Franchisee of The Month

fran·chi·see

\ fran-chī-zē, -chə-\noun

1. An outstanding franchise owner 2. Good old-fashioned business practices bring success

By Jill Abrahamsen

While email marketing can be annoying for many people, Bill Weber is grateful for it. If it weren’t for the marketing blasts that came through his inbox, he would have never known about The Patch Boys® drywall repair franchise. Weber was intrigued by the business model at first glance. “It was such a simple concept, but a brilliant one,” he says.

He kept receiving promotional emails from The Patch Boys®, and instead of unsubscribing, he started to think about the possibilities. “In talking to my wife about the idea, she urged me to pursue it,” he says. “ ‘Why are you passing up an opportunity?’ she asked me. So I picked up the phone and talked to The Patch Boys® President and Founder, Leo Goldberger. We hit it off immediately. I was struck by his honesty and integrity,” Weber recalls. “It just all made sense. The more I heard, the more I liked.”

As a home remodeling contractor, Weber had the perfect background to own The Patch Boys®. “I just took the business and ran with it,” Weber recalls. “There were jobs waiting for me before my territory was officially open. As part of training, Goldberger and his team came to my location and

18 FranchiseDictionaryMagazine.com

“I’m a firm believer in boots on the ground.

It’s good, old-fashioned business.”

worked the business with me. It was the ultimate on-the-job training,” Weber remembers.

In the beginning, Weber was very active in daily operations. “It’s really important to learn the ins and outs of the business, especially early on. If you know what you’re talking about, your employees will respect you more. I’m a firm believer in boots on the ground. It’s good, old-fashioned business,” he says.

Weber believes that the key to success is trust and mutual respect. “You have to honor the customer. If you screw up, you admit it,” he advises. “This is a ‘hearts’ business.’ I want to serve the homeowners, not get them.”

Weber’s life has been devoted to serving others. During the Vietnam Era, he served as a submarine sailor and spent time off the coast of Vietnam on covert operations. Now an avid volunteer, Weber supports charitable organizations, including Wheels for the World and Project Home Children’s Foundation. “I’m so happy to have a flexible schedule that allows me to do

important work like this. You can really make this business fit your lifestyle.”

The biggest challenge for Weber has been finding and maintaining good employees. “If you put in the time to train and develop people, it will pay off in the long run. You have to work with them and be willing to accept failures in the process,” he adds. Weber is so gifted at training people, he has now taken a role in training new franchisees for The Patch Boys®. “Corporate offers a ton of support. They are always willing to look at the systems. If something isn’t working, they fix it. That’s valuable stuff,” Weber says.

Advice for potential investors? “Don’t come in with rose-colored glasses. In any business you have to put in the time. But if you have a good work ethic, you can succeed. This is an inexpensive franchise that can be up and running in no time—and show profits quickly. It’s actually pretty darn gone amazing,” he adds.

For more information, visit www.patchboys.com or call 844-99-PATCH.

Weber supports Wheels for the World, an organization that donates wheelchairs to those affected by disabilities around the world. Photo provided courtesy of Joni and Friends.