For the Refresh Renovations 2018 annual conference, franchisees swarmed Sydney’s Cockle Bay Wharf to celebrate record revenues and share best practices across three countries over the course of three days.
This year’s theme for the annual conference was ‘’Leadership,’’ specifically, how to leverage relationships to share Refresh’s vision and high standards with all members of their teams - including suppliers, contractors and customers - to thrive as a business. Sessions ranged from workshops and panels to group activities and presentations - including one from famed TV celebrity and award-winning broadcaster, Rawdon Christie.
The conference gave veteran franchisees a forum for dispensing their knowledge and hard-won wisdom to new franchisees, which strengthens the overall brand. Franchise owners asked questions, participated in sessions and shared not only their success stories, but also failures that were captured as new “lessons learned” for future franchisees.
For first-time conference attendees, it was eye-opening to see the power of the group. For veterans, it was inspiring to see how the group has continued to grow in three countries and across the world.
The awards night recognised Refresh franchise owners and their teams for achievements across key areas that drive success in their businesses. Awards were presented for the following categories:
Franchise of the Year 2018
The Franchise of the Year award recognises the franchise best using marketing, people and processes to scale up their business.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Has managed and motivated a well functioning team of staff and contractors
• Is beating sales and profit targets
• Has positive relationships with head office and preferred suppliers
• High level of marketing activity and a well developed sales pipeline
• Achieving high customer satisfaction and obtaining reviews
• Leveraging Refresh Control
• Clearly demonstrates the Refresh values
• Is actively involved in helping to grow the Refresh business and network
The finalists were:
Paul Cree
Nielen Prince
Stephen Cox
Congratulations to Stephen Cox, based in Central Coast, for winning Franchise of the Year 2018!
New Franchise of the Year 2018
The New Franchise of the Year award recognises outstanding new franchisees who are helping to build the future of Refresh.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Started in 2017 (operating for more than 6 months)
• Revenue since starting
• Adherence to the Refresh process and leveraging Refresh Control
• Hiring of key people
• Strong pipeline
• Proactive marketing
The finalists were:
Marcus Smith
(Melbourne)
Paul Cree
(Melbourne)
Congratulations to Paul Cree, based in Melbourne, for winning New Franchise of the Year 2018!
Marketer of the Year 2018
The Marketer of the Year award recognises the franchise who is most effectively using marketing to scale up their business.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Annual marketing investment Jan-Dec 2017 (% of revenue and $ increase vs previous year)
• Has undertaken regular and frequent activities including paid online advertising and other initiatives
• Has represented the brand well in conjunction with head office
• Has submitted case studies
• Has obtained customer reviews and testimonials
The finalists were:
Brooke Patterson
Rachel Whitford
Paul Cree
Congratulations to Brooke Patterson, based in Gold Coast, for winning Marketer of the Year 2018!
Best Sales Growth of the Year 2018
The Best Sales Growth of the Year award recognises the Franchise that has applied Refresh’s unique model that is driven by sales and marketing to create scale.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Growth in sales revenue % and $ from 2016 to 2017 (Jan - Dec)
The finalists were:
Third place: Diana May, based in Perth, with a 69% growth.
Second place: Stephen Cox, based in Central Coast, with a 340% growth.
First place: Nielen Prince, based in Adelaide, with a 416% growth!
Congratulations!
Customer Service of the Year 2018
The Customer Service of the Year award recognises the franchise that has excelled at delivering the Refresh offer, and has been verified by direct customer feedback.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Customer testimonials
• Customer reviews
• Customer feedback to franchisor
• Net promoter score
The finalists were:
Rachel Whitford
Marcus Smith
Paul Cree
Congratulations to Paul Cree, based in Melbourne, for winning Customer Service of the Year 2018!
Renovation Consultant of the Year 2018
The Renovation Consultant of the Year award recognises the importance of turning leads into revenue. It also takes into account the importance of building long term value in the business through a strong pipeline.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Conversion rate
• Execution of the Refresh process
• Pipeline management via Refresh Control
• Customer satisfaction
• Revenue growth
The finalists were:
Stephen Cox
Paul Cree
Congratulations to Paul Cree, based in Melbourne, for winning Renovation Consultant of the Year 2018!
Construction Manager of the Year 2018
The Construction Manager of the Year award recognises the delivery of our promise of on time, on budget, hassle free renovations, resulting in satisfied Refresh customers.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Delivery of budgeted margin percentage
• Customer satisfaction
• Planning and estimating accuracy
• Project management on-time and budget
The finalists were:
Geoff Munn
(employed by Nielen Prince)
Darren Senogles
(employed by Stephen Cox)
John Hanna
(employed by Hashim Nasser)
Congratulations to Darren Senogles, based in Central Coast, for winning Construction Manager of the Year 2018! Stephen Cox accepted this award for Darren.
Administrator of the Year 2018
The Administrator of the Year award recognises the value of the administration function and how it sets the platform for a Franchise Manager to grow a successful business.
The judging criteria for this award was:
• Leveraging Refresh Control, our franchise management system
• Completion and accuracy of data
• On-time completion of monthly activities and reports
• Understanding and commitment to the Refresh business model
The finalists were:
Rebecca Smith
(employed by Marcus Smith)
Nora Nasser
(employed by Hashim Nasser)
Paul Cree
Congratulations to Rebecca Smith, based in Melbourne, for winning Administrator of the Year 2018!
We are very grateful to our supply partners and this year we’d like to especially thank Mitre 10, Saniflo, Outdure, Resene, The Tile Depot, Robertson Bathware, GIB, PlaceMakers and Beyond Tiles.
We can’t wait to see what next year’s conference will bring!