Veterans in Franchising April 2020

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Veterans in Franchising april 2020

www.franchisingusamagazine.com

FIRSTLIGHT’S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

CARRIES ON FATHER’S LEGACY OF HELPING OTHERS, FINDS BUSINESS SUCCESS

EXPERIENCE IN ARMY HELPS LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE CAREER FROM THE MILITARY TO MOBILITY: INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE WELCOMES RETIRED ARMY OFFICER AS NEW LEADER

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Leadership.

Teamwork.

Executing SOPs. Connecting veterans with education, resources and opportunities at vetfran.org

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V e t e r a n s i n F r a n c h i s i n g S u ppl e m e n t april 2020 Our Veterans in Franchising special supplement has become a regular feature of Franchising USA. To share your story in the next issue, please contact Vikki Bradbury, Publisher Phone: 778 426 2446 Email: vikki@cgbpublishing.com

Contents On the Cover

Veterans News

4 Rookie of the Year Carries on Father’s

Legacy of Helping Others, Finds Business Success

46 Assisted Living Locators Offers 10 Percent Initial Franchise Fee Discount to Encourage, Honor Aspiring Veteran Business Owners

50 Experience in Army Helps Lead to Successful Franchise Career 52 From the Military to Mobility: International Franchise Welcomes Retired Army Officer

as New Leader

Veterans Profile 50 AdvantaClean 52 Kona Ice 54 101 Mobility

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veteran news Assisted Living Locators Offers 10 Percent Initial Franchise Fee Discount to Encourage, Honor Aspiring Veteran Business Owners Veterans are buying into franchises at a record pace. According to the International Franchise Association, one of every seven franchises in America is owned by a veteran. “Veterans make

great franchisees because they have the skills it takes to own and run a successful business – a mixture of leadership, hard work

and dedication, and the ability to follow systems and procedures,” stated Olea.

“Franchising can be a tremendous opportunity for veterans because the business framework is already in place,” she

explained. “As an established, top-ranked senior placement brand, Assisted Living Locators offers the entire package for aspiring

veteran business owners. Not only do we have a proven, successful business model, but we also offer exceptional training and support for our franchisees.

Olea noted that some of their best Assisted Living Locators

franchisees are veterans, such as Arizona franchisee Dustin

Baker, recently named Franchise Business Review’s 2019 Rock Star Franchise Owner.

Baker served in the United States Army as a combat medic in

an artillery unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was also an administrative supervisor at an outpatient surgical ward at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, TX.

As a top Assisted Living Locators franchise producer, Baker helps and mentors his fellow franchisees and also passionately cares for his senior clients and families, the company and community.

“After my career as a combat medic ended, I wanted to own a

business that would make a positive impact on my community,” Assisted Living Locators, a nationwide senior placement and referral franchisor, recently announced it is offering veterans

said Baker. “My journey in helping and serving others led me to the role of Assisted Living Locators franchise owner to provide

a 10 percent initial franchise fee discount to encourage and

care and guidance to seniors and families in my community.”

honor aspiring veteran business owners.

“As thousands of men and women return home from war, it is

Assisted Living Locators is a veteran-friendly franchisor with an

important to acknowledge the skills they have acquired during

and comprehensive training and mentorship platform, according

the same way they served their country, with integrity and

36 states and the District of Columbia, the company is ranked in

outstanding franchise entrepreneur. We encourage them to join

2020 Top Franchises Report and the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s

To learn more about a franchise opportunity with

affordable, low-cost franchise fee, a 10 percent veteran discount,

their military careers, “Olea added. “They operate their businesses

to Founder and CEO RN Angela Olea. With 130 franchisees in

dedication, and possess the strong characteristics that make an

Entrepreneur’s 2020 Franchise 500®, Franchise Business Review’s

our organization.”

fastest growing private companies.

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Assisted Living Locators, visit www.assistedlivinglocators.com.

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cover story: FirstLight Home Care

FirstLight’s Rookie of the Year

Carries on Father’s Legacy of Helping Others, Finds Business Success FirstLight Home Care’s 2019 Rookie of the Year says the franchise is ideal for any veterans looking into business ownership.

David Kapajos, who owns the FirstLight that serves the San Gabriel Valley in California, said in a recent interview from his headquarters in Arcadia that getting into the homecare industry allows business owners to help others, including veterans.

“There are a lot of veterans who need help with home care,” he said.

FirstLight Home Care offers companion care, personal care, dementia care, brain health services, respite care and travel companion services to seniors, veterans, adults with disabilities, people recuperating from injuries or sickness and busy families who require help caring for adults.

Through agencies like American Veteran Connection and Vet Assist, FirstLight works with Veterans Affairs to provide home care to veterans at no cost to them.

What makes FirstLight an especially good business choice for veterans, Kapajos said, is the substantial veterans’ discount the home care franchise offers to former military members.

In addition to the discount for veterans, FirstLight also offers the FirstPass Startup Package which includes several thousand dollars in valuable products and services to all new franchisees to help them get started.

It’s measures like these that helped

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Kapajos reach 500 hours per week of home care service provided by his sixth month in business and over 1,000 hours per week of home care service provided by the end of his first year in business, earning him his Rookie of the Year award with the company.

Seeing as how the home care business is so competitive, waiving these fees and providing veterans with a good discount on the franchising fee gives them a headstart with FirstLight.

The franchise company also has comprehensive support for marketing and for the cloud-based technology it uses, as well as business development.

Kapajos described how he was brand new to the business of home care when he started and the Business Development Director assigned to him helped him get

his franchise location up and running successfully.

Something else that helps FirstLight franchisees with success is the culture of the franchise, which puts an emphasis on only choosing franchisees who have a real passion for the home care industry and passes this along to their franchise locations.

Kapajos said he was impressed with the culture of FirstLight when he visited their headquarters in Ohio for the initial discovery day.

This culture of excellence and passion is something he brings to his own franchise location. He oversees about 175 caregivers and estimated that he only hires about 10 percent of candidates who come to interview for a position.

“We only choose the best,” he explained.

FirstLight also helps franchises retain the best caregivers by compensating them well and making it so they will want to stay with the company.

The company’s rates are also competitive and they have a client-based approach that really sets them apart from their competition, Kapajos said.

Military background and training While FirstLight has given him every opportunity to succeed as a business owner, Kapajo’s own experiences and training with the military have also helped him.

He joined the army in 2003 and was in the infantry before moving into the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CBRN) unit of 74 Delta.

He was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2013 and exited the military in 2014, although he is still in the National Guard Reserves.

“What I learned from the military is to never quit,” Kapajos said.

This focus on persistence, as well as leadership, helped him to become FirstLight’s Rookie of the Year for 2019.

Legacy Something else that has helped him is the desire to carry on his father’s legacy of helping people.

Kapajo’s father was a surgeon who was forced into early retirement after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at 59 and suffered from dementia and depression as a result of the disease.

At the time, it was difficult to find reliable and trustworthy caregivers so he and his mother and brother took on caregiving duties, which proved to be incredibly difficult for the family.

So, when it came time to start a business for himself, Kapajos decided he wanted to help people like his father had.

“I wanted to continue his legacy and open this business to provide care to people who need it,” he said.

“I would hope that people take away that we all have an opportunity to create a sense of normalcy and stability for the people around us, and to not be afraid to be creative and create that atmosphere.” - Tim Arpin

In addition to helping people, home care is also a good industry to get into because of the aging population, Kapajos noted.

to maintain a good quality of life through

Many baby boomers are now retired and requiring home care and they can afford to hire people to help them with their daily living tasks.

a good franchise in a growing industry,

A lot of times, the people who FirstLight cares for have children who live out of state and they can’t take care of their parents, he said. Home care allows these seniors

their twilight years.

For veterans or anyone else looking for FirstLight’s Rookie of the Year is an

example of how a culture of excellence

partnered with strong support, a desire to do good in the world and some good old

perseverance can lead to business success. www.firstlightfranchise.com

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profile: Barry Hintz | AdvantaClean

Experience in Army Helps Lead to Successful Franchise Career Barry Hintz left the United State Army in 1992, but the experience of serving his country never left him.

He thinks that is probably why he has been able to enjoy a successful business career and has thrived as a franchise owner.

Hintz owns an AdvantaClean of Suburban Milwaukee, a national indoor air quality and mold remediation company. But it was Hintz’s time spent in the military that laid the foundation that he would use to build his business career.

Serving his country Hintz went to ROTC during college and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in economics in 1988. After that, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a regular transportation corps officer from 1988 to 1992. Hintz

was in charge of loading and unloading

cargo and ammunition from ships, trains, aircraft and trucks. He traveled all over

the world, serving in Ft. Eustis, Virginia, New Zealand and Central America, and performed in conditions ranging from a wind chill of 88 degrees below zero in

Antarctica to 135 degrees in Saudi Arabia.

He also served during the Gulf War. In

fact, Hintz had the unfortunate experience of standing on a pier in the Persian Gulf while under a scud missile attack –

missiles that dropped 2,000-pound bombs -- thinking he may die at any moment.

“It was pretty intense,” he said. “It forced

“If you follow the system, it should generally work. You don’t need to figure everything out for yourself. That makes it easier than if you started a company on your own.”

me to grow up quickly.”

But Hintz said that in that moment, he

wasn’t scared. Maybe he couldn’t be. There

was nowhere to run. He told himself, “It’s a real cool Fourth of July show. I just happen to be standing underneath it.” At some

point, he saw a red glare and an American

flag waving nearby and thought, “How cool was that?”

Once the war was over, there was still plenty to do.

“It was a lot of hard work to load and

unload the ships,” said Hintz. “After the war was over, it turned into a grind to

motivate others to get everything done.”

He traveled into Iraq after the war was over to load military equipment, but everything was destroyed. Of his time in the army,

Hintz said, “I was in it to serve my country, and I loved it.”

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“The Army taught me what it means to have a sense of purpose, and since then, I have followed the ideal that everything I do should be for the greater good.”

The transition from military into business After Hintz left his tour of duty, he entered the world of business and found it to his liking. He went to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and earned an MBA. From there, he spent the next two decades working in several executive sales positions at various companies, mostly in healthcare.

When he decided to go into business for himself and purchase a franchise, Hintz couldn’t help but be struck by the similarities with serving in the military.

In the army, he said everything is “easy” because it’s all written down.

“Even if you get promoted to the next level, you are not even close to being the first person who has ever done it. You learn as you grow into things,” he said.

It works the same way with a franchise.

“If you follow the system, it should generally work,” said Hintz. “You don’t need to figure everything out for yourself.

That makes it easier than if you started a

company on your own. AdvantaClean has a system and if you start with that system, it is going to work, but you have to be smart enough to adapt it to your market.”

Meanwhile, his military experience has also given him the right mindset to succeed as a franchisee. “In the army, I learned that individuals are responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen,” said Hintz. “It isn’t very different as a business owner. You need to be aware of every detail that goes on with your business and be able to juggle all the balls at once.”

Ultimately, Hintz said, “I can take care of some responsibilities myself and delegate others, but I’m still responsible for everything.”

He is able to delegate a lot. His crew leaders and salesperson are very knowledgeable. A lot of that was due to proper staff training. He and his team have also established a clear definition of where they are in the marketplace, what are they going to do and how are they going

to do it. Hintz feels that his job is to keep everybody focused on that.

Meanwhile, the military has remained with Hintz in other ways. He has hired veterans over the years and among his clients are the Milwaukee VA Medical Center and Dry Hootch, a retail coffee house and veteran support organization.

“I love walking around and serving my guys,” said Hintz. “Everyone who was in the military is one of my guys. We’re all brothers.”

By hanging onto what he learned in the army, Hintz has been able to achieve his company’s mission – bringing in plenty of work and keeping customers and employees happy.

“I’m not interested in the check that we get for the work we do,” said Hintz. “I’m interested in making sure that the person we do work for becomes a raving fan of my company.” www.advantaclean.com/milwaukee-wi

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profile: Ron Buckner | Kona Ice

Why Veterans and Mobile Franchise Concepts Make a Great Fit There are many people who hold the belief that everyone should work a customer service job at least once in their lives. Some, like myself, take that belief a step further and maintain that everyone should have a career in the military at least once in their lives.

While the latter is a bit more challenging to achieve, a military career provides people with a set of skills and a level of discipline that they can’t receive anywhere else.

Because of this, many veterans find great success in their professional careers after the military, with many choosing entrepreneurship as their next venture.

As a veteran of the United States Air Force and as the owner of Kona Ice NE Green County, I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of franchise ownership, specifically with a mobile concept. Below, I will detail how veterans like myself can achieve the same level of accomplishment while finding their passion with a post-military career in franchising.

WHY FRANCHISING? As mentioned above, veterans develop a keen set of skills throughout their time in the military, several of which are transferrable to a career in franchising. For example, when someone buys into a franchise, they buy into an entire business system that has an established set of rules, systems and processes already in place. Veterans understand, more than most, the need to follow guidelines in order to achieve a goal. Because of this, following the processes of a franchise system comes naturally for many veterans.

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“Working with a mobile franchise concept has provided me the opportunity to stay busy and successful, but most importantly, it has helped me find a career in which I am truly passionate about.”

ADVANTAGES OF A MOBILE CONCEPT Having worked for more traditional franchise concepts in the past, I have found that there are certain advantages to owning a mobile concept that conventional brick-and-mortar brands do not offer. A major perk? Mobile franchises aren’t confined to regular working hours, meaning you are at liberty to create your own schedule. At Kona Ice, for example, franchisees are able to choose which events to go to and how long to stay at those events. This freedom grants you the power to make your business as fruitful – or in some cases, fruitless – as you want. So, having a military mindset and strong work ethic aids in the success of a mobile franchise.

Another advantage to owning a mobile franchise concept is that your business serves as a “walking” advertisement. When people hear the tropical tunes and see the vibrant colors of my Kona Ice truck, they are immediately enticed – children and adults alike line up down the street to get a Kona Kup. Plus, military personnel have an understanding of how to manage people and situations in order to achieve a goal, meaning a veteran-owned mobile franchise is sure to offer customers military-grade service built on consistency.

FINDING YOUR PASSION POST MILITARY “After serving in the military, many veterans find it difficult to readjust to civilian life and the civilian workforce. Opening a franchise, specifically a mobile concept, is one path that many veterans take in order to settle into a fulfilling post-military career.”

Another reason many veterans find their fit in franchising is because they are extremely self-driven and motived. A military career often presents more challenges than a regular profession might, instilling a mindset in service members that success is based on hard work and discipline. This ideal allows many veteran franchise owners to find great success in their business. It’s important to note that as a franchise owner, you have the power to make your business as successful as you want it to be. If you work hard, put in the hours and take advantage of the resources provided by the franchisor, you will reap the benefits of a thriving franchise.

After serving in the military, many veterans find it difficult to readjust to civilian life and the civilian workforce. Opening a franchise, specifically a mobile concept, is one path that many veterans take in order to settle into a fulfilling post-military career.

However, above all else, it is essential to find a career that you are passionate about.

My time in the Air Force helped me build a set of skills and a work ethic that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I always knew, though, that I wanted a high-energy career that would allow me to connect with people. Through my work with Kona Ice, I have been able to see people at their happiest – on their wedding day, at a birthday party or even at a company picnic. Working with a mobile franchise concept has provided me the opportunity to stay busy and successful, but most importantly, it has helped me find a career in which I am truly passionate about.

Ron Buckner is the owner of Kona Ice of NE Green County in Oklahoma. In addition to running his Kona Ice business, Ron has held a career in real estate for over 40 years. Ron also served in the United States Air Force from 1971 to 1975. www.kona-ice.com

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profile: Mark Baker | 101 Mobility

From the Military to Mobility: International Franchise Welcomes Retired Army Officer as New Leader

Mark Baker has always understood the importance of mixing compassion with firmness as a leader — call it his military training.

When asked what kind of leader he is, he’ll tell you he’s one who sets high expectations. He encourages the best from everyone on his team, and he proudly admits it.

“I’m all about the team. I like to surround myself with people who are subject matter experts and give them leeway,” says Baker.

“I’m very direct and I’m pretty demanding.

I set high expectations.”

It’s this mentality that brought Baker to 101 Mobility, one of the largest providers of mobility and accessibility solutions in the United States. From stairlifts to wheelchair ramps, 101 Mobility sells, rents, installs and services products meant to help people with disabilities get around their homes with ease. The franchise recently welcomed Baker as its new president, and he plans to march the company into new territory.

For much of his life, all Mark knew was the military. Both he and his wife come from military families (with strict allegiance to the Army and the Navy) and service to the country served his family

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well. It was during his 20 years of service in the military that the father of two gained much of his leadership experience. He served on active duty in the U.S. Army as an infantry officer and retired from the U.S. Army Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Mark’s transition into civilian life led him toward a career in the franchise industry, holding several executive positions within the real estate and home services franchise sector. Baker also formerly served on the board of the International Franchise Association (IFA), Institute of Certified Franchise Executives. He was previously a board advisor for the Metropolitan State University Center for Innovation’s franchising program, and he earned the IFA’s Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation.

Now, as the new leader of 101 Mobility, Mark intends to oversee the company’s growth across North America. The brand has a presence in 30 states and several locations in Canada. Over the next three years, Baker hopes to double the size of today’s system and anticipates adding 60 more franchisees.

“I believe that 101 Mobility is the market leader in the industry,” says Mark. “They have a great brand promise, and they have a huge opportunity for growth. In your time of need, we’re there. It’s a big deal to help people have a better quality of life, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re helping people have a better quality of life.”

It’s not surprising that a high-ranking military veteran would choose to lead a company that serves those in need of help. 101 Mobility was created in 2008 to deliver mobility and accessibility solutions to people who are faced with limited physical mobility. Mark acknowledges and appreciates 101 Mobility’s efforts to assist those in need, including our country’s veterans, both by helping clients with disabilities and by offering a discount to veteran franchisee candidates.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re old, young or somewhere in the middle; there’s a huge need in the U.S. for this kind of service.

Every community needs someone like us, and 101 Mobility’s franchise owners make a difference in people’s lives.”

101mobility.com/franchiseopportunity

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