fran·chi·see \ fran-chī-zē, -chə-\noun
1. An outstanding franchise owner 2. Making “Plan B” work
KURT MATTHEWS
Midtown Chimney Sweeps Central New Jersey
H
By Jill Abrahamsen
aving worked for more than 30 years in the volatile field of advertising and marketing, Kurt Matthews wanted more control over his future while still using the customer service skills he honed throughout his career. At a crossroads, he starting thinking of “Plan B.” One day, while getting his chimney serviced, Matthews looked up and said to himself, “I can do that.” For a long time, he had thought about starting a business, but wanted something he could learn quickly. “Chimney sweeping looked like a lot of fun,” says Matthews. Having worked with many franchise businesses in his career, Matthews knew that investing in a franchise was a safer investment than starting something on your own. “I immediately wondered if there was a franchised chimney business,” he says. With a quick Google search, Matthews found Midtown Chimney Sweeps and spoke with founder and CEO Byron Schramm. Matthews scheduled a discovery day and flew out to Denver to meet the corporate team and learn more. Ironically, the day before he flew out, he was laid off from his job in advertising. “One thing about going after “Plan B” when there’s no more “Plan A,” is 22
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