As written by Franchise New Zealand

Carpet Court franchise partners enjoy a firm footing to build lasting relationships.

When Joe Southon started looking at three different franchise opportunities he found the choice pretty straightforward. ‘Carpet Court came up trumps by a long way,’ he says. ‘Since that time in 2008, the franchise has given my wife, Anna, and my three children a very good lifestyle with pretty good rewards. And as a bonus, many clients have become friends, too.’

Joe was in the telecommunications manufacturing industry, and reached board room level. ‘Senior management was far too political, though, so I decided to take a break from it and work for myself. I acquired some rental properties but found I’d gone from one extreme to another and just got bored. I decided to look around for an existing business so I could walk straight into cashflow, rather than starting from fresh and trying to grow it.’

Joe found two small independent carpet shops, one in Paraparaumu and the other in Levin, and bought them both. ‘However, when the global meltdown began to strike in 2008 I saw the writing on the wall, and it became clear that becoming part of a group would be a lot more advantageous than being a tiny independent with no buying power.’ That’s when Joe started investigating the options.

‘Deciding to join the Carpet Court group was pretty easy. I enjoy working in a structured environment with a proper support office and team behind me, and I like the idea of specialist departments devoted to IT, HR, Marketing and Product Development. I also know the value of a discipline of monthly reporting and KPIs. The other groups I looked at didn’t do that, or offer the same level of support, so I rebranded my stores, installed the Carpet Court systems and it has worked out very well.

‘With Carpet Court I have the buying power of a really large group plus better cost base and margins. Carpet Court refers to us as ‘franchise partners’, not ‘franchisees’, and I think that’s key. Relationships go a long way with customers, contractors and staff. If you are easy-going and create a bright atmosphere and working environment, then people want to work with you.’

Big Benefits

With almost 60 stores, Carpet Court is New Zealand’s largest flooring retailer. ‘This gives our franchise partners big advantages of scale over all aspects of their business from buying power to exclusive supply deals, marketing to systems management,’ says Colin Jones, Head of Retail. ‘Now we are seeking suitable people to open or convert new outlets in key locations around the country.

‘Carpet Court are the leaders in both the retail residential market and the commercial office market. We have national relationships with insurance companies, group builders, retirement village operators and most other large commercial organisations. With additional stores, we expect to grow the three million square metres of floor we already cover each year, giving our franchise partners even more muscle.’

Longterm Success

Ask Roger Faber what he did before he joined Carpet Court and he laughs. ‘I went to school! It’s the only place I’ve worked, and as I’m pushing 60 now, I think it’s going to remain that way. In 1978 I left Gisborne High School and started as an apprentice installer. A few years later I began to have knee issues following football injuries, and was advised that continuing with floor and carpet installations was not a good idea. The owner at the time offered me a post quoting and selling in the shop, which I did through until 1998 when, with another employee, Bill Harrison, we bought the business. We’ve been here ever since, though Bill has just sold his shares.’

Despite buying a business that Roger describes as ‘a very tight ship’, the new owners buckled down and managed to increase turnover by a massive 50 percent in their first year. ‘We did it by focusing on builders, chasing commercial work and increased margins, and by focusing on relationships, as Joe says. The majority of our customers buy the whole package from measuring to installing, so you need good relationships with your tradies to manage the work through.

‘Another major component of our success in a provincial centre like Gisborne has been the relationship with the community. I’ve put a lot of effort into that, and spending time at places like the fishing club getting to know builders and members has paid dividends for the business. People see you, and it grows from there as people refer you on. It may be a bit different in a big city, but it’s certainly worked for me!’

Is it for you?

What do you need to succeed as a Carpet Court franchise partner? ‘You need to be a good manager and have a sales-driven focus,’ says Colin. ‘As Joe and Roger have said, you also need to be comfortable building relationships at all levels.

‘For new franchise partners, we provide design and assist in fit-out management, as well as training and initial and ongoing support. An investment of around $250,000 will be required for a brand new store, with the exact amount depending on location and fit-out.

‘If that appeals to you, Carpet Court’s highly-effective business model can offer big long-term rewards with a very attractive lifestyle. To find out more, contact me.’

See this advertorial on page 51 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 28 Issue 1

As written by Franchise New Zealand.

Carpet Court’s franchise partners find huge growth from proven business model

In business, tripling turnover is the kind of dream that everyone has, but rarely achieves. Not so Graeme Quilty from Rotorua, who turned ‘a business that covered wages’ into a thriving concern by becoming a Carpet Court franchise partner, as the company calls its franchisees. He admits that it wasn’t planned: ‘Carpet Court wanted a store in the area and came knocking. At the time we didn’t really understand the worth of being part of a major franchise, nor did they over-emphasise the value. It took a lot of debating on our part before we joined, but it quickly paid off and this year we are actually looking forward to a genuine holiday!’

Graeme’s original business opened in Rotorua in 1999 and, as he says, ‘We did ok. The business ran well for 15 years with good local contacts bringing in work and us purchasing materials on our own, with no national discounted rates. It was a well-run business but we were on our own, no buying power and margins were tight. The key to our massive growth since joining Carpet Court has been the huge buying power the franchise has, the exclusive deals they negotiate and the major contracts with big organisations such as insurance companies. We went from a provincial store to a big money-making concern almost overnight … and we certainly haven’t regretted it,’ he chuckles.

‘There are so many benefits it’s hard to list them all. For example, as an independent we could never get exclusive items made for us but with Carpet Court, major suppliers are happy to produce exclusive items for the franchise. Things like this meant that, in addition to tripling our turnover, our profit margin went up considerably as well. We’re flying!’

Bigger and Better

The Carpet Court Group is the country’s largest flooring retailer, with almost 60 stores giving it big advantages of scale in everything from buying power to marketing, systems management and software.

‘We serve a huge market as we are the leaders both in the retail residential and commercial flooring markets,’ says Colin Jones, Head of Retail. ‘We have on-going business through our national relationships with insurance companies, group builders, retirement village operators and many other large commercial organisations. That all adds up to around three million square metres of quality floor coverings a year.

‘With additional stores we expect to push that figure much higher, so we are now seeking suitable people to open more new stores in key locations around the country. You don’t need flooring experience, but a business, sales or management background are important.’

Graeme Quilty turned a business that covered wages into a thriving concern by becoming a Carpet Court franchise partner

Adding Huge Value

Alan Bucknell is another to have experienced the power of Carpet Court, having started as a carpet layer at the age of 16. ‘We opened an independent floor and carpet business in Whangarei in about 2002 and joined Carpet Court six years later after realising that big advertising and buying power were things we simply didn’t have – or even know much about! Like Graeme in Rotorua, we stayed in the same premises but changed the branding and it was just like switching on a light. Everything simply grew from there – saying we became very successful would be an understatement.

‘Obviously we know our market and area pretty well, but Carpet Court gives us a real competitive advantage,’ he says. ‘Although we are a shop, I think we have very different dynamics to a “normal” retail operation. You must be sales-driven, so employing the right people in the right places is vital, and you must be a people person yourself as you’ll be dealing with everyone from installers to home-owners to business customers. If you work hard, this business can be very exciting and rewarding.

‘There’s so much the Carpet Court team does for us – they have a group of specialists in all sorts of areas, including digital marketing and television advertising. We’d never have those kinds of resources as a small independent store. We’ve always had excellent and very professional support when needed, and anyone joining the group would benefit from all that knowledge and experience from day one.

‘At the end of the day, joining Carpet Court has added huge value to the business and made it much more sellable when the time comes.

Big Rewards, Attractive Lifestyle

‘Carpet Court is now looking to appoint new franchisees for strategic locations around the country,’ says Colin Jones. ‘We provide design and assist in fit-out management, as well as training and initial and ongoing support. An investment of around $250,000 will be required for a brand new store, with the exact amount depending on location and fit-out, and conversions are welcome too.’

Colin concludes, ‘The Carpet Court franchise is a proven and very effective business model that offers big long-term rewards with a very attractive lifestyle for the right people. If you’re interested in finding out more, contact me.’

See this advertorial on page 55 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 27 Issue 4

As written by Franchise New Zealand

Carpet Court franchise partners have a strong brand and systems underfoot

Ronnie Montgomery appreciates the value of the Carpet Court franchise more than most. Having set up a flooring and installation business in Upper Hutt with his brother-in-law in 2001, the pair spent a dozen years building it successfully, ‘But we never reached the level I craved – until we joined Carpet Court four years ago,’ says Ronnie. ‘Since then, we’ve never looked back.

‘Everyone knows the Carpet Court brand, and I’d always followed their growth closely, saying I’d be happy to take a store if it became available. Well, the chance came in 2014. We didn’t even move shops – all we did was rebrand on the same site, and we’ve been flying ever since.’

The Carpet Court Group is New Zealand’s largest flooring retailer with over 60 stores, meaning franchisees enjoy big advantages in buying power, group marketing and almost every other aspect of business. ‘Our stores serve a very wide customer base indeed,’ says head of retail Colin Jones. ‘We are leaders in the retail residential market, the commercial office market, and have national relationships with insurance companies, group builders, retirement village operators and most other large commercial organisations.

‘We have key relationships with Mohawk, the world’s largest flooring company, and Cavalier Bremworth, New Zealand’s most trusted wool carpet brand. In addition, our direct sourcing programme imports exclusive high quality well-priced products from international manufacturers that are then distributed through our central warehouse. With television and digital marketing support (including a recent partnership on The Block NZ), Carpet Court sell more than three million square metres of flooring each year on average. Now we want more franchised stores in strategic areas to push that figure even higher.’

Exceeding Expectations

Ronnie says it wasn’t just the impressive figures and the buying power that encouraged him to join Carpet Court. ‘I’d talked to many people in the industry, and got to know many of the franchisees, so I had all the low-down on how good the business actually was. That gave me a great deal of confidence.’ Like any good businessman, Ronnie still ran the figures past an accountant who knew the industry well. ‘He was right, he’s still right and so am I,’ he laughs. ‘We’ve reached and even exceeded the level I was aiming for.’

Four years on, Ronnie cannot say enough about the franchise or the support he has received over the years. ‘I’ve had all the back-office support I could want, and help is never more than a phone call away. Since I joined they’ve introduced a new training programme for staff and many other improvements – honestly, without their support we’d never be where we are today.’

Putting Sales and Management Skills to Work

In Te Awamutu, Brett Watson joined Carpet Court back in 2003, before it developed from a buying co-operative into a fully-supported franchise. ‘I’d done pretty well in the alarm industry after being a livestock agent for some years,’ he explains. ‘I was semi-retired, but my wife was quite keen I should go back to work. Well, as I quickly discovered, once you pass 50 your options are limited. Then I found an advertisement for a business, worked out it was the local Carpet Court and, to cut a long story short, I’d bought it within about an hour!’

Brett considers himself lucky. ‘I knew nothing about the industry whatsoever, but as the franchise developed more systems and with good management and good marketing, I turned the store from an “also ran” into what is consistently one of the best performers in the group, despite being in a small town. It’s a great business.

‘Fifteen years on I’m still loving it, and much of that is down to the culture in the franchise. We have some very good operators, and they are more than willing to help out newer franchisees in any way required. That’s what I’ve really enjoyed about the business – we are a network, and everybody has their own mentor, as well as the support from the franchisor team. From the point of view of building the business, it helps if you live in the district – people like to know who you are and what you do, so if you are prepared to get out there in the community and put in the hours, the business will serve you well.’ Ronnie Montgomery agrees: ‘These days, most of my business comes from referrals,’ he smiles.

Long Term Business

Carpet Court is seeking suitable people to open new outlets in key locations around the country. An investment of around $250,000 will be required, with the total depending on location and fit-out. Carpet Court provides design and assists in fit-out management, as well as training and initial and ongoing support.

Ronnie sums up his experience. ‘My decision to buy the Carpet Court franchise four years ago has been totally vindicated and we’ve never looked back. Any business needs time and effort to succeed, but Carpet Court has delivered great results and a great lifestyle.’

Colin Jones concludes, ‘As Ronnie and Brett have both proved, if you work at it then Carpet Court can offer franchisees big long-term rewards. To learn more, contact me and let’s talk.’

See this advertorial on page 15 of Franchise New Zealand magazine Year 27 Issue 3