In this edition of Engaged we took the time out to have a chat with  the hard working Rich Branson of IF Telecom. Rich gives us a little insight into what it takes to run a successful franchise, why he chose the Telco Industry and how the Credit Crunch has affected them.

Company : IF Telecom Pty Ltd

Location : Central Melbourne – 462 William Street

Who is Richard Branson? : I am 26 and moved over from Bristol in England in September 2005.

What were you doing before Telco and what made you give Telco a go? : Before getting into Telco I completed a Marketing Degree in Bristol, England. After a few months off catching up on festivals I dropped everything in the UK and moved to Melbourne. Since then I’ve not looked back.

How long has IF been running for? : The IF Group of companies has been running since October 2004, IF Telecom since October 2005.

Tell us a little about IF Telecom, How it started and how many people you have on board? : Both myself and brother Andy run the business. Andy takes more of a sales role, and manages the sales team while at the same time running a very successful campaign for NAB selling merchant services. The NAB campaign has led us to recently open a sales office in Adelaide – this will soon lead to a base for some IF Telecom sales staff.
We currently have 5 full time office based staff managing IF Telecom Customer Care and Sales Support for both the IF Telecom and NAB campaigns. At present the IF Telecom sales team comprises of 4 full time staff – 3 on the road doing face to face appointments and 1 on the phones. Plans are to constantly expand both teams in the near future.

What was the hardest thing to get your head around? : Some of the annoying procedures Telstra have to manage their lines. Understanding the money go round and the importance of good financial planning.

So what made you approach Telcoinabox? : Telco In a Box gave us the opportunity as newbie’s in the Service Provider game to offer a wide range of products and services. All factors including Billing, Printing and Technical Support were instantly sorted.

Key factors to your success? : I think a number of things have led to our success. Initially it was not spending much money on marketing materials, websites etc. and solely focusing on selling and getting customers on board. As we grew and brought on staff it’s been important that we have had a team atmosphere and a fun, friendly working environment.

By running multiple sales campaigns it has meant that we have had a busy office, even in IF Telecom’s early days, full of people motivated to do well. Andy’s experience in Sales and Sales Training has meant we can bring someone with little or no sales experience to become a ‘Sales Gun’. Opportunities and progression within the company has led to staff being with us for 4 or more years!

How has Telcoinabox contributed to your success? : By offering support when needed and by delivering a billing platform that we simply could not have done on our own.

What is a typical day like for Rich? : On a work day the alarm goes off at 7am – quick shower – then a 5 minute walk to the office – i’m very lucky that I’m not in the rat race of traffic jams and early morning road rage. Usually at my desk with a coffee at 7.30ish.
Mornings would involve checking payments, making sure the guys have their list of collection calls. Then the day to day huge range of different things that crop up with managing 1000 business customers. Luckily we have a very good team to help – and things have changed considerably from the days of taking customer calls on the mobile while shooting around town.
At the moment I usually have a quick lunch, continue working for the afternoon before finishing up in the office at 5 or 5.30pm.
In the evenings I try and fit in some sport – swimming, squash and we have our 5 a-side indoor football (soccer) team. Then of course there are the odd midweek drinks, nights out and the likes Melbourne has to offer.
Weekends are very different. :)

What is the best thing you like about running a Telco? : I like the fact that it is a very changing market. Technologies across the board are always moving forward and developing. It’s a 24 hrs business, so whether you’re in the office, at the pub or on the beach – people are always making phone calls! The opportunity is still absolutely massive!

How has the credit crunch affected you and what measures have you implemented to survive it? : To date I think it has opened up more avenues to sales. Cold calling b2b is now a viable option, when at one stage it seemed exhausted - businesses are keen to save money! It has however meant that we have to keep an even closer eye on collections – and regular contact with customers is needed to understand how their business is going.

What other advice would you give to new Telco Franchisees? : Focus on sales, as without customers there is no-one to care for and no money coming in! Don’t go nuts with salaries & expensive handsets as you won’t make money from a customer for at least 2 months! And don’t be afraid to bar a customer – as they’ll generally pay you the same day!

Where do you see IF Telecom in 5 years? : In 5 years we want IF Telecom to have kept growing at the same fast rate that it  is now. Hopefully billing in excess of $1 million per month. More sales staff and more customer service staff. We’ll need another new office by then – with a balcony!

How can we get in touch with you for more info? : Email is probably the best method – as I’m never that far away from them – rich@iftelecom.com

Author: Bill Kang
Email: bill@telcoinabox.com