Those applying for a Rawson Properties franchise in the year ahead are likely to find the conditions and stipulations more comprehensive than at present, says Bill Rawson, Chairman of the Rawson Property Group '“ which currently has 138 franchises and has set itself a target of expanding to 400 by the end of 2010.
'At the moment,' he said, 'our new franchise team is taking on about three franchises per month. We are quite possibly the fastest growing of all the estate agency groups in SA '“ despite being the most expensive'
The higher costs of his operation, he said, stem directly from its determination to give an all-round service to franchisees.
'One of the distinguishing factors of our group,' said Rawson, 'is that 50% of the franchise fee is used for group marketing and branding initiatives.
'Unlike many franchises we have a large head office and regional staffs engaged full-time in backup services. Our assistance covers far more than just accounting matters '“ although we do check franchise performances weekly. Our approach is that we like to add value to the franchise. We like to coach, nurture and train franchisees on an ongoing basis, because we believe this is essential to their long-term success'
The assistance to franchisees, added Rawson, now makes great use of technology which the Rawson IT team research, develop and supply to franchises as part of the package.
'It is technology that, along with attitude, will separate the also-rans from the frontrunners in the next decade,' he said. 'Service and efficiency in our industry will become more and more dependent on the swift electronic dissemination of information and our aim is to be a leader in this field'
