Franchising the connected home.

Franchising the Connected Home:

A Rare “Blue Ocean” Franchise Opportunity in an Exploding Consumer Marketplace

Franchising the Connected Home:

A Rare “Blue Ocean” Franchise Opportunity in an Exploding Consumer Marketplace

As homes continue their evolution into smart homes, one new franchise wants to help families navigate the connected world in the easiest way possible. To do that, it needs some tech-loving entrepreneurs.

Home Technology Handyman provides sales, installation and support services for frustrated homeowners who need help with their smart home and audio/video products.

Smart home and home automation technology generally refers to any system

of devices or appliances that connect into a common home network. These devices can be triggered by sensors, timers, computers, and even the sound of a human voice. Smart homeowners have complete control over the systems in their homes with the touch of a button or voice command on a smartphone or device. They can do things like adjust the thermostat, turn lights off and on remotely, and display the video doorbell on the living room TV.

A Booming Industry

According to statista, the number of devices connected to the internet worldwide is expected to reach 31 billion by 2020. The internet, technology, and IoT devices are quite literally booming right now.

Smart Home systems and devices are now more affordable than ever. As a direct result, by 2022, it is predicted that the average US household will have over 50 network-connected devices on their home networks; but, according to Google Nest, consumers are moving away from wanting to install these devices themselves (DIY), preferring instead to hire a professional to do it for them (Do It For Me).

Leading the way

As homeowners increasingly embrace the benefits of having a Connected Home, there is a need for experienced professionals to properly install and set up the technology. “Smart home products are among the most returned items at the big-box retailers,” says Marc Bailey, Founder and Chief

Franchising Officer at Home Technology Handyman. “Installing and controlling a single smart device is one thing, but when you begin to add 4-5 cameras, smart appliances, multiple voice assistant speakers, lighting control, front & side video doorbells and Google Chromecast on 2-3 TVs, well, getting that right is not easy. The home network begins to strain under the weight of streaming from all the connected devices, and something has to give. The problem is, the customer doesn’t know who to turn to for help.” said Bailey. Enter Home Technology Handyman.

The Connected Home industry is highly fragmented without a clear, non-box store market leader. “Our customers want more than independent smart devices operated by a phone full of apps. They want a helpful home, with products that work together seamlessly. We provide highly standardized, repeatable solutions, often with a single user interface that our customers understand and love.” said Bailey.

“My mission was to develop the first-ofits-kind, national franchise system for the home technology industry,” Bailey said. “When people ask me what a Home Technology Handyman is, I tell them we are Roto-Rooter for the Connected Home.” He went on to say, “our system was purpose built from the ground up to provide predictable, standardized installation and support services for the millions of technology-challenged homeowners out there.”

Seeking entrepreneurs

To help grow their franchise system, the Home Technology Handyman is looking for entrepreneurs who are passionate about technology and want to enjoy what they do for a living.

“For those who want professional

independence and want to say goodbye to the nine to five routine, selling and installing Audio/Video and Connected Home products within the framework of our franchise system is a great way to accomplish that. Our business model provides everything necessary for wouldbe

‘Home Technologists’ to launch a full or part-time business that attracts residential and light commercial customers with our turn-key marketing system and trusted brand name.”

To get franchisees started, Home Technology Handyman provides a highly

affordable and flexible path to franchise ownership. The business system includes a comprehensive training program, mobilebased operations software, estimating, invoicing, scheduling, a CRM, online booking of services, marketing and more.

The Right Stuff

“We perfectly understand that every candidate comes with their own unique set of skills, talents and strengths. There are many components to owning a franchise, and we ensure that our candidates are completely comfortable and at ease with their journey, regardless of their current personal skills sets.

It’s very common to work with candidates that are IT and network connected device wizards but are weaker in the area of sales and relationship building, or vice-versa. We don’t expect candidates to come to us knowing it all, we take you by the hand and help you sure-up the areas where you’re weaker so that you can step into owning your franchise with the confidence that you need to succeed.

We take the necessary time to get to know each and every candidate and their unique skill sets. From there, we analyze and create a plan to strengthen and grow the areas that need extra attention, while enriching the areas that you’re already proficient in.

In addition to our comprehensive training system, we show our candidates how to fill personal and or technical voids by forging relationships with electricians, alarm professionals and salespeople in order to complete a five-star business experience for their local customers,” Bailey explained.

Home Technology Handyman franchise owner Victor Mario said the franchise model is ideal for entrepreneurs who want to enter the industry.

“Soon we will expect more and more

from our homes in terms of safety, health monitoring, energy efficiency, convenience, and other technology-related domains,” he said. “But, the path to success for entrepreneurs requires the safe navigation of this new terrain. Those looking to make the leap to business ownership would do well to partner with the expert team at Home Technology Handyman. After meeting Chief Franchising Officer Marc Bailey and reviewing the HTH franchise offering, it’s clear their system will enable my company to navigate the business landscape in this exploding market.”

“Our owners don’t need to be a techwizards,” Bailey noted, “but they should be interested in and passionate about technology and how it works. Additionally, we are looking for candidates who have the right amount of ‘fire in the belly’ required

to pull themselves out of bed, and tirelessly market their franchise and grow their location.”

With half a dozen locations on-boarded so far, and several more in the pipeline, the space for expansion is still wide open in the United States. The two latest franchises are set to open soon in Ann Arbor, MI and West Tampa, FL. The franchise also system has locations in Atlanta, GA; Westerville, OH; Louisville, KY; Omaha, NE and Lexington, KY.

In a digital world that’s innovating and changing, Home Technology Handyman is at the forefront. Their “Blue Ocean” franchise system is a great opportunity for tech-minded entrepreneurs who want to take control of their future.

hometechnologyhandyman.com/ franchise