Aneel and Shahzad Memon opened the doors to their new business this January in Birmingham
The brothers came over to the UK from Dubai to provide security and opportunity for their families. Aneel previously worked in risk management for a bank, whilst Shahzad was in the oil industry. As they prepare to take on the packaging requests of their customers, they reflect on their journey to business ownership.
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Aneel said: “With our young families, it was crucial to find something that would provide for us all. My wife, Rani, was included in decision making too. We knew the opportunity to create a successful business would be much better in the UK and, as neither of us has been in business before, we knew it was crucial to get that extra support when setting up. Franchising provided the solution, so we both conducted our own research into the brands we liked the most.”
Shahzad continued: “We searched through many listings and both came across PACK & SEND. After visiting the website and watching a number of franchisee testimonial videos, we were confident in making our investment. It was clear the existing franchisees in the network love what they do, receive immense satisfaction and are always available to offer help to newcomers.”
PACK & SEND launched in the UK in January 2009 following the brand’s 20 years of success in Australia. The first service centre was opened, giving the British public the opportunity to send any package anywhere in the world, even those fragile and awkward items which cause the most concern. By offering bespoke packaging and shipping solutions, franchisees can build profitable and rewarding businesses.
Aneel and Shahzad, like all new franchisees, visited the head office in Reading to undergo their training. Not only did they benefit from hearing about the support and expertise available to them, they got to experience the real-life enquiries by being at the front of house in the service centre.
“Right from the first day, we answered questions and dealt with customers,” said Aneel. “It was a great learning curve to handle actual scenarios, instead of ones that are just created for training purposes. In January, we’ve got the comfort of having a member of head office in our service centre for the whole of the first month of our business, helping us to deliver their no-limits customer service right from day one.”
In addition to the first month’s support, the pair have received two guarantees that will get their first year off to a flying start. To help generate enquiries and raise the business profile, they’ve got two guarantees from the franchisor, receiving a number of sales leads from the head office whilst they match-fund the franchisees’ marketing spend. Aneel is ready to use these guarantees as a springboard for the future.
“They were a distinct part of our decision-making process,” he said. “We plan to maximise the value of these guaranteed new business leads and we have big plans in the long term for PACK & SEND Hall Green. This business is the future for our families and we’re pleased to join a franchise that already feels like a family.”
