franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
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When Leon Chen left South China in 2014 to study business management
in Auckland, he intended returning home to start his own business. But
opportunities in New Zealand meant a change of plans.
To supplement living costs, Leon worked part-time for an Auckland-based
Paramount Cleaning franchise. Little did he know this would eventually
lead to his becoming one of Paramount’s most successful commercial
and residential cleaning franchisees and the first to sign up in 2025 when
Paramount diversified into gardening care.
“I was appointed manager of a Waikato service station and having become
good friends with my Paramount Cleaning boss, we kept in touch. But after
two years, it still came as a surprise when he invited me to buy his franchise.
Keen to get into business for myself, I said ‘yes’!
“Over the past seven years, I have transformed the business into one of
Paramount’s leading and largest cleaning franchises. I largely achieved this
by taking on specialised work like carpet and hard-floor cleaning as well as
window cleaning, plus I focused on handling bigger commercial contracts
and more residential contracts, hiring and training staff to service them.
“When the new Gardening franchise opportunity turned up, I jumped at that
too,” says Leon. “There’s a great deal of potential business, especially as the
work must be done to the same high standards that have made Paramount
one of New Zealand’s largest, most trusted residential and commercial
cleaning organisations.”
Diversification an obvious move
“Diversification into gardening was an obvious move, as we kept getting
asked to do it,” explains Hein Visser, Paramount Gardening’s Operations
Manager. “Our loyal customers like the way we operate and appreciate
the detail we apply. Even in Central Auckland, many large commercial
businesses, such as banks, have a surprising amount of green space to
maintain. We couldn’t keep turning them down, so now our franchisees have
a further business opportunity that, as Leon has proven, is very profitable.
“We work on the basis that the client is always right,” says Hein, “and we
do everything to keep them happy. We make a huge investment in our
franchisees through training, making sure everyone is up to scratch and
meets our first-class customer service standards.”
Paramount Lawn Mowing and Garden Care provides the opportunity to
purchase a franchise and a 12-month revenue guarantee, commencing
two months after the franchise begins. The franchise fee is $10,000 + GST.
Access to further finance is necessary for equipment and also to purchase
or lease a suitable sign written van or ute that acts as a very effective mobile
advertisement for the business.
A profitable niche
Leon reports with justifiable pride that many of his commercial cleaning
clients are now also gardening clients. He says there is a profitable niche
maintaining green areas in many of Auckland’s apartment buildings.
“These gardens can be quite difficult to access but our equipment quality and
reliability is first class thanks to Paramount’s preferred supplier agreement
with Sthil, a world leader in battery powered garden tools.”
Having accepted the opportunity
to be Paramount’s first Gardening
franchisee, Leon spent a bit of
time working alongside a hospital
gardening team to gain some
practical experience in
commercial gardening.
“That hands-on experience really
helped me figure things out at the
beginning. Now, the training is so
thorough, and on-going business
support so well established that
a potential Paramount Gardening
franchisee doesn’t need green
fingers to grow a successful
business. But they should start out
with a degree of fitness and be
prepared to undertake the training to achieve NZQA Level 2 in Horticulture.”
Growing business and family
“Paramount support makes owning and growing three franchises so much
easier,” explains Leon. “For franchisees to better focus on building their
businesses, the Paramount team handles all invoicing and fees. They also
help with recruiting for new clients and sending these to franchisees as
confirmed work or leads and referrals. Although the franchisor can make
funding available to approved franchisees, you need to contribute at least
35% of the total revenue guarantee purchase price from your own funds.”
Leon’s commitment to business success in New Zealand has not come at
the expense of lifestyle. Through the Chinese community he met and married
Bella, the couple welcomed the arrival of son Jasper three years ago and have
bought a home in Botany. Bella also provides valuable admin support and
occasional cleaning or gardening assistance for the growing businesses.
“Most lawns and gardens in New Zealand grow year-round,” remarks Leon.
“For commercial premises, that means green areas need regular maintenance
to be kept tidy and smart. As well as mowing, a Paramount gardening
franchise can also offer tree pruning, pest control, hedge care, edge trimming,
shrub and flower care.”
Not unexpectantly, Leon is taking full advantage of these multiple income
streams to generate income well exceeding his expectations.
The final word is from Hein, who welcomes calls from
potential Paramount
Gardening franchisees
from throughout New
Zealand. “I’d love to
hear from potential
franchisees and
further explain how
Paramount Gardening
provides the
key to future
business success.”
Business is flourishing for Paramount’s
first Gardening franchisee
FAST
GROWTH
Opportunity: Business & Commercial
Paramount Services
www.paramountgardening.co.nz
Contact
Hein Visser
021 314 193
0800 158 158
hvisser@paramount.co.nz
Advertiser Info
Leon Chen: ‘Businesses and apartments
want green areas kept tidy and smart’