EXPERT ADVICE: Lucas Frey | CEO | Bella Vista Executive Advisors
five Actions Leading to 1st Franchisee Success
Starting a new business is risky. Starting your franchise as one of the 1st franchisees is more complex and has unique rewards. 5 well-planned actions lead to a 1st franchisee’s success. In this article, I’ll discuss: 1. A summary of my experiences as the 1st ImageFIRST franchisee, 2. The 6 benefits a 1st franchisee can earn, 3. Examples of unique challenges 1st-time franchisees encounter, 4. And 5 actions-to-success you control. The following is a semi-self-indulgent overview of my experiences as the 1st ImageFIRST franchisee. I wouldn’t trade it for the world (there are many learning points, however). 52 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
ImageFIRST (spun from Nixon Uniform by Jerry and Jeff Berstein) began franchising their healthcare laundry business in February 1998. They had 25+ prior years of experience in the rental laundry industry. Their franchising vision grew their regional Philadelphia business into the largest national healthcare laundry. All accomplished in 20 years when Calera Capital purchased ImageFIRST in 2018. Calera purchased most franchisee locations at the pre-agreed value. I worked with Jerry and Jeff for a year (in another business) when we began discussing opening their first franchise. We chose Cincinnati to be closer to family and friends, and the population was well above the minimum for ImageFIRST. The ideal franchisee for ImageFIRST was an established laundry service with the capacity and mindset to grow. This
potential franchisee has the processing equipment, personnel and other resources. AND their ideal client had a consistent revenue stream before buying an ImageFIRST franchise. Our (Jerry was my partner) new company, Berstein-Frey, Ohio LLC, had none of that in place. We made a plan to overcome the obstacles and began operations in February 1998. We created a 4-part plan to overcome the initial challenges: 1 Teach me operational basics from when a soiled gown, sheet or lab coat, was picked up at the customer’s location until it was delivered clean the following week. The operations manual helped but hands-on experience was crucial. 2 Financially partner with the franchisor (Jerry) for multiple purposes.
