Abode Homes has been elected as the face of a national Telstra marketing campaign.
BEING selected as the face of a national Telstra marketing campaign could not have come at a better time for Abode Homes principals Karinda and Justin Gill.
The couple is about to turn their 10-year-old construction company into a franchise, taking their successful business model national.
“We had been working with a consultant on how to turn our business into a franchise,” Ms Gill, 42, said.
“We were a Telstra business of the year back in 2011 and they came to us asking if we would head up a ‘Be That Business’ campaign which is going national.
“We jumped at the chance because it fitted in with our desire to promote ourselves and the fact we are becoming a franchise nationally and we use Telstra products.”
Abode has built more than 450 homes and has won the 2011 NT Telstra Business of the Year, the 2011 MYOB Small Business of the Year and The Housing Industry Association’s Northern Territory’s Most Professional Small/Medium Builder for the past 6 years, as well as winning the 2010 and 2011 MBA (NT) Young Builder of the Year and nearly 40 other industry awards. They have a display home at the Zuccoli Display Village, 16 Moth Court.
Ms Gill said the expansion was targeted at builders who were skilled at their trade but may not have grasped the concept of running a business behind the scene.
“We want to take the aspiring builder and teach them how to successfully run a profitable business,” she said. “We’ve got computer programs we’ve successfully developed which will help those who take on a franchise.”
The Gills are targeting northern Queensland for the first of their franchises.
Ms Gill said building homes in cyclone prone areas was a challenge to many business models, giving Abode an advantage.
“Because you have to build to a cyclone code you build those requirements into your business model,” she said. “Normally southern builders expand north but we are going from the top down.
“All our designs take into account the specifics of living in the tropics which gives us an advantage.”
The Gills cut their business teeth in a franchise model so have learned the ups and downs associated with franchising.
We have an awesome house thanks to awesome people and we moved in 8 weeks early!"
You can tell a good builder by the after sales service... yours has been great!"
Our house started at the same time as our neighbour. We have had a dream run, moved in early and would build with Abode again. Our neighbour doesn't have the same feelings for their builder."