Fastway Couriers targets retrenched transport workers

Courier delivery franchise Fastway Couriers is looking to ramp up its recruitment efforts by targeting retrenched workers in the transport industry who are “struggling to make ends meet”.

Established in New Zealand in 1983, Fastway Couriers currently has some 1,200 franchisees and 100 regional depots across Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Northern Ireland and South Africa.

The company is now looking to promote franchise opportunities among recently laid-off transport workers.

The news comes after the collapse of national trucking firm 1^st Fleet, which is expected to affect as many as 600 jobs.

According to Richard Thame, chief executive of Fastway Couriers Australia, the recent layoffs mean many former transport workers are struggling to make ends meet.

“Many companies in logistics and transport are making cuts at the moment,” Thame says.

“But we have plenty of opportunities for hard-working, driven individuals who have been affected by a redundancy or a closure to kick-start their own business with us.”

“It’s perfect for anyone who wants to be their own boss… We have opportunities for courier franchisees across many of the major metropolitan and regional centres.”

Thame says the main opportunities lie in suburban areas in Sydney and Melbourne, in addition to Brisbane and Perth.

“In the Fastway system, you have the exclusive rights to a geographical territory… [As time progresses,] there is an opportunity to split that territory for a capital gain,” he says.

“We’re looking at a number of splits at the moment. That’s where we see a good opportunity for someone sick of working for someone else and wanting to start their own business.”

According to Thame, the initial outlay for an entry-level franchisee could be as little as $25,000, but it depends on the territory in which they operate.

“They would need to provide a clean white van, but we work with them to have the [Fastway Couriers] signage written on. We also provide the rest of the training of the support,” he says.

Thame says Fastway Couriers also provides income guarantee, so a new franchisee can expect to turn over around $1,500 a week.

According to Peter Strong, who heads up the Council of Small Business of Australia, people who start a business after being laid off need to manage their emotions as much as their finances.

Strong told StartupSmart it’s particularly important for retrenched workers to keep their emotions in check if they receive a payout.

“We hear from people who say, ‘I’ve got half-a-million dollars. Here’s my opportunity to do my own thing’… It’s wonderful they think that way, but be careful with your money,” Strong says.

Aside from the transport sector, Strong believes there could be an increase in job cuts in the public sector as governments look to reduce spending.

“The other area is banking – we will start to see retrenchments happening in the banks.”

Sure enough, it was revealed earlier this week the Commonwealth Bank will shut its mortgage services processing centre in Melbourne, with 100 jobs expected to be lost by the end of the year.