About Us
Handy Rentals is a market leader in the light commercial vehicle rental business.
The Business was established in Australia in 1986 and commenced providing rental vehicle solutions in New Zealand in 1989.
The Principal has been involved in the rental business for 30 years commencing employment with Hirepool in 1977. After assuming many differing roles he founded Quick Tip Holdings, a trailer hire company in 1989, in which an interest is still held.
Handy Rentals market position is as a neighbourhood commercial vehicle rental company, and a significant amount of business is transacted within a 10km radius of our locations.
Currently we have franchise outlets in Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Palmerston North, Hastings, Gisborne, Rotorua, Hamilton, and Auckland, plus a company owned operation in Wellington. The Wellington site also serves as a test bed for new ideas, system amendments and enhancements.
Our Guarantee is:
Reliable light commercial vehicles for your job ,guaranteed
Training and Ongoing Support
Whilst the Wellington support office is a busy rental location, it also holds a large range of commercial vehicles for sale to ensure all franchisees have access to a channel to source and dispose of vehicles. Therefore all the Wellington team are familiar with day to day activities and are able to offer 7 day a week support to all franchisees.
Our systems have evolved over the years and are modified and adjusted from time to time to meet the changing needs of the business to ensure optimum return on resources.
We have fully documented sales and administration procedures, and general operation process's all tried and tested to maximize all opportunities. Each franchisee offers their own personality to the system in their own location. This ensures we maintain our neighbourhood flavour.
An IT management solution is very much on our agenda and is currently developing in our Wellington office and is now being used in Auckland.
Marketing Support
You won't be going it alone. Our national 0800 number will direct local calls to your location as well as the Yellow Pages advertising which has proved so successful over the years. Our Web Site is generating customers as well.
The five step process to progress
- A introductory meeting via telephone or in person is conducted to provide initial information such as how long you have been in business, what you are looking for, what equity is available. At this stage applicants are required to complete a confidentiality agreement.
- Applicants will be provided with draft figures, introduced to our finance package and insurance plan, and invited to complete an application form. Plus we provide you with any other information available that you may require to assist with your due diligence process.
- Having completed this stage to our mutual satisfaction, a meeting would be held to discuss more detail including location and to generate a draft budget. A provisional Franchise Agreement would be provided for you to take along, with your budget, to your advisors for you to complete your due diligence process.
- The next stage would involve signing the franchise agreement, securing a satisfactory location and team members. Finding a satisfactory location can often involve a bit of time to find the best available. Assistance is provided for this. Also during this time, training is provided in our Wellington location (minimum 5 days) thus gaining experience with our systems and developing a little experience in a live environment.
- Commence trading. From that moment our system would have your phone ringing and you and your team would have been given the training to maximize the returns on the inquiry.
Franchise Opportunities
We are currently exploring several opportunities within both the North and South Island. These include Auckland East, Central, South, Tauranga, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Timaru, and Oamaru.
Financial
Total Investment $30,000 to $500,000
Franchise Fee -- 5% of Turnover
Investment level is dependent on whether an existing or new outlet is being purchased. Existing sites are sold on the basis of turnover and profitability.
We have a range of Finance options available.
Before You Buy A Franchise!!
- Take a critical look at your strengths and weaknesses - are you sure you have the skills, capacity and temperament to run your own business? Marketing and Selling skills are becoming more important in running a business.
- Make sure you have full support of your family - the additional responsibilities and demands on your time will inevitably cause some strain.
- Choose some existing franchisees to talk to. Don't just speak to those recommended by the franchisor. Ask how their business is performing and what support and service is provided by the franchisor.
- Examine how well known the franchise and its service and products are. A good reputation is a head start in business.
- Look at the market as a whole. Find out who your competitors are and how strong their position is.
- Is the training provided by the Franchisor sufficient to enable you to run the business successfully?
- Examine costs closely, in particular the franchise fee and any monthly management fees, and whether they are reasonable and value for money. Are the margins sufficient to support the business after payment of regular fees to the franchisor?
- Seek professional advice from an accountant about income and profit projections and from a solicitor about the legal agreement and any trading requirements.
The Business Plan
A Business Plan is one of the most important documents for a franchisee. It provides a guide to whether your business is going well or under achieving. It is essential that once written reference is made to it regularly, to ensure any falling trends are adjusted as soon as possible. The franchisor should be interested in the performance compared to plan, as their income should depend on the success of your business.
Before the Bank is willing to lend, a business plan will be required and should include the following:
- Details about the franchise
- The sector in which it operates
- The competition, both locally, regionally and nationally
- Your marketing plan
- The costs
- Projected financial information.
- Your CV
- Your assets and liabilities
One of the most important sections of the plan is the detail about the franchisee. This is because the success of the franchise will be determined, in most cases, by the franchisee and the effort they put in to the business. However a Bank Manager will also assess this during a face to face meeting.
If you are buying an existing franchise business the bank would like to see the past financial performance; the last 3 years accounts would be helpful.
Many franchisors will assist in completing a business plan, however the bank will expect you to know and understand the various statements and financial figures it contains. There will undoubtedly be questions about parts of your plan. The financial information, particularly the forecasts, will help you to assess the performance of the franchise in the early months.
If you would like further information regarding the Handy franchise, please email chris@handy.co.nz