A TDDA Franchisee Shares their Journey

A TDDA Franchisee shares their

JOURNEY

INTRO The following information has been supplied by a current TDDA Franchisee in an effort to tell their story and experiences of growing their TDDA Franchise.

It is in their own words and the only editing applied has been to generalise the information to protect the Franchisees identity.

BEGINNING I invested into TDDA in 2009. Leaving the security of a job to become self employed was a difficult decision however now when I look back it was the absolute right decision. Workplace drug testing continues to be a niche market and we remain at the top of the game in terms of quality service.

You need to keep in mind that growing a business is hard work especially in the first year.

The rewards started to appear after the initial development period where I worked hard on business development and understanding all the operational requirements. Reinvesting back into the business was important to attain growth. My TDDA business now provides a lifestyle that allows me to spend time with my family and I have choices that never would have come if I hadn’t taken the “leap�.

The strong belief in our service has led me to grab opportunities and expand my business and I recently purchased my second territory.

From my previous employment to operating my own business was a steep learning curve. I hope by sharing what I have learnt on my journey may help others not to make as many mistakes along the way as I did and I hope this assists you in growing your business.

My biggest learning has been recognising my mistakes and investing in self development.

MAKE IT HAPPEN After you have committed to your franchise and have completed your induction it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get on with business development. I learnt early not to sit and wait for customers to come my way or rely on the support office bringing in clients for me. Don’t get me wrong you will naturally pick up national clients that are already TDDA accounts in other areas. It is vital to focus on local businesses to develop a strong client base.

Networking worked really well for me. I joined local networks including chamber of commerce, health and safety forums and other business groups. This is an easy and effective way to network as we are seen as the industry experts. You will find yourself being a keynote speaker at events because people are interested in the story behind what we do in the drug testing industry. The only cost to you is your time and they will help to make you the go-to person when they decide to implement a programme.

I understand now how important it is to get runs on the board as early as possible, this will ease pressure on your cash flow. In the first few months I would be inclined to speak to other established Franchisees and see if they have any leads for companies in your area as they are always happy to help where they can.

QUALITY This word probably best sums up what the TDDA brand represents. It’s vital that all Franchisees live and breathe quality. It has been a strong motivator for me to sit and write this information because I want to see people join the group with a quality focus on the TDDA brand.

Quality service will attract repeat business. I quickly discovered that the old saying “20% of your clients will bring in 80% of your work” is reality. Key clients need to be looked after so don’t be scared to spend a few dollars on them.

A coffee and muffin can return thousands!

BUDGETING Without a budget you can’t make informed spending decisions. I have always been reasonably aggressive in my budgeting and at times set goals that were too high. If you are too conservative you will be too comfortable with your results.

When you reach that exciting time called “growth” your bank will want to see a clear budget to justify increased borrowing. I have found that it’s important to share information with your bank and keep the communication open. I send my monthly financial reports to the bank and this has helped to enhance my relationship with my bank manager which makes it easier when I apply for more borrowing for either personal or business reasons.

PLANNING Making projections in your planning is vital.

At one stage I realised that we were going to face rapid growth and decided it was time to add an additional employee to the team. After the interview process there were two people I couldn’t separate so I decided to employ them both. This increased costs, however because I had done projections, six months later the growth came and we were in a position to cope. It takes a while to get an employee to the required standard so plan carefully as you don’t want to be bringing someone on urgently at the last minute.

Having an additional van helps to ensure quality and take pressure off when unscheduled testing comes in.

ALWAYS HAVE YOUR PHONE ON ‘Never say no and make it fit’ Clients appreciate you fitting them in. Don’t give them the opportunity to go to the opposition. It is hard when starting out and you are already doing long hours but it is vital if you want to reap the rewards.

An example I can give you is where I received an urgent call from a company wanting a van within half an hour at the Port to test for alcohol on contractors. We were stretched at the time and when I asked how long they required the van on site their reply was “until we tell you to leave.” The van and a staff member remained on site for 6 months, 24 hours a day. Logistically this was challenging but very rewarding.

THE TEAM In my opinion the team is the most important area to focus on. The success I have had is due to the amazing people in my team I work with and like me they are passionate and want to succeed.

In the past I made terrible mistakes by employing poor performers, I now know why the experts say “hire slow, fire fast”. Move problem staff out quickly, they cost money and destroy culture.

Identify and invest in key people as you will want them to step into key roles as your business grows.

I share information with key staff and this gives them “buy in” to my goals and why we make the decisions we make.

When you first start it is more than likely that the team will be just you. In the early stages you need to surround yourself with professionals that are passionate about your success. A business mentor or advisor will help you achieve your goals far

quicker. They have the advantage of looking in and seeing issues you won’t due to your work load. Keep in mind there are often free mentor programmes that will help early on when cash is tight.

Although a relatively small business I have a Board and we meet regularly. While this is an expense, I use the time to learn business. I can’t imagine how much money I have saved because of these meetings. It is an investment in your business and your asset.

I now have three operation managers who run all the day-to-day operations. This leaves me free to look at other opportunities and the business as a whole.

The sleepless nights and endless hours are now a distant memory.

Testing Growth

$30,000 30000

2008 2009 2010

$25,000 25000

2011 2012

$20,000 20000

2013 2014

$15,000 15000

2015 2016

$10,000 10000 $5,000 5000

$0 0

Tes*ng Growth

$3 mil $2 mil

2015

2016 2016

2014

2015

2013 2014

2012 2013

2011 2012

2010

2009

2011

2008 2010

2009

2008

2007

$0

2007

$1 mil

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