ATS Franchise Opportunity

This is an excerpt from an article as published in Franchising Magazine

What exactly does the job entail?

Appliance Tagging Services franchisees specialise in providing Electrical Safety Assessments and Testing & Reporting Management Systems in accordance with Australian Safety Standards and Workplace Health and Safety legislation. Franchisees conduct their electrical testing and tagging businesses from their fully equipped vehicles. Already established as a leader in this field in Australia, Appliance Tagging Services and its franchisees deliver consistent service and support under the Appliance Tagging Services brand to business sites across both Metropolitan and Regional Australia for clients such as Australia Post and Telstra.

Do potential franchisees need to have any technical skills, qualifications or accreditation?

Whilst ATS are registered electrical contractors, ATS franchisees do not need to be electricians. Upon successful completion of National Test and Tag competency, franchisees received an initial 2 weeks training on the use of state-of-the-art testing equipment and proven business processes and procedures.

What training is provided – does it cover both technical and business skills?

In addition to the initial 2 week induction training, ATS also provide ongoing technical training and development, along with specialised sales training and support. Co-founder and Business Development Manager, Sarah Allen says “We have recently developed our own in-house sales training series for franchisees to hone their selling skills. This additional training incorporates webinars, workbooks and one on one support. “

ATS have employed a team of dedicated operational and administrative staff to ensure the franchisees businesses run smoothly. The administrative team handle all aspects of administration including data processing and test report production through to invoicing and debt collection. ATS also prepare Recipient Created Tax Invoices for their franchisees to assist with their cash flow management. In addition to this, the ATS service team liaise with ATS’s clients to schedule testing services; along with managing the relationship with ATS’s major national clients. ATS also handle all of the above-the-line advertising and marketing, with a sales team dedicated to tendering for national work while sourcing local leads for franchisees. This leaves ATS’s franchisees free to get on with the most important aspects of their business - servicing existing clients and growing their business at a local level.

ATS franchisees Megan and Ken Black from Canberra say that the administration support provided by ATS was a major factor that attracted them to system. “Being new to business we were looking for the support of a franchise system. With the professional team at ATS Head Office managing client reporting and billing, as well as national tendering for the franchise network, we can focus on providing the very best face-to-face experience in our community. We believe that is what will set us apart from our competition.”

Chetan Khemlani from Sydney is also very impressed by the level of service provide by ATS. "I believe that the support provided by the Franchisor is imperative to a Franchisee's success particularly in growing their own customer base. As ATS is an evolving network, the central support provided by the franchisor is customised to each Franchisee's needs and based on their feedback. This has certainly helped me by allowing me to dedicate my time to finding new customers and to providing the best possible service to my existing customers.”

Nathan Brown, one of ATS’ longest serving franchisees and Chairman of its Franchise Advisory Council believes that the support provided by ATS, in particular the Invoicing and Debt collection service, is integral to the success of his business. “Apart from taking away the headaches of chasing payments in what is currently a particularly challenging financial climate, this service ensures a steady cash flow for my business and peace of mind for my family”.

In addition to helping its franchisees, another benefit of ATS of having a central support office is the ability to secure and manage large national contracts. Unlike many of its competitors, the ATS support office staff manage the entire sales, scheduling and reporting process for its National clients. Through regular communication with its clients, ATS also effectively monitors customer satisfaction by actively seeking customer feedback. This feedback is fed back to its franchisees, ensuring the network continually improves its service delivery and customer satisfaction promises.

What qualities do you look for in a franchisee?

Franchisees need to have good attention to detail, a methodical nature, and a desire to grow their direct client base.

What are the franchise costs, upfront and ongoing fees, length of term etc.?

Initial investment is $57,000 + GST plus a suitable vehicle. A percentage based administration fee is is the ongoing fee. The franchise term is 5 years with an option for an additional 5 years.

For further information , contact Chris Longley on 1300 287 669 or franchising@ats.com.au