Stories to inspire you
Hear what our store operators have to say!
Hear what our store operators have to say!
Ben started his journey with Calendar Club with his partner Ashley in 2016 while he was running a food franchise called Bucking Bull, QLD. In 2018 Ben and Ashley moved back to Newcastle and ran a store in Stockland Greenhills in 2019 and 2021 while running their own popup business called GX Handcrafted. They love the flexibility of being your own boss and getting the entrepreneur experience without diving into the deep end financially.
“Calendar Club has always been fantastic to work with and deal with over the years. The experience has only gotten better, and the company is continually developing better ways for licences to run stores. I would highly recommend for anyone looking to get into business in the retail industry.”
Henry discovered Calendar Club by attending a seminar at Intern Match while in his 3rd year at university. Wanting real life experience and to get out of his comfort zone Henry applied for a position with his partner Dulcinea for Macquarie Centre located near his University. Their store ranked no. 1 in Sydney, and they gained problem solving and entrepreneur skills. You can hear more of Henry’s story here
“I would recommend all the international students who are interested in entrepreneurship to apply for the upcoming seasons as a store licensee. I can guarantee it will not be easy work but an invaluable experience you won’t want to miss out! Thank you to the Calendar Club team for supporting us with all the resources throughout the journey and our friends for helping us set up the store.”
Gabby finished her bachelor’s degree in New Zealand in 2019 and her career was hit by the pandemic. After completing her studies at Monash University in Melbourne she ran her own Calendar Club store in 2021. During her application and close to the store opening Gabby decided to move to Canberra! No matter this hurdle, Calendar Club was able to work closely with Gabby, so her store was up and running in time! This opportunity has strengthened her business skills in all aspects.
"Networking and having good working relationships with everyone is important. Steve, Ay, Vera, Troy, everyone at Calendar Club is great and helps you do well. I even made friends with Westfield staff who let me use their loading dock and extend other small favours when needed.”
Find out how you can run your own store! Or keep reading more of our success stories below!
Tracy has been purchasing Calendars from Calendar Club for years. Enjoying casual work and running a business with her husband for 15 years she was excited when she discovered (in 2020) she could run one of her own stores. Tracy has enjoyed the whole experience and money she’s earned with all her hard work. She believes passion for people, studying the product range and keeping her store well stocked helps her reach her sales targets. She loves meeting the different types of customers and getting to know more about the Calendars they purchase.
“I knew it would be hard work for 8 weeks. And it was worth it, my Calendar Club store had high revenue! “It was brilliant working with the team at Calendar Club. Natalie was of great support in helping with the setup: she couldn't help me enough ! The head office was very supportive throughout the process, especially
Vera.”
In 2018 Teresa started with Calendar Club as a way of earning extra income when her husband is not working over the Christmas period. It’s allowed them to travel overseas! Running her own pop-up business (www.pinkpuddlecandles.com.au) she feels blessed to have great staff in both businesses.
"Running a CC store can be lots of fun. I get a lot of enjoyment from helping customers find that 'perfect' calendar. I know there will be regulars that come back every season to get exactly what they are looking for. The team at CC are the best, always ready to answer any questions, give solid advice, hints, and tips whenever you need them, they make running a CC stand so much smoother. I love the challenges and incentives that are set for us by CC each season, the friendly rivalry between licensees is also a lot of fun!"
Lee & Jo Sanders have been running their Calendar Club pop-up store since 2015. Living their best retired lives on the coasts of Port Macquarie, come October, they’re ready to open a Calendar Club store and earn the extra money to make the upgrades they seek. The best part about having The Sanders as our Store Licensees is their hard work, attention to detail, honest, and constructive communication. Most importantly, they’re BIG on customer service! Customers come to them year after year because they know they will receive the best service and find the product they want.
“Calendar Club is really on their game this year; I could say it's been the best year so far. Things are way more streamlined, especially with training. The Daily Tip videos help, and so does having a good relationship with the staff”.
Karen first ran a Calendar Club store in 2020 and brought with her sales experience from a career in sales and account management. In 015 she decided to become self-employed and set up her own business as a sales consultant for various industries which included medical equipment and gift items. She enjoys running her own business and working for herself. Seeing the results from all her hard work is rewarding, not only the happy customers, but earning a good income. Karen loves hiring the same 2 staff each year. It not only provides them with work but they are good with the customers and keep the store tidy and full of stock.
“I love servicing the customers and trying to find the right gift or pictures for themselves or a loved one. The satisfaction of running my own business really appeals to me and I enjoy reaping the rewards from my efforts”
As first-time store operators in 2021, the Chan family’s contribution and performance have impressed everyone at Calendar Club! When they’re not operating a store they work as administrative assistants and house caretakers. The Chan family are all-rounders and run their store like their own business. Their customer service is impeccable, and they ensure the customer gets the item they want. If a calendar is not in stock, they make sure to take down the customers details to contact them when the item becomes available again.
“This is a great low investment family business which provides an opportunity for my children to gain experience in a retail environment. I love the ongoing support Calendar Club gives with extra support during setting up and packing up.”
Find out how you can run your own store! Or keep reading more of our success stories below!
Terrance and John have been running a Calendar Club store since 2017. Best mates who love to work together, John works as a schoolteacher, and Terrance as a supervisor in a juvenile detention centre. The two of them love to involve their family to work in the Calendar Club store and teach their children how to develop professional business skills and a strong work ethic. They recommend talking to the customers, get to know their interests and take the customers to that area of calendars.
"Over the years, I’ve seen Calendar Club's store layout improve substantially, the stock variety too, and our store moved to a better location in the shopping centre, so our sales have stayed high! Everything is a lot more streamlined now, we can think on our feet, and don't have to ring up the head office for small things. When we first started we learnt a lot from watching the sales training videos provided.”
Running her own fitness instructor business, previously in sales and retail, Mary-Anne started her Calendar Club journey in 2018. Running two stores she returned the next year to run bigger stores in Westfield Mt Gravatt and Westfield Carindale. In 2021, Mary-Anne ran 3 stores: Westfield Mt Gravatt, Browns Plains and Capalaba Central. She loves Calendar Club as she is passionate about the products and goal orientated. She works hard to get the best sales team to smash the budgets.
“I run two stores so I can keep a healthy competition going between them and we all strive that little bit harder. It really helps my family financially at Christmas time so the hard work is completely worth the effort.”
Angie has been a store licensee since 2019 with a background of managing smalls teams for independent businesses she loves to help people and is driven by customer satisfaction. Taking pride in her work and always keeping her store tidy and neat she has high customer service standards. She quickly became familiar with the planogram so she could locate titles efficiently. All of this allowed her to earn a good income from her store every year.
“I love sinking my teeth into something new so taking on a store and operating a business was perfect for me. I always treat all customers (whether they purchased or not) with kindness, friendliness, and respect. And was rewarded by good sales.”
Ana Pua arrived in Australia from the Philippines in 2014 and loved the opportunity and skills she gained from running her own store with her three children aged 18, 19 and 20. She first ran a store in 2021 while she was working full time as a store manager at 7-11. Running the store as a family business was ideal and her children gained valuable work experience. Ana managed to take some time off work during the peak days and had her children’s friends help as well. She loved all the connections she was able to make while running her store and the extra income it provided.
“I met a lot of good people which included other stall owners and customers who I stay connected with. Working with Calendar Club was a wonderful experience and I recommend it to anyone who is a hard worker and has people to support them in the store”