FRANCHISING
RESIDENTIAL remodeling JASON KRUEGER, FRANCHISE OWNER, KITCHEN TUNE UP
KITCHEN handyman KITCHEN TUNE-UP PLANS RETAIL STOREFRONT
Since Jason Krueger bought his Kitchen Tune-Up franchise in Lincoln three years ago, which operates out of his home, he has concentrated on growing his business enough to open a retail space. Aberdeen, South Dakota-based Kitchen Tune-Up has been in business for more than 30 years. Krueger bought the franchise for Lincoln in early 2018 and serves customers in a 40-mile radius of the capital city, including some work in Omaha. The firm does kitchen and bathroom remodeling, which can range from a complete remodel to a basic tune-up such as replacing aging hardware — like handles and drawer pulls — painting, custom cabinets, and cabinet refacing. The firm will have to grow a little more to make a retail space commercially feasible. “If I can hire a full-time crew member, I might be able to hire a full-time salesperson,” he said. Including Krueger, there are six part-time employees. “One guy who just turned 74 built houses and cabinets all of his life,”
Krueger said. “He works three days a week for me. I have a couple of college kids who work around their class schedules and other work schedules. If I get much busier, I’ll need a full-time project manager.”
Hands On
Krueger is still highly involved in all of the projects but hired a parttime salesman about two years ago. He is working to grow the company steadily but is wary of growing too fast. “[Growing] is easier with a franchise because [the franchiser] helps you out, but it’s easy to get ahead of yourself if you’re not careful,” he said. The firm is facing the same supply chain issues as other companies, which makes it difficult to get the right supplies when they are needed. “I’d figured out how to solve the problem, but I couldn’t get the part I wanted, so I had to do something different,” he said. Krueger credits the company’s success to “under promising and over delivering.” He does extra things his customers don’t expect at no charge. “I’ve fixed screen doors and steps,” he said. “We have one customer
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