In Business after training. (All originals at Head Office)
Neil Draper
The following points are notes from a call received from Mr Neil Draper. Spray Pave, regional Victoria.
Neil phoned H/O to confirm his thoughts about Spray Paving over bitumen. After discussions to confirm his thoughts were correct and receive a few more tips. Neil went on to describe his current business situation.
- He is currently quoting a 1,350 sq mt, Spray Pave over bitumen job for local council.
- A large part of his business is for the local council. Colour sealing their footpaths and malls etc.
- His first council job was after a chance meeting whilst on a domestic job.
- He invested in a Spray Pave business 13 years ago.
- He hasn’t advertised in the last 3 and half years.
- His last marketing was a country field days, when he received 9 jobs.
- As at April 2020, in the midst of Covid-19, he has 14 jobs signed up and ready.
- These jobs will take him past June 2020. (3 months ahead)
- Most of the work he completes is on his own, but has helpers for larger jobs.
- He has 3 young children, so currently home schooling, between jobs.
Attila and Nicole Bihary
Robert Baum
Frank and Bashar
Chris, we would like to thank you and the team at Spray Pave Australia for setting us up with where we are today, a successful and very busy spray paving business. If it wasn’t for your business package and training, we would have never thought of starting.
Abi Ihmeari
If you can hold a hammer you can Spray Pave. It’s simple.
I have recently started Spray Pave about 3 weeks ago. Let’s say it has been a great experience and the knowledge provided has opened a lot of doors. Not just Spray Pave. Chris the Franchiser is a great guy, very laid back. He has helped me in all aspects of starting a business, learning all the angles of Spray Paving and a great advice provider. He is always open for suggestions and has the best feedback in all areas of business.
I’m not so pro for working for others and making fortunes for them and hence why I purchased Spray Pave. For the last few years I have contracted for the ATO processing BAS and Superannuation. I become a chair potato and this has been my way out. This is a long term goal for me to set up Spray Pave. I figured if it pays me a simple wage I will stick with it and grow my client database.
I thought about setting up myself like ABC Spray-on pave business but I reconsidered when I heard some horror stories from the suppliers, people making $20,000- mistakes. Spray Pave informs you on all aspects and covers you from a legal aspect so you don’t get hurt or jeopardise your family.
Spray Pave is simple once you have completed the training, it is like spraying a can of aerosol in the air. It only sounds complexed. My only drawback is I spent all of my money purchasing 2 franchises in the past 6 months and wish I had extra money to advertise. ‘But no regrets’
I would recommend a Spray Pave system to anyone very highly. Be certain you have some funds spare to advertise and you will do high figures. (Feel free to reject work, there is that much of it) Some of my quotes are at the $9,000- with a 20% cost of materials. Not bad for a weeks work.
Scottie the National Operations Manager is a sales guro, he assisted me in the sales and marketing side of things.
Spray Pave looks a little dated, but take the best and sell your Spray Pave as you wish. I know in time my branch will be worth well over $150,000- in 5 years. So I consider this to be an employment investment. Reaping all the benefits and sitting on a goldmine.
Wish you guys all the best:- Abi Ihmeari
Brad Shirley
Spray Pave Australia is a great franchise to buy because you not only have the chance to make a lot of money but you can look at your work and say geese I cant believe I did that!
I was a baker/pastry cook for 8 years and I would get up at 1.45am every morning and I would think to myself, there has to be a better way.
After going to the newsagency once a month to buy a franchise mag and reading through I never wanted to mow lawns or have a business where I needed a shop so I needed a small business that I could run from home, a small business that I didn’t need to work 7 to 7 in and a small business that gave me great returns and still kept my life style in shape.
I came across Spray Pave Australia 3 years ago and I talked to my accountant and he said you could really make some money in this and to go ahead.
Last week I done $12,000 worth of work and in only 3 days, try doing that mowing lawns.
Yours truly:- Brad Shirley
Ray Luckner
Hi Chris
Well I must say, I was a little reluctant to sell my 6mt Trophy boat to fund the business but now know after only 3 months any doubt I may have had, have certainly dissipated. I’m now looking forward to buying a bigger boat in the next 6 months to enjoy my fishing in more comfort.
After only 3 months I have turned over $35,000 with another $15,000 worth of jobs booked with deposits for the next 2 weeks, so $50,000 in 4 months starting from scratch, and most of that is profit and you don’t have to work 7 days a week. I recently had my folks visit up from Newcastle where I had 10 days off, all you need to do is plan your jobs around you, it’s simple.
Lifestyle and a great income! plus the work isn’t really that hard, I’ve just cracked the 50yr mark and for most of my working life I have been a pen pusher and like a lot of people put on a few extra kilos, so it’s great I’m getting some manual labour (I used to think he was a Mexican). Just track along at your own pace and don’t worry if it takes you an extra day at the start, just get the work done well and more will follow. It’s just a matter of applying the systems that have been developed, plan your work and work your plan, and of course there is always support from Head Office at any time, be it Chris or one of the other Spray Pave guys should you need advice, its like one big friendly family.
By this time next year I am hoping to have another crew working for me and I will focus more on the sales generation side, that’s the plan anyway so I will let you know how it goes anyway.
In conclusion, I searched the web and newspapers for months trying to find a business that didn’t cost me 200k-300k or needed any experience and that I could start making money from straight away, there wasn’t any, until I found Spray Pave Australia, a fantastic business opportunity for under 50k plus they let you pay it off, you won’t find better and like me you will be extremely satisfied and happy.
If you would like to contact me just give me a call, Chris has my number and I would be happy to talk to anyone interested in changing their life for the better.
Kind Regards:- Ray Luckner. Townsville Spray Pave
Blake Harrowfield
It’s been two years now since I bought a ‘Spray Pave Australia’ franchise and I couldn’t be happier with the way things are. There have been a few tough times but overall the good out weigh the bad with ease. The tough times were made easier with Chris’s ongoing support.
I am now 22 and do the practical training for the franchises sold and find this work very rewarding and it builds my confidence every time.
I don’t think I will ever tire of talking to customers. It’s a real compliment to hear how great a job looks and what a difference it makes after the hard work you’ve put in.
In just over two years I’ve gone from working at an abattoir to owning a successful small business that supports my fiancé, young son and myself. We have been able to save for our future with this business while enjoying the finer things in life at the same time.
I’ll finish now by thanking Chris and all the ‘Spray Pave’ crew for all their support, as a young man it means heaps to know you have people behind you.
Now that I myself are part of the ‘Spray Pave Australia’ team, I’ll do my best to return the favour of ongoing support to all the current and future ‘Spray Pave’ operators.
Kindest regards:- Blake Harrowfield Spray Pave Australia Hills and Murray Lands
Scott and Katie Thompson
All I can say is thank you for introducing me to this Industry. I had many doubts about leaving a professional career to start this especially seeing as I had no experience in any trade field. From the very start the support from Head Office has been fantastic. The training we received was to the point and very effective, its amazing how the information that is supplied gives you confidence to sell your own work. You guys have not only enlightened me to a new industry, you have shown me a better path to make a healthy living.
Six months down the track I am still running off the response from the initial advertising and a few leaflet drops and have done in excess of 1,700m2 of work and the only reason it is that low is because of 2 months of wet weather we had in north Qld which slowed me down, I currently have over 300m2 on the books and more quotes lined up all the time. I also have a couple of companies that sell my product as part of their own works which will give me approx. 30-40 jobs a year for which I do no selling or advertising.
So again I say thanks to Chris and all that make this opportunity possible.
Kindest Regards :- Scott and Katie Thompson
Steve Bartley
Since starting in Spray Pave, it has changed not only my career but also my lifestyle. I now am able to spend more time with my family and work fewer hours for more money.
After 20 years of truck driving the last 10 years on gas tankers, the work was not very physical. With a change of career it has increased my fitness and reduced inches off the waistline.
The backup support the company offers is terrific. As is the training program undertaken in the beginning. It is a Business and career well worth recommending to anyone interested in becoming their own boss.
Yours sincerely:- Steve Bartley
Paul Denis
Just a quick note to let you know how my new business is going. I have been completely amazed at the response I have been getting. Firstly from the leads generated by Spray Pave in order to get my business started, these leads gave me the initial start, as they were quality leads. From these, which I requested to stop, the referrals were really surprising, not to mention the effectiveness of the sign writing on the trailer, combined with some local advertising I have not stopped working.
The customers have been really great people, they really appreciate the work that I do for them. The training from Scotty regarding sales and people skills have been of a tremendous benefit, as I have found out from my customers that the other trades people have no idea about effective communication and customer relation skills. They appreciate that they are involved in the whole process from start to finish and they appreciate the call that they receive a couple of weeks later, just to check that everything is okay and that they are completely satisfied with the work that I carried out.
The training that I received in Adelaide was a credit to you and Allan. Adam and Steve gave me a tremendous insight into internal epoxy work. I just completed my first internal job, a hairdressing salon, boy, you should see it, it is absolutely amazing. The response from the centre management and the council health inspector was beyond all expectations. The owner of the salon has rung me to say that business has increased due to the new floor. I will email some photos.
The income I am generating is far greater than what you were telling me about, which keeps the wife happy, she is thinking of new ways on how to spend the money.The budgeting system and quoting system which you taught is really working. I am competitive and still earning good money.
Scotty has been great, his enthusiasm and support is just great, his advice is second to none. My relationship with my supplier is extremely important, he sends leads to me and he also calls in to see some of the jobs that I do. We have made display boards together and display them at their showroom with my name and number on each board. As you said at the training your relationship with your supplier is extremely important, how true.
As you can tell I am very excited about the business and would encourage anyone thinking of getting involved in the concrete resurfacing industry that the only way to succeed is to become a part of Spray Pave Australia.
Once again thank you very much for your training, system and support because you have taken most of the risk out of starting a new business.
Regards:- Paul Denis
George and Diane Christidis
To whom it may concern
My name is Diane and my husband George and I invested in a Spray Pave Australia Franchise in July last year. Like anyone starting out in a new business venture we felt nervous but excited, skeptical but intrigued you name it we felt it. So why did we chose a Spray Pave Australia Franchise? Well, I worked only hard hours as a manager in customer service for a multi national company and spent hours away from my family, my husband was working from home all hours of the night so that we could work around our family’s needs and we hardly saw each other, very rarely ate dinner together and it was taking a toll on us. We wanted to do something that would incorporate his hands on skills and my customer service and leadership skills. Our aim was to build a business that would be dynamic and full of value and most of all that we could run easily together, but allow both of us to work around our family’s needs and commitments.
We chose Spray Pave Australia as it allows us to do all of that and more. We attended the training in Adelaide with great enthusiasm and tried to absorb as much information as we could. We made the decision that I was to attend the training, as my role in our business was to consult the customers and quote for Spray Pave jobs. Since I would be the one that the customers would be asking questions to, I needed to understand the product. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who will be having a similar set up as it was of extreme high value and for our businesses needs.
We were shown the technique to spray pave and other decorative finishes. We learned about marketing and administration of the business as well the more we spoke with Alan and Chris the more our ideas grew and grew.
As soon as we flew back home we had a few leads but the results were a bit bleak. A week later, I printed off some home make flyers and distributed them around the streets where I lived. By the time I got home, I had a few phone calls. One lead, led to another and before I knew it the phone was ringing like mad. We printed off 5,000 flyers and we haven’t even touched the surface of them in the carton yet. A handful of flyers at a time selectively dropped and some local advertising is what has been generating our leads. On an average, I quote 3-4 customers per week of which I get approximately 2 jobs out of. Our average jobs are around $1,500-$2,000 some larger ones are up to $5,000! Sometimes we are able to complete 2 smaller jobs in a week depending on size and weather. We are currently booked 6 weeks in advance. I have had to slow down our campaigns so that we can catch up with the jobs.
I have learned that placing an ad in the local paper and waiting for the phone to call will not generate work you need to go out there and chase your work. Offer competitive prices and something unique to the customers. Spray Pave is a relatively new product so there is still a huge market for it.
So why is our business so successful? we believe it’s due to being a reliable and dynamic customer service operation from initial contact with our clients through to the commencement of work, when it’s completed and beyond! We keep our customers informed every step of the way!
The other great part is if I don’t know how to answer a question or I need help in anyway I do not hesitate to call Chris or Scotty their support has been fabulous and every bit useful. If you are confident in yourself then your customers will be confident in you too!
Spray Pave Australia offers a unique system and once you get out there you will never look back. The part I like the most about the franchise is that there are no boundaries you can be a busy as you like or as slow as you like it, you don’t have to work in a set area or state for that matter and you are in control of your own growth and your own success or failure.
My best advice to anyone just staring out with Spray Pave Australia, Sign Up! Get though the training and GET OUT THERE! If people don’t know you are around or what you are all about , they won’t seek you out, you have to find them.
Friends and family are a great source and work well as spotters! Cut them a deal and offer them a bargain (who can resist a bargain!) Use your work at their place as a display centre! It worked for us to get us started!
Anyway I wish you much success in your business and hope to see you out there promoting our good name Spray Pave Australia!
PS. If you are wondering if the actual Spray Pave work is hard or if you think you wont pick it up, as an observer it’s a piece of cake as for the Spray Paver? Its hands on but very easy to pickup once you have been trained properly.
All the best:- Diane Christidis
John Wessling
We started looking at a Spray Pave Australia franchise in December 2013. A phone call was make to Allan to have all the material sent to us to progress things further. After reading all the material, I developed 2 different projected cash flows on the information given to me by Spray Pave. The budgets were for a normal trading period with 2 people (myself and a labourer) and a worst case scenario (by myself). The labourer was to be hired on a casual basis initially and then if there was sufficient work, full-time. The budgets were basically calculated on the number of working days in a year and then only working 80% of those eg. 20 working days in a month, projected working day = 16. An average of $30- /m2 was used for the normal trading year and $25-/m2 for the worst case year. This was always going to be a full-time business for me or not at all.
After collating all this information and still seeing if it would be viable, I went out into the industry to check who would utilise this service. I talked to many builders, including my brother, determined the pricing of similar product in tile/pavers etc and drove around the streets to see who had used this application or a similar type such as stamped/stencilled concrete. Even though I had been driving around those streets for years, I had never really noticed the types of finishes they had and was surprised when I saw how many had been done in either spray paving or done wet. After talking to various builders etc, they thought that spray paving could go alright with the right marketing as they were always having problems with people that did specialised concreting finishes (wet) with surface cracks appearing later on. Many concreters in the area had already given up on specialised finishes because of this very problem and the issues that went with it.
A decision was made in February 2014 to proceed further even though I had been an office worker and storeman for 31 years prior to that. Arrangements were made with Chris & Allan to formalise the agreement and arrange training. This happened in March 2014 and the business was off and running from the 1st April. In the two weeks I still had to work with my previous employer, I arranged all my tools and equipment, the hiring of a labourer and work. I left my employer on the Friday and started Spray Paving on the Monday with about 2 weeks work.
Advertising was critical at this time so we talked to the local paper and put a plan together for the next 3 months and then review it. It consisted of a three quarter page coloured advertisement (for which the local paper received an award for) and 3 weekly ads (appox 75mm x 75mm) for 13 weeks. Along with the leads we got from Spray Pave Australia we soon had work for up to 3 months. This stayed like this for well over 8 months and with only having 2 or 3 wet days during that period, we never stopped work. Upon reviewing our advertising strategy after 13 weeks, we continued with a coloured Ad in the property section of the local paper every Saturday. Ad size was approx. 100mm x 100mm. A lot of our work was now coming from drive-bys and word-of-mouth. Drive-bys got us 5 jobs in one street alone.
Initially some of our jobs took longer than I had quoted on but that was more due to inexperience than bad quoting. By the end of the first 3 months, we were exceeding our cash flow, the labourer was competently trained to do most of the tasks and we formed a good team. Getting two 300m2 plus jobs in the 6 month period also helped. Using another person to help me, I found that I was completing the work of 3 individual/day and averaging 60 to 75m2 a day.
We closed down for 2 weeks over Xmas to have a break and then got back into it again by mid January. We started the year with about 2 weeks work left over from before we had holidays.
Due to a medical condition, I had no option but to let the business go in August 2015. It was a difficult decision to make, but being unable to personally be on the job, my wife and I decided that our best option was to sell. The business was never listed for sale as I had enquiries from a local about buying it before. When we decided to sell, we just rang him up, supplied him with the trading figures and within a month it was all settled. Brad from SPA Head Office helped me train the purchaser and he never looked back since taking over. In his first month, he has completed over $16,000- worth of work with plenty more to do.
John Wessling
Steve Nagy
(SPA H/O:- This is a copy of an email sent from Steve Nagy to Andrew Sore asking him about the business opportunity)
Well congratulations, you’re certainly doing your research! I think I know most of the people on your list and let me tell you that you’ll get a different reply from them all! As an example if you’re dirty with a two day growth and wear a black tee-shirt to your days work and look a bit rough with a run down looking trailer then don’t be surprised if you don’t have a lot of work!!
I’ve built my own custom tandem trailer to showcase and carry my equipment and have a display board for almost every colour when I go quoting. Our approach is extreme organisation and forward planning and we are flat out. Currently we have close to 800 square metres of work waiting to be done and are taking bookings for the second week of January onwards. I never have trouble finding work. We don’t advertise too much (1 small ad in the local paper) but it pulls 3 jobs a week, leads come in from Adelaide on a regular basis (I’m not taking any at the moment because I cant keep up) and also my supplier gives me work for free now and then I don’t even have my business cards on his desk!! We’re on 40,000 calendars from the end of December and I’m a little worried that we wont be able to handle the calls. It doesn’t worry me to pay $38.50 for leads (SPA H/O. A;; leads are now free) because one job pays for at least 25 leads and Adelaide leads are usually quite good and 8 out of 10 turn into jobs.
I sold my smaller trailer to a concretor near me who wanted to do spray paving as well (six months ago) and went out on a few jobs to show him the ropes. To cut a long story short, he stuffed up 2 jobs in a row and gave up! Without Spray Pave Australia’s training and ongoing help in the first month of trading I would have done the same! It’s not as simple as some would be suppliers of Spray-Paving materials would have you believe. The S.P.A brand name, the contract and guarantee to the customer and the back-up and training are the main reasons I recommend you to buy a franchise!! OK?
By the way, the work can’t be done in rain and takes considerably longer to dry in cold weather but it is possible to work through winter. Just don’t expect to make $10-15,000- per month, at this time. Yes that’s right you can easily pull in that amount at this time of year. I did it last year and am even busier this year. It’s physically hard work that took me a year to get used to (previously a truckie) but now I find it quite alright and have made a few improvements to my equipment that Chris can tell you about and whilst I thought 30k was a hell of a lot to risk on anything , it’s been well worth it not to make a heap of mistakes and fail trying and I love being my own boss and if I wanted to I could work 8 months of the year and sit on my arse during winter. I start when I want, finish when I feel like it ( at this time of year we do work 10-12 hours a day to keep up) and 10 grand or more a month after paying my worker and expenses suits me just fine!
Don’t stuff around like I did for seven months trying to make up my mind, you can still get your training done and book jobs before X-mas! Good Luck mate!
Regards:- Steve Nagy
P.S. I don’t get anything from S.P.A to recommend their franchise or company.
Michael (Mick) Hunt & Jane Thomasson
(SPA H/O. This is a copy from Michael’s web site home page)
Mick is Australian born and bred and proud of it. He loves a game of golf, thoroughly enjoys fishing, and has been an avid St George Illawara supporter since age 11. Throughout his working life Mick has worked in a variety of outdoor jobs, and spent many years working for the NRMA, providing him with an excellent grounding for the Spray Pave work, and excellent customer service skills.
Mick purchased the Spray Pave Australia franchise because of its national reputation as a leader in its field. There are franchises across all states of Australia and throughout the world, and the company is able to offer top quality products and services to customers in addition to excellent support and training to its franchisees. With the companies ability to keep abreast of all the latest techniques, which it passes on to all its franchisees, Mick felt that Spray Pave Australia was able to offer more than an independently operated business, not only for himself, but for his customers. Concrete re-surfacing is a specialised process, and should not be carried out by people without adequate training.
With his rich experience and knowledge of the products and techniques in this specialty are, Mick provides a top quality service to his customers, and has earned a reputation of excellence and top quality work. Mick is proud to be a part of the Spray Pave Australia team, and is happy to assist customers with any enquiries.
Mark and Tracy Kendrick
Hi Chris,
Yes we did it again. (H/O, 3rd year with over 50 jobs, receiving the 50 jobs per year bonus). As you can see it would have been 61 if we waited for the year to be up but I’m over it. I have invested a lot of time into this list/dates/names etc, this will be the last time I will be doing a list. Wonder how many we would have ended up with if:
- We hadn’t taken a week off in August
- Spent 2 weeks in Wynyard in April doing 8 units
- A bit over a week on King Island doing their main st in October.
This of course doesn’t include all the rendering jobs we have done either!!
Considering our weather here in Tasmania with rain and extra effort with heaters and things to dry jobs people in other states would find it easy. Maybe I will just keep a count of jobs to see how many we can do.
I hope you enjoyed your trip to Tas and maybe next time we could catch up for a drink and not be out working.
Thanks:- Tracey and Mark Kendrick