Stories to inspire you

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.”

Heather and Ann started running the Carousel Calendar Club in 2022 after working for Tracy Ward who was the previous licensee for Carousel. They decided to run a store as Ann really wanted to renovate her kitchen while Heather wanted the extra cash! In 2023 they took on two stores. They love meeting new people and learning why they buy certain calendars.

“You can learn something new every day from your customers. If you serve your customers well, they'll remember and come back the following year. We enjoy every minute of working at Calendar Club. They are good at helping you with all aspects of your business and if you work hard for what you want, you’ll be successful!”

Lee & Jo Sanders ran a Calendar Club pop-up store from 2015 to 2022. Living their best retired lives on the coasts of Port Macquarie, come October, they'd get ready to open a Calendar Club store and earn the extra money to make the upgrades they seek. The Sanders knew attention to detail and customer service helped them succeed. Customers would come to them year after year because they knew they'd 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”.

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.”

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. And last year ran three stores again. 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 more than one store 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.”

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”