GOT IT SORTED!

If you love numbers, a Shoebox franchise could be a great opportunity.

Busy tradies and small business owners can be so focused on delivering a good service to their customers they barely have time to keep paperwork on track. And that’s when the Shoebox bookkeeping business steps in to help, translating the box stuffed full of receipts into up-to-date accounts using Quickbooks, MYOB or XERO.

Thanks to an expanding network of franchisees, this mobile bookkeeping option with low, fixed fees eases the financial burden for many business owners who need help with business activity statements (BAS) or tax.

There are now plans afoot to release extra services through Shoebox Advisory.

Founding director Yvette Coad says, “Our philosophy is ‘empowering business owners to realise their business dreams’, so our plan with Advisory is to assist small to medium businesses throughout their journey by answering any questions they might have and providing helpful tips and information where relevant.

“We are currently trialling Shoebox Business Basics webinars to help educate small business owners on the business hacks that we have learned during our own business journeys.”

The business began franchising in 2012, and since then the average annual growth of the Shoebox brand has been 61 per cent. And there is no sign of a slowdown. Coad is confident this year is going to be big for the bookkeeping business, which hit the major milestone of the 50th franchise in its network late in 2018.

“Our expansion plans include a further 15 outlets across Australia in 2019. Our overall growth has increased by 51.7 per cent from 2017 to 2018 year on year. In 2018, we introduced 13 new territories – four of those territories were to existing franchise owners. Two of our franchise owners on the Sunshine Coast have teamed up to secure the last remaining territory there, making it our first super territory,” she says.

“Our ideal franchisee candidate is trustworthy, enjoys helping people and although they don’t necessarily need bookkeeping experience they should enjoy working with numbers.

This candidate has a drive to succeed with fantastic organisational and communication skills.”

What’s important for Shoebox is whether or not a potential franchisee will fit the culture. It’s a business based on values of honesty, integrity and trust, embracing empowerment with accountability, bringing a passion to business ownership and delivering a personal service.

Franchisees need to make an impact, says Coad.

In return, they will be supported by a six-month training course on bookkeeping, with two days devoted to understanding initial client meetings, marketing tools and a system that puts clients on a monthly plan so cashflow is easy to manage.

The nature of the business appeals particularly to women who have childcare commitments and can combine the discipline of working from home alone with being a team player.