What is your name and title?
Alastair Wilson, Chief Financial Officer
What was your previous experience prior to joining NightOwl?
I am a qualified accountant with over 25 years of experience across a number of industries including retail, manufacturing and distribution, both in the UK and here in Australia. My most recent role was with Tradelink, a National Distributor of plumbing products. Tradelink’s multi site, high volume and fast moving trade environment matches that of NightOwl and enables me to bring my experience to the benefit of the NightOwl franchisee network.
What are your main duties as Chief Financial Officer?
I have the responsibility in planning, implementing, managing and running the financial activities of the business. I provide a framework, structure and governance that enables the individual franchisees to trust NightOwl as a true partner in their business. Together with the rest of the finance team we are here to support the franchisee, ensuring invoices are paid, any charges are correctly calculated and funds collected on your behalf are distributed in a timely manner. We also provide a comprehensive bookkeeping services including payroll to ensure a smooth transition as a franchise owner.
What is the Coyote System and how does that help Franchise Partners?
The Coyote system is a comprehensive point of sale system that enables multiple registers to be connected. It provides real time live data that gives visibility to the business of its individual sales, margin. Its live inventory and optimised ordering save time and ensures you can minimise the investment in product whilst ensuring stock coverage.
What banks are you aligned with that Franchise Partners can access lending?
NightOwl is an accredited partner of ANZ. ANZ provides funding to several leading franchise systems. ANZ have analysed the NightOwl business model and are available to provide funding for up to 60% of the Franchise price and can provide additional funding for training, cash flow and bank guarantees. We also have strong relationships with Judo Bank and a number of commercial finance brokers.
