THE NEW AUSTRALIANS
PREETI SONI AND BINDYA PATEL, THE COFFEE CLUB
When it comes to challenges, setting up a business in a new country and making a success takes some beating.
For South African friends Preeti Soni and Bindya Patel this became a reality when they moved here separately, two years apart, and found themselves charged up to take on a new challenge.
The friends had relocated with their teenage children, leaving their husbands behind to look after the two family businesses.
Preeti had arrived first and worked as a doctor’s receptionist but wanted to do more.
By the time Bindya joined her in Perth, the pair were primed to prove themselves as more than stay-at-home mums or employees.
Once they had made the decision to go into business together they started looking at opportunities.
Bindya says, “But we didn’t know how to work in Australia, so we did a lot of research, and realised a safer option was going into franchising.”
So which franchise? Retail, hospitality or their previous career, hardware, were all options.
“At that time, the food industry was the best to go into. We looked around, reviewed businesses and what the market was saying about the brands.”
Preeti says, “If you look at the popularity of coffee spots in Perth, The Coffee Club was very popular, a very sound brand, and all the reviews and homework we did on the brand were positive.”
Within five months the pair were installed in their new business at Belmont Forum, and for two years they built up a good trade.
But then something they had overlooked in their due diligence turned into a massive problem. They were expecting to have to pay to refurbish their store at the two-year point; they were not expecting the shopping centre to close down for a total refit.
It was a hard lesson to learn. “We were happy with the lease agreement,” says Bindya. “Make sure you read through the documents – we had no idea we would be shut down,” she advises new franchisees.
Preeti went back to work as a receptionist, some of the customers and staff moved on.
“We lost 18 months of trading – it was really challenging.”
So when the doors reopened on their shining new cafe, it was just like starting a business from scratch.
This proved to have two upsides: the franchisor committed a team of support to help them set up and operate for the first two weeks; and Preeti and Bindya feel more passionate about the business because they see it as truly their project.
Bindya says, “The initial store was already set up, so we didn’t change too many things. This is entirely ours; it’s set up exactly how we want to run it, with lots of new team members. It’s up to us how we mould them to grow the business with us. The biggest challenge is retaining good team members because in hospitality that’s what brings customers back.
“We’ve been back a year and we’ve come back with a bang. We knew it would be a long road to get through, it would take us a year. As far as we’re concerned we’ve met our goals.”
Both Bindya, who handles finance, and Preeti, responsible for operations and staffing, admit they are more confident now in their business dealings.
“We work together every day and we take care of our own portfolios. Working together was never the challenge.
“The greatest achievement for us was to prove we could do it,” says Bindya.
“Our business now has picked up, we’re profitable, we’ve got together a good team, we have happy customers. It’s a good feeling; it’s rewarding to see it all come together.”
Now the pair are focused on building the business further. They’re still managing it with fly-in-fly-out husbands who spend six-week spells in Australia every two months. Long term, the plan is for the families to reunite here and enjoy life together.
Preeti is absolutely clear that a franchise which has systems in place was the best solution and has allowed them to fulfil their ambitions.
“We’re more passionate about the business now and I think coming from a different country, and doing it in a foreign country, with no extended support, is a huge, huge achievement.
“You just have to follow the system. Learning the ropes was a challenge, because it was different to what we were used to. But once we got into it, following the rules and regulations was fine. Franchising was the umbrella we needed.”