Wayne Coley

A Day in the Life of a provender® Franchise Owner- Vol. 2
  
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 Wayne Coley ...  The Fisherman!

"I like to swim, fish, take long walks and relax among other things. As a Franchise Owner I am able to enjoy these activities."

Q. How long have you been a provender® Franchise Owner?
A. 9 years
  
Q. What appeals to you about this particular vending franchise business?
A. Steph and Phillip Horrocks at provender® have created a family atmosphere for us. They care about the team at large and it is definitely not just about the money. Ever since I have joined the team at provender® my lifestyle has changed and I am able to spend more time with my family and friends. I start work when it suits me and finish when I like provided I have completed the work I planned to for the day. There are many aspects of provender® that has grown on me over the years but overall I really enjoy my job.  

Q. What is it like running a mobile franchise business?
A. It's fantastic. Working in an office can get extremely mundane; this allows me to get out instead of facing the same office environment daily. I am also able to complete things from home. I set myself goals on a daily basis and meet them which helps me keep my days interesting. This type of business allows me to meet new people, which is great for social and networking purposes.   

Q. Was there a lot of work initially?
A. Initially there was more work involved because that was the period when I was learning about provender®. It would have been a lot more work if provender® had not assisted me to the extent that they did. In order to keep my franchise business pumping over there is still work involved but not anything exhausting. 
 
Q. Has your workload increased or decreased?
A. It's neither really. As a Franchise Owner I always think that I worked harder the previous year, but in actual fact it's just that one becomes smarter and more street wise. For example I had 130 machines at 90 sites and realised that in order to be more productive at my current sites I need to decrease the number of machines I service. Therefore I now own 105 machines; it's the same workload just a smarter approach. I am able to give my machines more attention and therefore drive in more sales.

Q. Is it a difficult business to manage?
A. No, it's all very basic. provender® does their best to keep us on the right path when it comes to managing our business. I find keeping my mind active helps me keep track of my businesses progress. Since joining provender® I do not have to manage staff. Before becoming a Franchise Owner I managed more than 40 staff members which was a difficult and exhausting task. To keep my Franchise Business interesting I set myself goals which I aspire to meet.
  
Q. How do you plan to grow your vending franchise business further?
A. There is more than one way of growing your business with provender®. You can increase the number of sites you place your machines at or make the most of your existing sites.  Personally I feel that instead of concentrating on the 90 sites I currently have provender® machines at I want to focus on 60 sites, offering them all the full provender® service which includes - snack centre, coffee vending and drinks vending machines. The idea of focusing my attention on existing clients is because it is easier to sign them up to new machines as they already have an existing relationship with me and trust the provender® brand. There is a lot of opportunity within our existing clients, we just have to look for it and capitalise on it.

Q. Does being in the franchising business offer you flexibility or is that just a myth?
A. It is definitely not a myth. provender® has changed my lifestyle and my current flexible working hours allows me to start and finish work when it suits my personal schedule. This Franchise Business gives me the chance to spend my weekends with my family.

Q. Where do you find the time to do non-work related activities? Do you get time?
A. Being a Franchise Owner for the last 9 years with provender® has given me the opportunity to live the lifestyle I desire. I do not work weekends and finish work early on week days which means that I don't miss out on much with my family anymore. I enjoy taking long walks, swimming, fishing and relaxing which are all things I am now able to do.

Q. Explain how the flexibility offered to you by your franchise business has changed your lifestyle?
A. provender® has not only offered me a flexible franchise option that has also changed my lifestyle making me a more flexible person. I was in the service industry even before joining provender® but was on call 24 hours, 7 days a week. As a Franchise Owner I work my own hours and allocate time to myself, family and friends. I do not have to manage and control staff members which can be very stressful. provender® has given me the chance to enjoy 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 like to swim, fish, take long walks and relax among other things. As a Franchise Owner I am able to enjoy these activities.

Q. What benefits does a home-based franchise offer you?
A. As a home-based franchise I have the advantage of finishing work earlier and doing the data entry from the comfort of my home. I no longer have to worry about rental costs for an office or stable location. My costs overall have decreased.

Q. Is the process of obtaining your vending machine products difficult or time consuming?
A. NoÖ it is a very simple process. If I wasn't with provender® then it would be difficult to shop around for supplies. This way I pre-order directly from provender® and have the goods delivered to my doorstep. 
 
Q. What is your favourite vending machine and why?
A. Wurlitzer (combo) - all my customers love the products in this machine which in turn drives more sales in for my business.

Q. What made you choose franchising as a career option?
A. I was looking for a change in lifestyle from the busy life that I was leading. I reviewed a few options but provender® appealed to me the most. It fits in place with the lifestyle I desire, one where I am able to make time for myself and my family. The provender® concept provides me with a passive income which mean I don't have to be there to encourage sales and am paid upfront for the products with no invoicing required. This is great from a cash flow point of view because I don't have to wait for payment.

Q. Are you happy with your franchise business choice?
A. Yes, very much so. That's why I'm still with provender® and have no intention of leaving.
Q. How does the franchise business differ or compare to your past jobs or career paths?
A. Working with provender® as a Franchise Owner has proven to be a far less stressful occupation. The service business I worked with prior to joining provender® was very competitive with too much pressure placed on the employees. I don't miss that at all. provender® can be stimulating if you set goals for yourself and strive to accomplish them. The lifestyle with provender® is completely different to any other company I have worked with. 

Q. Tell us who your favourite customer is and why they are your favourite?
A. Data Mail - they consistently give me good feedback which helps me to provide them with the products they like. This in turn increases my business. They are also very friendly and will stop for a quick chat which always leaves a positive feeling.

Q. Describe your average weekend since you've become a franchise owner?
A. Since becoming a Franchise Owner I has been able to spend more time with my wife and family. We go away on impulse because I have the luxury of taking my weekends off by choice and don't have to go through the hassle of getting other staff members to cover me. I love to fish, swim and take walks. I have an outing with provender® which is one that I enjoy and prefer not to miss. provender® creates this great tight knit family environment that is wonderful to be part of. Most of all I am able to relax on my weekends.

Q. Do you feel the need to hire employees to help run your vending franchise business?
A. No. If I go away then I have a trained friend to help me out, but that occurs very rarely. With my workload and current long term plans to change the way my business is growing, I don't feel the need to employ any staff members. In the future if it becomes too much for me to handle and starts to affect my much enjoyed lifestyle, I will definitely take someone on board.

Q. Is there any advice you would like to give to potential Franchise Owners?
A. provender® helps you at any point in your career that you need them. Remember though that it is a two way street and we as Franchise Owners should be trying to improve franchising as a business. A lot of people join provender® who have not worked for themselves before and end up relying too much on provender®. They do support you but in order for you to find success it is up to you as an individual to put in the effort. If things don't work as you had hoped it is not the fault of the franchisor (provender®). If you put in the work, you will reap its rewards. Having said all that provender® does help you find success! 

Create your own lifestyle like Wayne Coley. Join New Zealand's No. 1 Vending Franchise.