Franchise New Zealand | Winter 2026 | Year 35 Issue 02
28
With a 20-year background in
commercial banking with most of
the big names, Aaron Brownlee
realised there was a gap in the
market he was readily equipped to
fill. “I saw a number of companies
struggling with their finances during
mergers and acquisitions,” he says.
“I took the plunge in February 2020,
founded Finance Link and have
built up a steady business
ever since.
“Effectively, Finance Link gives
advice to companies on how
to structure their debt, how to
minimise their tax liabilities, help them with their business goals and facilitate
the relationship with their bank so they can achieve all of those objectives as
easily as possible. There are so many companies struggling with cash flow or
other problems that need to talk to someone like me. The business soon grew
to the point that I needed to find like-minded partners to meet the demand.”
Aaron’s business was ticking along nicely, but he was stretched by the
geographical demands. “We were spread too thin, with clients from Kaitaia to
Invercargill,” he says. “I’d reached a pain point, and I needed a strategy
to expand.
“One option was to employ a dozen people throughout the country and stress
my cash flow – not to mention all the compliance and operations people
required! Alternatively, I could be led down the franchising path, guided by
experts in their field.”
Franchise introduction
Enter Franchise Accountants, business advisors and chartered accountants
who specialise in the franchise sector to the tune of seven national franchise
awards for Service Provider of the Year. As founder Philip Morrison says, “We
are the only company to win so many times, taking pride in this as a measure
of our pursuit of excellence in providing good outcomes for our clients.”
Aaron and Philip had already been working together with several mutual
clients. Then one year, Philip invited Aaron to be his guest at the annual New
Zealand Franchise Awards. “It was from this evening onwards that I began
to see the power and potential of franchising,” Aaron explains. “Gradually,
the idea of franchising Finance Link began to emerge, and we started with a
feasibility assessment.”
From feasibility to fruition
Over the following months Aaron worked with Franchise Accountants on
a plan to create a unique area franchise business model to support the
franchisees Finance Link is now bringing on board.
As Aaron freely admits, “I’m an experienced business person, but my
knowledge of franchise systems was limited – I just didn’t realise the amount
of work and due diligence that goes into them. I’ve gained a huge amount
of understanding as a result of this process, and have enormous respect for
Philip and his team, whose clarity and expertise have been second to none.
Within six months we have already recruited multiple franchisees and are
poised for further national growth.”
Philip fully endorses the new Finance Link franchise business in return. “They
provide highly experienced, bespoke finance solutions for all business types,
and now that Aaron has been through the whole franchising process so
thoroughly himself, he truly understands the needs of the sector, from start-up
franchises opportunities right through to franchise resales.”
Specialist advice
“Franchising is a specialist area,” says Philip. “Many good businesses have
growth potential, but not every business is ready to franchise. Independent
feasibility analysis and financial modelling help business owners to
understand the risks, opportunities and likely return on investment before
committing significant time and capital.”
“We’re proud to have helped Finance Link scale their business and launch an
already thriving franchise system.
“Whether you’re considering buying a franchise, evaluating a
business opportunity,
expanding an existing
business, or exploring
franchising as a growth
strategy, Franchise
Accountants provides
specialist advice backed by
experience across more than
250 franchise systems and
1,000 business owners.”
How Franchise Accountants’ specialist
advice helped Finance Link scale nationally
BUILDING A
NATIONAL
NETWORK
Franchise Development
Franchise Accountants
www.franchiseaccountants.co.nz
Contact
Philip Morrison & Hayden Cargo
0800 555 80 20
hcargo@franchiseaccountants.co.nz
pmorrison@franchiseaccountants.co.nz
Advertiser Info
Aaron Brownlee
Franchise Accountants’ Hayden
Cargo and Philip Morrison
Westpac New Zealand
Franchise Awards 2025
Service Provider of the Year
7-Time Winner