What is a good day at work for you?

A good day at work for me is collaborating with my team, the broader corporate office and the franchise network. Every day involves engaging with many stakeholders, which is both challenging and rewarding, but also a lot of fun.

The interdependence between the corporate office and your business owners is key at Quest. Why is it so important?

It’s crucial because Quest operates as a Business Format Franchise Model (BFFM). This model is a significant factor in business owners choosing to invest in the brand and its network. The mutual success of both the corporate office and the business owners is intertwined.

Franchise Relationship Managers (FRMs) meet with business owners every four to six weeks to collaborate on key actions and strategies to enhance business performance. By working together towards shared goals, the corporate office and business owners achieve the best results.

Why is the BFFM such a strong proposition?

The BFFM offers the benefits of being in business without being alone. When you join our business, you have a comprehensive business model and support system designed to help you effectively. This model can be fine-tuned to fit the specific needs of different properties, which vary in size and have evolved over the years. The BFFM is adaptable and evolves with each business.

Additionally, we not only provide the system and tools but also actively listen and learn from our business owners and their key staff. Their valuable feedback helps us continuously improve the BFFM, ensuring it meets the challenges of running businesses across the country.

You’ve been with Quest since 2009, and a lot has changed in that time. Where is the brand today?  

Since joining Quest in 2009, I've witnessed significant changes and growth. Quest has become a significant player in the franchising and accommodation sectors, and I believe we are one of the best brands in the country. However, there is always room for improvement. The learnings and experiences over the years have helped us become a more rounded franchisor and franchise network.

In 2019, we earned Fran Data’s five-star rating, becoming the first franchisor in Australia to receive this recognition. We have maintained this five-star rating for the past six years, even while navigating the challenges of the pandemic.

As a network, it has been crucial to ensure our brand evolves and remains relevant for our guests. This success is due to the quality and dedication of our business owners and strong leadership from the corporate team.

What do you look for in a business owner?

When selecting a business owner, we look for individuals who reflect our values and are aligned with our common vision and objectives. They must be prepared to give this significant investment their personal best. There are several character traits we look for through the selection process:

• Commitment to work within the framework of our franchise model
• Energetic and hands-on approach to the business and community
• Strong leadership skills and effective people-management to lead their team and consistently deliver on the guest experience
• Relationship-building skills to work with various stakeholders, including guests, corporate office teams and key suppliers, to maximise opportunities in their marketplace
• Results-driven mindset with personal accountability, discipline and resilience to run the business independently
  

These qualities are essential for ensuring the success and growth of the business within our franchise network.

Why is it crucial to give business owners support throughout their tenure at Quest?

It is important that business owners have guidance throughout their tenure at Quest so that we consistently deliver the Quest experience to our standards across the country. Whether a guest is in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, or Melbourne, they should have a similar, high-quality experience.

Last year, we emphasised two key words with our franchise network and corporate team: Curious and Consistent. Being curious means always asking questions on how we can improve, and being consistent means delivering a uniform guest experience and operational excellence in running an apartment hotel.

As a brand, we delivered 2.5 million room nights last year, which is a significant achievement by the network. Providing robust systems, support and guidance to our business owners is crucial to maintaining this level of performance and ensuring guest satisfaction.

You’ve mentioned the significance of business owners giving back to their communities. Why is that?

The importance of business owners giving back to their communities is deeply ingrained in Quest's values and vision. We recently updated our Vision to: “As franchising leaders across Australasia, we support and grow our network by enriching their businesses, communities and life through our proven wealth creation model.”

During the review of our Vision, we held a workshop session with our Business Owner Council, which includes franchisees. They emphasised the importance of including communities in our vision. Our business owners have always contributed to their local communities, and this has been a fundamental part of Quest's DNA.

We take great pride in the activities across our network, known as Quest for a Cause, that give back to communities, Supporting and enriching local communities not only strengthens our brand but also fosters a sense of connection and responsibility among our business owners.