Opportunity: Home & Building
WELCOME CHANGE
New country, new business, new life for Dream Doors franchisee
I
ndu Sudhakar was so impressed by Dream Doors that she bought her new business over the internet. Three years on, it’s going very well indeed. ‘We’re growing 25 percent year on year, despite Covid-19, which is more than I expected and well ahead of the targets I laid out in the business plan for my Entrepreneur Work Visa. It’s been thrilling and exciting and the franchise has been everything I could have asked for - I recovered my initial investment in the first few months.’ Originally from India, Indu lived in Singapore for 16 years where she had her own interior design business. Wanting to move to New Zealand, she recognised that it would be daunting to set up on her own in a new country with a very different culture and housing style, so started looking at franchises and found Dream Doors. Dream Doors specialises in modernising tired homes through replacement of kitchen and wardrobe doors and surfaces, re-using the existing cabinetry to save time, money and waste. ‘The franchise obviously aligned with my project management experience, and they had a lot of expertise which I thought was a good basis for starting my own company,’ recalls Indu. ‘I talked a lot with franchisor Derek Lilly and his team over Skype and we were on the same wavelength, so I decided to go ahead. I began training just weeks after arriving in New Zealand, and started my brand-new business in Wellington soon after. ‘Dream Doors has excellent systems, and the training was well structured and detailed. Their award-winning Franchise Management System is
Indu Sudhakar
very good - I use it all day, every day, to stay on top of my business. It manages my leads, keeps track of all the communications with customers, and literally covers all aspects from first contact to sign-off, including quoting, ordering and installation.’
It works After three years, Indu is getting plenty of referrals from happy customers as well as repeat business. ‘Some clients have more than one property or are so pleased with their kitchen they want their bathrooms or wardrobes done too,’ she says, ‘I started by working from home, but now have a small office/showroom and employ three full-time installers and an office manager. We don’t need a workshop, as we install what is made by our suppliers. That leaves me to focus on sales and customers. ‘It works – Dream Doors is a great franchise model, and would appeal to anyone who has sales and management skills but wants to be a business owner rather than an employee.’ Dream Doors still has franchise opportunities in Northland, Taranaki, Manawatu, Kapiti Coast, Otago, Central Otago and Southland. ‘If you want a great business in one of these areas, call me,’ says Derek Lilly. The entry cost is just $75,000 +gst.
Advertiser Info
Dream Doors (NZ) Ltd www.dreamdoors.co.nz/franchise Contact Derek Lilly P 0800 437 326 M 027 213 5133 del@dreamdoors.co.nz
STIHL SHOP is a nationwide network of locally owned stores offering a wide range of high quality garden equipment, supported by fully equipped service workshops.
JOIN THE LEADER IN GARDEN EQUIPMENT RETAILING • Join a network of retailers committed to customer service excellence • Be supported by a team of people dedicated to your success
Opportunities are available for new stores in locations across New Zealand. For more information on the STIHL SHOP Network visit www.stihlshop.co.nz/ Own-a-store
• Reap the rewards of a well-established, profitable business model
LOVE YOUR LAND
52
Franchise New Zealand
Autumn 2021
Year 30 Issue 01
