Flat out helping customers put things away

From left, directors Kelly and Robyn Donnelly and Darel Clinch are not afraid to roll their sleeves up. Photo / Paul Estcourt

If your staff are coming to work at 5.30am, leaving around 6pm and working Saturdays as well, you probably have a healthy business.

And you should be thinking about taking some more people on before the team gets too exhausted.

This is the enviable position of franchise owners Robyn and Kelly Donnelly and Greg and Darel Clinch. They own the two largest franchises of Innovative Interiors, formerly Wardrobe Systems, which specialises in customised wardrobe and storage design through 14 franchises.

The Donnellys bought the first North Harbour franchise in 1991, and took on Darel Clinch nine years later. Darel and her husband Greg subsequently bought into the business. The two husband and wife teams bought the second franchise for Auckland in 2008. Together the two franchises have a turnover of about $2.5 million and operate from the showroom and headquarters in Ellice Rd, Glenfield.

It is unapologetically a lifestyle business, says Robyn Donnelly, who had two young children when she started business.

"It's flexible, we can use the talents we have and we get to be more creative."

Storage trends have changed over the years. "If you go back 20 years, there weren't even en suites. Storage has become way more important," says Donnelly.

Clinch runs the office and sales team, and says: "When I came on board, if I did 100 quotes, 95 per cent were for wardrobes, now it's entertainment units, laundry storage, storage for home offices."

"People say 'I want to house my DVDs, I've got 1000 of them'. Everything we had 20 years ago, we have got 10 times as much," says Clinch. And at the same time there is a focus on de-cluttering in open plan homes.

Important customers for the two franchise businesses are Auckland housebuilders, architects and interior designers including Sierra Homes, David Reid Homes, House of Nautica, Town & Country and Masonry Design Solutions. They represent around 15 per cent of business.

"With House of Nautica, we work with their client, will meet with them on site," says Donnelly.

The recession hit the company like everyone else. The 2007 $1.5 million turnover of the North Harbour franchise went down to $1.3 million in 2008.

"We had never advertised for 16 years," says Donnelly. "We did do a bit of advertising in selected areas, but a huge percentage of the jobs are still done by referrals."

Donnelly and Clinch believe that what singles their service out is their team's creative solutions for each customer. It also has a "no job is too small policy."

If it's a small job for a young couple, their parents might be looking for something in their house and be inspired, says Donnelly.

The business owners take pride in their relationships with their 12 staff.

"We don't hold ourselves up there as bosses. Kelly will unload a job for the installers - he'll go and help them when they are tired. It means he will have time with them," says Donnelly.

Kelly heads the installation team - three of whom are trained cabinet makers.

"These guys we employ have to know their thing - if there is something wrong with the design we have to be able to sort it," says Clinch.

Their handiwork is closely examined when they exhibit at trade shows. At the Auckland Home Show, competitors were taking a big interest in their storage units.

"The competition were all on our stand, cabinet makers were lying on the ground, looking under the drawer to see how it was made," says Clinch.

"It's a compliment, we don't get upset, we should pat ourselves on the back," she says.

Innovative interiors

* Customised wardrobe and storage design.

* 14 franchises throughout NZ.

* Auckland and North Harbour franchises bring in $2.5 million a year.