VISITORS THIS YEAR
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Monday 5 January 2009
HERE'S OUR STORY - AND A WARNING TO BASKIN ROBBINS AUSTRALIA FRANCHISEES
I have some news for you and the other franchisees... Since the enormous failure of our franchise, establishing a new store in the Sunshine Plaza - Maroochydore whereby for every month of operation we propped up that business by the tune of $7,000 to sometimes $12,000 a month from another our businesses which todate, including legal costs, is approx. $150,000+. This horrendous financial drain and severe loss has now cascaded to where we now stand - just several days from placing our group of companies into voluntary administration. We've been told that there will be zero assets left for us and there is a possible outcome for bankruptcy.
I hope that other Franchisees do not wait and try and trade things out to possibly face the same tragic outcome as us. As soon as they realise that their business is not producing a viable and profitable outcome for their investment dollars and their time, they should move immediately to close the doors and try to salvage what they can. We mad the terrible mistake of trying to trade things out in the 'hope' that things would improve, but in hindsight we should have closed the doors and cut our losses at 6 months from opening. Had we have done so, we might not be meeting with KordaMentha next week. My wife has cried for two weeks since the realisation of our pending financial disaster.
It is a little like the stock market - when you buy a stock and you get all emotional over it, then the price drops and you feel the punch in the stomach, but you say in hope, "it will turn around, it'll turn around", but it doesn't and it slides down in value, but you think... "I'll buy some more", but it slides in price again until one day you truly really realise that the stock is a dog and that it must be put down to cut further losses. It is too late for us now and if we can help advise any other franchisee, we would be happy to listen to their story and offer whatever suggestions that may be beneficial to them.
The other week I visited the Noosa store to have a chat with Maureen the previous owner, but to my surprise the young sales assistant told me that she didn't have the store anymore and that it was bought by Baskin Robbins. So that is now two 'new' stores that they have bought back. I don't know anything about her arrangement and I can not discuss ours. I do know she was loosing much more than we were so in addition to our store, their owners are probably operating at a negative monthly cashflow of approx. $20k - $25k. How long can any business sustain that and who would want to buy a business like that?
I have spoken with a few other franchisees and they are too in a grave financial position... Please keep me in the loop.
I hope that other Franchisees do not wait and try and trade things out to possibly face the same tragic outcome as us. As soon as they realise that their business is not producing a viable and profitable outcome for their investment dollars and their time, they should move immediately to close the doors and try to salvage what they can. We mad the terrible mistake of trying to trade things out in the 'hope' that things would improve, but in hindsight we should have closed the doors and cut our losses at 6 months from opening. Had we have done so, we might not be meeting with KordaMentha next week. My wife has cried for two weeks since the realisation of our pending financial disaster.
It is a little like the stock market - when you buy a stock and you get all emotional over it, then the price drops and you feel the punch in the stomach, but you say in hope, "it will turn around, it'll turn around", but it doesn't and it slides down in value, but you think... "I'll buy some more", but it slides in price again until one day you truly really realise that the stock is a dog and that it must be put down to cut further losses. It is too late for us now and if we can help advise any other franchisee, we would be happy to listen to their story and offer whatever suggestions that may be beneficial to them.
The other week I visited the Noosa store to have a chat with Maureen the previous owner, but to my surprise the young sales assistant told me that she didn't have the store anymore and that it was bought by Baskin Robbins. So that is now two 'new' stores that they have bought back. I don't know anything about her arrangement and I can not discuss ours. I do know she was loosing much more than we were so in addition to our store, their owners are probably operating at a negative monthly cashflow of approx. $20k - $25k. How long can any business sustain that and who would want to buy a business like that?
I have spoken with a few other franchisees and they are too in a grave financial position... Please keep me in the loop.
Saturday 3 January 2009
CORRECTION - FAILED STORES OUTNUMBER NEW ONES
Allied Brands sends out news stories telling about their "big expansion" plans. These news stories are used to push the stock price up. And then when the reality begins to awaken, the stock price slowly returns to the low price.
Earlier this year they said "big expansion in WA". In fact Baskin Robbins shops only close, and no new ones open.
Just recently Allied Brands and Baskin Robbins Australia says "nine new stores this year". How is this good, when ten or more stores close?
Like these:
Henry Dean Plaza (less than six months, Korean people dudded).
Sydney Penrith (small ice cream case shoved into Cookieman while Chinese people dudded)
Sydney Rouse Hill (two year shop closed, Indian people dudded)
Hamilton NSW (one shop failed, lawsuit filed, new store opened, closed in less than a year)
Bondi Jct (four year shop fails in busy mall, more Indian people dudded)
Rockhampton (two shops fail, more people dudded)
Bondi Beach (opened, failed, reopened with Cookieman, failed, Canada people dudded)
Townsville Willow (part of successful Subway shop, chinese people dudded)
Allied Brands also announced "big interest in Cookieman franchise from many countries in Asia and Middle East ----announcement by end of year".
What year?
ANOTHER ALMOST WORTHLESS BASKIN ROBBINS IN PERTH
I feel for you. Everything, every quotations and details are very descriptive, and truly true. This Allied Brands doesn't care if we make $1 or $10 a month. Whoever just bought a BR franchise, are truly innocent people who haven't done their research properly about Allied Brands, and just swallowed any of those HO sales pitch religiously. Did you know that when I bought my BR was costing me $220K, now I find it hard just to sell it for $50K plus stocks?
In overseas countries Baskin Robbins is respected franchise and owners make a descent living from their hard work. Now Allied Brands brings Korean people to Australia by selling them shop AND visa! These people are now struggling and can't complain to anyone otherwise they get sent back to Korean.
I kept talking about the idea of the so-called Franchisee Association from long time ago, it's THE only way and THE most effective force to bring justice. It's long overdue. But if most of us are so passive like right now, then I think is going to be really hard for that to happen. We find an internal passive resistance as well as external attack from HO.
I kept talking about the idea of the so-called Franchisee Association from long time ago, it's THE only way and THE most effective force to bring justice. It's long overdue. But if most of us are so passive like right now, then I think is going to be really hard for that to happen. We find an internal passive resistance as well as external attack from HO.
Peter Graham calls us "Franchise Business Partners". Peter Graham wants the partners to fail so they can resell our shops to new suckers. This isn't how partners act to the other. Partners? I want a divorce!
Thursday 1 January 2009
KOREA PEOPLE PROBLEMS
안녕하세요.
저는 호주에서 베스킨라빈스를 운영하고 있는 브라이언이라고 합니다.
제가 이 글을 쓰는 이유는 다름이 아니라 호주 베스킨라빈스에 의해
호주로 이민을 온 한국인들에게 부당한 일을 한 한 사기꾼에 대해
얘기하고 싶어서입니다.
한국에서 BR은 굉장히 높이 평가되고 있고 많은 체인점들이 건실한
주인들에 의해 좋은 이익을 내고 있는 점 알고 있습니다. 베스킨라빈스
한국본사는 가게 주인들을 잘 후원해주고 있고 그 결과 좋은 명성을
얻게 되었고 손님들도 만족해하고 있습니다.
하지만, 호주에서의 사정은 조금 다릅니다. 경영회사인 Allied Brands는
이미 여러 번 파산의 위기에 처해졌었고 호주에 있는 많은 베스킨라빈스는
이익을 내지 못해서 가게주인들은 걱정스럽고 실망해 가득 차있습니다.
이러한 문제 때문에 가게는 호주인들에게 팔리지 않고 있습니다.
사건은 이번 년초로 올라가서, 호주 베스킨라빈스는 한국에 광고를 내기 시작했습니다.
그 내용인 즉.,관심 있는 한국인들에게 호주에 임시로 머무를 수 있는 비자를 포함해서
베스킨라빈스 가게를 판매하는 것이었습니다. 물론 이 광고는 호주로 오고 싶어하는
몇몇 사람들의 관심을 끌었습니다. 현재 4 가구가 이러한 과정을 통해 호주에
있으며, 이러한 판매 과정을 통해서 그들은 사기를 당하게 되었습니다.
그 4 곳은 HENRY DEAN PLAZA (시드니) DARLING HARBOUR (시드니) STRATHPINE(브리즈번) NEW FARM (브리즈번)입니다. 이 가게들은 호주 투자자들에
의해 팔리지 않고 있으며, 그래서 그들은 한국인들에게 터무니없이 높은 가격에 가게들을
팔았고 이 사기꾼에 의해 그들이 헤아릴수도 없이 수많은 달러를 손해 보았다는걸
알았습니다.
특히 STRATHPINE쪽은 타격이 커서 심지어 그들은 지역한국 연합교회에서
음식과 다른 복지를 후원받고 있는 실정입니다.
게다가 정부는 비자의 합법성을 조사하고 있으며, 곧 정부에 의해 비자 무효가 될
위기에 처해질지도 모릅니다.
이 사건은 회사입장에서도 굉장한 불명예이며, 한국 언론계에서 이러한 문제점을
발견할 경우, 호주내의 베스킨라빈스 이미지에 크나큰 손상을 입힐 것입니다.
왜 이러한 사기꾼을 베스킨라빈스 회사에 연관되도록 하십니까?
미국 베스킨라빈스는 호주에서의 한국인 혹사에 신경 쓰지 않으십니까?
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