It may be isolated, but Western Australia has become one of the country's hotspots for producing quality franchise chains.
It may be isolated, but Western Australia has become one of the country's hotspots for producing quality franchise chains.
According to the 2008 WA Business News Book of Lists, 18 of the top 50 franchises in the state, measured by number of outlets, were born in WA.
Housework Heroes has emerged as an up-and-comer, listing 32 franchises so far in 2008, above Friendlies Chemists, which has 28 outlets.
Mike Stringer, the master franchisor of the Housework Heroes network, which also operates Car Care Suite, said although it was more expensive than other states to start up a business chain, the returns in WA were more fruitful.
"We're getting so much work over here, we're getting so busy that we're turning work away at the moment," he said. "The demand here is higher, but the price people pay here is much higher too."
Mortgage Choice is the state's best franchise performer with 58 of its 445 Australian lending outlets based here.
Although the company has since moved its head office to the east coast, co-founders Rod and Peter Higgins began the franchise in WA in 1992.
Chooks Fresh & Tasty also has its roots in WA with a successful expansion program enabling it to evolve nationally.
Under the guidance of managing director Steve Hansen, who first became involved in fast food management in 1983 as a franchisee of Chicken World, the Chooks brand has developed into an "unashamedly low-cost operator that carefully examines the most efficient and cost-effective way of doing everything".
Since the early 1990s, Dôme Coffees Australia Pty Ltd has been a leading Perth franchise, but has not had added any franchises in the past year.
Aroma Café entered the Perth hospitality sector in 1996 and now operates 29 franchise cafés, with a further nine in South Australia and plans to "expand rapidly" over the next few years.
Among the state's franchise stalwarts, Auto Masters began in William Street in Perth more than 30 years ago, as did commercial printer Snap Printing, which was established in the city in 1967.
The Kebab Co. was launched in WA in 1982 and has since grown to 20 franchises, several more than Fremantle's dessert connoisseurs Geláre, which began whipping ice cream in 1987.
Also in 1987, Croissant Express opened the first of its 16 franchises in WA, with an outlet in Fremantle one of its newest inclusions.
