It takes guts to pack all your belongings into a container and tell your Dad “I’ll let you know where to send it,” but that’s exactly what our Regional Franchisee of the Year, Paul Woosnam, and his partner did when they set off across the world well over a decade ago.

Originally based in the UK, Paul and his partner worked various roles before deciding to take a break travelling for a year and ending up in Australia.  A chance conversation then led Paul to Snap-on’s head office and rapidly starting his own franchise in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Without a background in the auto industry, Paul’s previous business skills and retail experience in the UK points to how a Snap-on franchise can be a rewarding career change and complement various industry backgrounds.

“The on-boarding process was slick,” Paul reflects, “after ten days of training in the US, I landed straight back home, picked up my truck and was on the road the next day with support by my side for three weeks.

“If you set up your own business, you have to do everything from logos, branding, websites, you name it”, he added, “but with Snap-on, you get a solid foundation with everything ready to go and full support from day one.”

Paul saw quick success, firstly as Rookie Franchisee of the Year and now Regional Franchisee of the Year. He reflects on his two awards saying they are due to his immediate dedication to hard work when joining as a franchisee, as well as how useful his prior experience came to be running the business.

A day in the life
“My week kicks off on a Sunday night,” Paul explains. “I get my prelist ready for Monday so I can just get up and go. Most days, I’m out of the house before seven. My deliveries come Friday night and I sort that out over the weekend. Of course, the more turnover there is, the bigger the volume of off-truck work.”

Paul is up there as one of Snap-on’s most experienced franchisees in New Zealand. We asked what he thinks the key is to succeeding as a franchisee with Snap-on, and without mincing his words he explained, “Being true to your word and paying attention to your client is key to keeping and building your business. Do what you say you’re going to do, if you promise to ring someone, ring them, if you promise to deliver, then deliver.”

“The Snap-on programme is solid and gives you the chance to create relationships and be personable.”

Interested in becoming a Snap-on franchisee? We encourage those from
diverse backgrounds to get in touch. To learn more, head to www.snapontools.com.au.