franchise.co.nz – PUTTING PEOPLE IN BUSINESS
19
James Cash grew up on a farm and is no stranger to hard work. “I went
straight into agricultural contracting after I left school, and spent eight years
on a tractor,” he explains. “Considering the hours I spent, the pay was really
poor. After some time on a big wind farm, I still felt exploited, and convinced
myself there had to be a better way. I had a medical incident which altered
my outlook on life, and I decided I was done working for someone else. I
spent time looking for businesses and began to narrow down the choices.”
“The biggest challenge was whether to start my own business or go with a
franchise.” James explains. “The longer I considered it the more I could see
the advantages of a good franchise. It’s an established business with far fewer
risks whilst you are building things up. There is greater initial security which
was a great draw card, particularly as my wife, Ashleigh, and I now have three
little ones under four. We really couldn’t afford to have any down time!”
The standout franchise
“The standout franchise was V.I.P.,” states James. “Not only are they eye-
catching on the road, but from talking to franchisees and their clients, they
clearly have an excellent reputation. In terms of what I wanted and needed
out of a business, V.I.P. was the right franchise model. In the past 18 months
I’ve had no cause to regret that choice.”
“I kind of knew what I was getting into,” James continues. “I spent a lot of
time talking to the franchisee who was selling off a portion of his customer
base, and I didn’t want to waste hard-earned capital on too many lawyer’s
or accountant’s fees by looking at lots of different options. I guess you can
call it ‘gut-instinct’, but I’m motivated and knew I could make it work. I had
confidence in myself, friends and family backed me, and part of me always
knew I should be out on my own.”
In November 2023 James (just 28 years old at the time) bought part of a
V.I.P. outdoor-based lawns and garden care franchise, with an initial income
of around $1,300 per week from mainly Ōtaki-based customers. “We live
in Shannon, which meant a bit of travelling,” he explains, “It was always my
intention to build the round, sell off the work and build a business closer to
home. This is standard V.I.P. practice. Growth was fast, and in 18 months I
have doubled the original customer base. I took on a couple of part-timers to
keep on top of it, and one of them is now in the process of buying the Ōtaki
portion of my business.
“Another thing that impressed me about the V.I.P. system was the amount of
marketing,” says James. “You expect to do a lot of advertising when you start
a new business. Well, I wasn’t putting much into marketing myself, but the
quotes just kept coming through and that’s a real comfort, especially when
you’re new in a business.
“I’ve noticed that really successful businesspeople often spend too long in
the office and miss out on their family time. I was quite determined that was
not going to happen to me, and I’ve found the right balance, with an excellent
franchise system behind me to help ensure that. The best part is, there are no
limits – I can expand this business, and I will.”
The can-do attitude
Estelle Logan, who with her husband John is the national franchisor for V.I.P.
Home Services in New Zealand says, “We are delighted with James’ rapid
expansion. He is a superb example of the can-do attitude we welcome in the
franchise. He has big goals; he’s not going to limit himself – neither are we!
He has chosen absolutely the right franchise to further his career and enjoy
bringing up his family. As he pointed out, there is never any shortage of work,
and we need more franchisees to cover the demand.”
“James bought a good-sized lawnmowing business, with the intention of
expanding further north and then consolidating, which is just what the
franchisee he purchased his customer base from has also done. Many more
of our longest-serving franchisees have also expanded, and/or sold on part of
their customer bases to help save on travel time and improve efficiency. We
have opportunities for all. James bought big but we have many franchisees
who bought much smaller businesses because they were short of capital or
only wanted to work part-time. If you have the desire to succeed, V.I.P. can
offer you an opportunity at almost any level.”
So, what about the future? “I can see myself with a kind of mini empire in five
years’ time,” says James. “Once our baby boy is ready for pre-school, Ashleigh
will join me in the business then we can juggle collecting the children after
school. As Estelle said, the sky’s the
limit with this franchise, and
she is right.”
“Call me to find out more,”
suggests Estelle, “We are so proud
of what James has accomplished by
making the most of the opportunity
V.I.P. offers franchisees to achieve
their dreams.”
Young V.I.P. franchisee achieves
phenomenal growth mowing lawns
VEHICLE FOR AMBITION
Opportunity: Home Services
V.I.P. Home Services
www.viphomeservices.co.nz
Contact Nationwide
Enquiries
0800 84 74 96
estelle@viphomeservices..nz
Advertiser Info