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franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
ometimes high-fliers leap straight out of school. Calvin Liao was
one of them. “I joined my Uncle’s Paramount franchise when I left
school,” he says, “and eight years later, I have 70 staff under me.”
Auckland born and bred Calvin was obviously a quick learner. Having
been promoted to operations manager in the family firm, he decided
to take over the business in Nelson. “The attraction was chiefly the
sunshine, beaches and weather,” he jokes. “It gives me easy access to
the West Coast and Tasman regions, which I also bought eventually.
“There were only a handful of sites here when I started in 2021, but
expansion has been rapid. It was also a matter of very good timing,”
he adds, perhaps modestly. “There was a surge in business following
the Covid downturn, and we had the opportunity to take over a lot of
contracts from another cleaning company. I had to find 30 staff instantly.
I succeeded! Ever since, local reputation and word of mouth has been
our chief expansion asset.”
Slightly scary
Calvin admits it was ‘slightly scary’ going into business on his own.
“The biggest challenge was that I was fresh and young, and an unknown
quantity. But all my staff have been very supportive, and I have a really
nice collection of clients. I respond to any issues instantly and this has
enhanced the reputation of the company, and me, as an operator.
“I’m lucky, because I have a system in Paramount that helps me run a
good business – excellent people and proven systems. I’ve found that if
my staff are happy, then so are my clients. That makes it easy! I can then
focus on making clear plans to expand the business in the future.”
Make running a business easy
Danielle Hampson, also in Nelson, came to Paramount via a very
different route. “My background is entirely self-employed,” she
explains. “I’ve had a couple of hospitality businesses and other
enterprises in lawns, gardens and windows over the 30 years prior to
joining Paramount, seven years ago. The job description of Customer
Relationship Manager just seemed to fit my skills, and it has given me
the best of both worlds; I’m autonomous in my own region but still
working for a company. I love what I do!”
The strength of the Paramount system is the support structure the
company has put in place. “Many of our successful franchisees have no
experience of the cleaning industry prior to starting with us,’ Danielle
explains. “What we do for our franchisees is to make running a business
easy. This allows our franchisees, such as Calvin, to concentrate on
their business, and not worry about the details that can bog you down,
particularly at start-up.
“From our clients’ perspectives we take the view that, ‘cleaning is no
longer your problem... let us take care of it’,” Danielle continues. “We
stand out as a franchise because we like to operate like a family. We
care about our clients and our franchisees equally and we are there to
assist them in every way.”
Aim for excellence
“We always aim for excellence in every aspect of our operations, and we
work towards achieving the best results for all parties. When working
with clients who’ve had issues it often boils down to perception. We’ll
strip things down to the bare bones, tweak a few systems, and fix it.
Calvin has built his business brilliantly using this formula; hence he was
up for a big award in November as a finalist in the Westpac New Zealand
Franchise Awards.”
Danielle says Paramount actively supports franchisees to build the
lifestyle they want. “Whether you want to run a part-time business or
build an empire, everyone at Paramount is there to make it easier for
you,” she says. Danielle was also a Field Manager finalist in the 29th
Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards.
Celebrating success
Paramount is celebrating success after being named the
Westpac Business to Business Franchise System of the Year 2024.
It is now seeking more franchisees throughout New Zealand to join in
this success.
Danielle says, “We are dedicated to sustainability and zero waste, and
we’ve won Franchise System of the Year awards nine times in the last
16 years. By 2025, Paramount will be carbon neutral, using electric/
hybrid vehicles. Perhaps best of all, for our franchisees, is that we have
guaranteed revenue for new businesses.
“Opportunities start from around $35,000 – so why not give us a call?
Whether you love the North or South Island, or fancy a complete change
of scenery, as Calvin did, we have regions and franchise opportunities
available immediately.”
QUICK LEARNER?
Opportunity: Business & Commercial
Paramount Services
www.paraserve.com
Contact
Danielle Hampson
021 682 896
09 376 7850
dhampson@paraserve.com
Advertiser Info
EXCELLENCE AWAITS
Paramount Services
franchisee flying high
after surge in business.
Winners are grinners! Danielle Hampson and Calvin Lao