Nobby Clark and Karen Carter - Invercargill Franchisees

With twenty five years apiece in Management, staring down the barrel of late 50's, every business they researched was either too risky or too dear - until they saw Crest.

Invariably, the man of the house hedges at the thought of cleaning for a living. In Nobby Clark and Karen Carter's case the opposite was true.

To say it was a quantum leap for the couple is an understatement. Both have significant backgrounds in management with public social services. But then unemployment does strange things - and when you're staring down the barrel of late '50s, doors tend to shut: often and hard.

Nobby' s fit - marathon fit - 21 years of competing in Southland's gruelling mountain race under his belt. He went numb looking for work - and adapted easily to cleaning. Karen admits to finding it tough physically and mentally initially and Nobby is glad they didn't take up their full quota of contracts straight away.

Less than 10 years from retirement, Nobby and Karen already had the house and lifestyle but resources were dwindling. They wanted a decent income and used equity on their bush property six kms from Invercargill to outlay $50,000 for a $100,000 turnover.

Nobby did a lot of homework and was tipped by another Crest franchisee to spend the first three months building up the workload. They began at about two thirds their quota, grossing around $65,000. Crest's contract guarantee was handy incentive, but there were other aspects he liked.

Twenty five years apiece in management and strong characters, Nobby and Karen are clear about what they want. They had faced challenges in their working environments - but sitting idle wasn't an option for Nobby.

Every business he researched was either too risky or too dear - until he saw Crest. The ability to provide excellent service as a self-employed person was a selling point. Nobby also saw advantages in working alone - out of sight from corporate life - and calling the shots with hours.

Five days was a pre-requisite - having daytime to themselves also appealed. And Nobby liked Crest's handling of GST, tax and money collection. That in itself is huge - eliminating time and energy.

Though they have different attitudes, Nobby and Karen are united on one aspect - quality is not negotiable. Well aware of cowboys in the industry, Nobby believes in providing assurance and satisfaction. Early feedback also let Nobby see advantages about the growth - clients coming word of mouth and not necessarily through Crest. It's another incentive he likes - the ability to grow his income without having to buy more quota.

Routine, time management and flexibility all appeal - workloads structured around their lives and that precious free time from Friday to Sunday afternoon. Workers aren't in the equation - even when contracts increase. Nobby sees himself cleaning 'til retirement; Karen's not so sure. In which case, Nobby will re-evaluate his stance on employing.

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