Franchisee in Action - Fastway Couriers
Transcription
Franchisee in Action - Fastway Couriers
fr a n c h i s ee i n act i o n : fast way c o u r i er s Courier Franchisees Drive Success at Fastway Over the years, one of the main driving factors behind Fastway Couriers’ success has been its enthusiastic and energetic Courier Franchisees, who have a strong customer focus and a desire to develop their local business. 18 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand Fastway Couriers has become known as the ‘friendly courier experts’ that go the extra mile to deliver each parcel. Although innovative technology has undoubtedly become essential to delivering its high levels of service, its most important asset is still its people. Each day, across the length and breadth of Australia, it’s Fastway’s dedicated Courier Franchisees that are collecting and delivering across the network. With more than 800 Courier Franchisees in Australia, driving the business’ success, and living the franchise network’s brand values, Fastway Couriers has gone from strength to strength. Peter Capes is a Courier Franchisee based in Cairns who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a successful Fastway business owner. He’s been running an affordable and efficient service for the past 13 years and has seen exponential growth. “The appeal of a flexible, dynamic and team driven work environment, that allows me to interact with people on a daily basis, was what really drew me to Fastway Couriers. With the added bonus of being my own boss, becoming a Courier Franchisee with Fastway Couriers was the perfect fit for me. So, when the opportunity came up in Cairns, I was eager to take on the challenge,” says Peter. “Prior to joining Fastway Couriers, I mostly worked driving coaches across Australia. Although I had no previous experience within the courier or logistics industries, I received fantastic hands-on experience and ample training of Fastway Couriers’ products, services, systems and procedures. I was able to step into the role with confidence and run my own business, while being reassured that there was always support available. Becoming a Courier Franchisee allowed me to continue my love of being on the road and interacting with people, while also creating a work-life balance working 9 to 5, Monday to Friday with weekends to myself.” A testament to Peter’s dedication and hard work, he was named the ‘2016 Courier Franchisee of the Year’ at Fastway Couriers’ annual national awards, hosted as part of “With more than 800 Courier Franchisees in Australia, driving the business’ success, and living the franchise network’s brand values, Fastway Couriers has gone from strength to strength.” this years’ Australian Regional Convention, held on the Gold Coast in April 2016. The Courier Franchisee of the Year award recognised Peter’s business growth, as well as his teamwork, positive attitude, determination and spirit. Commenting on his award win, Peter says: “I was completely overwhelmed with being recognised at the Fastway Couriers national awards. I‘m proud to be part of Fastway Couriers Cairns - I love what I do and have a real passion for my business. I enjoy going to work every day and interacting with my customers to deliver excellent customer service. I wouldn’t be able to do that without the amazing team at Fastway Couriers Cairns, from my Regional Franchisee, fellow Courier Franchisees and our fantastic support staff.” One of the many advantages of owning and operating a Fastway Couriers franchise is that every business is supported by an established network with over 30 years’ experience. The Fastway network is made up of Regional Franchisees, Courier Franchisees and support staff. “I’ve always believed that good management will filter down and reflect positively on the entire team, which is something that rings true at Fastway Couriers. At our depot in Cairns, each team member plays a crucial role and supports each other on a daily basis. Whether that’s by assisting to load deliveries, sharing best practices or providing advice, our management team is always there to help us grow our individual franchises, create a more efficient business and listen to our feedback,” adds Peter. “Although, I may spend most of my time in my own vehicle, teamwork is still an integral part of the job. Each person has a part to play in bringing the Fastway Couriers brand to life and ensuring that customers’ needs are met and exceeded. While we all operate our own businesses, we’re each still a small part of a larger franchise network. I take pride in my business and I try my best to embrace the Fastway Couriers ethos every day, by taking responsibility for upholding Fastway’s values in order to support, not only my Regional Franchisee and fellow Courier Franchisees, but also my wider Fastway team. To my customers, I’m the face of the Fastway Couriers brand and the products that I deliver. I always keep this in mind and display myself, my business and the brand I represent in the best way possible, day in and day out. Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 19 fr a n c h i s ee i n act i o n : fast way c o u r i er s “We’re always striving to provide our customers with the highest levels of service. Our franchisees are at the core of that service and we believe in supporting them from day one so they can make the most of their businesses.” Richard Thame “My team in Cairns and my customers make my job really enjoyable. As I pick-up and deliver to the same senders and receivers regularly, I get the chance to form a strong relationship with my customers. Owning the same run over the past 13 years, my customers have become more like friends,” adds Peter. “Being a franchise business is in our DNA and it’s the biggest difference between Fastway and other courier companies. We’re very focused on growing our Courier Franchisees’ businesses, expanding into new marketplaces and getting the coverage that our customers expect in Australia. “Like with any job, it’s what you make it. The most important thing is to enjoy what you do, maintain a positive attitude and bring enthusiasm to work each day.” “Unlike other franchise systems, we’re a network based business; therefore, we rely on the success of each franchise to benefit the wider network. To ensure this happens, it’s critical for us, as the franchisor, to pass on our knowledge and expertise to our franchisees. This provides them with the necessary tools and skills to enable them to run their own successful franchise. Richard Thame, Chief Executive Officer at Fastway Couriers Australia says: “We’re always striving to provide our customers with the highest levels of service. Our franchisees are at the core of that service and we believe in supporting them from day one so they can make the most of their businesses. Ongoing training and providing franchisees with opportunities and avenues to feedback on Fastway’s processes helps us ensure best practice is used by each and every member of our team. “The acquisition of Fastway by Aramex earlier this year presents our franchisees with many opportunities, including taking advantage of the company’s international expertise and scale, ongoing innovation in technologies, as well as the smooth cross-border movement of goods around the globe.” Richard adds, “We’re pioneers in franchising within the courier industry and we continue to push the boundaries of parcel delivery, 20 Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand particularly in the online retailing space. The benefit of being an international franchise is that we can work with our colleagues overseas and learn from these markets, take best practices, and refine and adapt concepts to support our own local Australian customers and franchisees. For instance, the European online retail market is far more developed than our own so we’re able to leverage our Irish counterpart’s experience and initiatives to provide greater opportunities for our franchisees to provide innovative services to their customers. It’s also important that we continue to invest in technology and listen to our franchisees. “Cost wise, it’s very achievable to become a franchisee with Fastway Couriers. Factors such as the size of the franchise and how well developed that business is obviously affects the price. When you become a Courier Franchisee you’re taking ownership of a piece of an international, award winning courier brand and aligning yourself with a unique business model that constantly invests in technology and new initiatives. We’re always looking for energetic and passionate Courier Franchisees to join the business that can assist the network to grow and develop in the future.” For further information on Fastway Couriers visit: www.fastway.com.au