At the beginning of 2012 David Shearing invested in an Amber franchise in the New South Wales town of Orange, and he believes its a great brand to be associated with.
David tells Franchising how he went about the due diligence process.
When and why did you decide to buy a franchise?
Amber is a friendly brand with a good name and it’s regarded as a leader in the wall and flooring retail sector, offering a wide range of tile, paver, stone and related products.
The brand name was important along with the personalities of the Amber people and what they stood for – they’re all about positive attitudes, confidence and results and they’re team players who are committed and genuinely interested in the success of their franchisees.
How did you go about researching the brand?
We secret shopped for almost two years. We bought tiles from Amber’s Seaforth store and had a really good experience, which reinforced our decision to become part of the Amber Group.
What would you do differently in terms of the due diligence process, if anything?
In hindsight there are always things you look back on that you think you could have done differently. Although I’m happy with my decision, I probably could have taken more time to review and familiarise myself with Amber’s tailored systems.
I would have also hired an accountant with previous experience in the franchise industry to assist me with the sale documentation.
What was the major reason for you choosing this brand?
We wanted a market leader. We were approached by other competitors and after some due diligence we soon realised that Amber was most suited to us and that we didn’t want to be associated with some of the others in the industry.
We found Amber had many appealing aspects to its brand – the best range of products, the best prices, a world-class retail offering and the best advice and inspirations – product managers travel the world seeking the best products from their original sources.
How did you fund your franchise investment?
We approached our local bank who were very diligent prior to any commitment. Once the formalities were completed and they gave us the go ahead, they remained a close supporter of the business.
We have frequent meetings with them where we discuss the progression of the business and go through our business plan.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a franchisee?
Although supported by a bigger group, I still have control over most aspects of my business, including local supplier negotiations, product selection and local area marketing.
What has been the biggest challenge as a franchisee?
I think these days, regardless of whether you’re a franchisee or a small business owner, the biggest challenge is being extra diligent with your expenses and making sure you get the most return out of your investment. It’s a tough market so you have to work harder to ensure your business is successful.
What goals have you achieved since being a franchisee?
The teams at Amber certainly know their stuff and are happy to roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty to achieve a common goal, without question.
We worked closely with their senior staff and because of their guidance we now have a retail shop that offers not only tiles but outdoor products, pavers and stone – it’s meant our business can embrace other markets such as landscaping.
With the help of Amber staff we’ve put yearly business plans and KPIs together to keep us focused and to set goals every 12 months. This is closely monitored and revisited to keep us on track.
What advice would you offer someone thinking of investing in a franchise business?
You could not find a company that has a higher standard of training, customer focus and support of the franchisee.
In addition, the people who make up Amber are some of the nicest people in the universe and everybody is very helpful when required. I highly recommend Amber to any new starters. It’s still a young brand and it has a great future.
Would you invest in this brand again?
Absolutely.