Holiday reward for winning Crest’s Master Franchisee of the Year Award
Nicky and Tony Kramers with their children Isaac, 11, Lucas, 8, pictured during their family holiday to Mount Maunganui after winning the Master Franchisee of the Year Award.
Clinching CrestClean’s inaugural award for the Master Franchisee of the Year has capped off a stellar year for Tony and Nicky Kramers.
The Dunedin couple, who won a family holiday to Mount Maunganui, have been praised for their professionalism and for introducing new and innovative ways to make their business more efficient.
Sam Lewis, CrestClean’s General Manager Franchise Services, said the cleaning industry was a highly competitive business. “You’ve really got to be an all-round performer. And that’s what Tony and Nicky have been – they have been constant all-round performers throughout the year.”
He said the duo were a strong unit, each bringing different skills to their business.
“They complement each other really well. Tony deals with the sales side of the business and Nicky is very strong on the paperwork and dealing with compliance issues.”
Sam says the couple have built great relationships with their Dunedin franchisees and customers.
“They have got really good franchisee satisfaction rates and their franchisees are staying longer and they are growing larger more sustainable businesses.”
In November Tony and Nicky celebrated being finalists in the Master Franchisee of the Year category at the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards.
Nicky, who joined her husband in business three years ago, says they both have strong personalities. She has a background in sales and was a business manager for a car dealership.
“We are quite driven and we’re a pretty good match for each other. My forte is paperwork and Tony’s strength is sales.”
But running a successful business is not just about chasing the dollar figure, says Nicky.
Being Regional Managers, they oversee 45 individual cleaning teams, each operating as individual Crest businesses.
The couple are strong on encouraging their franchisees to become more self-managing. They have introduced a mentoring system where Crest business owners are put in teams, with each group overseen by an experienced franchisee.
And the idea is working well. It’s meant that franchisees have been able to work more closely in terms of covering for each other during holidays or absences.
“It means our time spent in the office is productive and efficient, as opposed to sorting out everyone’s holidays,” says Nicky.
“I’m big on relationships and making sure our franchisees feel valued. We can’t succeed without the help of others.
“We’ve got a really good family in Dunedin, we call it the Crest family. We have a good culture with good people, who are hardworking. Without a good culture you’re never going to grow your business.”
Being the first to win the Master Franchisee of the Year was an honour, says Tony. “It was nice to be recognised for our hard work.
“To come to the end of the financial year and be rewarded for something you’ve done correctly every day is a great feeling. Last year wasn’t our biggest sales year but we did everything right.”
So how do you get the work/life balance right while running a successful business?
For Tony and Nicky it’s taking time out to visit the gym to break up their working day. “When you get to work and you’ve got through a lot of work you should reward yourself with some time to switch off.
“Whether it’s going for a walk, or a run, going to the gym, or meeting a friend at a cafe, it’s good to switch off and have time to clear your head,” says Tony.
Tony and Nicky celebrated being finalists in the Master Franchisee of the Year category at the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards
