DON’T be surprised to find a Boost Juice in Chile, Crepe Cafe in Bahrain or an Aussie Pooch in Malaysia.
The Australian market for juice, crepes and dog washing services is toosmall for businesses with big growth ideas and more and more Australian franchise systems are heading overseas.
Gold Coast-based Crepe Cafe founded by Amel Braham-Baillette, her husband Norbet Baillette, and colleague Jean-Pierre Corgnet recently appointed a master franchise for the Middle East, with an outlet to open in Bahrain by the middle of the year. Mr Corgnet said going global had been the plan from the start.
“The Australian market is quite small when you compare it to the Middle East,” he said. “The Middle East is a good market for us because they spend a lot of time in the shopping centres (and) they know the product.”
A 2004 survey by Griffith University found one third of Australian franchise systems have operations overseas with New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, UK and the US the most common destinations.
The Australian Trade Commission’s Cheryl Scott, who works with Australian franchises looking for overseas expansion, said more sophisticated and experienced systems also were considering and operating in South-East Asia and the Middle East.
Queensland franchises Poolwerx, Brumby’s and the Coffee Club have all investigated overseas options. But few had ventured into the lucrative Chinese market, Ms Scott said.
“If we find people (franchisees) in markets that aren’t at the top of their (franchisor’s) list they will still consider it if there’s a good business proposition in front of them,” she said.
“Usually the more experienced players that are going into quite different area and other systems like Gloria Jeans and Boost who want to go everywhere.”
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