Sophie Sun, business owner of Quest Griffith in NSW since 2020, shares her journey to ownership and the reasons why she is encouraging others to go for it.
What drew you to Quest?
I had hospitality industry experience during my career in China – I worked on reception in a hotel and later went on to be a Human Resource Manager. Then, in Sydney, I started a cafe and catering business with my husband, Yannick Kee Mew. We were suppliers to a lot of the Quest businesses in Sydney and when the brand had franchise recruitment events, we did the catering for those, too. We thought it was a very interesting and attractive opportunity, and that Quest had a successful business model. I had always wanted to own my own hotel, but I had no idea how to, until I read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
What were your next steps to becoming a business owner?
There are seven steps involved, from applying to approval. We waited three-and-a half years to become business owners, because Quest is a strong opportunity. And through the process we felt very supported, all the time. We were put in touch with three other franchisees, so we could get their advice. When we got the call saying Quest Griffith was ours, I cried. We settled in March 2020, right when Covid started, and through those very difficult times we had lots of support. Even now, there is an ‘open door’ approach – if we are having problems with something, another business owner can share their experience with us.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about giving business ownership at Quest a go?
You should! Two reasons: one is financial – the return on investment for us has been very high. And the second one is family balance. We have two children, and we can manage our own time; we can take them to school and pick them up, attend their school activities. It has given us plenty of flexibility and work life balance. You can decide to work in the business, you can decide to work on the business, whichever way you feel comfortable.
What else stands out to you as being unique to Quest’s business model?
The booking system – 30 to 40% of our business comes from the national corporate travel accounts, then we work at the local level to generate more bookings. Quest’s offering is also a unique product – apartments with one, two and three bedroom options, all with washing machines and dryers, which makes us a more niche market. It’s a segment that plays strong. And then there’s the culture – we are listened to as business owners, we can always express our challenges and talk to our Franchisee Relationship Manager.
You recently won two awards: Quest’s 2024 Regional Franchise of the Year Award and Quest’s 2024 Outstanding Improvement Award. How did that feel?
It means a lot, especially to our team. We continuously push ourselves for a steady, constant growth. But to be honest, everyone in the network is a strong performer. When we accepted the Outstanding Improvement Award, we bowed three times because our winning meant other teams missed out and we wanted to say thank you to them. We dreamed one day that we would own our own hotel. Our dream has come true, and we feel so proud.
Tell us about the work you do in the local community.
We volunteer at the local Bunnings barbecues to raise money for charities as part of the Quest For a Cause program, we provide tables for community theatre events and Yannick even donates his time to perform in the theatre! We’re also signed up to the Soap Aid program that Quest has a national partnership with – old soap bars are recycled and given to disadvantaged communities in need globally – and we’ve encouraged local motels to bring their unused soap to us for this.
Ready to start your journey as a Business Owner at Quest Apartment Hotels? Find out more here.