5 minute read
Business or job?
V.I.P. Home Services franchisees don’t just buy jobs - they learn skills to build businesses.
Less than 12 months from starting her own V.I.P. cleaning business, Patricia Nilo is on track to turn over well over $100,000. “This shows you what V.I.P. is about,” says Patricia, “They are an honourable company both to work for and to be a franchisee of. This year, we’ve even been able to bring my mother over from Chile on holiday. None of that would have been possible without V.I.P.”
Patricia arrived in New Zealand in 2014, with her two daughters and ‘four suitcases of dreams.’ “My husband had arrived six months before. He’s an electrical technician,” she explains. “Eventually we moved to Tauranga, where I first came across V.I.P. through Geoff Price, who owned four franchises in the area. I began working for Geoff as a cleaner and it was his belief in me and support for my family that has led me to becoming a franchisee in my own right.”
Learning through experience
Patricia and her family endured various trials and illnesses over three years as she worked as a cleaner. “Geoff and his wife Diana were angels to us,” she says. “They encouraged me to improve myself and to consider becoming a V.I.P. franchisee. They had faith in me and my family and our ability to take on the business.”
Geoff and Diana put Patricia in charge of one of their franchises to help prove she was capable. “This gave me the experience I needed and proved to all of us that I was able to run a business. I got encouragement from other V.I.P. franchisees to join, so our accountant then helped us form the business. I still felt very insecure, and it took over a year for me to make the final decision,” laughs Patricia, “but I like it much better owning the business than working as a cleaner.”
They trusted my abilities
Patricia had saved hard for the purchase, but she still had to sell her car to cover the entire deposit and Geoff and Diana helped her to get a personal loan for the rest. As Patricia says with real warmth, “They were very happy for me, and I had first-hand experience of what I was buying.
They trusted my abilities and knew I would fight every day to achieve my goals and consolidate my family’s position in this beautiful country.”
Estelle and John Logan are V.I.P.’s national franchisors for New Zealand. Estelle says, “We were delighted to approve the sale of this franchise. Patricia had been a standout employee for Geoff and Diana and is just a delight. She is enthusiastic, vivacious and a hard worker, with a close supportive family. Her application and dedication have enabled her to buy the franchise she was already managing, and since she has become a franchisee, she has maintained a large client base. She is a terrific example of what can be achieved with the V.I.P. system and we often ask her to demonstrate to others what is possible.”
Would Patricia do it all again? “Yes of course – it was a great experience,” she says without hesitation, “but only with V.I.P. They are the best – they really care about and support their franchisees. V.I.P. has allowed me to achieve things I never dreamed of. We received training in all the administrative paperwork, use of computer systems, and also where, what, and how to buy all the supplies for work. I have learned so much about the cleaning business – how to grow it, how to improve, how to optimise resources, use the best products and look after my customers. And, most importantly, to believe in myself!
“Both my daughters have travelled overseas; best of all, my mum arrived last week to visit us again, and none of this would have been possible without owning a business with V.I.P. If anyone asks me if they should buy a V.I.P. business – I tell them they definitely should!”
Icing on the cake
V.I.P. Home Services offers two different kinds of franchise: indoor (all types of cleaning) and outdoor (lawn mowing, gardening and other work.) “V.I.P. offers a completely flexible system that can be tailored to your needs,” says Estelle. “A great satisfaction for us as franchisors has been enabling people with little experience to grow their own businesses. Today we ask all potential franchisees ‘are you buying a business, or just a job?’ We don’t just give people work – we teach them how to work out what running a business is so they may generate work for themselves – and grow.
“We are fussy about whom we appoint and absolutely transparent with people. One recent prospective franchisee said to us, ‘you have been so transparent with me and given me a business proposal that lays it all out clearly.’ We can promise we will do that with everyone, and seeing people such as Patricia succeed –spectacularly – is just the icing on the cake for us. We’d like lots more people like Patricia who are willing to learn how to run their own business and achieve their potential. We have opportunities all over the country – so call me to find out more.”
Advertiser Info
V.I.P. Home Services
Contact Nationwide Enquiries
0800 84 74 96
