Smartline named best franchise in Australia

It placed first in six of the seven sub-categories: support, lifestyle, opportunities, passion, marketing and brand.

Smartline described 2013/2014 as its “strongest 12 months of turnover and recruitment growth”, with franchise numbers up 10 per cent, sales per franchise up 10 per cent and turnover up 16 per cent.

Topfranchise.com.au said Smartline’s success during the past six years was due to “a culture of not getting complacent, of always looking forward and reinvesting”.

Smartline executive director Joe Sirianni told The Adviser that the group had introduced a new referral model for insurance in 2013/2014 and had also added about 20 franchises.

Mr Sirianni said Smartline wanted to keep expanding its network from its current level of 263 franchises and 300 loan writers to about 300 franchises and 350 writers.

Regional communities have particular growth potential, he added.

“I’d love to see one day our footprint covering small regional towns across the country. Franchising works well in small communities,” he said.

Mr Sirianni said winning the topfranchise.com.au rankings made it a little easier to recruit good staff, but that potential franchisees still needed to be sold on the merits of joining Smartline.

[Related: Smartline consolidates $5bn franchise merger]