Franchising USA

Page 55

FranchisingFeatureSPortS & F ItNeSSS J U N E 2 0 1 5

FranchisingFeatureHome BASeD SEPTEMBER 2015

key to

success for

OxI FrEsH

how to

uTILIzE yOur HOME for business

using

PrODuCT DEsIGn to grow your

business

ContaCt us today at:Toll Free (844) 997-2824 ThaT’s 99-PaTCh

inFo@ThePaTChboys.Com

www.ThePaTChboys.Com

(our NH

Franchisee car)

Franchising USA

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R F R A N C H I S E E S

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R F R A N C H I S E E S

LATEST NEWS FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE: DOES IT STILL EXIST?

VOL 09 ISSUE 06 SEPT/OCT 2015

AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND V.I.P.

QUALITY NAILED

YOUR HOME & BUSINESSSpring Clean

$4.95 (AUD), $6.95 (NZ) inc. GST.

Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand 1

LATEST NEWS FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R F R A N C H I S E E S

Franchising USAVOL 03, ISSUE 11, SEPT 2015$5.95 www.franchisingusamagazine.com

IMAGE STUDIOS 360 DEMAND DRIVES EXPANSION

10 WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

SPECIAL HOME BASED FRANCHISING SUPPLEMENT

Canadian Franchise Magazine

Page 1

LATEST NEWS FINANCIAL ADVICE FROM THE BANKS TOP LAWYERS’ ADVICE

SUPPLIERFORUM

IS

SU

E 2#

2 -

2015

SKEDADDLE HUMANE WILDLIFE CONTROL

WANTS TO HELP PEOPLE

TELL THEIR UNINVITED

GUESTS TO SKEDADDLE

BEAUTY & HEALTH S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T

MONEY IN, MONEY OUT

w w w. c a n a d i a n f r a n c h i s e m a g a z i n e . c o m

Franchising USA

what’s new!

the patch boys INVITES NEW FRANCHISEES TO JOIN THE TEAMWhen you join The Patch Boys family, you’re not just joining a group of people that are in the same field like you, but rather you’re joining a group of individuals that live and breathe Patch Boys and will do everything they can to make sure that you’re successful in this endeavor.

You will join a team that has a proven system, and a well-structured leadership operation combined with awesome management skills to energize you and drive you to be the best you can be!

The Patch Boys fills a gap in the construction field that is gravely needed and its unique niche will provide you with leads from many directions, craftsman, sub-contractors and home owners alike.

When joining The Patch Boys team, you will automatically receive instant credibility and be exposed to an entire array of people that need our service and trust our approach, thus leading you quickly to a fast start right out of the gate and a bright future to get your name out there in lighting speed.

At The Patch Boys we have implemented our own exclusive

professional system that guarantees you success in every aspect of the business. We foster an atmosphere of passionate customer service pooled with an environment of professional and skilled people that have a history of decades in this field and have pin-pointed specific features that will benefit you as an owner and broaden your approval among potential clients and your reputation will be sky-high.

www.thepatchboys.com/franchising-02

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Dwyer Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest franchising companies of trade service brands, has announced several executive changes to support the company’s historic growth.

“We have acquired six companies in ten months and grown our franchise network to be one of the largest franchisors in the world,” said Mike Bidwell, president and CEO. “Today, that growth is providing exciting opportunities for key members of our talented leadership team who have seen us through this expansion and who will continue to fill strategic roles moving forward.”

Mary Kennedy Thompson has been

promoted to chief operating officer for Dwyer Group. Thompson previously served as president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing and was the executive vice president of Dwyer Group last year.

Doyle James has been named president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing. James has been a member of Dwyer Group since 1997 and served as president of Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning since 2004. He will continue to serve as president of ProTradeNet, part of Dwyer Group’s vendor relations department.

Steve Truett has been named president of Aire Serv. Truett has held several executive positions, most recently as

president of Dwyer Service Solutions.

And Tom Pasisis has been promoted to president of Dwyer Service Solutions. Pasisis served as vice president of strategic initiatives and business development for Mr. Rooter Plumbing.

“I am thrilled to congratulate each of these leaders. And I am even more excited for the next phase in the future of our company,” Bidwell said.

www.dwyergroup.com.

Dwyer group ANNOUNCES ExECUTIVE REORgANIzATION TO SUPPORT COMPANY’S HISTORIC gROWTH

Mary Kennedy Thompson

Franchising USA

Page 59

Franchising USA

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Fresh Healthy Vending, North America’s leading healthy vending franchisor, is preparing for a major expansion that will come from its recent partnership with the American Diabetes Association.

Fresh Healthy Vending will be recommended as part of the organization’s corporate wellness initiative “Wellness Lives Here,” implemented in thousands of businesses nationwide. The goal of the partnership is to fuel the nation’s healthful habits at work and beyond, by reducing the impact of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States. To do so, Fresh Healthy Vending will pay a referral fee and commission percentage that will allow the ADA to continue its pioneering research

into diabetes. The company already has more than 2,500 machines placed in schools, universities, hospitals, community centers, military bases, airports, fitness facilities, YMCAs, libraries and many other locations. With hopes of adding thousands of new locations, Fresh Healthy Vending franchisees will be offered increased franchise opportunities as referrals from the ADA partnership roll in. The pairing of the ADA’s business relationships with the Company’s franchise network and corporate-operated Fresh Healthy Vending machines and Micro Markets is symbolic of the synergy the two organizations share.

www.freshvending.com

With an Acting-A-Part school you will direct your own theatrical performances, film, tv, and commercial production in your local community. Acting-A-Part is a school for theater, film, TV and commercial production, complete with studio and production capabilities.

Your students will get professional assistance to help them bridge the gap between School Play, the world of film, television and Broadway. Offering a year-round opportunity and outlet for their creativity through professional instruction, building up their confidence, stage presence, expanding their repertoire and developing each students potential.

We offer year round education with 6, 10 and 15 week classes based on age and specific themes plus a variety of summer camps in theater, film and TV. Your students will be introduced to a variety of classes in musical theater, specially designed “Little Actors” programs, film, TV, acting boot camps, we have a program to suit every performing arts need. We work with kids from age 4 to 16 and adults as well. From acting education in theater, film, TV and commercial production, students will learn their lines, blocking, sing their heart out, dance, write their own scripts, film on location and be part of a professional movie screening. They will learn the tools of their trade from the inside out. We also offer birthday and special events packages for all ages.

www.aapfranchising.com

OFFERINg YEAR-ROUND EDUCATION IN THEATRE, FILM

AND TV

fresh healthy venDing ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION

Franchising USA

Cover Stor y - oxI FreSH

teCh & environmentaliSm

oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning has two big advantages over its competition; its commitment to using technology to make franchisees’ lives easier and its commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible.

Jonathan Barnett, founder and CEO of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning, started the

KEY TO SUCCESS FOR oxi fresh

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

“With its focus on both the environment and utilizing technology to the best of its ability, the

company is poised for more growth.”

company in 2006 as a way to fund a non-profit organization he had started.

From there, the company grew to its current size of 150 franchisees with 300 units spread throughout 45 states — including Hawaii and Alaska — and up into Canada.

Barnett, who lives in Denver, CO where Oxi Fresh is based, knew a bit about the carpet cleaning business, having done it while attending college.

The entrepreneur knew from that experience that customers really loved it when a carpet cleaner used a low amount of water, as it not only saved on water, but

meant shorter drying times for carpets.

Saving WaterOne of the biggest selling points for the consumer is the fact that Oxi Fresh only uses about two gallons of water for a whole house while their competition uses about 50 gallons.

Since they’ve started, the company has saved about 25 million gallons of water, Barnett said during a recent interview from the Oxi Fresh headquarters in Denver.

Not only that, but the company has

Franchising USA

Page 61

“Some people say we’re a technology company that cleans carpet.” - Jonathan Barnett, founder and CEO

teCh & environmentaliSm KEY TO SUCCESS FOR oxi fresh

partnered with water.org — started by actor Matt Damon — and a portion of the revenue from each job booked online is given to water.org to help build wells and provide clean drinking water for children all over the world.

Also, as part of their commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible, the company has engineered its own products and now has 22 products that are all safe for the environment. These products are exclusive to Oxi Fresh franchisees, meaning none of the competition has access to them.

The company spent years developing these products, Barnett said, to find products that could eliminate tough stains while still being environmentally safe and using minimal water, which is ideal for places like California that have water restrictions.

Using technologyWhile saving on water and using their own specially designed environmentally friendly products is good for drawing in customers, the company uses technology to draw in franchisees.

“Some people say we’re a technology company that cleans carpet,” Barnett quipped.

The CEO said Oxi Fresh is big on speed through systems. For example, a franchisee never has to answer the phone themselves (or hire someone to do it), as Oxi Fresh answers the phone for all their franchisees through its dedicated call center. In addition to that, the company also books all appointments through software that they had custom designed.

Freeing up franchisees’ time allows them to work on building customer relationships, Barnett explained.

The company wants franchisees to be able to communicate with customers via email and text message at the click of a button. The software also tracks the efficacy of the various marketing efforts the franchisees use (and all Oxi Fresh marketing is turnkey) and it also emails customers so they can review the work done so franchisees can know if their technicians are doing a good job.

In fact, the pay structure for the carpet cleaning technicians is based on the

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

customer satisfaction scores they receive.

“In the last 18 months, we’ve sold over a hundred units and it’s largely based on the fact that we have such superior software systems,” Oxi Fresh vice-president Kris Antolak said.

As part of Oxi Fresh’s own customized software, franchisees can easily provide feedback to the franchise, which is an important component of the business.

“We’re very big on listening to the franchisees’ feedback and improving,” Barnett said. “It’s never ending.”

The company even has its own internal social media network, Freshbook, which franchisees use to provide the aforementioned feedback, but also share best practices and bring attention to any problems they may be facing.

It’s all meant to make things as simple as possible for franchisees.

“We streamline everything by having just one sign-on platform so franchisees just go to one place online and they are able to get access to everything and makes it more likely that they’ll use those tools,” said Jordan LaBelle, who writes all of the company’s manuals, marketing material and website content.

Part of the beauty of having all these support systems in place is that franchisees don’t have to be present at their physical locations to effectively run their businesses.

Antolak, himself an owner of five franchisees in two different states, said the company is looking for people who are engaged, but who don’t necessarily want to be present all the time.

For example, Oxi Fresh has a franchisee who has eight different territories spread out across the country, but he lives in California. He can do this because of Oxi Fresh’s proprietary technology. He, like all franchisees, still needs to monitor the business, but he can do that with all of Oxi Fresh’s tools without actually being present in the locations.

This makes Oxi Fresh ideal for people who have a stable of franchise businesses and who are looking to add an easy-to-run business to their portfolios.

But, Barnett added, the company still does attract owner-operator franchisees who do just as well as the investors.

With its focus on both the environment and utilizing technology to the best of its ability, Oxi Fresh is poised for more growth, with nearly 1,000 units still available throughout the US and Canada, and plans to open locations globally over the next 2 years.

Perhaps Barnett said it best, when he stated: “We really put the profits back into the company because we just want to be the best.”

www.oxifresh.com

home bAseD frAnchisingFeature

Feature by G ina G i l l F ranch is ing USA

Franchising USA

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Franchising USA

home bAseD frAnchising

Page 63

Featuretechnology truly is a part of our everyday lives. With the accessibility and affordability of smartphones, the internet and world wide communication is literally at the tips of everyone’s fingers.This advancement in technology has helped increase the home based business model throughout the years. In 2011, over 19 million Americans worked at home, an increase from 16.5 million in 2008. A lot of jobs can be completed from the comforts of a living room couch and a home laptop.

Not only it is convenient to work from home but it is also easily accessible and more common nowadays.

AdvantagesBecause there is no retail venue for a home based business, the start up fee is usually significantly cheaper. Plus without the timeline for construction, after training, a franchisee can begin their business as soon as possible.

Those who work from home usually save money in food and gas, plus they do not have to endure traffic jams or construction on their way to work. In fact moving closer to your work can save a person up to $795 per mile, so one could only imagine how much is to be saved with the commute cut out of the equation all together.

Commute takes a toll on one’s physical and mental health, those who live closer to their job are more satisfied with their life overall compared to those who have longer commutes. Shortening your commute by 20 minutes might lower your risk of neck and back pain by 14%, obesity by 20%, and heart attack by 300%. When you work from a home office, the stress of commute is completely eliminated. Plus you can help out the environment but not sitting in back to back traffic with the exhaust running.

“Home BASeD BUSINeSSeS Are

more SUCCeSSFUL tHAN A reGULAr

BUSINeSS. 70 Per CeNt oF Home

BASeD BUSINeSSeS SUCCeeD WItHIN 3

yeArS, WHILe otHer BUSINeSSeS oNLy

SUCCeeD 30 Per CeNt oF tHe tIme.”

Becoming a franchisee can create a better work life stability and working from home creates more freedom, balance and flexibility. Everyone wants to spend more time with their family and a home based business can be the solution to arrange more downtime.

For a time home-based businesses were limited to a certain criteria, but with the advancement in technology, people are able to create a lot of different disciplines that are successfully maintained from the home office. Franchisees are available from their cell phones and there are numerous means of communications to insure accessibility.

Home based businesses are more successful than a regular business. 70 per cent of home based businesses succeed within 3 years, while other businesses only succeed 30 per cent of the time. That is a substantial difference and a huge number for home based services.

Though there seem to be many pros to working from home, there is some serious self-discipline involved. You have to ask yourself if you are capable of creating a schedule and sticking to it. While your everyday life may interfere with your work life, therefore you must ask can you create a distinction and seclude one from the other. Would you want to remain confined to your home inclusively or do you need to work in a team environment?

Those considering a home business should consider their own abilities and needs from a job. 70 per cent of Americans said they would prefer to work from home, but are they actually capable?

A home office would be essential to establish separation, privacy and a work-like environment. A space that is dedicated to the franchise, allows family to identify when you are at work and an ability to ignore frequent visitors, if needed.

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Franchising USA

Feature by G ina G i l l F ranch is ing USA

Below are three of the most common home base franchises:

CleaningWhile other families are finding themselves commuting and leaving the two income household to pay the bills, cleaning and cooking can become overwhelming. With more disposable income, people are willing to pay for the convenience of a cleaner.

Cleaning services include, yard work, carpet and upholstery and simple everyday chores. Cleaning is not limited to homes and independent cases, but can also reach retail services, hotels, businesses and corporations. The convenience with this type of franchise is the brand association. A lot of cleaning industries already have established customers and contracts and offer monthly services creating a consistent customer base.

Commercial cleaning is considered one of the fastest growing sectors of the cleaning market; the industry brought in $80 billion of revenue in 2008 and is projected to double at the end of this year. Businesses may come and go, but the buildings must remain clean no matter who runs the place. Cleaning has to be done and the larger the building, the more likely outside hiring will have to be set up for the service.

Running a cleaning business can be done from home, especially when a trustworthy staff has been created. Most cleaning franchises will help you build your staff

according to their standards. Schedules and support can be provided from a cell phone or laptop. Most cleaning services are mobile and employees will have access to the equipment and all necessities within their van. Franchises could also be responsible to provide a service, depending on the company or the franchisee’s desire to be on site.

tutoringOne of the most frustrating chores for parents is homework. At the end of the day, everyone is tired and no one wants to do more school work. More and more people are relying on tutors to help their children excel, complete their homework, assistance with a difficult subject or simply support at the end of the day. Actually, 22 percent of

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

parents with children between the ages of 11 and 16 have hired tutors.

Plus tutors are professionals in specific areas, so customers can target individual subjects. Franchisees can help the people of their community, all from the safety net of their own home. Running tutors and scheduling them out of your own office is convenient for everyone. Tutors can avoid wasting time coming into the office; employers can work with many professional’s schedules and hire the best person for the job at hand. Plus, there is no location necessary for tutors who are asked to go to the client’s home, therefore a franchisee located at their home is ideal for the business. Another huge bonus is no equipment is required so both franchisee and employees can maneuver easily.

Tutoring is growing at a rate of 15 per cent per year since 2001 and with a consistent increase, this type of home service is easy to maintain and provides a guarantee growth, as well as a great work-life balance. There are a lot of well-known tutoring systems available, which provides a brand name appeal and a huge customer base.

Computer repairsOnce again people are willing to pay for convenience, everyone would much rather someone come to their home to fix their computer than go to a repair shop. A lot of other people are depending on their computers for their own business and need an immediate repair. Plus, we live

in an immediate society, so people have difficulty waiting long for their computer to be fixed.

This is another easily accessible industry that can be managed while on the run or from the comforts of home. Schedules can be easily created, and equipment can be stored and accessed in a vehicle. Franchisees are a support system for their employers, who would be reliable professionals in the industry.

Home based systems may require some experience in a specific field, or none at all. Though it creates a huge amount of freedom, sometimes a franchisee may have

to step up and perform a service at hand, when they are the only person readily available.

It takes a great amount of discipline to become successful and the line between work and home life could become faded. A franchisee may feel like they are constantly working or they may create a solidified distinction between the two.

Since technology is easily accessible and our phones are attached at the hip, it gives franchisees freedom to roam and work as they please but they may find themselves constantly working as well.

Home based business is a lot more

common and more and more companies consider a home office ideal to avoid retail venues, which in turn create more options for home run businesses. People have the choice to start a franchise in a passionate field, rather than unfamiliar territory.

So, park your car in the driveway and pour a hot cup of coffee because going to work has never been so easy.

“tHoUGH tHere Seem to Be mANy ProS

to WorKING From Home, tHere IS

Some SerIoUS SeLF-DISCIPLINe INvoLveD.

yoU HAve to ASK yoUrSeLF IF yoU Are

CAPABLe oF CreAtING A SCHeDULe AND

StICKING to It…”

Franchising USA

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina became a freelance journalist in 2008.

She has worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.

Look out for our next special feature:

food franchising part 1

Page 65

Franchising USA

how to utilize your home

TO rEDuCE BusInEss OvErHEaD COsTs

Scott Walker, CEO, Screenmobile

most entrepreneurs already know that the real American dream is to work out of your home. After all, the number of home-based businesses in the U.S. has swelled to a whopping 38 million, as an increasing amount of work-from-home opportunities emerge. With more flexible hours, ability to scale up and down quickly and studies proving that those working out of their home are happier in their professional and personal lives than those in an office, the benefits are more than convincing.

However, from a purely financial perspective, I’ve found that the greatest advantage of owning a home-based business is being able to substantially reduce overhead costs. At Screenmobile, we’ve put years of experience into improving our home-based business model, helping franchisees make the proper arrangements ahead of time and knowing the right questions to ask. While owning a home business has endless benefits, one has to first know how to take advantage of them. To make the most of home-entrepreneurship, there are a few things to keep in mind when trying to maximize the use of your home.

Utilizing your Home- Inside and outOwning a home business will cut obvious overhead renting costs, but an additional way to utilize your home as a work space

is to make the most of tax benefits. Home business owners can deduct a percentage of payments as business expenses, including property taxes, utilities, repairs, maintenance and most importantly, one’s mortgage. Many of our Screenmobile franchisees take advantage of their garage space to house inventory and materials rather than renting a small industrial warehouse. Additionally, the trailers and trucks that we use are designed to fit in a standard two-car garage to take advantage of this space even further. It’s a simple tactic but at the end of the day, operating out of a garage can save at least five to six hundred dollars a month by avoiding the rent fees at a small industrial warehouse.

Of course the other room to maximize in your work space is the home office. By working with an internet-based operating system, a home office can be included as part of your business expenses. Our

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Franchising USA

Page 67Page 67

franchisees find that it’s ideal to use their offices for scheduling, dispatching and receiving calls. Those who plan on working from home should also keep in mind that thinking outside the box and maximizing your space shouldn’t stop within the walls of your home. If you have additional property and a little creativity, you can utilize your land even further. With a mobile screening business like ours, franchisees naturally grow and are in need of additional warehouse space for the busy seasons. Making the most of their property, some owners have built a separate shed, garage or office. One of our successful owners in Knoxville has a house on 8-acres of land and now runs his business out of a barn that he built. Once again, since it’s already being paid as mortgage, along with your garage and home office, this can be written off as a business expense on your tax return.

the Franchisee’s Home Checklist Thanks to the long list of home business benefits and the growing demand for niche mobile services, franchisees are eager to ditch the office and start their business at home. However, potential owners should consider just a few important questions about their home space to know if it can accommodate running a business. First and foremost, it’s crucial to check in with one’s home association so that they can run a business without restrictions or have a truck or trailer without additional expenses. Some communities don’t allow a vehicle with a branded wrap to park in front of the house. Furthermore, don’t forget to make sure there are no delivery restrictions at the house. It’s a wise idea to plan ahead for inventory and equipment, especially if city laws state it must be

“Ironic as it may be, those with the right skill set don’t always have to look far for a great opportunity- it may be right in their house.”

how to utilize your home

TO rEDuCE BusInEss OvErHEaD COsTs

stored out of sight. Finally, keep employee space in mind and make arrangements for where they can work and park their car. A small business can often start at a home, but as it becomes more profitable, it’s important to organize room for growth.

With these pointers in mind, those that are equipped to run a business out of their home have much to gain. Not needing a brick and mortar location equates to a smaller franchise investment and lower expenses overall, making work-from-home opportunities highly attractive to those of almost any background. From a franchisor’s perspective, we’ve experienced plenty of recent growth that has shaped a promising future for home-based mobile businesses. Ironic as it may be, those with the right skill set don’t always have to look far for a great opportunity- it may be right in their house.

Scott Walker is the CEO of Screenmobile, the largest mobile screening franchise in the country. With over 91 locations in 25 states, Screenmobile specializes in the repair, replacement and installation of window, door, porch and patio screens, retractable screens and much more.

For more information about franchise opportunities with Screenmobile, please visit www.franchise.screenmobile.com

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Scott Walker

Franchising USA

doesn’t know what they want until I give it to them.

Today, the mantra has changed: you don’t know what your users want, and only they can tell you. In Silicon Valley, you’ll often hear that “no good idea happened in the office,” which is a short way to express the belief that only by constantly seeking feedback from your users can you build something they love.

Of course, you’re probably doing this already. With services like Yelp, it’s almost impossible not to hear the feedback. But seeking the right users and processing the feedback can be challenging. Some customers can give you great criticism, but

John Waldmann, Founder & CEO, Homebase

usInG PrODuCT DEsIGn TO GrOW yOur BusInEss LESSONS FROM SILICON VALLEY

today, Homebase is a free scheduling and timesheet software used by thousands of businesses across the US. But in 2013, it was just an idea that it could be easier to manage hourly employees. It was a weekly nightmare of paperwork faced by a good friend who owned a restaurant and other small business owners I knew.

I had never built software before, but luckily I was in the heart of Silicon Valley. I learned from experts and the successes of some our biggest tech companies—Apple, Facebook, and Google—and the countless new products that have changed how we live. I believe some of these lessons are broader than software, and apply to any company that wants to delight their customers.

Here were some of the lessons I learned:

Listen to your ‘users’In the past, technology celebrated the lone entrepreneur who was struck by a good idea, and pursued it despite the doubts of others. The mantra was: the customer

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Franchising USA

Page 69

“Don’t treat feedback or innovation like a special event, but a core part of how you measure your

business success.”

Every business has power users; the challenge is finding them. If you’re a restaurant, who are your regular customers who eat out four nights a week at other restaurants? They are acutely aware of service flaws, and know exactly what they like in menu layouts. Don’t ignore your average user, but pay special attention to these power users: they’ve got a lot of experience to share.

test, build, and test again.The first scheduling tool in Homebase looks absolutely nothing like the scheduler we have today. I hope it looks different two years from now. Because if it doesn’t, it means we haven’t listened to the collective wisdom of thousands of business owners, scheduling managers, and accountants.

Luckily, in software, we’ve got a few easy ways to test product changes as we gather feedback. Before we build anything, we can show mock-ups to users. We can release a “beta” to a handful of users. At each stage we get a chance to collect more feedback, and change the product.

This can be harder in the physical and service worlds, but it is not impossible. It may just take a little more time to identify the “minimum viable product”—the simplest version of a “big idea” that allows you to test it with your customers.

For example, let’s say you think that social marketing on Facebook will help you drive sales. A traditional approach would be to build an ad, put a bunch of money against it, and wait for the results. An “MVP” approach would be to build four different ads and put a little money against each. Learn what’s successful, and improve before you blow the bank on a full campaign. Do you think an assistant will help you bring your paperwork under control? Hire a virtual assistant part-time to figure out what you like before you spend days interviewing and training a

full-time hire. The goal is to learn early, and “fail fast” because the worst thing you can do is to continue to invest time or resources in a bad idea.

Build a culture that values changeOf course neither “listen to your customers” or “test your ideas” are new. Silicon Valley has just shifted these to the core by treating your business like a product. Now the biggest challenge is just doing them. If you had free time, you could run tons of experiments. It’s much harder when you’ve got bills to pay, an employee no-show, and customers demanding things from you now.

Make it easier by making it a normal part of your business. Don’t treat feedback or innovation like a special event, but a core part of how you measure your business success. At Homebase, we’ve got an internal communicator that is dedicated to posting feedback from our customers. We survey a portion of our customers every week, and the results are emailed to the entire company as one of our top metrics for success.

Second, don’t do it alone. Let your employees know that you are always looking for ways to improve, and put regular time in your calendar to make sure these ideas are discussed. Every time ideas are discussed make sure you commit to implementing at least one idea to ensure that your business is never standing still. Together, you can test improvements faster and put yourself on a path to delighting your customers like never before.

John Waldmann is the founder and CEO of Homebase. Homebase’s free, cloud based software helps thousands of small businesses eliminate the paperwork of managing hourly and freelance employees.

www.joinhomebase.com

usInG PrODuCT DEsIGn TO GrOW yOur BusInEss LESSONS FROM SILICON VALLEY

leave you stumped for alternatives. Often you’re stuck with competing feedback: “I love the store redesign” rings just as true as “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING”. How do you process it all into a meaningful business change?

At Homebase, I learned that a “power user” was worth ten regular users: these were the business owners that thought weekly about how to improve their staffing or had an unhealthy hatred for completing payroll. These users had already spent time looking for a better solution, and had concrete feedback on why existing products didn’t fit for their business. They knew exactly what they wanted Homebase to be.

Ho

me

BA

Se

D F

rA

NC

HIS

ING

Franchising USAFranchising USA

According to Gaebler.com, a leading online resource for business statistics and entrepreneurial advice, the American economy relies heavily on family businesses.

Family businesses, franchised and non-franchised, account for 50% of the nation’s GDP, 60% of the nation’s employment, and 78% of new jobs created. And that gap between employment and new jobs created suggests “family businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.” However, despite their growth and prevalence, generational transition often brings serious challenges for family businesses and it’s up to the next

generation to extend and improve upon their parent’s legacy.

As Our Town America CEO, Michael Plummer, Jr., once told me, when it comes to the family business, “fate chooses you, you don’t choose it.” In Plummer’s case, fate intervened when his father and the founder of Our Town America, Michael Plummer, Sr., suffered his first heart attack and Jr. returned to the family business; leaving behind his career working abroad as an army medic. As he’d tell you himself, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him as he has been able to build upon his father’s legacy and lead the company to unprecedented success.

Terri Sniegolski, Co-Owner and CEO of Creative Colors International, faced a similar dilemma in the mid-1980’s.Like Plummer, she had a strong desire to pursue her own career path and develop her own identity outside of the family business. Her parents, JoAnn and Jim Foster, had launched J&J’s Creative Colors as a local

Graham Chapman, Senior PR Catalyst, 919 Marketing

wo

me

n in

fran

ch

isin

g

female entrepreneur transformeD family business into thriving national franchise

TErrI snIEGOLsKI

Illinois vinyl and leather repair company in 1980 and there was little separation between family and business. At 18, Sniegolski found herself working for her parents 24/7 - talking shop at each dinner and taking customer phone calls until the wee hours of the morning. She admired her parents’ dedication and entrepreneurial

Terri Sniegolski

Terr

i with

her

bro

ther

, sis

ter,

and

brot

her i

n la

w (t

he fo

ur fo

lks

who

run

Cre

ativ

e C

olor

s In

tern

atio

nal)

Franchising USA

Page 71

wo

me

n i

n f

ran

ch

isin

g

“For anyone considering launching or joining a family business, remember “fate chooses you,

you don’t choose it.”

entrepreneurs the ability to create their own million dollar company.

Paving the Way for a Successful Generational transitionFranchising the business has turned out to be an excellent decision for the family business as Sniegolski has worked tirelessly alongside her family to build Creative Colors International into a leading on-site repair and restoration franchise with 54 locations in 24 states. However, that growth and development has not come without its challenges as more and more family members have joined the family business.

Today, the Creative Colors International corporate staff includes Sniegolski, her brother-in-law, her brother, her sister, her husband, her nephews, and her daughter. Most of the time this arrangement works beautifully as each passionate and loyal family member is committed to extending the legacy of Jim and Joann Foster, growing the franchise company, and providing each franchise owner with unparalleled corporate support. However, there are times when it’s tough to leave business at work and compromise on tough decisions.

The biggest challenge came in 2007 when the Fosters told Sniegolski they were going to sell J&J’s Creative Colors to her and her siblings. While very excited about the opportunity, Sniegolski knew the three would only be successful if they had a set of Family Policies and Procedures in place - a set of rules that consisted of voting rights, pay structures, and responsibilities of each owner. It was a long and arduous process that required dozens of meetings and shifted the closing date multiple times, but Sniegolski says these rules have been a key catalyst for their joint success.

A lot can be learned from Sniegolski’s journey from teenage employee to working in a law firm to devoted employee to visionary executive. The biggest takeaway, however, is that success is earned in any business, family or not, and nothing can

spirit, but she left the family business because she was eager to pursue her own path and maintain a more stable work-life balance.

Five years later, Sniegolski found herself at a crossroads. She was on the path to becoming a paralegal and had created her own identity in downtown Chicago but she constantly felt trapped by the four walls of her office, knowing how much she could be doing out in the field with her hands.She found herself constantly asking herself the same question, “is it time to return to Creative Colors?”

She never had to answer that question because, as Michael Plummer, Jr. would say, “fate chose her” to return to her parents’ side. Her mom called her in 1988 with a crisis as one of their most talented employees had been seriously injured in a car accident and they didn’t know what was going to happen with their business. That was all Terri needed to hear to trade in the bright lights of the city for her family’s backyard chicken coop office.

Coming Home and Creating a FranchiseEven though she was only in her early twenties, Sniegolski quickly proved to be one of J&J’s Creative Colors most skilled salespeople and technicians. Her first job was to solicit business in the NW Chicago suburbs.She relied on her corporate experience to hone her sales skills and secure major accounts that were instrumental to the company’s early success. Additionally, she stepped in for the injured technician and developed a deep understanding of the business model and what was required to be successful on the local level. By the time she was in her mid-twenties, she was well versed on how to sell the business and do the work - setting her up perfectly to take the company to the next level.

By the early 1990’s, Sniegolski realized the company her parents had created was scalable and possessed the proven systems and processes required to replicate the model in other communities. Therefore, Sniegolski decided to use her legal background and years of field experience to launch a franchised-model of her parents company, Creative Colors International, and give other blue-collar

be taken for granted. Creative Colors wouldn’t be where it is today if Sniegolski had not always been true to herself and came back to her parents business only when she knew she could commit herself entirely to its long-term success.

For anyone considering launching or joining a family business, remember “fate chooses you, you don’t choose it” and it can be the most rewarding experience under the right circumstances. Listen to your heart, you’ll know when the time is right to dive in and create or extend a legacy that can change the game for generations to come.

Graham Chapman is a Senior PR Catalyst for 919 Marketing, a national marketing, PR and social media agency that creates and executes hard-hitting Social Relations™ programs on behalf of emerging and established franchise companies. Chapman is a passionate, driven and energetic account executive who has helped dozens of franchise clients share national and local stories that increase franchise sales lead flow and in-store traffic for franchisees. As a member of the 919 Marketing team, Chapman is part of a powerful collection of Emmy award winning journalists, nationally recognized marketing strategists, creative content marketing gurus and savvy digital marketing analysts who have proven experience delivering powerful, revenue generating results for emerging and established franchise brands.

www.919marketing.com

graham Chapman