The picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia is home to rolling green hills, long sandy beaches and rugged cliff-scapes. Also located amidst this beautiful terrain is the Shed Boss Fleurieu franchise, which has been run as a family business for the last decade.
We sat down for an interview with Michael Schubert, son of David Schubert, the man who started this franchise back in 2005 along with his wife Sue.
Read on to learn about the team here and the story of how this Shed Boss franchise holds a special place in family history.
Please could you tell us a bit about the team at Shed Boss Fleurieu?
My dad had been a builder for over 20 years, and in 2004 he built a Shed Boss shed as a contractor. He was impressed with the quality of the building and ease of construction, and together with my mum they founded the local Shed Boss franchise. Ten years later, here we all are.
I came on board five years ago. My background is in finance, marketing and workplace training. There are seven people in the team here. Jim Kearns is our Project Manager, and he's also our licenced building supervisor. He's been with us now for almost nine years.
Prior to working at Shed Boss Fleurieu, Jim was a production manager in the furniture industry, so he has a keen eye for design. Also at our office, we have Renate, and as our Administration Assistant she's on the ball to make sure our development applications progress smoothly through Council.
Then we've got David, Paul and Scott. They build our custom designed sheds. They come from a construction and labouring background.
Collectively, our team has over 50 years experience in the industry.
Which Shed Boss products are really popular in your area?
Custom designed skillion sheds are really popular. We also find that a lot of our customers are people who don't want a shed to look like a shed – they are creative-minded people who are keen to customise and personalise their design. They're after something that is just that little bit different. Equally, many of them are keen for a structure that compliments the style of their house. Because of this, residential shed packages are quite popular. Domestic uses, such as garaging for vehicles, are also popular. A studio, workshop or 'man cave' style structures are also beloved. We've also built commercial projects, such as storage sheds that have been let. Finally, we have built workshop office space for local businesses.
What is the designing process like between your team and your customers?
When our customers launch into the design process, the first point of contact with us is typically over the phone, or they walk in the door and meet with us face to face. We find that actually sitting down and having a cup of coffee to discuss the design is a great way to go. We can achieve so much in this initial meeting. The Shed Boss app is good for the preliminary idea or visualisation of what the building could look like. It helps to spark the first inspiration of what is possible, but we find that nothing beats that personal touch of meeting in person.
How do you help customers match their shed to the style of their home?
Sometimes we see photos of their home or plans from architects. We also use very high resolution aerial imagery (NearMaps) to take precision measurements, note the boundaries and also look at the property from different angles and elevations. We can also look at their property or what their house looks like at the moment, and see what's possible in terms of council regulations and what can be built. Best of all, this can all be achieved within that first face to face session.
We often collaborate with customers in their design. The key thing we say to people is that you've only got the opportunity to build it right once, so it's important that you are 100 per cent happy with the design. So it's about taking that time initially to make sure that we have listened to their needs and that we understand the purpose of what they intend to use the shed, or building, for.
Shed Boss Fleurieu specialises in custom designs. How long does council approval take in your area?
Between four to six weeks on average. For a timely and smooth approval process, it helps to be prepared and thorough before putting in the application. We prepare and submit applications to Council as the project builder, and keep our clients informed every step of the way.
What do you love most about working at Shed Boss?
Turning a dream shed into reality! When we've finished the job, it's great to look back and see how we started from a rough sketch on paper in the initial quoting stages, to using our CAD software in the interim, to actually seeing the building come to life once it is built, with all the COLORBOND® steel colours shining.
