TESTIMONIALS Trading In The Corporate Life For Bakers Whites

Temi and his wife Robyn had no baking experience when they decided to join the Bakers Delight network. Both with successful corporate careers, Temi and Robyn longed for a career change, particularly one that required less travel.

When researching business ideas, one thing that was very important to the couple was an established brand that provided support and producing and selling fresh healthy products every day. Temi had previous experience running a business in Hong Kong, however he knew the experience this time around would be different and wanted that additional support.

They were attracted to Bakers Delight because they were familiar with the product range and liked the fact that the company is still family owned and run. However, it wasn’t until they started the recruitment process that they knew they were on the right track.

“The recruitment process was in depth, however not difficult. It gave us a good sense of what the brand and business was like from the inside. The information given was completely transparent and there was no hard sell. We also felt a strong sense of purpose and support from Franchisees within the network we visited during this time,” said Temi.

Once they knew Bakers Delight was the franchise for them, they jumped into an intensive 16-week training program which covers all aspects of running a bakery; including production, operations and small business management.

Temi and Robyn opened a new bakery in Wheelers Hill, which meant they didn’t just have to learn how to run a bakery but also how to build a business from scratch.

“The initial two years were challenging as we concurrently built up sales while also building a team. It was physically and mentally exhausting; however you have to be willing to prioritise the business in the beginning in order to find the perfect work/life balance in the future.”

However even when times in the bakery were difficult, Temi and Robyn were never alone, with a dedicated Area Manager and team of support office to turn to when times got tough. Temi and Robyn were also given additional support from a long-term Franchisee, which helped them a great deal as they transitioned from Trainee Franchisee to Operating Franchisee.

Although it has been hard work, Temi and Robyn

are extremely happy with the way they have

built up the bakery successfully.

“We could see the potential the bakery had but we were concerned about the bakery location. We invested a great deal of time, money and effort into making the bakery successful and we have recently been seeing this hard work pay off.”

“We are also rewarded every day when we speak to our customers and they share their positive feedback with us. Talking with and getting to know our customers is a great part of the business. If you like the rush from adrenalin and deadlines then a bakery can deliver that – everyday feels like a final to me that we have to make the most of.  I LOVE setting up the shop which always a great sense of urgency. Dealing with the early morning busy period while constantly making the bakery look its best makes me feel great.”

For more information about franchising with Bakers Delight click here