. ‘Initial sales (the set-up of a new client) can range from $300-$2000 depending on size, numbers of staff, work vehicles, etc,’ says company manager Fred Alder. ‘Many companies then need a site visit three-four times a year that will net around $20-30 per visit plus replacement stock, which has a substantial margin for the franchisee. We have worked out that with between 300-400 clients, a franchisee can build themselves a very solid business.’

 ‘Generating initial and ongoing business is really a numbers game, so franchisees have to have the ability to get in front of new clients,’ says Fred. ‘This is not a hard sell: these are necessities, not luxury items, and they could very well save lives if the worst happens.’

Is it for you?

The Complete First Aid Supplies franchise has been designed so virtually everything necessary is included within the investment of $45,000 +gst. ‘We provide two weeks; initial training to familiarise you with our products, services, software and techniques,’ says Fred. ‘The only other expenditure is for a Nissan Serena van. The package also includes painting and sign-writing, interior fit-out, first aid stock and kits to the value of $36,000, plus uniforms, business stationery a PDA phone, mobile printer and tailored software.’

This is a brand new opportunity and areas are available New Zealand-wide. Who should apply? ‘The business will suit couples particularly well and certainly people with first aid experience or a nursing or sales background,’ says Fred. ‘Above all, we want well-presented and motivated people who can see the potential in helping businesses of all sizes manage their health & safety issues.’

This advertorial is taken from Franchise New Zealand magazine Volume 18 Issue 4

 Contact details for Complete First Aid Supplies

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