MATCH WITH THE RIGHT FRANCHISE

By Jim Gold

When you go into business for yourself but not by yourself, you have to make sure the chemistry is right. Let these franchise experts share their know-how.

when it comes to finding the right franchise, ask yourself, “What am I passionate about?” The Franchise Insiders will help find your answer.

“When you own a business you’re passionate about, you want to tell the world about it and about why you are bringing it to your community,” says Jack Johnson, who co-founded The Franchise Insiders with his wife, Jill. Franchise owners should become passionate brand advocates for the business, whether it’s a gym, a restaurant, a dog day care center, a senior care service, or an education program.

The Johnsons’ no-fee consulting firm has helped hundreds of clients from a wide variety of backgrounds find the franchise opportunities that suit them best—and that will help them be successful.

Johnson says they consider themselves the “matchmakers of franchising,” and their services are free to clients (the Johnsons receive a commission from franchisors).

Their clients include veterans of corporate America, lifelong homemakers, and others who want to be their own boss. Many clients are interested in starting a family business, something they can pass on to the next generation.

Each client is paired with a franchise that fits their strengths and interests. And a free survey called the Business Builder Assessment helps clients see how their skills, experience, and passion fit with different opportunities.

The Franchise Insiders will then typically provide a list of 10 franchises. Clients then narrow it down further, working with the Johnsons until they find that perfect match.

The Johnsons only guide clients toward franchises that have already proven successful. In the case of new concepts, they make sure the businesses come from reputable franchise development companies, Johnson says.

Using the Johnsons’ Foundational Franchise Method, clients may start with a fairly low-investment, recessionresistant franchise. As a franchise owner builds wealth, they can add more franchises to their portfolio.

Part of the beauty of franchising is that you work with a system, Johnson says. “People who own multiple franchises didn’t go in and reinvent the wheel,” he says. “They were good team players.”

ENTREPRENEURS WITH THE drive to own and operate a successful business should take a look at the SealMaster franchise system. With consistent growth since its inception— even during tough economic times—one could call SealMaster recession-resistant.

“With my SealMaster franchise, my net worth and income have grown heartily and consistently, in spite of the worst downturn in the economy I’ve ever experienced,” says Mike Bashir, who owns two of the system’s territories.

SealMaster franchisees manufacture and/or distribute a full line of pavement maintenance materials, supplies and equipment. Franchisees have large, protected territories, according to Franchise Development Director Jason Hedlesky. Most cover entire states, and franchisees can open as many locations in their territories as demand dictates. “That presents phenomenal growth potential,” Hedlesky says.

SealMaster and prospective franchisees spend weeks or even months vetting one another.

“We invite them to talk to other SealMaster franchisees, and they visit our home office to meet our leadership team,” he says. Ideally, prospects will have a solid background in sales or marketing.

“The most successful franchises have important things in common,” Hedlesky says. “They have strong business acumen, they are very competitive, and they reinvest so they have the ability to dominate their territories.”

These are among the reasons SealMaster is the world’s largest producer of pavement sealer, according to Hedlesky. “We have the best and largest product line and the most wellknown brand in our industry, and we take pride in providing the best service possible.”

when you invest in a LunchboxWax franchise, you’re embracing a culture, not just a business venture.

“The intention of LunchboxWax from the start was to make everyone feel welcome. That was built into the company culture from day one,” says Debi Lane, founder and CEO. “The culture is what makes us family. It attracts franchise partners who want to be a part of something bigger.”

LunchboxWax gives entrepreneurs a strong bottom-line business that empowers its workforce, Lane says.

“Our job as the franchisor is to communicate, collaborate, and give franchise partners the tools to be confident as business owners,” Lane says.

LunchboxWax salons offer 15- and 30-minute services centered on soft-wax techniques that remove hair from a guest’s face, body, legs, or feet. Although the service is speedy, each guest gets a comfortable, luxurious spa experience. LunchboxWax’s well-defined branding grabs customers’ attention and helps the company stand out.

Franchisees receive indepth guidance and support, training in LunchboxWax’s unique speed-waxing technique, and assistance with everything from site selection to build-out.

The company looks for good leaders rather than good managers, says Carrie Morgan, LunchboxWax’s vice president of culture and training. Energetic and passionate franchisees will show an interest in developing and growing as individuals while also looking for a good business opportunity.

Lane stresses that effective leaders never stop learning.

“We must remain teachable, no matter our successes, positions, or titles,” she says. “I do this by surrounding myself with people who know more than I do. This helps me to keep leveling up.”

She also emphasizes a collaborative environment. “This not only empowers the people around us, it encourages ideas,” she says. “This is how we all keep learning.”

LunchboxWax franchise partners take the brand’s benefits and translate them into something meaningful for the guests and communities they serve, Lane says.

JOE GOLIO KNEW he wanted to invest in a new business. But the former restaurant operations manager didn’t want to get into retail, where he knew he would have to compete with online shopping outlets.

Pool Scouts’ professional approach to pool cleaning and maintenance service was the refreshing opportunity he was looking for. Pool Scouts’ engaging branding, business model, and low startup costs all made a splash. “And the internet is not going to clean your pool,” Golio says.

Golio launched Pool Scouts of Lehigh Acres, Florida, with his wife, Laura, and one of their three sons, Mason, in March 2019, just weeks after signing franchise papers.

He and his son attended a two-week training at Pool Scouts’ Virginia Beach, Virginia, headquarters. The first week focused on financials and back-office duties. In the second week, they received hands-on training, servicing pools with head technicians. Today, they service 100 customers a week. And they provide service year-round.

Pool Scouts President Michael Wagner says that driven, passionate people from various backgrounds should look into a pool service franchise.

“Our franchise owners are veterans, property managers, landscapers, a radio personality, and both business and pool professionals,” Wagner says.

The business is based on recurring revenue and allows franchisees to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves.

Wagner points to the company’s brand promise: “Perfect Pools, Scout’s Honor.” It’s something that resonates with customers looking for a more professional approach to residential pool cleaning and maintenance, he says.

with right at home, entrepreneurs have a chance to invest in themselves with a business that can be both financially rewarding and personally fulfilling.

One of the country’s largest and fastest-growing home-care franchise brands, Right at Home provides an important service to families and a major opportunity for franchisees. A Right at Home franchise is an especially good fit for anyone who wants to find purpose in their work and make a positive difference in the world, says Eric Little, chief development officer for Right at Home.

Successful Right at Home franchisees are often people who have thrived in a business environment or the corporate world. By making a purposedriven investment in Right at Home, they can be their own boss and apply their skills to something meaningful.

Running a Right at Home franchise is a full-time job, and it can be challenging. But the rewards include the knowledge that you’re doing something that will improve your community. “Right at Home is a business for people who enjoy working and have a solid work ethic,” Little says. “You need to like what you do for a living.”

Right at Home values its strong culture, which is why the company spends anywhere from three to four months in a dialogue with prospective franchisees. It’s important that franchisees want to improve not only their own lives, but also the lives of the people they serve. Right at Home makes that possible.