The ultimate sea change: four Gold Coast territories available

Request Quote Now Your local franchisee will contact you!

Top Franchise 2017

The ultimate sea change: four Gold Coast territories available

Opportunities to have a job that works around your lifestyle come few and far between, but – as all Gutter-Vac franchisees would vouch – that is exactly what their work does for them. For our franchisees at seaside locations, this means surfing on their lunch breaks, fishing during the weekday, and finishing up before peak hour traffic.

Earlier this year, Gutter-Vac made the decision to reconfigure the territories on the Gold Coast to make it more equitable for the incumbent franchisees.

The result? Six new territories.

Within a matter of days, two territories were snapped up by a Gold Coast couple, Damon and Davina, who were looking for flexible work that would give them more time to spend with their children. Having heard of Gutter-Vac a number of years back, they had waited patiently for the opportunity to arise to buy into the business.

Prior to these Gold Coast territories becoming available, the last public sale in Queensland was three years ago. And when talking specifically about the Gold Coast, it’s been closer to a decade.

Currently, these four territories are the only ones available on the East Coast of Australia.

“If the sales of Queensland territories in the past are anything to go off of – once they’re sold, they’re gone,” Gutter-Vac founder and franchisor, Warren Ballantyne, said.

“A lot of people ask me how we can make a living out of cleaning gutters, and the answer is that we do. But we also offer a whole range of home maintenance services that complement our hero gutter cleaning service.

“And it’s not only that, you can grow a business and have a lifestyle too.”

Warren is an example of exactly this. Founding Gutter-Vac in Bundy, he balanced the growth of this business and that of his family. Working for himself meant that he never missed a birthday, anniversary or celebration – not to mention, a day on the golfing green!

“As the saying goes – if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” Warren said.

“My role now is to make sure that other people are given the opportunity to love and own the work that they do.

“These Gold Coast territories are just a fantastic opportunity in an even better location.”

The likelihood of the four available territories, Hope Island – Runaway Bay, Robina – Burleigh, Southport – Broadbeach and Tweed Heads, hanging around for much longer is very slim.

If you would like to be considered as a franchisee, along with all the benefits, support and lifestyle perks that come with it, give Warren a call on 0407 591 446.

He’ll be waiting to hear from you.


Bruce Billson, Chair of Franchise Council of Australia interviewed by SBS Small Business Secrets

Last week, our new chair of the Franchise Council of Australia and former Small Business Minister, Bruce Billson was interviewed by SBS Small Business Secrets about the franchising sector.

I thought I’d share the link to the interview here because Bruce really shared some great information on the Franchising sector and why it is a great way to get into business.

A notable quote from Bruce was his rule of thumb.

“For every $1000 you’re going to spend buying a franchise unit, do an hour of homework.  Make sure it’s right for you.”

I’m currently on the Franchise Council of Australia board as the Queensland/Northern Territory Chapter President.  I’ve spoken of this before and why I believe it is important that I contribute to the Franchise industry.  It is important for me and our franchisees that we are up to date with all that is going on in the franchising industry and I believe that to be part of the industry, I also need to be a participant, not just a member.

I’ve been honoured to spend some time with Bruce, along with the new CEO of the FCA, Damian Paul and I’m really liking the direction both of these leaders are taking the Franchise Council of Australia and also the franchising industry in Australia.

I’ve been a franchisor for more than 20 years now and I’ve seen lots happen in those years.  I know first hand just how good franchising can be and the results that franchisees can achieve.  Our Gutter-Vac franchisees are going from strength to strength, improving every year.  To say I’m proud of what we have created and the simple fact that because of this system, our Gutter-Vac franchise, many families, many individuals, get to live their life with success.

Franchising, as Bruce says in his interview, allows people to be in business for themselves, but not by themselves.  It is such a thrill to watch a new franchisee come in and take our system and then create their own successful franchise business.

So, if you have ever considered joining a franchise – Gutter-Vac or another system – then it would be worth a few minutes of your time to watch this interview with Bruce.  You can find it at:

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sbs-small-business-secrets/article/2016/08/11/bruce-billson-fights-franchise-stigma

Join the
Gutter-Vac Team

Buy Gutter Guard

The International Franchise Association Conference

Once again, I made the trip (with some of my team) to Las Vegas to attend the International Franchise Association Conference.

With over 4000 attendees, there is certainly a lot to learn, along with the opportunity to talk and discuss with other franchise professionals about how we can make our businesses better as well as improving the franchise industry.

I love the fact that when we attend the International Franchise Association, the Franchise Council of Australia organises special events for the Australian delegation.  We always get together for a welcome dinner and usually end up ‘talking shop’ (along with some excellent wines this year!).  The Australian delegation also comes together for a four hour session with leading experts in franchising to share with us.  This year, I was honoured to be asked to share my experiences of taking our brand to the USA to my fellow Australians in attendance.

As a side note, it was great to see that both Bruce Billson (Executive Chairman of the FCA) and also Damian Paull (CEO of the FCA) made the long trek to join the Australian delegation at the IFA conference.  Having such great leaders on board who are willing to learn from our international counterparts makes me extremely happy to have them leading the FCA and the franchise industry in Australia.  Leaders are learners and they were leading the way.

We took away a lot of great information from the conference and once again, it made me extremely happy to not only learn new things, but to also get the validation on so many things that we are doing right or are even ahead of the curve on in terms of franchising and supporting our franchisees.

One of my favourite sessions at the conference was the Next Gen competition.  I totally enjoyed hearing from the 18 Next Gen winners (three of which were from Australian), who out of the hundreds of entrants from around the world were hand selected to attend the conference and special Next Gen sessions to help these young franchisors to grow their brands.  When I hear them speak, it amazes me the ideas and wisdom from people at such a young age.  It also gives me great hope that the franchising sector will be left in good hands!

I was extremely proud of all three of the Australian Next Gen Winners.  Not only for the businesses they are creating and building, but also how well they represented Australia and the Australian franchising industry on a world stage.  They did themselves, and all of us, very proud.

So once again, I have left the IFA conference full of new ideas and a renewed energy to take Gutter-Vac to its next level of success and to continue to contribute to the franchising industry here in Australia.

If you are a franchisor and have been sitting on the fence, wondering if you should attend the IFA or not, then I’d highly recommend you get off the fence and join us next year in Phoenix for the 2018 IFA Conference.

Join the
Gutter-Vac Team

Buy Gutter Guard

Master Franchise Opportunity in the UK

We are seeking expressions of interest for a Master Franchisor to partner with to expand the Gutter-Vac franchise business into the UK.

Gutter-Vac has been in operation for 21 years in Australia and franchising for 19 years.  Well established and highly regarded, the Gutter-Vac franchise brand is looking to expand it’s international operations into the UK.

Outback Gutter-Vac, the USA and Canadian arm of the Australian Gutter-Vac brand, has now finalised it’s set up process and will begin on boarding franchisees later this month.  It is now time to move into the UK – which will be under a new name for UK trademark purposes.

What is the Gutter-Vac business about?

Gutter-Vac franchisees use a specialised, wet/dry vacuum system (with patent) to clean gutters on both residential and commercial buildings.  With all franchisees and their staff trained to work at heights safely (if necessary) with specialised safety equipment, Gutter-Vac is the first choice for consumers, businesses and property managers alike.  Comprehensive systems, manuals and training in place that are proven to give franchisees the ability to start up and run a successful and profitable business.  Gutter-Vac (Australia) and Outback Gutter-Vac (USA/Canada) both also provide further complimentary services, including power washing, roof cleaning and a revolutionary new chemical free house and window washing process.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a seasoned professional who is ready to build a Master Franchise business with our support and assistance.  You will have a high level of business knowledge, have sales experience and be ready to handle the ins and outs of franchising. The most important part of the Master Franchise is to support the new Franchisees and assist them to become a successful micro businesses with the ability to support their families and lifestyles.    Franchising experience is a bonus, but not essential.

There will be an initial investment to purchase the Master Franchise and you will also need to have the funds to support your growth of the UK franchise network.

We started this franchise as a family business with values of honesty, integrity, work ethic and ensuring that our franchisees are well supported to run a profitable business, we are looking for a Master Franchisor partner that holds these values as well.

We are coming to London:

Warren Ballantyne, Founder and Managing Director of Gutter-Vac (Australia) will be in London in May and will be happy to meet with interested parties.

Seeking Interest:

If this is an opportunity that you would like to explore further, please email Warren Ballantyne directly at warren@guttervac.com.au as soon as possible.

Please include:

  • Your Name
  • Your Email
  • Your best phone contact
  • A brief overview of your background
  • Why this opportunity looks like something you would be interested in

We look forward to finding out more about you and if this is an opportunity that you would like to discover more about.

Join the
Gutter-Vac Team

Buy Gutter Guard