Like the majority of Refresh Franchise owners I have always been passionate about the construction sector but, before I joined Refresh Renovations, I had been working in an unrelated industry.

Originally I worked in the IT industry where I focused on sales, sales management, and executive management. I had built three times but didn’t have any professional experience within the construction industry. I’d actually taken a sabbatical from my job and was sitting on the sofa and decided to fire up Trademe and have a look at what was for sale. At the time I had no intention of purchasing anything, it was just purely out of interest, and then I saw the Refresh franchise and things went quickly from there.

I went forward into the due diligence process, which is not particularly hard. It’s just a process with lending providers, a lawyer, an accountant, and the Refresh head office team. The part I found hard was going from the certainty of income with a salary to what felt like jumping out of a plane not knowing whether my parachute would open. In the end, it was an easy decision for me as the pros far outweigh the cons.

I have spoken with a number of prospective franchisees and, when sharing what my experiences as a Refresh Renovations specialist have been and what skills have helped me, I always tell them that it is all about temperament. Being affable, approachable, and having empathy are all important skills as a Refresh Renovations franchise owner. I have found that transferable soft skills are also helpful skills to have. Having the skills and abilities to manage people, manage cash flow, exceed customer expectations, manage relationships, and think strategically all help a Refresh Renovations business to grow. Attention to detail and good communications skills are also important.

It may sound odd, but the mere fact that there is an exceptional renovation process in place is very beneficial and supportive when starting out as a Refresh business owner. The industry is typically piecemeal, fragmented, and it lacks discipline and order. This can translate into project management hell for the homeowner, together with the cost and time overruns that it leads to. Offering a best practise process, backed up by project management disciplines (with software to drive them) makes a massive difference to the quality of the project and to the homeowner’s experience.

There are some definite benefits to owning a Refresh business. I’m not a morning person – I got out of bed this morning at 8:15AM feeling rested and ready to zap the day. That I could stay at home before my first meeting was a bonus. Later, I took my designer out for lunch and we talked about life and not work. There is plenty to do, and today was a little indulgent, but it’s my choice. Not having to conform to someone else’s ideals is liberating. I also get to spend a lot more time with my young son Ben and wife Wendy which is awesome.

If you have the temperament and soft skills then pick up the phone. I find franchise ownership hugely rewarding on many levels and if you’re a thinker/doer so will you. Don’t be dissuaded by not having a formal construction industry background, it is simply not a problem. We are all on a bus going somewhere, it is just whether you are content to sit at the back and let someone else drive it or whether you want to grab a hold of the steering wheel.