franchisee in action: Sam The Concrete Man
age is just a number:
When it Comes to Franchising One of the reasons “ franchise ownership is so popular is because it’s not age-dependent.
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With the right funding, drive, and tenacity, franchise owners can launch a business at any age.
The Young Gun
From a pre-teen manning a lemonade stand to a seasoned professional launching a global company, entrepreneurs of every age are driven to realize their business dreams. This reality is particularly true when it comes to franchise ownership. Some individuals align with a franchise company right after high school or college, while others decide to exit retirement to try something new. The takeaway is that because franchise ownership is powered by a national brand that provides resources and support at any stage of one’s career, there’s no “right age” to start a franchise. At Sam the Concrete Man, a residential and commercial concrete service provider founded in 1989, we see this every day because our owners represent a range of ages, from Generation Z to baby boomers. 16 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
Who Owns What? As of last year, entrepreneurs ages 41 to 56 — the demographic commonly referred to as Generation X —dominated franchise ownership by owning 47 percent of the businesses, according to research from Franchise Insights. Millennials (individuals ages 25 to 40) outnumbered baby boomer franchise owners (ages 57 to 75) by 24.7 percent to 23.4 percent. And within the professional home services sector where hundreds of franchise brands are vying for market share, each of these demographic cohorts is robustly represented – including at Sam the Concrete Man. One of the reasons franchise ownership is so popular is because it’s not agedependent. There are no restrictions as to the minimum or maximum age. In other words, when you own your business, you’re in charge. No one can deny you a promotion, overlook you as a hire, or put up a roadblock because you’re too young, too old, underqualified, or over-experienced.
Take Jason Daley as an example. The 20-something spent much of his childhood watching his grandfather grow his own construction business. While Jason also felt the pull of entrepreneurship, he didn’t know exactly what type of company he wanted to run. So, he tried out several, working as a mover, landscaper, and even at an event rental company. But none were a long-term fit. “I was looking around for jobs and just didn’t feel intrigued by anything that was available to me with the experience I had,” Jason explained. “I’d look at businesses for sale, hoping to run one and be my own boss, but knew I didn’t quite have the experience to jump right into something like that all on my own.” As luck would have it, Jason came across a Sam the Concrete Man ad online and requested more information. A few phone calls later, he thought franchising might be the way to go. He said the relatively low start-up costs (compared to other businesses), manageable overhead, brand support, and the ability to stay in the Colorado area gave him the confidence to make the leap. In April 2021, Jason launched Sam the Concrete Man Boulder and hasn’t looked back since. While his initial year came with a steep learning curve, he knows he made the right move.
