There’s no secret formula when it comes to being a successful Quest Franchise Business Owner. People from all different career backgrounds have taken the leap and proven that hard work pays off.
Here, Quest franchise business owners share their firsthand experiences.
Allison and Adam French, Quest Ipswich
Quest Ipswich Franchisees Allison and Adam French had worked together in hospitality earlier in their careers before moving into the corporate world.
But they had a long-held ambition to become business owners.
In 2017, when their kids had reached school age, they decided to take the leap.
Adam said purchasing an established Quest business meant that they inherited loyal Quest guests as well as a strong support network.
“The support from the network is fantastic; we have built a great camaraderie with other franchisees and our Franchise Relationship Managers, we can pick up the phone and call a number of people for advice,” he said.
“We manage our business within the parameters that Quest recommends, however we have never felt suffocated by the way in which they oversee our operations – I don’t think I would have stayed on as long as I have if the franchisor was overbearing.
“As a franchisee, you can really seek as much or as little assistance from the corporate office team as you want. Over the years, the advice and support I have received from Quest has aided us in creating and maintaining a business that we are both extremely proud of.”
Being parents of three children, Adam and Allison have found that running their own business has given them much more freedom than their previous corporate roles.
“There’s no doubt – we work hard in our business, but we feel we are more master of our own destinies now compared to when we were just employees in the corporate world,” Adam said.
“We can work on the business, not just in it. Being a Quest franchisee has provided us with lifestyle choices – with the right people in the right roles, it means we can enjoy more flexibility with family time and watch our kids at their sports events.”
Catherine Mapperson, Quest St Kilda Road, Quest on Dorcas
Prior to becoming a Franchise Business Owner, Catherine Mapperson had worked as a Quest employee for a number of years. She had never planned on owning a hotel franchise. Fast forward 20 years, she’s now a hotel Franchise Business Owner with two Quest properties under her belt.
“My involvement as a Franchise Business Owner has been fantastic,” Catherine said.
“While I never had a lifelong dream of working in hospitality, or owning my own business, the nature of Quest as a fast-growing company, means opportunities really do come up regularly.”
Catherine says Quest’s reputation has been a big plus when establishing relationships with major accounts.
“Having access to the National Account Managers can help with that as they can assist with contacting potential accounts that are moving into the area,” said Catherine.
“This is where you can really rely on the network to help facilitate accessing and building the relationship with new companies.”
She has also benefited form the support of other Franchise Business Owners.
“A crucial part of my Quest business success has been the supportive relationships with other Franchise Business Owners who spur you on and give you new ideas on ways to continually improve,” she said.
Nancy Li and Kevin Tang, Quest Cronulla Beach
Nancy Li and Kevin Tang didn’t have any experience in the hotel industry prior to becoming Quest business owners.
However, Kevin had experience running a convenience store franchise business, and Nancy’s Master of Accounting and Finance qualification set them up strongly for the challenge of running the business.
Nancy said the initial training, plus on-site training was “invaluable”, and that there are always opportunities to learn from others.
“We are learning every day, there are so many amazing, smart people we can learn from, both at corporate office as well as fellow franchise business owners,” she said.
“I feel like I can call on other franchise business owners in the network for help and suggestions.”
They believe the support from Quest has been instrumental in their growth as franchise business owners.
Their advice to budding business owners is:
“You need to be willing to do a good job and do it better every day. Have clear goals and vision of the big picture, and meanwhile focus on the details and get small daily things done very well. It is so important to build a good team culture. Find strong support from other family members to share the household tasks or outsource, be financially ready, keep learning and work hard daily. “
If you are interested in taking charge of your own business, find out more about becoming a Quest franchise business owner by attending one of our upcoming Franchise Insight Events. Register now.
Alternatively, for more information visit www.questfranchise.com.au or call the Quest Franchising Team on 1800 809 913.