In August 2019, Richard Morf became Domino’s youngest franchisee when he took on his first store in Melbourne at just 20-years-old.  

Now, 12 months on, Richard is reflecting on everything he has achieved in his first year of business, and how much he’s grown both as a business owner, and person during this time.

“When I first made the decision to become a franchisee, I knew it would be a challenge for someone my age, but my dream was to become a business owner and my passion was in pizza, so I jumped at the opportunity.

“Looking back at the decision I made I am so grateful I chose this path. In the past year I have learnt so much about myself, what it takes to run a business, and how to be a good leader,” he said.

“The first month owning and operating Domino’s Ashburton certainly had its challenges… Although I had worked at Domino’s for more than four years at the time, there was still so much I had to learn as a franchisee!

“But with the support and mentoring of Domino’s franchisee network, and a passionate, dedicated team, I was able to find my feet and focus on what we do best – making, baking and taking piping hot pizzas to customers.”

It wasn’t until March 2020 that Richard was presented with his biggest challenge yet… COVID-19.

“I never thought I would experience a challenge as great as a global pandemic in my first year of business… but in true Domino’s spirit, we have all come together and grown stronger and more resilient because of it.

“When COVID-19 first reached Australia, we had to quickly adapt and implement a number of operational changes and procedures to keep our team members and customers safe. At times, we were changing operations almost daily!

“But, despite these challenges, I’m so grateful that we were able to continue safely operating and feeding the community. It’s a responsibility we took seriously – doing everything we could to provide support including donating more than 400 pizzas to those on the frontline working to keep us safe.

“I know the offer of a free, hot meal may not be much, but it was our way of bringing a smile to people’s faces in a time of extreme stress and uncertainty.”

Focused on growing Domino’s Ashburton over the next year, Richard Morf and his business partner Anastasya Cahaya said they have their sights set on opening a second store in 2021.

“Excitingly, if all goes well we’re looking to open a second store next year, with the goal of opening five stores in five years,” Miss Cahaya said.

“In 10 years, we’d love to have a network of Domino’s stores in Melbourne! We honestly love our ‘career in pizza’ and are so excited to see what opportunities await us in the future.”

12 lessons from 12 months of growth with Domino’s youngest franchisee Richard Morf:

1.    Being a leader is about more than just managing people

Look to inspire, motivate, develop and lead team members to success, because being a leader is about more than just managing your team’s workload, it’s about paving the way for others to succeed and become leaders in their own right.

2.    Be persistent

When you try something new, it won’t always work. But that’s ok! What’s important is that you persist, learn from your failures, and try again until you succeed. Because you will succeed!

3.    Learn how to prioritise

Some days it can feel like your ‘to do’ list never ends and that you can’t possibly tick everything off. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, make a shorter list with all of the day’s priorities. That way, you can manage your time more effectively, and get the most important things done first.  

4.    Focus on efficiency

Make sure to regularly stop and re-evaluate your business. Is there something you can be doing better? What operational bottlenecks, roadblocks or speed bumps are you facing? Work to resolve these issues. Adopting this mindset will help to improve a number of things in your business and you’ll find yourself becoming more solutions-orientated in your thinking.

5.    Communication and teamwork are key

Communication and teamwork go hand-in-hand. A team of people will produce a much better result than a group of people will, individually. But you need to communicate well to make that happen.

6.    Be the customers’ champion

Customers are the most valuable asset in any business. Because without customers, you don’t have a business! So make sure you work hard every day to never lose one. To achieve this goal, remember to always be the customers’ champion!

7.    Community is everything

As a business owner, you have an incredible power. The power to give back. Be proud of this power because it is a privilege, especially during these challenging times. Remember to help people where you can and to give back to your local community.

8.    Don’t sweat the small stuff

Things don’t always go as you expect them to. Sometimes you fail, sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes things go wrong (very wrong!) – but if you stress over every little thing then you won’t have time to focus on your main goals. Take on challenges as they arise and don’t let them take away your focus.

9.    Maintain a good work-life balance

It’s important to maintain a good work-life balance to protect your physical, mental and emotional health. To be an effective leader you need to avoid burning out – as the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup!

10.  Don’t cut corners

It can be tempting to cut corners or choose cheaper options to save money. However, it’s important to never cut costs that affect your customers, because a business can only survive if it has happy, satisfied customers that continue to return. Cutting costs that directly affect your customers reduces the chance of them receiving the same memorable experience they have grown to love. Protect that experience at all costs!

11.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help

We’re all human, which means we all experience difficult and stressful times in our lives.  Sometimes we feel like we need to deal with these issues on our own and without any support. Remember that asking for help isn’t a weakness and is often the best way to overcome a problem. Don’t be shy, reach out to your mentor or business partner for help when you need it!

12.  Look after yourself

Sometimes it is tempting to stay up late to get extra work done, fuelled by nothing but leftovers and cups of coffee! But in the end, leading a lifestyle that doesn’t prioritise getting enough rest, or fuelling your body with healthy, nourishing food can reduce the quality of work you put in. If you’re tired, and not operating at the best of your ability, then you can’t give 100% to your team, your business or your customers. For everyone to ‘win’, you need to look after yourself.