“We are completely focused on our franchisees being successful – and that’s our only focus,” says Roy Boonen, founder of Clean Planet Franchise Hawke’s Bay.
Roy and his off-sider Nicola Moore recently scooped top gongs at the Westpac NZ Franchise Awards. Competing against over 590 franchised brands operating across the country, Roy was named the Regional Master Franchisee of the Year while Nicola won the Field Manager of the Year Award.
“We are having more success than franchises in other parts of the country such as Wellington and further north,” says Roy. He puts this down to he and Nicola’s focus on people.
“In my experience if you are completely people-focused and focus less about the numbers and financial targets, then the new franchise will succeed.”
Roy bought the Hawke’s Bay territory for Clean Planet, which uses certified clean and green cleaning products, 11 years ago. It has grown steadily since and the company now has 38 franchise businesses across Hawke’s Bay. Between them, these businesses look after 28 local schools and have in total almost 200 commercial contracts with clients ranging from Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to the Hastings Health Centre. For the last two years Clean Planet Hawke’s Bay has grown its client-base by 20% annually.
Most of the franchise owners are immigrant families that have come to Hawke’s Bay from the Pacific and Asia, often following friends or other family members.
“People come to us,” says Roy. “I don’t have an office and I don’t have a salesperson. I meet franchisees in their homes and spend time understanding their families, getting to know them and sharing some of their cuisine.
“At Christmas they all come to my house.”
Many of the franchisees have aspirations to get more security for their families and Roy says if they run a smart business, they can earn a lot more than they would on wages.
“A number of our families have gone from renting to owning their first home.”
He says seeing people realise those goals and also getting to know all the franchisees is the highlight of his business.
Nicola says she has loved working for Clean Planet Hawke’s Bay for the past two years, including as a point of contact for all the franchisees. “They are amazingly motivated” and hard-working and want to protect and grow their businesses.
Having moved here from Ireland, Nicola says she can understand what many of the franchisees are going through as immigrants.