VIP Bin Cleaning Scoops Top HSBC Enterprise Award

In addition to the Marketing Levy being ratified at the AGM earlier this year, a second member survey showed over 70% support for the introduction of the marketing levy. FASA, which has dramatically increased its member base this year, needs to raise its public profile and be top of mind in the minds of the media and the consumer. The Marketing Committee has taken into account the various comments and suggestions regarding the best way to use the resources. All agreed that the objective should be to promote FASA, franchising and its members. With this in mind, and taking cognizance of the various suggestions from members – ranging from those who feel they benefit from a listing type ad to those who feel there are other ways to advertise, the Committee has taken a different approach and a new ad format. Instead of running one big ad listing all FASA members, it was decided to devise a number of smaller ads with catchy headlines that would relate to a specific franchise sector and therein list all the members in that sector. In this way, we are promoting the diversity of the various franchise sectors whilst giving those members in that sector higher visibility. It was also agreed that there should be more emphasis on driving FASA’s visibility through the website. Special Features and supplements would also be targeted for advertising in conjunction with members who also want to participate – making it more of a FASA feature. Other marketing tools, such as D-Mag Advertising and an annual Entrepreneur Charity Day, are also being investigated.

VIP Bin Cleaning – the market leader in commercial and domestic bin cleaning based in Wymondham, United Kingdom with a master franchisee in South Africa- was recently crowned winner of the ‘HSBC Award for Enterprise’ at the British Franchise Association’s annual Franchisor of the Year Awards.

Beating off stiff competition, Managing Director Mark Harvey, who was a guest speaker at the FASA Franchise Week Seminar and who’s master franchisee exhibited at IFE 2006, was presented with the Category Winner’s trophy by HSBC’s Head of Franchising, Cathryn Hayes at a glittering gala luncheon at London’s famous Savoy Hotel.

The BFA Awards, sponsored by HSBC Bank and Express Newspapers, showcase the UK’s best-performing franchisors in a booming industry worth an annual £10 billion to the economy.

Whilst VIP BIN Cleaning continues to grow in the United Kingdom, progress was also being made overseas with a total of 18 new franchises opening in Australia and South Africa, and a further four master licences have been awarded for Queensland, Victoria, Botswana and New Zealand. VIP Bin Cleaning's membership application in SA is being finalised.

NWJ Quality Jewellers, which operates 60 franchised stores, once again achieved inspiring financial year-end results, with growth of the company averaging 21%, and the introduction of a popular new credit facility expanding their customer base. According to MD Hylton Rabinowitz, “Predicted growth in the Jewellery sector was 5.5% for the financial year ending March 2006. With steady growth year on year, we are confident that NWJ would exceed those forecasts, as well as the overall retail forecasts. With 21% on average, and April trading up dramatically on last year, we are really seeing what this business in capable of.” NWJ designs and manufactures a large proportion of its own products, using the latest state of the art machinery and passes these savings onto the franchisees and subsequently to customers. All stores stock the latest jewellery trends and the best quality jewellery with the NWJ SABS approved gold content stamp on all jewellery manufactured in their factory. The introduction of their credit facility, the JewelCard in November 2005, offers customers six months interest-free credit, and further options of 12 and 18 month credit at affordable rates, bringing jewellery purchases within the reach of more customers.