For aspiring entrepreneurs who have a unique idea or see an unfulfilled product or service need or niche, a startup business is probably the way to go. But becoming a franchisee can also be appealing, and the right one can offer several advantages, as Russell Goeseke discovered.
Goeseke held several jobs in different industries over his 42-year career, including being an over-the-road truck driver, a sales consultant at a local car dealership, and a corrections officer for the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. When he retired from the Sheriff’s Office in January 2018, he wasn’t ready to fully retire. He wanted to start a business that would fit his lifestyle and allow him to remain and work in his hometown, and so the idea of becoming a franchisee appealed to him more so than a startup.
“I was looking for a business opportunity with a flexible work schedule, one that didn’t just involve ‘buying a job,’” said Goeseke. “I was in search of a franchise with low startup costs that would offer significant growth opportunity without the hassle of real estate and construction that comes with a brick and mortar operation. My research brought me to Xpresso Delight, and once I discovered the company had yet to enter the Western New York market, I was excited at the possibility of bringing this concept to my hometown.”
Xpresso Delight is an Australian-based company that offers high-end café-quality coffee service to corporate offices through its innovative coffee-as-a-service program. Along with its proprietary 100 percent Arabica coffee blend, Xpresso Delight provides fully automated coffee and espresso machines that provide café quality coffee using the simple “pay-by-the-cup” model. Customers pay no upfront costs, sign no long-term contracts, and don’t have to maintain the machines–the franchisee takes care of everything.
Goeseke was immediately impressed and intrigued with Xpresso Delight.
“This is a groundbreaking opportunity in that there currently is no comparable coffee service in Western New York,” he said. “I was excited to be part of this innovative new concept in the workplace coffee culture. The fact that the startup costs are reasonable and I can work from home without brick and mortar responsibilities made it all that more appealing.”
Goeseke says the company takes steps to make sure potential franchisees do their due diligence, and helped him do so by connecting him with other franchisees and inviting him to New York for “Discovery Day,” where he got to meet staff, taste the coffee, and see the machines in operation. He also worked with a franchise attorney in Buffalo and received assistance from the Small Business Association.
“The attitude from the company is that they want you to be extremely comfortable entering into this situation, and they were very upfront about everything, every step of the way. Their enthusiasm was quite contagious,” he said.
The advantages of becoming an Xpresso Delight franchisee, including lower startup costs, enabled Goeseke to fund his operation totally with personal finances, requiring no loans. He also has no employees, and is building his customer base utilizing his personal and professional contacts, with marketing and prospect assistance from Xpresso Delight.
While he’s just getting his business off the ground, Goeseke says that, so far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “We can easily prove to customers what they will save and, once they taste the coffee and learn the benefits, they’re convinced,” he said.