A day in the life of a retail service business owner

After years of working for others who didn’t share his passion or ideals David Scicluna decided it was time for a change. With experience in customer service and administration David was after an opportunity that had a tried and tested business model and best-practices in place. PACK & SEND fit the bill, and three years later he still loves it.

After only a short time in the business, David’s passion for people and drive to exceed expectations saw him being awarded with the 2016 Australian PACK & SEND Franchisee of the Year! He now owns two Sydney stores, one in Surry Hills, and another in Burwood, and is working to open up his existing customer base and expand both businesses.

Everything is in my job description

Accounts, HR, collecting and delivering freight, booking services, overseeing international item clearances, and packing shipments are just a few of the responsibilities on David’s list. With a small dedicated team that all multitask in customer service, packing and driving, David’s stores look after the general public, corporate businesses as well as local and home based business owners with all their packaging and freight needs.

Most mornings for David start with catching up on international freight movements and estimates from overnight, then it’s time for sales calls, and packing and preparing freight for dispatch. By midday, his focus shifts to priority shipments, which can mean he needs to replan the rest of the day’s collections and packing to accommodate last minute orders. The end of the day is a time to ensure everything has been dispatched correctly, and may involve personally delivering freight to a depot. Finalising accounts rounds out most days. While his days are packed with many various tasks, David says “I definitely enjoy being my own boss and being rewarded for the effort that I put into my business”.

Bookwork is a necessary evil

“You need to be prepared to do any or all of the tasks necessary for the business to function on a daily basis every day” says David. While his least favourite task is bookwork, he says it all feels worthwhile when he’s able to help customers, and take seemingly impossible services and make them a reality. “I think most people don’t understand how much care is needed in preparing freight for transit,” says David. Coming from outside the freight industry he said the training provided by the PACK & SEND head office team was paramount when he was starting out, and the ongoing support that’s provided by the franchisor has been critical to his continued success.

David’s advice for business success

For those just starting out David’s key tips are:

1. Know as much as possible about every aspect of your business
2. Expect hard work
3. Have confidence – you can do it

“It’s no picnic, but if you are confident in your skills and a have a business plan that has merit then all you need to do is to back yourself and be prepared to work hard.”

Looking to take the next step and buy your own business? Find out everything you need to know with our ultimate guide on how to buy a business.