Boost Juice opens 200th Aussie store – three tips from founder Janine Allis

Michelle Hammond
Wednesday, 07 November 2012
SmartStartUp

Boost Juice Bars has opened its 200th store in Australia as it continues to grow its network nationally and internationally, highlighting some key tips for start-ups to take note of.

Boost, founded by Jeff and Janine Allis, is regularly held up as an Australian franchise success story, having grown from humble beginnings as an Adelaide juice bar more than a decade ago.

In addition to 200 Australian stores, Boost operates 70 international outlets in 13 countries including South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Chile and the United Kingdom.

“We opened our first store with a simple vision,” Janine said in a statement.

“Our goal was to create something that tasted amazing and was good for you, and ensuring that you were always looked after by someone with a smile.”

“Now, reaching 200 stores in Australia, based on the same vision from 12 years ago, is an incredible dream come true. I have loved every minute of it.”

Boost is planning to open a further 11 stores in Australia in the next six months. So how did they do it? Here are three key tips from Janine Allis:

1. Don’t be afraid to start small

It’s common for Australian start-ups to start off in major cities, namely Sydney and Melbourne, before expanding into other locations. Boost, however, open its first store in Adelaide.

After researching the market, Janine and Jeff discovered starting in a smaller market offered less financial risk. Rather than send someone to Adelaide to do the dirty work, Janine did it herself.

“I flew to Adelaide to open the first store; I ran it, scrubbed the floors and really learnt the business. It meant I was continually developing and growing it,” she says on the Boost website.

2. Never stop asking questions

As soon as Jeff found a site in Adelaide, he got his father to sit out the front of the store and count people, noting whether they were male or female and roughly how old they were.

“Once we were happy with the flow we signed our first lease and opened our first store… We built the business one customer at a time,” Janine says.

“We were one of the first retailers to introduce a loyalty program and we put a massive guarantee in the store so I could hear everyone’s feedback. The customer is always, always first.”

3. Maintain transparency

All franchisees within the Boost network are referred to as partners because they are “an important part of the Boost family”, in which honesty and transparency are key.

“We are totally transparent. We actually tell people at the start, ‘If you don’t want to share your figures on profit and loss, you’re getting into the wrong company’,” Janine says.

“We talk about P&Ls (profit and loss) every month. They see ours, we see theirs and we discuss how to improve their bottom line