I set up my Wellington based Refresh business in January 2017.
My construction background combined with management skills, and experiencing a renovation project on my own home, lead me to explore a Refresh franchise opportunity. I initially was a tradesman, focusing on plumbing and gas work. Following my time in the trades, I moved into office work and undertook further education. A few years of travelling followed this, before moving into design engineering and subsequently project management within the utility industry.
After deciding to purchase a Refresh Renovations franchise I completed a due diligence process, where legalities, contracts and a business plan were assessed. Moving forward, I was offered support in the form of a business plan to follow. I was also provided with support from other franchisees. Head office has also given me ongoing assistance in areas such as making investment decisions and more.
If you want to own and operate a business, Refresh Renovations provides a good platform. However, you need to have some skills to offer, it is not a turnkey business that you can step into and it operates itself.
The skills and experience that I gained working as a tradesman have been helpful as a renovation franchise owner, as have drawing on my experience within the utility industry. However, I have found that being good with numbers, and being able to effectively navigate software have been some of the most beneficial skills as a Refresh Renovations business owner. Also, having the ability to utilise technology has been really helpful.
The guidance that the Refresh process provides is beneficial. It makes the renovation process easy to understand for customers. It also makes the process straightforward for us as business owners, in terms of managing clients through the process.
There is lots of support to “drum up” enquiries and drive the brand, so as a franchise owner your job is to deliver what the brand stands for.
There are many aspects that I find enjoyable about running a Refresh Renovations franchise business. Setting goals and growing a business are things that I find satisfying. I also enjoy being in a position where I can empower staff.
An attractive key aspect, which drew me to Refresh Renovations as a business opportunity, was that it is an opportunity to be able to look after customers and give a better service than the industry otherwise normally provides.
If you want to run a business then this is a good opportunity.
