Croash Robinson
About Me
I have been a World Options franchisee since 2017.
Besides helping customers find the best shipping solution for their business, I enjoy spending my free time horse riding.
What Initially Appealed To You About A World Options franchise?
I had previously had a successful Nursing and Care Franchise for 18 years. When the Franchisor approached its Franchisees to buy back I took a step back to look at my life and decided that the offer and time was good to make a change. Keeping over 150 staff and over 100 customers happy was emotionally and mentally draining for me, and when I started my journey of finding a new business venture I did not wish to employ a large number of staff.
World Options filled that tick box by being able to start the Franchise with me as the only worker, looking to the future I hoped that the Franchise would grow and employing workers would be needed at some stage. In addition to this, I did not wish to purchase “stock” or to have to take on premises.
I had looked at other Franchises that in essence would just be a laptop, a mobile phone, training, and myself. The final piece of the jigsaw to give me the confidence to go for World Options was the staff I met.
What Are The Benefits That You See As Being Part Of World Options?
I had previous knowledge of logistics 25 years ago whilst in the Royal Navy as a Stores Accountant, that was it. With World Options the initial training was very informative and our customers having access to a wide variety of carriers and a great range of services is certainly something that helps my business.
The Portal, support from IT, and the access my customers and I have to Key Accounts have all been valuable in my growth.
Sharing of news and ideas and Yammer! Is a useful resource too.
What Were The Most Significant Problems You Faced At The Beginning, And How Did You Solve Them?
In my previous Franchise, I had built up a sizeable client base and the sales tasks I undertook were easy to do as I had a good relationship in place already. I had never previously “Door Knocked”, and “Cold calling” was limited too. In addition to this, I still had a lack of knowledge, the training had been good but would be impossible to cover everything, a lot of things are covered by experience!
Building up my confidence took time, probably 18-24 months, but when I make calls, I still remind myself that my calls are all with the intention of building my business and helping others to solve problems, give choices, and save money.
What Training Did You Receive From World Options And What Kind Of Ongoing Support?
I had an initial 5-day training at Head Office. Since then, I have attended numerous training days covering all aspects of running a shipping and courier business. Including Sales, Marketing, Portal Updates, Carrier updates. I have a nominated Director who I can contact when I wish to and easy access to Accounts, Key Accounts, and IT.
What Attracted You To The Shipping Industry?
My previous experience in logistics, though many years previous, was both enjoyable and rewarding. The shipping industry I believed was an industry likely to grow and withstand recessions better than others.
How Do You See The Shipping Industry Performing In The Future?
I see growth and nothing else. Covid has had a negative effect on everyone’s lives, but as a business it has grown since the virus appeared. I can see my Franchise continuing to grow as online shopping increases.
How Do You Build And Maintain Relationships With Clients?
From the initial conversation with a new customer my aim is to provide a better experience in all areas for their shipping and courier needs. This improvement I look to give customers includes showing how the portal meets their needs and the simplicity of this, being accessible to them, and always returning emails and calls. Being proactive in resolving issues with shipments. Never shying away from difficult calls. I try and see all my customers on a least a yearly basis.
Key accounts have been well received by my customers too.
How Does The World Options Portal Help You?
The portal is an excellent help to my business. It doesn’t just track shipments. It provides breakdowns of carriers being used, it shows me any problems with shipments, gives me Franchise information for my business accounts and HMRC requirements.
Easy to navigate and provides a mine of information in the “Vault” section.
What Advice Would You Give New Franchisees?
World Options is not a “Get Quick Rich Scheme”, but with honest graft and determination, the rewards are there. The growth I have seen in the business has so far seemed to reflect the effort I have put in.
Are you our next big success story?
Take matters into your own hands and request a call with Franchise Director Howard McCormick today!
