THE STRATEGIST

ANDREW STRIBLING AT BOOST JUICE BARS, QLD AND NSW

Andrew Stribling knew when he was ensconced in his corporate role that one day he would strike out on his own. What he didn’t know was what shape this business would take. He put his love for statistics to work and uncovered that while small businesses tend to fall away, well run franchises can stand the test of time.

So it made sense to look at franchising as a way to achieve his ambition. And doing his due diligence on three brands he was drawn to Boost Juice, a decision he says now was absolutely the right one.

“Boost was very transparent, and didn’t really hide anything about what was required. They were quite open and honest, and that was one of the factors for choosing the brand,” he says.

“It didn’t happen overnight, it took well over a year. I could only afford a greenfield [brand new] site so I had to wait for the right location.”

So when Andrew and his wife Rachel finally got the keys to their first Boost Juice store, they were excited … but ready for the challenge.

“I went from a fairly flexible role, a senior position in a big organisation, to working seven days a week in a shopping centre. I had been quite sedentary and suddenly was active all day, and then I still had to come home and do the books and ordering.”

And while Rachel worked on HR and marketing she maintained her full-time corporate role, which proved a wise move in the economic climate, as they entered Boost “just as the brand and retail generally hit a downward spiral”.

Andrew admits now the tough experience effectively served as an apprenticeship. “I had to be across everything and drive every dollar. I got to understand the business inside out,” he says.

This solid foundation meant by the third year of operating his store Andrew was looking to expand. To ensure he was ready for the task the franchisor asked him to trial run a second outlet. He took on the management of an underperforming city store and turned it around. Job done, Andrew decided multi-store ownership was definitely his future.

Within 12 months he had purchased two stores in one centre from a single franchisee, and then added a fourth outlet.

NEW FRANCHISEE PARTNERSHIP

Andrew then added another element into the mix, a partnership with fellow franchisee Colin Webster.

And he loves the partnership, knowing that there’s someone to share the load and to cover for holidays. “You never feel you are alone, and it allows us to focus on what we’re good at,” he says.

The pair operates a management company which draws income from each store. The portfolio of 11 outlets (including one Salsa’s) is a mix of joint venture and individually owned stores.

“We’ve seen growth year on year, on the profit line,” he says.

The growth is not necessarily a result of improved sales but achieved through efficiencies and improvements, and knowing when to close a store and when to reduce debt.

FRANCHISEE GAINS

As a Boost franchisee he has gained invaluable knowledge of systems, access to lawyers, accountants, leasing agents, business tools, and business intelligence, he says.

And there has been undoubted business success. In 2015 Andrew and Colin took out the FCA Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year award.

Just this year, on 1 July, the partners launched into a completely different market – escape rooms. The growth of the experience economy overseas sparked their purchase of the first Australian franchise for Swedish-based business

Fox in a Box. They loved the brand too, of course.

In the first few weeks the business has been “unbelievable”, he adds. “It’s exceeded expectations but it’s early days. Although escape rooms are not new, they’re in their infancy in Australia. We tend to follow the US and it’s very popular there.”

Could Andrew and his partner take this further, perhaps even take on the master franchise for Australia? While it’s in their thoughts, they won’t seriously consider this until they have at least nine months trading under their belts.

Adam Odeh has turned his entrepreneurial skills to good use in the franchising sector. Adam arrived in Australia from Palestine with his family in 1996 and chased his dreams from an early age.

“I have always had a genuine passion for business and I found myself in an extremely privileged position to follow that in such a great country,” he says.

After graduating with a pharmacy degree, Adam went on to establish his own pharmaceutical compounding distribution business, Dermicare.

Not satisfied with the one income stream, he bought a Hairhouse franchise in 2007.

“It was a natural extension to what I already do. It was compatible.”

It also proved a canny move.

When Hairhouse officially teamed up with Australian Skin Clinics in 2016, Adam was quick to join forces. And today, not only does he own his own Australian Skin Clinics franchise in Plenty Valley and Hairhouse store in Warrnambool, Victoria, he is the main compounding product supplier for Australian Skin Clinics nationwide.

“When I first started working with Australian Skin Clinics, I identified a need to streamline the ordering and supply process for professional skincare formulations used for advanced aesthetic skin treatments in clinics,” explains Adam.

His Dermacare business was the solution; it was able to simplify the entire ordering and supply process for Australian Skin Clinics via an online ordering platform. Now there’s consistency in the quality and efficacy of products, which Adam and Australian Skin Clinics create and develop together.

“I wear both my franchisee and product-supplier hat simultaneously on multiple occasions,” explains Adam. “I worked with Australian Skin Clinics’ marketing team and training academy to deliver many innovative products, including a product for their 2018 Christmas campaign that was a first for the brand.

“Wearing my franchisee hat, I truly understood what franchisees and their customers were looking for and how it would transcend to the retail floor. That way we were able to directly pinpoint the gap in the market, not just create something we hoped someone would like,” he says.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS EMPOWERMENT

Adam has been swift to recognise business opportunities and he believes this is part of his personality.

“I think it’s an innate thing,” he says. “The way I operate in general, I like to manage the managers. I don’t sell at the front desk but intimately I’m involved in each store. I have a team that I work closely with, consult with. My main role is consulting to businesses. The teams are empowered to do what they need.”

In practice this means teams agree on a goal, KPIs, budgets and numbers, and Adam is there to offer any assistance.

This powerhouse shows no signs of slowing down; he’s a serial entrepreneur with his sights set on fresh opportunities but with a penchant for the fast-moving beauty industry. Adam plans to open more Australian Skin Clinics sites and grow Dermacare’s wholesale market.

As an entrepreneur straddling both franchised outlets and independent businesses, he is well placed to sum up the franchise equation.

“Franchisors only give you 20 per cent of the success, 80 per cent is dependent on you. I’m confident in my ability and with a franchise I’m freed up to concentrate on other things.

“My biggest challenges and and my biggest successes are my team. Without good people none of this is possible. You have to identify the right people and empower them. My team have to buy into my vision.”

Adam is married with two young boys, aged nine and seven. Family is his top priority but to effectively juggle family commitments and work demands he is reliant on his work teams.

“We support and empower each other which is definitely the driving force behind our success,” says Adam.