Calleigh Baker
A Day in the Life of a provender® Franchise Owner- Vol. 3
provender® not only provides you with your very own vending franchise business, it provides you with the opportunity and flexibility to create the lifestyle that suits you.
"Affordable upfront fees, great return on investment, easy to run and grow, no staff management, flexible work hours. Own your own mobile vending franchise business."
Meet Calliegh Baker ... The Social Bug!
"I have made some fantastic friends through provender® and have the time to go out with them."
Q. How long have you been a provender® Franchise Owner?
A. 3 years
Q. What appeals to you about this particular vending franchise business?
A. The aspect of this vending franchise business that appeals to me the most is the flexibility it offers me. This really suits my lifestyle as I have 3 kids under the age of 5 who are at times sick and cannot go into school and my husband works shifts. I can spend that time working from home and catching up on all my paper work. I can track my machine content knowing that I can always make up for my day the following day. provender® has a fantastic support network which I appreciate very much. They help me out with things like designating suppliers that are well known to them therefore I can count on them to be reliable. provender® also has its own warehouse in Auckland.
Q. What is it like running a mobile franchise business?
A. Visiting many sites means I am constantly meeting new people giving me the chance to increase my network. Through word of mouth from networking I have had companies come to me for business.
Q. Was there a lot of work initially?
A. Not really. I bought off a well established Franchise Owner who had 86 sites. The first week was busy because I had to go out and service all the sites. provender® helped me into a routine and its been very comfortable since.
Q. Has your workload increased or decreased?
A. After working on the 86 sites I gradually increased it to 133 sites. All it takes is planning and good management to be able to handle it. provender® taught me how to manage my time between visiting sites and doing the paper work at home. provender®'s online tracking system made the increase in sites I own possible. Also I am able to plan out my days. It is not possible to visit every site daily but with their system I know which machines at which sites needs restocking.
Q. Is a vending franchise business difficult to manage?
A. Not really. My time management skills have also come from having 3 children. provender®'s online tracking system helps me to plan out my days. I find that although having a business sense is not essential it does help me with my decision making process. The vending franchise business still requires you to be alert and make wise choices for the successful progression and growth of your business.
Q. How do you plan to grow your vending franchise business further?
A. I have only lately picked up 6 sites which has put me in a comfortable position of 133 sites. As a Franchise Owner I believe that I do not need to expand my business much more at the moment. A lot of my business has come to me through referrals (word of mouth) and leads from provender®. Working with provender® has changed my lifestyle. In the future I am looking to expand the coffee vending side of my business.
Q. Does being in the franchising business offer you flexibility or is that just a myth?
A. It does offer me flexibility. I only work 4 days a week leaving me time to relax, spend time with my family and do things for myself that I normally wasn't able to.
Q. Where do you find the time to do non-work related activities? Do you get time?
A. I am able to take 3 day weekends without letting my business suffer at all because I am able to track the products in my machines with provender®'s online tracking system. If they are low on products then my husband or I do a quick run to fill it.
Q. Explain how the flexibility offered to you by your vending franchise business has changed your lifestyle?
A. Working with provender® has changed my lifestyle dramatically. I always know that if I need to take time off for my kids I can without thinking twice about it because it's my own business. My husband is able to fill in for me at times. I have made some fantastic friends through provender® and have the time to go out with them. My health is good as I am much fitter due to the nature of my work.
Q. What are some things you are able to do with your spare time now, that you were not able to do prior to becoming a franchise business owner?
A. I am able to make plans with friends and family. I go shopping not just for the house but also for myself. Also I don't miss any of the important functions that my children have on at school.
Q. What benefits does a home-based franchise offer you?
A. provender® allows me to earn a wage without being stuck in the four walls of an office. It is financially beneficial for my family. It is flexible and being home-based means that I can still work from home when I need too. For someone like myself working from home allows me to stay organised.
Q. Is the process of obtaining your vending machine products difficult or time consuming?
A. Not at all. Through provender® we have nominated suppliers which mean I don't waste any time trying to source suppliers and hope that they are going to be reliable. With my current suppliers I go online and fill up a shopping cart with all the goods that I require then most of my suppliers deliver it straight to my doorstep saving me a lot of hassle. I only have 4-5 suppliers referred from provender® who provide me with fantastic service.
Q. What is your favourite vending machine and why?
A. Crane - this machine is nice and easy to run (programme) and fill. It has a large variety of products which keeps my clients happy.
Q. What made you choose franchising as a career option?
A. My primary reason for choosing provender® was the flexibility it could offer me. Having 3 kids less than 5 years of age made it an important factor in my working life. I was also aware that I could work from home therefore would be able to spend more time with my family. My husband does shift work so one of us needed to be flexible with our work hours. provender® is also a well known company and brand therefore a safer business to invest in.
Q. Are you happy with your vending franchise business choice?
A. Yes I am. It has turned out to be all that I expected. provender® delivers on their promises.
Q. How does the vending franchise business differ or compare to your past jobs or career paths?
A. In my previous job I worked in an office environment from 8am - 5pm, 5 days a week. There I felt very couped up and always missed the great weather in summer. Now as a Franchise Owner I am out in the sun, constantly meeting new people and making friends. Working outdoor is like a dream which provender® has given me. There are also no ranks and I love working for myself.
Q. Tell us who your favourite customer is and why they are your favourite?
A. CTC Aviation - they are very easy to please and friendly guys. I find that I actually end up spending a lot more time there than I need to just for a friendly chat.
Q. Describe your average weekend since you've become a franchise owner?
A. Since I've become a Franchise Owner I have time to relax and do house work regularly. On Sundays we have our family day when we go to the pools and for walks. The kids love to get outdoors.
Q. Do you feel the need to hire employees to help run your vending franchise business?
A. No. I have been very smart with my choices and have not taken on any more work than I can handle. There has been a couple of occasions when I hired someone part time, but that was when I was going away on a holiday with my family.
Q. Is there any advice you would like to give to potential Franchise Owners?
A. provender® is very supportive and will provide you with all the help that you require. You won't even have to find most of your own sites. provender® also provides you with manuals for business development purposes, it's a complete guide to grow your business and manage your existing ones. Give it a shot. Besides we're all a fun bunch and you'll make lots of friends.
Create your own lifestyle like Calliegh Baker. Join New Zealand's No. 1 Vending Franchise.