Honesty the Key to Make a Small Business Succeed |
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When Craig Beedle’s JAXQuickfit Tyres outlet officially opens its doors this weekend, there will be a sense of “coming home”. Not that Craig had left Thirlmere, or the tyre business and is now returning, but that he and the team behind JAXQuickfit Tyres go back a long way and now they have joined forces again. “I was with JAX Tyres for 10 years until around 1999 when I had the idea I would like to run my own show, to be an independent tyre retailer,” says Craig. “I guess it’s a case of the other man’s grass looking greener and for a while it was. Then I realised that it actually worked better for me, my staff and my customers to have the power of a big company behind us. “It was while I was trying to work out the best way to go forward that I heard that JAX had merged with Quick Fit. Given that I know the people and the way they worked, it made sense to talk to them – their mission statement is to be the best there is and I felt exactly the same. “There were obvious advantages for the customers because of the buying power that we can pass on in terms of good prices, but perhaps also some that are less obvious to them, such as access to the latest training and equipment.” Craig has been in the tyre business for 25 years, learning on the job from the ground up. There’s not much he doesn’t know about tyres and he genuinely loves the business and dealing with people, particularly those in the Wollondilly area where he has lived and worked for the last 10 years. “This is a great community. People know each other and help each other. There is a lot of trust and friendship and reliability and those sort of values work both ways. “My kids are at one of the local schools and involved with the local Thirlmere Roosters rugby league team and we help out with sponsorship whenever and however we can with anything they’re doing. “I really believe that you get back what you put in, that what goes around, comes around, both in personal relationships and for business. |
“We pride ourselves on offering good advice and good service to our customers. People have choices and if you do the wrong thing by them, you won’t have a business. “I don’t claim to be the cheapest but I do believe we offer the best value for money. We talk to our customers, find out their budget and what needs doing, and then we explain all the options. “I want my customers to be happy and safe rather than walking in the door complaining next week that we haven’t done the right thing by them.” JAXQuickfit Tyres Thirlmere is the latest outlet of the all-new 72-strong chain that was created late last year when two of the biggest names in Australian tyre retailing – JAX Tyres and Quickfit Tyres – joined forces. The merger has provided huge buying power for the group, an emphasis on staff training and top-notch equipment, and efficiencies of service that all work in the customers’ favour. JAXQuickfit Tyres stocks the world’s leading tyre brands including Bridgestone, Continental, Dunlop, Goodyear, Michelin, and Pirelli. It also carries a wide range of top-line alloy and steel wheels, as well as providing a variety of other mechanical services such as brakes and suspension.
Aug 2006 |
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